Hi and misty greetings to all
Being pretty new to this board ( though not-so-new to D&D and Ravenloft, having played the former for more than 6 years and possessing all books ( at least all 3rd Ed. ones) of the latter), Im not so sure if the following question fits here but I'll ask anyway.
In two weeks, a campaign set in Ravenloft starts with me as the DM.
The characters start at level 0 ( as per the apprentice rules in the 3rd ed. DMG) and will advance to level 1 after the first adventure.
They are all from the same town, a small settlement ( 46 persons distributed among seven families) in Verbrek named Garonne, situated south of Fylfot.
The campaign idea and later adventures are already thought-out and planned through by me, but I can't find a good idea for the first adventure.
Kinda like writer's block....so I am asking if any of you has a good starting adventure idea for me (it should also set the mood for Ravenloft because we usually play FR and that's a tad bit different ).
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Verbrek, eh? Now that's a scary place to start in.
At first level (and below), the players are going to want to stay as close to home as possible. A battle with a single werewolf is going to be deadly. Make them go into the forest.
What if people within the fort are found utterly savaged to death? The defenses have not been breached, and there is no one new within the walls of the town. As the players begin to search for the solution, their investigation leads them outside of the safe walls of the fort, to a cave hidden a cave in the forest. Every step in the forest, they are haunted by noises, flashes of things moving in the trees, and maybe even a normal wolf or two. Inside the cave, they find the remains of travellers, perhaps one or two that the characters remember.
Along with the bones of past victims, they find evidence that one of the eldest members of the village is a sheepskinner werewolf. He had been using the town to scout for fresh meat, but in his old age, is no longer able to go far to hunt. When they confront him, he shifts to hybird form. Needless to say, due to his advanced age and sickness, he isn't as tough as a normal werewolf (perhaps a first level commoner with only one or two wolf hitdice and low physical stats).
After they've dealt with the threat, what happens next is up to you. The villagers might be grateful for being saved, or might be frightened and angry (killing a werewolf might be taboo for them or they refuse to believe that it was a werewolf). Could be made worse if some of their relations are caring for the old man.
Last edited by Tobias Blackburn on Sun May 15, 2005 10:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
The Remnants have one saying to represent loss, disappearance, exile, and death. It is Shiao Marests, "Taken by The Shadows".
A murder mystery is always a nice one to start with, since it relys on wits rather than brawn. But, perhaps to get the Ravenloft feel, maybe an encounter with a ghost?
A nobelman recently inherrited a property from a distant relation, but the estate has been abandoned for years. The last owner never stayed a single night in the estate, so the property is horribly overgrown. The players are called upon by the nobleman's attorney to search the grounds, oust any squatters, and search the place for valuable things to bring back.
Build up some tension by an encounter with a local. While picking up supplies an old farmer (think Dutch from Pet Cemetary) fills them in on the grusome story. Many years ago, the original owner's mentally ill son killed his whole family with an axe and burried them in the basement. He wrote a conffession letter and then hung himself in the barn. The next person to inherit the farm ran off, claiming ghosts.
The estate is several achres of field, mill, smithy, barn, stables, a couple of worker huts and, of course, the mannor house. Everything is in poor repair, several roofs have collapsed, but everything looks stable enough. The players can go through day of exploration, just to get a feel for the place. Several times they feel like their being watched, maybe encounter some "cold spots", and the standard "it was just a cat" scare. Someone might even find an axe - possibly stained with what might not be rust.
Their first night at the farm, have them experience a dream sequence, specifically, a nightmare. Sometime in the night, they are awoken by a minor haunting. Some investigation leads them to discover and old hermit who was squatting illegally on the property.
Over the course of the adventure, the ghosts try to reveal that the old squatter is in fact the murderer from long ago. Decades ago he was a a farmhand, who lusted after the farmer's daughter or wife. Rejected, he went mad and slew everyone. To cover it up, he forged a confession and hung the harmless idiot son in the barn. The ghosts of his past haunted his dreams, as well as the farm. So to keep his secret he hid out in the farm and tries to scare off anyone whom the ghosts try to warn.
As a comming of age trial for members of the village when a child turns eighteen he/she must ventue into the woods past known wolf dens and enter a old cave filled with the bones of a great wolf killed ages ago by the village founder. When they return alive with one of the wolves bones they are now concidered adults and may venture out of the village and may recive thier fathers land and belongings upon his death.
The PCs enter either as canidates for adulthood (Many may take the chalange at one) or as witnesses/bodyguards for a NPC going through the ritual.
The twist to this years ritual is the younger brother of one of the canidates knows that if his brother does return that brother will recive all of thier dying fathers estate leaving him with vurtualy nothing.
The night of the ritual he sneaks off into the woods to the cave and hides some old wolf skins and chicken blood. He hopes to scare away his brother by pretending to be a werewolf.
When the canidates reach the cave however their pressance disturbs the ghost of the wolf whoes bones they are sent to take. Engraged that her gave has been descrated over the years she possesses the body of the youger brother forcing his body to grow fangs and sharp claws.
The ghost/boy will attack the PC a soon as the bones are first disterbed. Posessing only the strength and con of a young boy the ghost/boy should be rather easy to defeat but the PCs should try and find a non-leathal way to stop the child and force the ghost out (I sugest 1/3th hp damage with bone weapons to force it out.)
The Ghost can be put to rest forever by returning the bones that have been taken over the years to the cave and cleaning them with holy water.
"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish it's source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."
Anais Nin
One idea that pops in my mind is that the scouts (if there are any, if not then hunters etc) spot the threat of a pack of werewolves marching toward the village, which sends the town into a frenzy and out of nowhere a cleric/druid appears offering help and salvation, but requires total domination over the villagers (money, valuables, almost everything). Guess who gets to investigate his credibility?
One solution that pops into mind is that the druid is actually controling a pack of common wolves "disguised" to look more feral. 1-2 wolves at a time for a pack of 7-8 total isn't a great threat to the party. If they decide to deal with the fraud however, they probably will have to pact with the devil as (and you'll make sure they feel it) they'll need to contact the "real thing". Great Rloft mood IMO, since a cleric of the wolf god could be needed, but to what cost for the party/villagers?
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Morrigan's Claw wrote:Just wanted to say thanks for the ideas ( even though more would still be appreciated) and I will probably use the estate one later in the campaign.
Perhaps if we had a hint as to where you wanted to take the plot, we could come up with some adventures that are more your style.
The Remnants have one saying to represent loss, disappearance, exile, and death. It is Shiao Marests, "Taken by The Shadows".
One that I used to start a campaign a few years back that seemed to work pretty well:
Every few days to a week or so, families have been vanishing in the night. While all the signs point to standard wolf attacks--bits of fur, muddy pawprints, and so on--no one has been killed, and there's been surprisingly little blood (as much blood as you might get from a nasty gash, but not from, say, having been devoured by a hungry wolf). Furthermore, in one of the houses, there was a lovely family portrait made by the mother, who was an artist. While the rest of the house was mostly untouched, the portrait has been slashed to ribbons. The PCs must piece the clues together and discover why the families have been vanishing.
Solution: About a month ago, monster hunters uncovered a Sheepskinner werewolf in a nearby town. She had a few small children, and had insinuated herself into the village so that she could lure people to her home and thus into into being prey for her little ones. The monster hunters burned her house to the ground with her children inside, not knowing that she was on the hunt at the time, and she went mad with grief; now she's attacking human homes, kidnapping the residents, infecting the children with lycanthropy to raise them as her own, and making the parents their first meals.
"I'd really love a cup of tea, but it would be, like, blood or death or evil or something."
~Matteo Brazi, Borcan thief, Day 3 of Bleak House
As for the campaign plot - well, I decided to have the characters embark on a quest that will lead them across most parts of the core and into a few islands as well.
The daughter of the oldest character is in fact the reborn Tatyana ( the woman Strahd fell for) - yeah, I decided to screw around with the canon there a bit ( since in the current Ed., she is already reborn as Tara). After one or two adventures, she suddenly wanders off into the wilds ( drawn by the strange wanderlust that will one day lead her to castle Ravenloft) and the characters have to find her again. Later, before she can reach Barovia, she will be kidnapped by minions of Azalin, who knows about her significance and wants to deal Strahd a crippling blow with her "help". But she never arrives at Azalin's castle, the group supposed to deliver her to their master getting slaughtered during one of Drakov's attempts to invade Darkon....
She flees and accidentially gets trapped in Keening.
Just when the characters think they finally got her back, they will be trapped in the mists...and transported to an Island ( which one I'll have yet do decide). Now, the mission is to get back.
Meanwhile, the reborn Tatyana wanders again, finally arriving in Barovia only hours before the characters do once they find the "exit".
The characters will have found the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind along the way.
Once they enter Castle Ravenloft and the showdown begins, the cruel irony of the situation will be revealed.
The characters will have to strike a deal - the Symbol will be thrown away, but Tatyana will once again be out of Strahd's grasp due to his own sense of self-preservation.
Any additional twists/turns etc. and further ideas to flesh out the plot will be greatly appreciated.
I know it's stupid to answer to oneself, but ut's better than simply writing *bump* and hoping someone'll notice the thread again.
Anyway, I posted the general plot already and would be very grateful if anyone could give me a few hints, criticism, whatever to makwe it a truly remarkable experience for the characters.
Also, I might need help regarding Strahd's behaviour regarding the final confrontation...
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
If the characters start at level 0 then progress to 1. How long are you intending to let this campaign run for? How powerful (and what level) will the PCs be by the end of this plot?
Travelling the core isn't really for lightweights.
I also suggest adding reoccuring NPCs, using other character's storylines to intermix the plot and such.
But if you could answer those questions I'd appreciate it as then we can semi-tailor something out.
[size=75]-Wake up... wake up and smell the ashes-[/size]
Ok assuming we go with the middle of that, the campaign story arc is for levels 3-12. Which is fairly mid-large to large in terms of length (short story arc is about 5 levels gained, mid approx. 7-8 and large 10 or more with epic story arc getting you from low to 20th level).
That leaves you with a minmum of 9-11 episodes (assuming they gain a level each adventure which I never like) to 20-30 episodes. An episode is a gaming night. So either way you've got a lot of time to play this story out.
My advice first is to build up the daughter's relationship to the PCs in the first few adventures. She is important to your story but will need to be important to the PCs to prevent them from:
a) Deciding they should hunt down evil and find her later (if at all)
b) Feeling railroaded into doing exactly what you want. DMship sometimes requires the pulling of strings but you shouldn't make the PCs feel like all they are doing is following your script.
Ideas for making her more central to the characters:
She and another PC fall in love,
She saves the life of one PC,
Friends with the PCs,
Is actually part of the adventuring team and helps them on the adventures,
etc.
Sure she is the daughter of one PC but that doesn't mean everyone is going to want to track her half way around the world.
If your players have played in Ravenloft before they may be smart enough to figure out that any NPC the DM puts so much effort into is going to wind up kidnapped/killed/or evil. So you'll need to put in roughly equal effort into developing the other PC's friends and family.
To be continued...
[size=75]-Wake up... wake up and smell the ashes-[/size]
