I've been trying to think of a plot for my homebrew campaign. My PCs are looking for a grand adventure kind of thing. I was thinking about adding a sort of sandbox open world style.
I believe i want them to start in a scenario where they are in combat with the main villan, as if it were the final fight of the campaign. But before they get to far the main villan sends them through a rift and the party ends up washed up on a beach and will need to figure out what do next. What the PCs don't know and will soon find out that they have appeared somehow inside the center of some kind of planet. It seems that within the center of this planet is a land mass much like the PCs home world, although very different. On the surface above ground from where the PCs are, the planet is dieing and is beyond any help. the place the PCs will have ended up is still safe and thriving.
they will have a way back to their home. i am planning on having a way to get to the surface and them needing to find a temple ruin or something to perform a ritual that will open a portal/gate to their home planet. I'll have locations on the map that would lead them to something to get to the surface.
That is all I've come up with so far. Any suggestions or criticisms are all welcome.
That's actually really cool! Gives me a kind of memory hit of "Symphony of the Night", with that opening Dracula battle, and bits of Chrono Cross; which is to say I think that's a REALLY cool concept, and could be played up really well, if a bit complicated for a D&D game if you also want sandbox elements.
Before you get too far in planning I think that first thing you need to decide on is WHERE (or WHEN) the party is sent to. Is it a pocket dimension separate from the Players' reality, etc, or just a different continent in the same world? Are they sent ten years into the future after the villain cast them out, and are now a decade out from the big bad "winning" and questing out to mess up his victory?
Those are going to massively change the kind of answers and advice you get, and since both work, you definitely should decide before you go for major feedback, or even get anything, if it isn't more decisive.
I still think the beach idea is a really good one, though. Using the Feywild or a similar concept of a realm that effects how time passes for the players could be REALLY good: they wake up on a Feywild beach, assume they can just march back through the nearest portal back to the Material Realm, and are hit with whatever curveball you think best suits your campaign.
I'd say that the start has some awesome intrigue! Setting is important for both you and the PCs, so having it clear in your own head is awesome. My main advice is that setting isn't plot! It's hard to not get the two mixed up mentally, but here's how I think of it:
Take away all specifics about the setting and the bad guy and the PCs. You're left with one of two things: 'adventurers in a place want to do X thing. Someone doesn't want to let them do X thing' or with 'Someone in a place wants to do X thing. Adventurers don't want to let them do X thing.'
It's a story, so it's about the conflict. Someone is active and wants to break the status quo. Someone is reactive and wants to keep the world the way it is. You need to figure out which 'someone' is your PCs in the first adventure you create.
Your job is to know the thing the bad guy wants to do and how to suggest your characters not want to let them do it/ OR/AND it's to figure out what your characters want to do and why your bad guy doesn't want them to do it.
Those are two different play styles. You can move between them, but the former works best with more 'on the rails' games and the latter works better with more 'off the rails' games.
My main worry with moving to a new world is that your characters won't have much motivation to do anything specifically unless they know that's going to happen. All their stuff is on the other world in most cases, even if they haven't yet given more than the barest thought to what that 'stuff' might be. Their main motivation will likely be to get back! If you do a 'fish pond' style game where there are a bunch of tasty morsels on hooks for the players to nibble on, you might find that they don't bite because they really just want to be in that other fish pond you just ported them out of where their thieves' guild, lost sister, murdered mentor, etc. are located.
@DMThac0. to answer you first question. i dont believe that this planet is construct of the the main villan. i believe that he/she has just sent then to a random planet. the planet is dieing on the surface and is beyond any help. the place the PCs will have ended up is still safe and thriving.
your second question. i havent decided the exact reason but i have an idea on what it could be. the main villan is doing what he/she thinks is morally correct. and the PCs have a different opinion.
the third question. they will have a way back to their home. i am planning on having a way to get to the surface and them needing to find a temple ruin or something to perform a ritual that will open a portal/gate to their home planet.
next question. will the lose their memories? no, they will have all their memories intact.
last but not least. will the PCs "lose" if they dont get back on time? I dont want to put a time limit on the PCs to complete the main quest. i feel that would put a lot of unneeded pressure on everyone. instead i'd like to let the PCs play at there own pace.
My main worry with moving to a new world is that your characters won't have much motivation to do anything specifically unless they know that's going to happen. All their stuff is on the other world in most cases, even if they haven't yet given more than the barest thought to what that 'stuff' might be. Their main motivation will likely be to get back! If you do a 'fish pond' style game where there are a bunch of tasty morsels on hooks for the players to nibble on, you might find that they don't bite because they really just want to be in that other fish pond you just ported them out of where their thieves' guild, lost sister, murdered mentor, etc. are located.
that is a very good point. i suppose my counter to that kind of situation would be that there would be some quests that the PCs will have to complete in order to get home. of course the PCs will need to explore to find these quests
Well, now you have the ground work done for your main story arc:
The players are shunted to a planet of unknown origin, they must return to their home to stop the BBEG from completing whatever it is they are working on, after finding the ritual/key to make their way home they have to find a way to safely go to, and travel on, the surface, and finally confront the BBEG after successfully finding the location necessary to teleport back home.
The rest is figuring out the obstacles that they will encounter along the way, the politics and world events that will affect their journey, and the friends/foes they will encounter along the way.
thank you so much guys! my only other request would be suggestions for said world events and politics and perhaps some main NPCs that could be helpful. i have some random encounters they can run into, and im good at coming up with homebrew campaign concepts. the only thing i really suck at is the creating of NPCs, either main or side.
I'd say that the start has some awesome intrigue! Setting is important for both you and the PCs, so having it clear in your own head is awesome. My main advice is that setting isn't plot! It's hard to not get the two mixed up mentally, but here's how I think of it:
Take away all specifics about the setting and the bad guy and the PCs. You're left with one of two things: 'adventurers in a place want to do X thing. Someone doesn't want to let them do X thing' or with 'Someone in a place wants to do X thing. Adventurers don't want to let them do X thing.'
It's a story, so it's about the conflict. Someone is active and wants to break the status quo. Someone is reactive and wants to keep the world the way it is. You need to figure out which 'someone' is your PCs in the first adventure you create.
Your job is to know the thing the bad guy wants to do and how to suggest your characters not want to let them do it/ OR/AND it's to figure out what your characters want to do and why your bad guy doesn't want them to do it.
Those are two different play styles. You can move between them, but the former works best with more 'on the rails' games and the latter works better with more 'off the rails' games.
My main worry with moving to a new world is that your characters won't have much motivation to do anything specifically unless they know that's going to happen. All their stuff is on the other world in most cases, even if they haven't yet given more than the barest thought to what that 'stuff' might be. Their main motivation will likely be to get back! If you do a 'fish pond' style game where there are a bunch of tasty morsels on hooks for the players to nibble on, you might find that they don't bite because they really just want to be in that other fish pond you just ported them out of where their thieves' guild, lost sister, murdered mentor, etc. are located.
I am actually going to have to differ from you on this one. In most great stories the Heroes are *reactive* and the Antagonists are *proactive*. In mty favorite example, look at the plot of Die Hard: Hans Gruber and Co. want lots and lots of money and are willing to kill to get it. John McLean wants to *stop* them, but he doesn't get to head them off at the expressway with a team of LAPD's finest. No, he was to react and pick them off one by one as he bleds from his poor cut up feet. *sob*
On to the OP.
Make a plot. Have the plan and see what the PCs do. If they can stop the BBEG great! If they can't or decide to go a different route allow the setting to reflect that. You are not Railroading them, but putting the PCs in a world with continuity and consequences. If they are big boys and girls they will rise to the challenge.
1) if the villain is teleporting people to get them out of the way, I'd populate this world with those who have opposed him before and are yet to escape/don't know how/cannot escape because reasons. Heck, I'd populate the world with both trivial and important locations and objects that also got sent through, as well as people, locations, and objects that will be shifted out after the PC's.
2) why would someone merely remove rather than outright kill? And if the PC's meet him again, what is to stop him from repeating the trick? this would need to make sense.
1) if the villain is teleporting people to get them out of the way, I'd populate this world with those who have opposed him before and are yet to escape/don't know how/cannot escape because reasons. Heck, I'd populate the world with both trivial and important locations and objects that also got sent through, as well as people, locations, and objects that will be shifted out after the PC's.
2) why would someone merely remove rather than outright kill? And if the PC's meet him again, what is to stop him from repeating the trick? this would need to make sense.
1) I really like that idea. could set up for some interesting encounters, or some funny ones. something like the villain sending a heard of sheep down from the sky that happens to be directly above the PCs
2) perhaps he doesnt expect anyone to be able to return. and if the PCs end up meeting the villain again he wouldnt be able to send them away a second time. ill have it so the villain cant cast that spell on the same thing(s) twice.
While you may already have your answer.. when reading this, the first thing that came to my mind was time-travel.
the BBEG has an item that lets him manipulate the world. The party sees this as they do battle. In the ensuing melee they are flung forward in time, to a place where the BBEG rules all, but they know the source of his power. So now their quest is how to get back to that and stop him, now that they know how the item is used.
They may be the only people in the world/area that know who he truly is.
So now their motivation is to find him, use the item to go back in time, and stop him before that critical moment, since they know how their world ends otherwise.
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"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I'm going off that this is a D&D game. And of course this is my my opinion. If it sucks then that's fine, it your game! ^^ Don't listen to me if you hate it, it's fine! ^^
Don't do the planet thingy. It's way better if it's another plane. Because then it's gonna feel a little to alien laser guns iffy. If the players are starting at a level below 5 or 6, having them fighting a main villian at the start, it's gonna be a little weird. "The all mighty necromancer, ZAROAROAORZAROZZZ THE Z NAMED EVIL!" is about to die from a party of level 2 adventurers.... So maybe not the "main" villan like Vecna or Denar, but something dangerous but still their speed. Plus, a good villan is HATED I've myself a problem with making my players hate their villian but when you're starting with that they are close to killing him, they aren't really gonna hate him. And it's more about getting of this dying plane and not ending up dying with it. Than getting back to kill the main evil.
If you're making this plane yourself, make sure you know stuff about it. What are the general races of the place? Are there the same gods? If so how are they connected to the prime material plane? If there are different gods, who are they? How are they built? As in does the god of life also stand for death? Or is each god very specific to their dogma? Are there different races than humans,elves, and the likes? And an important part: What is killing this plane? Is it even possible to save it and how would the races have it about this dying plane. Are they scared. Do they even know it? Or have they accepted it and are getting ready for their death?
There is gonna be a lot of work into it trust me. But it sounds really good! But I think this is your chance to use those monsters you've never really gotten to use! Like Yuan-Ti and lizardfolk. Aaaah the lizardfolk. The most awesome non dragonborn reptile race there is. Oh and also! Remember, how did the monsters and just in general: How the **** did that chimera get here? I had an idea of my villan breaking a staff of power, however he had modified it and that caused the plane shifting to be more chaotic. Thrusting both him AND the players to random planes. You could do something like that. Oh and sorry but another thing: What does the evil dude do after they are gone? Is he dead or does he even know what happened? Remember that the other world is still breathing and still turning while the heros dick around.
And at some point it can be fun to remind them of that. Perhaps they get at some point a single successful scry spell. And if they look upon the evil dude they can see he is having A REALLY GOOD TIME. FEELING ALIVE. *cough* sorry.
Time travel is a ****ed up thing. I think it would be a little easyer to control it if it was a Delilah sorta thing. Where she would create her own plane and crash the prime material plane and her own together, ending up warping it to her wish. Because then if they go back in time there is no reason for it in the future which creates a time paradox. Going into the future means that you have to create the now years into the future. But also, how did it come to be that way? Since he just travelled forth into the future. The bad dude didn't do anything other than speed time up, and the PC are effected too I would assume, ending in that nothing would chance for the bad guy nor the players. So time travel is a pain the ass to figure out. But you could make something work. When people ask you how it works you can just say: "Magic." Or "The weave." ^^
Sorry if I just ****ed the shit out of your idea. Wasn't meant to be aggresive! ^^ Sorry!
"Don't do the planet thingy. It's way better if it's another plane. Because then it's gonna feel a little to alien laser guns iffy."
You're right, doing the planet idea makes it a little less fantasy themed and more si-fi. Going about the "another plane" scenario can work but i would like to keep the same style of setting. With the plane dying and there being a safe haven. Ideas on how to go about this?
"I had an idea of my villan breaking a staff of power, however he had modified it and that caused the plane shifting to be more chaotic. Thrusting both him AND the players to random planes. You could do something like that."
i really like this idea. ill need to incorporate it into my campaign somehow. I'll modify it i bit though.
"What does the evil dude do after they are gone? Is he dead or does he even know what happened? Remember that the other world is still breathing and still turning while the heros dick around."
i do realize that the world in which they were from is still alive and plan on keeping it's clock ticking. As for what the main villain is up to, i havent decided yet. there is plenty of time before i need to come up with a solid idea.
I reckon another planet can work. Specifically, "Counter-earth", i.e. the other planet is twin or twin like, but orbits on the exact opposite side of the sun. This lets you keep familiarity - "The stars look the same, except, it should be winter?", as well as introduce a theme to the construction of the world. E.g. is it like the opposite twin of the prime world? Mirror twin? Chaos version?
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I've been trying to think of a plot for my homebrew campaign. My PCs are looking for a grand adventure kind of thing. I was thinking about adding a sort of sandbox open world style.
I believe i want them to start in a scenario where they are in combat with the main villan, as if it were the final fight of the campaign. But before they get to far the main villan sends them through a rift and the party ends up washed up on a beach and will need to figure out what do next. What the PCs don't know and will soon find out that they have appeared somehow inside the center of some kind of planet. It seems that within the center of this planet is a land mass much like the PCs home world, although very different. On the surface above ground from where the PCs are, the planet is dieing and is beyond any help. the place the PCs will have ended up is still safe and thriving.
they will have a way back to their home. i am planning on having a way to get to the surface and them needing to find a temple ruin or something to perform a ritual that will open a portal/gate to their home planet. I'll have locations on the map that would lead them to something to get to the surface.
That is all I've come up with so far. Any suggestions or criticisms are all welcome.
That's actually really cool! Gives me a kind of memory hit of "Symphony of the Night", with that opening Dracula battle, and bits of Chrono Cross; which is to say I think that's a REALLY cool concept, and could be played up really well, if a bit complicated for a D&D game if you also want sandbox elements.
Before you get too far in planning I think that first thing you need to decide on is WHERE (or WHEN) the party is sent to. Is it a pocket dimension separate from the Players' reality, etc, or just a different continent in the same world? Are they sent ten years into the future after the villain cast them out, and are now a decade out from the big bad "winning" and questing out to mess up his victory?
Those are going to massively change the kind of answers and advice you get, and since both work, you definitely should decide before you go for major feedback, or even get anything, if it isn't more decisive.
I still think the beach idea is a really good one, though. Using the Feywild or a similar concept of a realm that effects how time passes for the players could be REALLY good: they wake up on a Feywild beach, assume they can just march back through the nearest portal back to the Material Realm, and are hit with whatever curveball you think best suits your campaign.
I have updated my description of my campaign in the main post. thank you. I believe I have created a unique setting. ;)
Well, now comes the fun!
Just a few questions that immediately jump to mind from what you've given.
I'd say that the start has some awesome intrigue! Setting is important for both you and the PCs, so having it clear in your own head is awesome. My main advice is that setting isn't plot! It's hard to not get the two mixed up mentally, but here's how I think of it:
Take away all specifics about the setting and the bad guy and the PCs. You're left with one of two things: 'adventurers in a place want to do X thing. Someone doesn't want to let them do X thing' or with 'Someone in a place wants to do X thing. Adventurers don't want to let them do X thing.'
It's a story, so it's about the conflict. Someone is active and wants to break the status quo. Someone is reactive and wants to keep the world the way it is. You need to figure out which 'someone' is your PCs in the first adventure you create.
Your job is to know the thing the bad guy wants to do and how to suggest your characters not want to let them do it/ OR/AND it's to figure out what your characters want to do and why your bad guy doesn't want them to do it.
Those are two different play styles. You can move between them, but the former works best with more 'on the rails' games and the latter works better with more 'off the rails' games.
My main worry with moving to a new world is that your characters won't have much motivation to do anything specifically unless they know that's going to happen. All their stuff is on the other world in most cases, even if they haven't yet given more than the barest thought to what that 'stuff' might be. Their main motivation will likely be to get back! If you do a 'fish pond' style game where there are a bunch of tasty morsels on hooks for the players to nibble on, you might find that they don't bite because they really just want to be in that other fish pond you just ported them out of where their thieves' guild, lost sister, murdered mentor, etc. are located.
@DMThac0. to answer you first question. i dont believe that this planet is construct of the the main villan. i believe that he/she has just sent then to a random planet. the planet is dieing on the surface and is beyond any help. the place the PCs will have ended up is still safe and thriving.
your second question. i havent decided the exact reason but i have an idea on what it could be. the main villan is doing what he/she thinks is morally correct. and the PCs have a different opinion.
the third question. they will have a way back to their home. i am planning on having a way to get to the surface and them needing to find a temple ruin or something to perform a ritual that will open a portal/gate to their home planet.
next question. will the lose their memories? no, they will have all their memories intact.
last but not least. will the PCs "lose" if they dont get back on time? I dont want to put a time limit on the PCs to complete the main quest. i feel that would put a lot of unneeded pressure on everyone. instead i'd like to let the PCs play at there own pace.
that is a very good point. i suppose my counter to that kind of situation would be that there would be some quests that the PCs will have to complete in order to get home. of course the PCs will need to explore to find these quests
Well, now you have the ground work done for your main story arc:
The players are shunted to a planet of unknown origin, they must return to their home to stop the BBEG from completing whatever it is they are working on, after finding the ritual/key to make their way home they have to find a way to safely go to, and travel on, the surface, and finally confront the BBEG after successfully finding the location necessary to teleport back home.
The rest is figuring out the obstacles that they will encounter along the way, the politics and world events that will affect their journey, and the friends/foes they will encounter along the way.
thank you so much guys! my only other request would be suggestions for said world events and politics and perhaps some main NPCs that could be helpful. i have some random encounters they can run into, and im good at coming up with homebrew campaign concepts. the only thing i really suck at is the creating of NPCs, either main or side.
I am actually going to have to differ from you on this one. In most great stories the Heroes are *reactive* and the Antagonists are *proactive*. In mty favorite example, look at the plot of Die Hard: Hans Gruber and Co. want lots and lots of money and are willing to kill to get it. John McLean wants to *stop* them, but he doesn't get to head them off at the expressway with a team of LAPD's finest. No, he was to react and pick them off one by one as he bleds from his poor cut up feet. *sob*
On to the OP.
Make a plot. Have the plan and see what the PCs do. If they can stop the BBEG great! If they can't or decide to go a different route allow the setting to reflect that. You are not Railroading them, but putting the PCs in a world with continuity and consequences. If they are big boys and girls they will rise to the challenge.
some thoughts.
1) if the villain is teleporting people to get them out of the way, I'd populate this world with those who have opposed him before and are yet to escape/don't know how/cannot escape because reasons. Heck, I'd populate the world with both trivial and important locations and objects that also got sent through, as well as people, locations, and objects that will be shifted out after the PC's.
2) why would someone merely remove rather than outright kill? And if the PC's meet him again, what is to stop him from repeating the trick? this would need to make sense.
1) I really like that idea. could set up for some interesting encounters, or some funny ones. something like the villain sending a heard of sheep down from the sky that happens to be directly above the PCs
2) perhaps he doesnt expect anyone to be able to return. and if the PCs end up meeting the villain again he wouldnt be able to send them away a second time. ill have it so the villain cant cast that spell on the same thing(s) twice.
While you may already have your answer.. when reading this, the first thing that came to my mind was time-travel.
the BBEG has an item that lets him manipulate the world. The party sees this as they do battle. In the ensuing melee they are flung forward in time, to a place where the BBEG rules all, but they know the source of his power. So now their quest is how to get back to that and stop him, now that they know how the item is used.
They may be the only people in the world/area that know who he truly is.
So now their motivation is to find him, use the item to go back in time, and stop him before that critical moment, since they know how their world ends otherwise.
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
*cough*Samurai Jack*cough*
I'm going off that this is a D&D game. And of course this is my my opinion. If it sucks then that's fine, it your game! ^^ Don't listen to me if you hate it, it's fine! ^^
Don't do the planet thingy. It's way better if it's another plane. Because then it's gonna feel a little to alien laser guns iffy. If the players are starting at a level below 5 or 6, having them fighting a main villian at the start, it's gonna be a little weird. "The all mighty necromancer, ZAROAROAORZAROZZZ THE Z NAMED EVIL!" is about to die from a party of level 2 adventurers.... So maybe not the "main" villan like Vecna or Denar, but something dangerous but still their speed. Plus, a good villan is HATED I've myself a problem with making my players hate their villian but when you're starting with that they are close to killing him, they aren't really gonna hate him. And it's more about getting of this dying plane and not ending up dying with it. Than getting back to kill the main evil.
If you're making this plane yourself, make sure you know stuff about it. What are the general races of the place? Are there the same gods? If so how are they connected to the prime material plane? If there are different gods, who are they? How are they built? As in does the god of life also stand for death? Or is each god very specific to their dogma?
Are there different races than humans,elves, and the likes? And an important part: What is killing this plane? Is it even possible to save it and how would the races have it about this dying plane. Are they scared. Do they even know it? Or have they accepted it and are getting ready for their death?
There is gonna be a lot of work into it trust me. But it sounds really good! But I think this is your chance to use those monsters you've never really gotten to use! Like Yuan-Ti and lizardfolk. Aaaah the lizardfolk. The most awesome non dragonborn reptile race there is. Oh and also! Remember, how did the monsters and just in general: How the **** did that chimera get here? I had an idea of my villan breaking a staff of power, however he had modified it and that caused the plane shifting to be more chaotic. Thrusting both him AND the players to random planes. You could do something like that. Oh and sorry but another thing: What does the evil dude do after they are gone? Is he dead or does he even know what happened? Remember that the other world is still breathing and still turning while the heros dick around.
And at some point it can be fun to remind them of that. Perhaps they get at some point a single successful scry spell. And if they look upon the evil dude they can see he is having A REALLY GOOD TIME. FEELING ALIVE. *cough* sorry.
I hope it goes well! And I hope this helped! ^^
Time travel is a ****ed up thing. I think it would be a little easyer to control it if it was a Delilah sorta thing. Where she would create her own plane and crash the prime material plane and her own together, ending up warping it to her wish. Because then if they go back in time there is no reason for it in the future which creates a time paradox. Going into the future means that you have to create the now years into the future. But also, how did it come to be that way? Since he just travelled forth into the future. The bad dude didn't do anything other than speed time up, and the PC are effected too I would assume, ending in that nothing would chance for the bad guy nor the players. So time travel is a pain the ass to figure out. But you could make something work. When people ask you how it works you can just say: "Magic." Or "The weave." ^^
Sorry if I just ****ed the shit out of your idea. Wasn't meant to be aggresive! ^^ Sorry!
I reckon another planet can work. Specifically, "Counter-earth", i.e. the other planet is twin or twin like, but orbits on the exact opposite side of the sun. This lets you keep familiarity - "The stars look the same, except, it should be winter?", as well as introduce a theme to the construction of the world. E.g. is it like the opposite twin of the prime world? Mirror twin? Chaos version?