Campaign Help: Starting the game

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

In a few weeks I will, hopefully, be starting my first campaign in over 5 years. I was planning on having everyone come from a western domain, either Mordent, Dementlieu, Lamordia, Darkon (Matira Bay) or Richmulot.

I want to start in Dementlieu, Port-a-Luciene to be exact. I was thinking of using the werefox from CotN: Werebeasts as the first adventure (making her a Com1/Exp2 with the werefox template from the Gaz 1). Problem is, I don't know how to flesh out the adventure. I know alot of it will be dependant on what the PCs want to play, but I was thinking generally, I have themes to play out, revenge (I plan to have it on large and small scales. The large scale being the Curator and Destiny, the middle scale being Drinnik and Amelia [Taverners will understand] and on the small scale a PC seeking revenge) and redemption (the large being the redemeption of Gabrielle Aderre, the middle being the redemption of Celeste D'Honaire and the small being the redemption of a PC's family member who has fallen (probably from the Mordentish Ezran sect to the Darkonese). I also want to add an aspect of love (a NPC in Richemulot who is in love with the son of Matira Bay's mayors son but can't show his love, I want another NPC to fall in love with a PC [or visa versa] and dangerous love when an evil NPC becomes obsessed with a PC [I was thinking either Natalia Vorishkova, Louise Renier, Lyssa Von Zarovich or Ivana Boritsi).

I also have the story pretty much figured out. The PCs work for the Museum in Port-a-Luciene and are incharge of collecting new pieces when they've been discovered. Unfortunately, the Curator is a member of the Fraternity of Shadows and is actually collecting pieces of a magical artifact that will give him the ability to travel through time. He plans to use the device to go back to the start of time and become Time itself.

His plan had a noble start, his wife died when they where twenty. He tried to save her, but failed. She was swept out to sea when the boat they where sailing in capsized. For the last 40 years he has been researching a way to save her. 20 years ago he found reference to this device, 5 years ago he found the location of the first part. He hired the PCs to work for him 2 years ago, sending them out on routine pickups from around the Core. Now that he knows they are ready, he is sending them out to find the pieces of the item.

Whilst researching the device he became more and more obsessed with altering time so that his wife never got on the boat. He watched as friends and acquaintences died through accidents that were not their fault, he watched as wars where faught and lost because of one little mistake. All these things made him sure that if he became Time he could stop stupid mistakes happening, that HE would be the one who controlled destiny, that he could decided who lived and who died and, more importantly, who DESERVED to live and die.

The PCs will travel around the Core and some islands (definately the Amber Wastes and Sourange, but I haven't decided on where else. I'm toying with Sanguinia). There they will pick up pieces of the device and clues to where the other pieces are and other plot hooks.

What I need advice is on ways to move the PCs with out relying on the Vistani, who should be the obsessed villain, what should the device actually be and what would Dominic do if he found out (I was plannig on having the Curator have a deal with the Living Brain to hide his operations in return for use of the PCs retrival service)?

[alhoon]

What I need advice is on ways to move the PCs with out relying on the Vistani, who should be the obsessed villain, what should the device actually be and what would Dominic do if he found out (I was plannig on having the Curator have a deal with the Living Brain to hide his operations in return for use of the PCs retrival service)?

- For traveling use mistways, obviously.
- You want a name for the Curator? or help with his stats?
- Something like the Riftspanner with a diferent kind of internal part. A shimering globe of material that doesn't age seems right to me. The PCs have to collect this strange material.
- Dominic? I wouldn't put him in the story if I were you.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

What I need advice is on ways to move the PCs with out relying on the Vistani, who should be the obsessed villain, what should the device actually be and what would Dominic do if he found out (I was plannig on having the Curator have a deal with the Living Brain to hide his operations in return for use of the PCs retrival service)?

- For traveling use mistways, obviously.
- You want a name for the Curator? or help with his stats?
- Something like the Riftspanner with a diferent kind of internal part. A shimering globe of material that doesn't age seems right to me. The PCs have to collect this strange material.
- Dominic? I wouldn't put him in the story if I were you.

I thought about Mistways, but they don't really help when travelling from Dementlieu to Tepest, say. I was thinking about having a carriage owned by the Museum that takes the PCs to where they want to go, a carriage with a Caliban driver.

The Curator hasn't got a name yet, but he's an Ill17 by the end of the campaign. At the start, he's an Ill10 and he rises at a similar level to the PCs.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

What's wrong with a Carriage ride through the Balinoks to go to Tepest?

Or a boat through a mistway to Egertus, and overland travel from there?

[Joël of the FoS]

Boat ride or land travel is always fun. You can plug in it many mini-adventure along the way. That is how I plugged without much trouble the Ashington Manor mini adventure (from DT&DL). Steve also write some adventures while on the road (BoSerets - On the Road).

Travels could be used as moments in which to introduce NPC that will be important later, or provide cool local background description.

If you have no need for mini adventure, you can always make traveling time go quicker, as the needed pace asks for.

And this curator is from the FoS? Never trust these guys But indeed they would know all reliable mistway travel sites.

Nature of the device? It could be defined later in the campaign IMHO, with the elements of the campaign that worked well.

Joël

[Jasper]

If you want to add a little wonder mixed with a little danger have them travel by early air ship. With the advances in Lamordian technology and a little arcane heat simple hot air balloon gondalas would be easy to make.

They get dramatic aerial vista and discriptions of the lands but at the same time have to deal with the fact that air travel can be very very dangerous.
Friendish bat swarm anyone?

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Friendish bat swarm anyone?

Friendish bat swarm?

PC 1: Look out, here they come!

PC 2: No!

Friendish bat swarm: Gosh, Pheebs, how did you marry Michael when you're composed of 50-60 bats?

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Ok, we're making characters tomorrow.

It's my first campaign in 5 years.

Wish me luck!

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Characters are:

A halfling Paladin of the Morninglord from Tumbletown in Mordent. She doesn't know why the Morninglord chose her, so she plans to travel to Barovia and meet with the church there.

A dwarven fighter who plans on becoming a cavelier. His family hails from the Mountains of Misery, but moved to le Rue des Pistolets.

An elven rogue. His history is unexplored.

[JhudoraDarkraven]

No vistani? *cries* But they are so cool. ^_~ I would say for traveling, take them underground for a while. In the campaign I am in now we had to travel in the sewers. Good place for wererats if you like werecreatures. Also, taking it underground helps get the Dwarf involved. Cave markings on the walls underground can be a way to give clues and further the plot as well.

Good luck!

~Jhudora