For the past few days I'm drawing blanks and can't even come up with a starting idea to build upon.
The setting is the Elsir Vale of the adventure module Red Hand of Doom which will lead into Rise of Tiamat. My players are moving around the vale towards a smaller village named Witch Cross. It is located on the outskirts of the Witch Wood which is a "forrest" and marshes. I've given Witchcross the flavor of a place that has strong ties with nature. Especially since a druid of the Eth advices the council of elders.
One of my players plays a moon druid. Her first one died in combat. Since she's new I allowed her to keep playing the same player as the niece of her original character. This new character is coming back home basically with a group of adventurers. One of them is actually the one that killed the original moondruid while being charmed by the bad guy they had encountered then. That is already leading to some interesting inter-party roleplay. Also as a Wood Elf there are racial tendencies towards her when she travels. Usually they keep to the woods/marshes while other settlements see them more as savages.
To keep it short I'm trying to come up with a nice quest line for this moon druid. With the Witchcross as the starting point. As said I'm having a total blank stare when looking at my notes and any ideas would be welcomed. So far I'm planning to present her with a cloak that gives +1AC, once per long rest Blur spell effect. And it can also be transferred/used when she's wildshaped.
For some unknown reason, some Kenku are mimicking an infernal ritual that they partially heard to animate scarecrows and terrorize the village. The local Druid is busy trying to keep up wards at night that keep the constructs out of the town for now, but last night, the Kenku snuck into town and attacked the Druid, making toninight's task even more challenging. The local Druid seeks the help of the PC Druid in taking the fight to the Kenku and their scarecrow monsters.
Where did the Kenku hear the ritual? Is there a bigger demon cult problem brewing in the local area or even in the town itself?
Why not have some rite that she has to undertake to take the place of her lost family member. Druids tend to belong to circles, with the new druid entering the scene she might need to show that she is able to handle the new position our see if she is unwilling. This could lead in to a family secret or her finding a new goal to achieve.
Thing is I'd like to be a long term development/story/plot for her character. Kenku Demon/Devil summoning could be tied into some ideas I have for lvl 17+. During Rise of Tiamat there are additional elements of devils/demons foreshadowing elements of the Blood War. It is definitely something to think about. While it could function as an "initiating" test at the same time.
Something interesting you could do is have the Druid character meet up with the one advising the council and must go through a rite of nature. This could be a quest where the player with the help of the group must complete a set of trails to prove their dedication to nature and the druid way and earn the cloak as a prize. You could even bring up the dead character saying that she earned the same cloak when she completed the rite. Another option could be that the forest and nature around the town is becoming corrupted and seems to be "Infected" by some evil force. This can develop as the council druid becoming corrupted by infernal magic or the influence of a fiend and is trying to take over the area to start building a base to move across the country taking over anything in their path. I hope these ideas help and i wish you luck.
Those ideas kickstarted my own brain. Thanks for that. I did a lot of looking around, which led to other things and eventually resulted in the following...
1. The original moon druid was sent off to look into an infestation of Twig Blights. Since she was apprentice to the druid of Eth it was also utilized as her initiation rite/trial. At the same time it functioned as an intro why she ended up at the Sunless Citadel as well. Where she then died during the fight against Belak the druid. Simply because the Gulthias tree charmed most of the group resulting in the ranger shooting this moon druid dead at the last moment. 2. Upon return to Witchross the new Moon Druid will find the mother at death's door. She's a herbalist that trades with the local alchemist. Distraught by the news B (moon druid 1) had died she was open for harassment from a Night Hag. This Hag has been in the area for years, unnoticed, sapping strength from civilians and killing them in their sleep. Since this occurred at large time intervals no one spend too much time thinking about these odd deaths. Lately the hag's activities have been occurring more often with more death's, disappearances and more reports from voices and figures in the woods/marshes. She is basically collecting souls at a more rapid pace for her devil employer. Could use some Kenku's with low level devils as methods of harassment. 3. The players can arrive and try to be in time to save B's mother's soul or see her die. Experience some dreams and nightly visits as well if need be. Will be interesting to play a Night Hag 4. Reason the Hag has stepped up her activities is because of the progress Red Hand of Doom is making with summoning Tiamat. As well as the fiends that appeared in the region as result. In Rise of Tiamat there will be devil's aiding and opposing her arrival as well. So I'm going to have it start at lower rank intrusion with the Night Hag. Perhaps she is using some children, which she lured to her, as sacrifices in a ritual to open a gateway to let some devils through. Which, if not stopped, would eventually result in them subtly taking over nearby settlements/hamlets. 5. I've already had elements where the players actions mattered without them realizing yet. Events that could slow down, or weaken the army of the RHoD. They won't know that the Hag, and its devils, would eventually (indirectly) aid them against the army. 6. I can have the Night Hag escape easily as to provide a recurring enemy which is always cool. At one point having interaction with a coven of hags even. Gradually developing a more complex, layered construct, of devils that eventually lead to the right hand man of Asmodeus and the Blood War. Asmodeus is the one trying to prevent Tiamat from undermining him and leaving Hell. Thus creating an extra story line next to the ones already existing. 7. RHoD module, when going to Tiamat's Fane, also has a hag there. Perhaps she could be related to the Night Hag in the woods. Allowing for some more options/foreshadowing.
Thanks for the ideas. They really helped. Another player has an army family background. I'll try to combine that with this one.
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For the past few days I'm drawing blanks and can't even come up with a starting idea to build upon.
The setting is the Elsir Vale of the adventure module Red Hand of Doom which will lead into Rise of Tiamat. My players are moving around the vale towards a smaller village named Witch Cross. It is located on the outskirts of the Witch Wood which is a "forrest" and marshes. I've given Witchcross the flavor of a place that has strong ties with nature. Especially since a druid of the Eth advices the council of elders.
One of my players plays a moon druid. Her first one died in combat. Since she's new I allowed her to keep playing the same player as the niece of her original character. This new character is coming back home basically with a group of adventurers. One of them is actually the one that killed the original moondruid while being charmed by the bad guy they had encountered then. That is already leading to some interesting inter-party roleplay. Also as a Wood Elf there are racial tendencies towards her when she travels. Usually they keep to the woods/marshes while other settlements see them more as savages.
To keep it short I'm trying to come up with a nice quest line for this moon druid. With the Witchcross as the starting point. As said I'm having a total blank stare when looking at my notes and any ideas would be welcomed. So far I'm planning to present her with a cloak that gives +1AC, once per long rest Blur spell effect. And it can also be transferred/used when she's wildshaped.
For some unknown reason, some Kenku are mimicking an infernal ritual that they partially heard to animate scarecrows and terrorize the village. The local Druid is busy trying to keep up wards at night that keep the constructs out of the town for now, but last night, the Kenku snuck into town and attacked the Druid, making toninight's task even more challenging. The local Druid seeks the help of the PC Druid in taking the fight to the Kenku and their scarecrow monsters.
Where did the Kenku hear the ritual? Is there a bigger demon cult problem brewing in the local area or even in the town itself?
Why not have some rite that she has to undertake to take the place of her lost family member. Druids tend to belong to circles, with the new druid entering the scene she might need to show that she is able to handle the new position our see if she is unwilling. This could lead in to a family secret or her finding a new goal to achieve.
Thing is I'd like to be a long term development/story/plot for her character. Kenku Demon/Devil summoning could be tied into some ideas I have for lvl 17+. During Rise of Tiamat there are additional elements of devils/demons foreshadowing elements of the Blood War. It is definitely something to think about. While it could function as an "initiating" test at the same time.
Something interesting you could do is have the Druid character meet up with the one advising the council and must go through a rite of nature. This could be a quest where the player with the help of the group must complete a set of trails to prove their dedication to nature and the druid way and earn the cloak as a prize. You could even bring up the dead character saying that she earned the same cloak when she completed the rite. Another option could be that the forest and nature around the town is becoming corrupted and seems to be "Infected" by some evil force. This can develop as the council druid becoming corrupted by infernal magic or the influence of a fiend and is trying to take over the area to start building a base to move across the country taking over anything in their path. I hope these ideas help and i wish you luck.
Those ideas kickstarted my own brain. Thanks for that. I did a lot of looking around, which led to other things and eventually resulted in the following...
1. The original moon druid was sent off to look into an infestation of Twig Blights. Since she was apprentice to the druid of Eth it was also utilized as her initiation rite/trial. At the same time it functioned as an intro why she ended up at the Sunless Citadel as well. Where she then died during the fight against Belak the druid. Simply because the Gulthias tree charmed most of the group resulting in the ranger shooting this moon druid dead at the last moment.
2. Upon return to Witchross the new Moon Druid will find the mother at death's door. She's a herbalist that trades with the local alchemist. Distraught by the news B (moon druid 1) had died she was open for harassment from a Night Hag. This Hag has been in the area for years, unnoticed, sapping strength from civilians and killing them in their sleep. Since this occurred at large time intervals no one spend too much time thinking about these odd deaths. Lately the hag's activities have been occurring more often with more death's, disappearances and more reports from voices and figures in the woods/marshes. She is basically collecting souls at a more rapid pace for her devil employer. Could use some Kenku's with low level devils as methods of harassment.
3. The players can arrive and try to be in time to save B's mother's soul or see her die. Experience some dreams and nightly visits as well if need be. Will be interesting to play a Night Hag
4. Reason the Hag has stepped up her activities is because of the progress Red Hand of Doom is making with summoning Tiamat. As well as the fiends that appeared in the region as result. In Rise of Tiamat there will be devil's aiding and opposing her arrival as well. So I'm going to have it start at lower rank intrusion with the Night Hag. Perhaps she is using some children, which she lured to her, as sacrifices in a ritual to open a gateway to let some devils through. Which, if not stopped, would eventually result in them subtly taking over nearby settlements/hamlets.
5. I've already had elements where the players actions mattered without them realizing yet. Events that could slow down, or weaken the army of the RHoD. They won't know that the Hag, and its devils, would eventually (indirectly) aid them against the army.
6. I can have the Night Hag escape easily as to provide a recurring enemy which is always cool. At one point having interaction with a coven of hags even. Gradually developing a more complex, layered construct, of devils that eventually lead to the right hand man of Asmodeus and the Blood War. Asmodeus is the one trying to prevent Tiamat from undermining him and leaving Hell. Thus creating an extra story line next to the ones already existing.
7. RHoD module, when going to Tiamat's Fane, also has a hag there. Perhaps she could be related to the Night Hag in the woods. Allowing for some more options/foreshadowing.
Thanks for the ideas. They really helped.
Another player has an army family background. I'll try to combine that with this one.