I'm currently writing a campaign which I plan to have 4 main storylines, with each of them taking approximately one tier of play (outlined in the PHB) to complete. At the moment, I have a demonic incursion that culminates in the arrival of a demon lord (if the PCs wait until level 20 to deal with it) and a cult trying to resurrect Lady Vol (which succeeds once the PCs reach level 20). The players get to choose which storyline to address first, and the difficulty and style will scale with their level. My problem is, I'm not sure what to do for the other 2 storylines. Does anyone have any good ideas for villains or villainous groups that gradually amass power until they reach godhood?
Have you considered writing the other story lines, move-by-move, in the absence of the Players?
Set up your bad guys, in all story threads. That means set up who they are, what they want, what resources they have, and what tactics they tend to use. Make them roughly equivalent to the Party in level and ability.
After each session, figure out what the bad guys in all threads would be trying to do next, based on their goals an abilities. Decide where they'd be opposed. Decide on the conflicts, and outcomes. You can do this at a really high general level: go with your gut feel, and maybe a few straight up D20 rolls against generally decided DC classes: "OK, the thieves guild will try and kidnap the Duke's illegitimate daughters ... I'd give that a DC of 12 .... damn, only a 9 ... so they fail .... now why would they have failed, and what would the outcomes be ...". From this, decide when the bad guys gain ( or lose ) new resources and abilities. They might even change favored tactics due to the way your conflicts and resolutions.
In general, however, you want the bad guys to progress - so if an organization fails too much, they might depose a bad leader, or be taken over, or what-have-you - but in general they should be growing in experience and capabilities right along with the party.
This gives you a couple of benefits:
You know how the whole story is unfolding everywhere, and can quickly adapt to changing circumstances, and random Player choices: Let's charter a ship and go to the next continent!
You can draw in elements from other threads into your current thread easily - mine events on other threads as triggers for actions and events in the current one
Even if events don't overlap, you can throw in rumors in the background for world flavor ( did you hear that there was a kidnapping attempt on the Duke's daughter? )
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My problem is, I'm not sure what to do for the other 2 storylines. Does anyone have any good ideas for villains or villainous groups that gradually amass power until they reach godhood?
Think small, too many villains all bent on taking 100% of the world and bringing it under there control can get boring. Think small, such as the rule of a city, or an extinction of a minority race. They don't all have to wait until the PCs are level 20. It could end as early as level 5, with just a few stranglers bent on revenge.
Have a large city with an overpopulation problem. Bandits and gangs are everywhere, and the only ruling authority/power is one large gang with morals. The entire city is just the slums, with few safe havens. The PCs could be robbed left and right, searching for a trusted establishment. Another rival gang with no morals could assassinate (or attempt to) the leader of the gang, slowly taking power. Then the PCs could try to make their own government, help the heir to the moral gang, the possibilities are endless. A huge gang with lots of low CR monsters could harass the party even after they were defeated.
Underdark. Almost anything that lives in the Underdark is evil, so mind-flayers, Durgaer, fungus creatures, or Drow could be invading the surface, causing the PCs to attempt to make a deal with the monsters, or block of all entrances into the Underdark.
Hope this helped!
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I'm currently writing a campaign which I plan to have 4 main storylines, with each of them taking approximately one tier of play (outlined in the PHB) to complete. At the moment, I have a demonic incursion that culminates in the arrival of a demon lord (if the PCs wait until level 20 to deal with it) and a cult trying to resurrect Lady Vol (which succeeds once the PCs reach level 20). The players get to choose which storyline to address first, and the difficulty and style will scale with their level. My problem is, I'm not sure what to do for the other 2 storylines. Does anyone have any good ideas for villains or villainous groups that gradually amass power until they reach godhood?
Interesting idea.
Have you considered writing the other story lines, move-by-move, in the absence of the Players?
Set up your bad guys, in all story threads. That means set up who they are, what they want, what resources they have, and what tactics they tend to use. Make them roughly equivalent to the Party in level and ability.
After each session, figure out what the bad guys in all threads would be trying to do next, based on their goals an abilities. Decide where they'd be opposed. Decide on the conflicts, and outcomes. You can do this at a really high general level: go with your gut feel, and maybe a few straight up D20 rolls against generally decided DC classes: "OK, the thieves guild will try and kidnap the Duke's illegitimate daughters ... I'd give that a DC of 12 .... damn, only a 9 ... so they fail .... now why would they have failed, and what would the outcomes be ...". From this, decide when the bad guys gain ( or lose ) new resources and abilities. They might even change favored tactics due to the way your conflicts and resolutions.
In general, however, you want the bad guys to progress - so if an organization fails too much, they might depose a bad leader, or be taken over, or what-have-you - but in general they should be growing in experience and capabilities right along with the party.
This gives you a couple of benefits:
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
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My only bit of cautionary advice is not to prepare too far in advance - that way you can change based on what your players end up enjoying/ doing most
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Think small, too many villains all bent on taking 100% of the world and bringing it under there control can get boring. Think small, such as the rule of a city, or an extinction of a minority race. They don't all have to wait until the PCs are level 20. It could end as early as level 5, with just a few stranglers bent on revenge.
Have a large city with an overpopulation problem. Bandits and gangs are everywhere, and the only ruling authority/power is one large gang with morals. The entire city is just the slums, with few safe havens. The PCs could be robbed left and right, searching for a trusted establishment. Another rival gang with no morals could assassinate (or attempt to) the leader of the gang, slowly taking power. Then the PCs could try to make their own government, help the heir to the moral gang, the possibilities are endless. A huge gang with lots of low CR monsters could harass the party even after they were defeated.
Underdark. Almost anything that lives in the Underdark is evil, so mind-flayers, Durgaer, fungus creatures, or Drow could be invading the surface, causing the PCs to attempt to make a deal with the monsters, or block of all entrances into the Underdark.
Hope this helped!