Plot Ideas for Campaign start

[Blake_Alexander]

I'm working on a couple of idea for starting campaigns for MotRD and I wanted to run them past the people who frequent this board to get their input.

The first involved the PCs having a mutual friend/relative who was secretly an champion against the forces of darkness who was sucumb to his most recent enemy, a vampire whose bit is venemous and results in the death of the champion. The said champion is obviously connected with various other foces aligned against the forces of darkness, thus PCs could come from Qabal members such the the Watchers, or from government agencies, or could simply be members of the family or friends of the deceased who may face off with their former friend as he rises from the dead as a lesser vampire. (since it was the vampires venom that resulted in the relaticve death it may not be obvious that the it was the work fo the vampire. I'm thinking of tying the vampire line to a vampire legend Andrew Oglrthotpe http://www.fvza.org/ship.html)

The second plot involves the PCs being adults who shared a horrific experience as children that is only not come to their minds as supressed memories. The plot will lead the PCs into locations that being them in direct conflict with occult forces that impacted their lives as childen...I hav enot given this one as much thought as the first, so it's not as detailed as the first.

The third is a variation on the second, the PCs are reincarnations of Champions of the light from a former age, who are beset by past memories from their former lives. These shared memories lead them to each other and to an ancient foe who originally killed them all.

The fourth idea involves the PCs starting as inmates or friends and family members of inmates at an insane asylum or hospital where the inmates are being preyed on by a ghost or outsider that feed on their life forces causing further insanity.

Of these story arch the first, second and third seems to have the most substance to develope into an ongoing campaign, but they also seem to lend themselves to a very focused campaign. Perhaps too focused especially in the first and third example.

Anyway, I'd like you opinion on the ideas, which do you like (of any) and what suggestions would you make.

[MadStepDad]

Very impressive. The most difficult part of any campaign creation is the nexus or origin point. First impressions are everything and if you’ve got a wack intro – the entire game can suffer. I’ve seen and heard players scouring every published book and every messageboard on earth trying to come up with plausible campaign seeds and here you’ve mapped out four different scenarios. Again, very impressive.

The first option seems very standard starter level; all PCs are from reputable factions gathered together for mutual purposes. Seems like it would have to be for mid to high level characters, but at least they’ll all have something in common to chat about.

I like the second option better, much weirder. Kind of like the movie IT, and you may have great success with disturbing flashbacks and other mental triggers. Provided of course your players don’t mind letting the GM have more input on their characters background than they do. The third option builds off this thought but takes it to a much darker, more disturbed level. Past life hypnosis, horrible superstitions and phobias that stain the mind. This could also potentially unlock a campaign within a campaign, if you give the players a chance to role-play their former selves during dreams, trances or hypnosis sessions. That’s an excellent building block right there.

The fourth sounds familiar too – BLEAK HOUSE perhaps? I seem to recall the PCs reawakening within DOMINIANI’s asylum and having to break free from there. Keeps with the gothic tradition of gaslighting and gives random PCs a chance to work together from scratch – almost literally – no weapons, armor or protection. I like that one the best cuz it starts the PCs off practically naked and defenseless, relying only on themselves for escape. Good ideas all of them.

Peace,

MSD

[Blake_Alexander]

Thank you for the reply and for the compliment MSD. In my local group I'm know for my plots, but I struggle with why characters stay together. After all, if I were to encounter something as horrifying as an undead lycanthrope or one of the created and I was somehow able to defeat it along with the help of others I doubt that I'd go look for another unless I somehow felt that it was my desteny. Since the 1890's are not far remored from our own time, relatively speaking, I like to have quasi-realistic plots that give characters a reason to stay togther. To me, it somehow makes the campaign seem more "real"

[Blake_Alexander]

Here is another plot element similar to the first one I mentioned, At the start of the campaign the PCs are called togther as direct heirs of an estate. None of the PCs knew of the deceased relative being all shirt tail relation.

As the open adventure continues the PCs find that there relative was under a curse...years earlier the an ancestor of this relative had the chance to help someone who was being persured by some dark fiend or other. The person cursed the realitive to "wear the sins of complacency upon your brow" or some similar worded curse that caused the relative to seek out the forces of darkness for when they failed to do so, they found themselves slowly transfroming into something than human.

The relative purposely chose not to have any direct heir in hopes that the curse would end with his death...but the state was able to locate hiers for the estate. Now the PCs have a choice, do they continue their relative's work (if they believe that he was anything but mad), or do they risk that the curse has been passed on to them.

It would be up to the DM if the curse was passed on. I question in my own mind if it isn't a bit to heavy handed for my players, they might feel forced into a mold by this plot, but on the other hand they might not mind it at all. It would give them reason to seek out the dark forces and a reason to stay togher as a group. Since they are shirt tail relation to this man, they could come from almost any backgroup.

Let me know what you think.