Jake the Blind Seer's page

In reviewing the opening session for the start of my new campaign setting, it struck me, that perhaps it is too busy or too big a beginning? This is an open world adventure/exploration campaign in a medium level fantasy setting.

The intrepid PC band of newbie adventurers arrive at the inn in a borderlands settlement that they believe will have accommodations for them. Soon after meeting the inn keep (a higher level Bard, retired adventurer), the city alarms sound and there is a commotion in the streets outside of the inn. The bloodied body of a gravely injured and delirious NPC (higher level magic user, former adventuring partner of the inn keep) is carried into the common room. While being taken into a room off of the common room of the inn, she demands that the inn keep arrange for the retrieval of the bodies of her two sons that she believes are dead (rising from the dead is a bit of a problem in this part of the world).

After the PCs accept this quest it leads them to an old wizard tower. There they find a band of Hobgoblin mercenaries that have come across the sons of the magic user. One son is obviously dead, but the other son is not and has been stabilized by the Hobgoblins. The twist is that the Hobgoblin mercenaries want to ransom the living son back for monies that they are owed by the magic user. The Hobgoblins are lawful evil and believe strongly in contractual agreements (they’re honorable creatures, and aren’t thieves).

Now the PCs can attack the Hobgoblins in hopes of retrieving the two sons or RPing/negotiating for the release of the two sons and serve as agents of the magic user. The PCs (and the bodies of the two sons) will have the financial resources (money, potions, etc.) to pay the ransom (even if the players don’t realize that).

The players for this first adventure/encounter of this new campaign are experience RPGers, but I am concerned that this maybe a bit much for the beginning of a new adventure. Your thoughts, suggestions, and criticisms are appreciated.

Thanks!

I am preparing a “signature” weapon for each of the almost 6th level PCs in our current campaign and would appreciated input from other GMs about the one for the fighter in the party. The purpose of these signature weapons is to (occasionally) give the players a moment to shine and feel special.

The player of the fighter suggested that a “kickass bastard sword” that “glowed” would be cool. What I have in mind is a +2 bastard sword with the flaming burst special ability, and to make it a unique, one of a kind weapon, giving it an additional critical hit feature.

The feature would be that, when the sword “explodes with flame” on a confirmed natural 20 crit, that this explosion causes either the blinded or dazzled condition in all antagonists in a 20 or 30 foot radius around the PC. This condition would only last until the start of the PC’s next turn and be subject to a Reflex based saving throw (did the monsters look away or close their eyes fast enough?).

I run a “medium high” fantasy sandbox game and try to throw one challenging combat encounter per session at the PCs (and if they make a series of bad decisions, PC death is always a possibility), so I don’t think that this weapon (or the other signature weapons) would be all that unbalancing.

Let me know what you think, and thanks for your time.