We all know that AP2 is coming soon, and is being written by several talented authors and the staff of Dungeon. However, I was wondering if anyone viewing this website would be interested in creating an Adventure Path of our own?
Basically, the idea is that we'd form a team of DMs and authors. We would all cowrite the series, and then each GM would run the series for their group. Does this sound like a good idea to anyone?
Squid
I've tried my hand at it, but I'm not very adept at creating modules from scratch. I'd definitely playtest them though. :)
Bulette
Where do you want to start, Squid? With a campaign arc, or a setting, or what?
I'd be prepared to help with a user-created AP...
Well, the general plan would be to start with building a setting. Hopefully the setting would naturally lead us to ideas for the campaign arc. We could reverse this... campaign arc leading into the setting. It all depends on what the group decides.
Squid
I'd be prepared to help with a user-created AP...
me to. I can do some of the more detailed aspects of the story arch, like foreshadowing and key NPC's actions. I'm pretty good with politics. I'm also pretty good at cinematic/set piece type encounters.
I suck at detailing maps and locations. I totally depend on written material to provide texture to these kinds of locations.
Great idea, Squid.
I'd be willing to pitch in, if the plotline/campaign arc was determined first. I think one of the few flaws of AP1 was that the campaign location was cool and well thought out, and they had a great idea to begin with, but the climax/ending wasn't set from the beginning. Key elements dangled along the way, and the plot wandered and petered out a bit at the end.
If we fix the plot, the location can be developed to fit the overall mood/theme.
Do you have a kernel of an idea, or are you casting around for one? I think putting the idea out in the open, in this venue, would pretty much cement a claim as originator of the idea, but there is always the possibility that a random reader can take an idea and run with it, independently submitting a query first. Are you concerned about this?
I have a few general ideas. Comments would be appreciated.
1) High seas adventure that takes place aboard ships and in coastal towns. Pirates, sea-devils and buried treasure!
2) Civil war. Two or more factions fighting for the crown. Politics, intrigue and spies.
3) Massive Underdark dungeon crawl. PCs go deeper and deeper as the adventures continue, not returning to the surface until the AP is complete.
4) Planar romp. PCs are stranded in a bizarre alternate universe (outer plane or demi-plane). They must find their way home.
5) Invasion. The AP is part of a war of defense against an evil race of invaders. Could be based on the Incursion idea with the Githyanki, Hobgoblins from across the border, barbarian hordes from the wilds, or fill in the blank.
What do you think?
A villain I've been fiending to use is an Ur-priest in a position high in the heirarchy of a highly structured LG or LN religion. Ferreting out such a mastermind could provide the plotline to an adventure path, especially for arc #2 from PBEM DM.
My original idea is based around a jungle environment... basically crossing Indiana Jones and Cthuhlu. I'm running a campaign based on it right now, in fact. We could even set it in Xen'drik, if people are interested.
Two countries at war could work as well... political intrigue, spies, special 'black ops'... sounds like fun!
Squid
I'd be happy to join in, too. My particular skills are in editing, checking, and maintaining consistency. I'm also good at developing ideas from the seeds created by others.
I can't really do Eberron, as I don't have any of the books. In any case, I think a location that we developed ourselves would be more widely useful than one set in an established campaign world. Just my opinion.
As for the setting idea, a jungle is fine with me, but AP1 took place in a jungle setting. We should probably mix it up a bit. I'm not saying that we shouldn't do a jungle setting, but that it should be distinctly different from Cauldron and environs. (I'm thinking jaguars, coatls and ziggurats instead of were-baboons and volcanoes.)
Combining a few suggestions, the Ur-priest (whatever that is) could be high up in the heirarchy of a church system based on the Aztec civilization. That society was highly structured, technologically advance, and forward thinking in many ways. They also practiced slavery of their enemies and human sacrifices to their gods. I'd be into trying something along those lines. I even have a few prestige classes from old Dragons that I'll need to look up. I'll get back to you on that.
Anyway, we're back to square one. What's the plot? It has to carry through ten adventures or so.
Suggestion:
1) PCs start the AP as captured warriors from an enemy city. They begin as slaves, serving out a sentance that requires that they perform certain tasks for the church. Once their tasks are complete, their servitude is lifted and they are released. Tasks TBD.
Okay, this is a rough idea of what I came up with at work. Let's take an island, temperate climate, about 250 miles by 125 or so. It's divided down the middle by a mountain range. The mountain range is home to an ancient dwarven country that disappeared under mysterious circumstances centuries ago.
The island is currently home to two countries, each one claiming roughly 2/5 of the island. The remaining 1/5 is either unclaimed frontier or smaller, less significant countries. Let's call the countries the Capulets and the Montagues for now. They've been at each other's throats for years now in a cold war. They've been at a standstill for years now, neither gaining nor losing territory.
Now, our villian, (more on "them" later,) is very interested in claiming the whole island for himself. But, in order to do that, they're going to have to eliminate both countries and any other significant threats. They figure the best way to do that without wasting resources at an early stage is to get both countries to kill each other.
Enter the PCs. They shouldn't have any general alliance to either country at the start, but they should be at least able to be motivated for good reasons. So, basically, the PCs are going to be pawns in a bigger game... until they realise what's going on, why it's happening, and then decide to take the fight to them.
I don't have time right now to explain more, but I think I've got a very good idea of how this should go. Interested?
Squid
Squid, Do you have an overall plot arc in your head? It sounds like you have the main bad guy organization thought out already. Some obvious ideas popped into my head immediately: cross border raid on Capulet towns or forts by mercenaries disguised as Montegue army troops, a plot to sink a Montegue warship and blame it on the Capulets, kidnapping of high level representatives of either side, infiltrating of King's Court by agents of intrigue.
Were these the kinds of ideas you were considering?
some of my first thoughts:
One of the nations should be the underdog. Maybe due to land mass, or acces to resources, heritage, troops, or level of technology/magic. maybe one gang, er country is puertorican (sorry, I'm getting West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet flashbacks)...
come to think of it, why not have a secret romance between a Capulet Prince and the daughter of a Montague noble? Maybe a daughter promised to the prince of that nation?
One or more organisations (maybe a merchant syndicate) has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. They thrive on the hostilities between the two countries. However, an all out war would hurt them even more. Maybe they're the one hireing the PC's.. at least initialy. They've been infiltrated by the villain, and are being manipulated into starting the war. The villain can later come in and save the island.
There should be some sort of religious struggle. Perhaps this is the driving force behind the tension between the two nations. The island houses a site, item, symbol, whatever that's important to both relegions. Here's one brainstorm: There's a prophecy that once the island is 'whole' again, a god-king will rise. He shall be spawned from the island and rule for a thousand years.
The rise of a god-king need not be a joyous occasion, either. Perhaps the primary adversary of the campaign has discovered from a bit of obscure lore that the one who unites the island will BECOME the god-king, and plans to use this for his own dark purpose. A good starting point for characters in this campaign would be a seemingly unrelated low-level dungeon crawl in which the scrap of evidence supporting the evil mastermind's interpretation is recovered by the party (who should not even realize its significance).
And PBEM DM, an Ur-Priest is a prestige class introduced in the Book of Vile Darkness that casts divine magic by stealing it from the gods rather than worshipping them. The 3.5 version is featured on p 70 of COmplete Divine. His ability to cast spells as a cleric without relying on a deity makes it possible for an evil mastermind to rise to power in a good religion.
Okay, first, the villian I had in mind...
A 20th level Dwarf Lich.
Basically, he's been hanging around since the fall of the dwarven kingdom. That kingdom fell from whatever catatrophe we decide, (I'm leaning toward a magical plague of some sort, possibly unleashed by our main villian,) and he's intending to bring it back. Making him an Ur-Priest can work as well, as long as he can be a lich. God-King? Sounds good to me.
An overall plot arc: (Extremely tentative and shaky at this point)
1. PCs are introduced to the island, basic dungeon crawl, foreshadowing of the future plot, and maybe villian.
2.-4. Various modules running along PBEM's ideas... make the war heat up. Introduce the romance between princ/princess subplot.
5. PCs are tricked into helping out the villian, (something like Zenith Trajectory,) but with a serious consequence... say the party is tricked into kidnapping the crown prince of the other side and turning him/her over to the villians.
6. PCs suffer the consequences of their actions, as the other side retaliates against whatever side the PCs are on, and against the PCs directly. Of course they won't believe the PCs pleas of innocense, so they're left to clear their names as best they can. They should not retrieve the prince, but should get a good clue as to where he is.
7. The PCs race to retrieve the prince as words hits that the princess is missing as well, and the PCs are being fingered for it. Neither side believes the other is innocent, and both think that the other used the PCs to kidnap there royal heir. They mobilize for war. This search leads the party to a small town long regarded as neutral ground, as it sits in the middle of one of a handful of mountain passes inbetween the countries. Exploring the town leads to an abandoned dwarven mine, with hints that the victims are far below.
8. to conclusion. The PCs find the victims, prevent the whatever ritual that would allow the lich GodKing status, and raise the dwarven kingdom to prominence again.
Running themes - Both sides should be basically good countries. I'd like the PCs to be forced to go up against good villians who don't see things the way they do. Even the villian should not consider himself a bad guy... after all, everything he's been doing is for the good of his homeland, never mind that an army of undead dwarves would devestate the land above.
Does this sound good to everyone?
Squid
OK - So we have a powerful dwarven lich (Ur-priest) who has worked his way up to become high priest of the predominant church on the island? I don't see how that can work. Whoever is the Ur-priest needs to be a human agent of the lich, right?
To incorporate many of the ideas, I propose that the church is the one unifying organization present in both nations that keeps them from totally destroying each other. Up until now, the church has acted as a calming, peace-making influence on the two enemy Kings. With the evil agent in power, things have started degenerating rapidly.
The underdog nation (Capulets?) has been the historic caretaker of an ancient relic, and the population of the Montague nation still respects that role. Without the relic, stored safely at a well guarded holy site, the Capulets would easily be crushed by the more aggressive and militant Montagues. There should be some difficult and convoluted way to dismantle the protections and acquire the relic.
On the more specific stuff, I have an excellent idea for an individual module involving a plot to sink a Montague ship and blame it on the Capulets. Dibs.
To incorporate many of the ideas, I propose that the church is the one unifying organization present in both nations that keeps them from totally destroying each other. Up until now, the church has acted as a calming, peace-making influence on the two enemy Kings.
Step forward, Friar Laurence! One part of the arc should then involve the PCs being involved by the church in a scheme to end the families' feuding, which goes wrong with tragic consequences.
Sorry for not posting... work's been keeping me busy.
PBEM DM, the ship module is all yours.
Making the Ur-Priest an agent of the lich is fine. Do note that I was thinking that the lich was living under the island, not aboveground masquerading as someone else.
So far the ideas are great and seem to be meshing well. We shall need to start working on specific details shortly.
Squid
Okay, is anyone still interested in this? If no one's interested, I'll drop the idea. I just want to know if people are really wanting to put the work into this.
Squid
I like the idea. I guess I'm waiting for some more overall direction. I know it's a pretty big task, but someone's got to have overall control of the project, give out tasks and set deadlines (i.e. management). I guess right now, that's you.
The rest of us (well, me anyway) just want to hear what they're supposed to do. In your position, my next step would be to create a list of tasks and start handing them out. This project might take a couple of months (or maybe even years) to complete, so don't worry too much about handing out all the tasks at once. Just make sure the framework (i.e. the organisations and the plot) are in place. Leave detailing them to someone else.
I'm still happy to be involved, particularly on the editing/checking side. And I agree with the Slaad's suggestion that we need some co-ordination to progress further - so what's my task?
I've some end-thoughts, tying together several ideas I've seen here.
Dwarf-Lich-Priest (or Ur-Priest) is actively trying to bring about the God-King prophecies. It's not *quite* the entire island coming to life, but the God-King will be something akin to an Elemental Prince of Earth (roughly on par with, or perhaps even exceeding, Imix from "Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil"...I'm thinking of adding some demi-divine powers to the Earth Elemental Monalith from Complete Arcane).
The rest of the Ur-Priests don't have a clue what the *real* deal is, and think they're just taking down the despised organized religions of the two major nations.
Perhaps one of the minor city-states outside of both nations is completely godless...a group of "intellecuals" who have rejected religion and believe they can get by just fine without it. Powerful bardic healing houses, and ur-priests that aren't evil and aren't despised...this is the birthplace of the ur-priest cult that IS evil and causing nastyness, and is the pawns of the dwarven lich-priest.
Well, I think our first task is defining the overall plot and the plot arcs. Another thing we need to decide is how many modules do we want to have? If we do 7 modules, we can have each one raise a character's level twice. More modules means more plotlines and more detail.
Okay, a basic outline for the plot needs to be decided. Based on what we've tossed out above, does anyone have any suggestions?
Squid
I just got back from a few weeks of vacation. Still interested. I'll think about things and try to come up with some overall plot ideas.
I was lurking around, but I´m interested. I'm good at editing and every now and then get a good idea for a place or situation. Could´ve counted in...?
Cool... people!
Seriously, my life went to heck in a handbasket over the past couple of weeks, so this has been the last thing on my mind. However, I'm willing to keep at this as long as there's interest. So, first things first...
How many modules? 5? 7? 12? Give me a number, folks.
Squid
I just read this thread and I think that the user created adventure path is a great idea. I would like to contribute my ideas the best way I can, and above all I would love to write one of the adventures. I think that 7 to 10 adventures would be good, bringing the PCs up an average of two levels just like Shackled City.
If I were to write I would prefer to write one of the lower level adventures, especially the first one if it is okay with you guys.
Squid, if you want to contact me my email is alacar123@yahoo.com
On a related tangent, is anything familiar with the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? Aspiring authors challenge themselves to write a novel (50,000 words) in the month of November. Quality is less important than actually getting words on paper. Authors in particular genres link up online to share ideas, tips, and encourage one another.
How is this related? I thought it would be fun to enter the challenge this year, but make my personal goal 50,000 words of campaign and adventure material. That's enough for a mega-module or campaign. I'd be interested in finding other aspiring adventure writers who'd like to try it as well, and working on a user-created adventure path would certainly be an option. If a bunch of people were all working on their adventures in the same month (and sharing the drafts online), you might develop some good cohesion in the story line.
What do you think?
Squid,
I think we've outgrown the capabilities of this messageboard for continuing the development process. If we are ever to get this project underway, one person needs to come up with an overall plot, setting, and flavor for the campaign, and that needs to be you. Ideas have been thrown around by several of us. Pick the ones you like, add in your own, and let us know what comes out. The interested individuals can write modules, and we can all collaborate with our ideas, etc. But you have to get the ball rolling, and I think we need to switch over to email. My address is: ditusa@email.unc.edu.
My module will fit into the 3rd-4th LVL category.
PBEM, agreed. I figured that we would have to abandon this website at some time... guess this is it. So, without further ado...
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT,
(USER CREATED ADVENTURE PATH)
PLEASE, please leave your email address here. I will collect all of them and compile an email list. I also want to keep an active thread on this website so that others can be appraised about our progress.
The concept so far...
An island, divided into three contries, involved in a cold war. The island was the home to a long lost dwarven kingdom that cut off all contact with the outside world, and then disappeared. An ages old prophecy that states that the one to reunite the island shall become a godking... an a dwarven lich determined to make it happen.
Interested in helping? Leave your email here!
Squid
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT,
(USER CREATED ADVENTURE PATH)Interested in helping? Leave your email here!
Squid
I like the idea... nanmaniac@yahoo.com
Nanmaniac
Ok, I know it's out of this point, but I've been thinking in a long-campaign in Greyhawk world.
I know that all of you are know thinking about this great Squid's idea, and I like to participate, but I'd love if you give me some advices about this plot idea:
Setting:
End of Greyhawk Wars.
The Great Kingdom is consumed by internal wars.
A noble family from the Kingdom of Nyrond sent his children out of the war, they were afraid of losing everything (familiy) in the conflict. They teleported his son two years ago to a placement in The lordship of the Isles ( a quiet place to hide, and wait till the conflict ends).
Now that the conflict seems to be ended, the son wants to come back to Nyrond. Problem, he is too young and he has no way to come back (his tutor has died or something similar). He's quite alone (maybe he has some assistants) and has a long way back to Nyrond.
The campaign:
He has to travel through Aerdi Sea till Eastern part of Sunndi. He cannot croos Sunndi, because they are really suspicious of everyone (damned Scarlet Brotherhood). Way to Medegia (now in ruins, a perfect place to run a resident evil module), Great Kingdom of Ahlissa, Old Almor and finally Nyrond.
This campaign is a trip related campaign, so when the party has achieved enough money or experience they can teleport themselves to Nyrond, but the idea is that the party has to be involved in secondary plots that stop them to leave so soon. Somebody is kidnapped, they are captured and slaved, or other ideas...
Besides, they are going to watch some political wars within Ahlissa, and they are going to face a surprise in Nyrond. They won't want him back (a brother or sister...).
I'love to read any comments...
Thanks in advance
Nanmaniac
This sounds great. I would be interested in seeing how they would be connected through the cliff hangers. Having played tested different AP's in the past both as player and GM.
Squid
I like the idea... nanmaniac@yahoo.com
I didnt say anything yet, but i would like to help.
beldoran@aol.com
Kraschyn
The plot line is the following:
There’s a player who is a Nyrond noble’s legitimate son. He was sent to Lendore Isles as a protective measure against the incoming war against the Great Kingdom. His father was afraid that some assassins try to kill him or his family. He sent his son with a tutor.Now, that war has ended, the son thinks that now is time to come back. When he discusses this issue with his tutor, the following day, the tutor disappears without trace. Anyway, he has a teleport scroll that his father handed to him. When he tries to use the teleport scroll he finds out that this scroll has no magic at all in it.
1st module: Decide which route they must follow to reach Nyrond. That's up to the players. But they have some criteria to follow:
- Keep in mind that they have to travel very secretly, because he’s suspicious about the teleport scroll and the disappearance of his tutor. He thinks that maybe someone who wants him not to come back.
- They may be some spies next to him, or even in near countries.
- Furthermore, if anyone who is not a spy finds out who is, he could be kidnapped.
If they gather information a little bit, they can choose one of these three routes:
1. Aerdi Sea – Lordship of the Isles – Tilva Strait – Densac Gulf – Azure Sea – IronGate – Relmor Bay – Nyrond. Problem: The Scarlet Brotherhood and the pirates. They’d probably finish as slaves rowing in a ship.
2. Aerdi Sea – Kingdom of Sunndi – Kron Hills – IronGate – Relmor Bay – Nyrond. Sunndi, the most trustful and friendly country next to them. The problem is that they are very, very closed and don’t accept foreigners. They are too suspicious of Scarlet Brotherhood. If they try to cross Sunndi, they might show who they are. And that could attract spies or the Scarlet Brotherhood in person.
3. Aerdi Sea – Old Medegia – Thelly River (through Great Kingdom of Ahlissa) – Relmor Bay or Old Almor – Nyrond. Probably, the most direct path. But this route is the second more dangerous. Think that murder and kidnapping are common events in the Old Kingdom. But, it’s a very secretive route, and they would pass unnoticed.
Think that they don’t have to tend towards one of those routes. They can choose, they can be wrong…
Anyway, whatever route they choose they will face a sea travel through The Aerdi Sea … where pirates are very frequent...
Is there anyone reading… I don’t want to waste my time writing no senses...
Before going on with the first adventure, I should specify this:
As I’ve been reading, we have plenty of material about world of Greyhawk (well, it’s the older one!!) and about the kingdom of Nyrond there’s a good history at: http://www.nyrond.org/turbine/page/gazetteer/history.html (The living Greyhawk official site for Nyrond)
I say to play at 586 CY (just after peace of Greyhawk).
I’m trying to choose one of the noble families… (Please some help!)
Summarizing: the known plot is about coming back to Nyrond and finding out what’s going on with that noble family. BUT there is a second plot, only known to the DM…
I was thinking that it’s pretty weird that a noble family from Nyrond has some lands in Lendore Isles. And that’s the point. When the father was young he took a trip there and he adventured for some time. He found in one of those adventures a real weird artifact (or something) with a lot of power, something that was thought to be destroyed.
In some way he hesitated about using it, but he chose to hide it better than before, and keep it away from evil hands.
So, Father owns some lands in Lendore Isles due to those young adventures that gave him some prestige and wealth in that region. For all this time, Father has kept contact with some people there, trusted people. People that would take care of his son in bad times.
AND the second plot is that someone else has found out that the artifact is neither destroyed nor lost. Someone evil wants to own that artifact for himself. Probably, the son has something to do with the location or the way to locate the artifact, something that Son does not know.
THEN we already have the primary plot and the secondary plot… now we have to fill it with details.
Nanmaniac
Sign me up.
Bobmcooper@msn.com
Can't promise anything, but if inspiration hits, I'll see what I can pound out.
I had an idea about the first plan involving a dungeon crawl as the first adventure and finding a clue to the villian's master plan. The PCs could find one small cryptic part around first level, then accidentially stumble upon the second part around fifth level, then maybe they can find out there is a third part that they need to find around 12th level which when pieced together reveal the plan completely. This could be brought about by rumors of an assassin's guild that really knows what's going on.
I would like to help in any way that I can. Let me know what I can do. I’d like to maybe write one of the adventures or maybe collaborate with someone. This sounds really cool. Sine me up.
ace@myway.com
Since nobody has added a post in over a week and I am yet to recieve any emails, I am becoming concerned over whether or not people are still dedicated to this project?
I am still dedicated to doing this... I just lost my job, however. The place I was working got sold out from under me, and so I've been jobhunting as best I can. As I'm a specialist in a narrow field, it's been frustrating. However, I should have some more time to work on this.
I do apologise for the delay... this past month has sucked bigtime. I'd like to get this project rolling as soon as I can. If anyone wants to collect the email addys and make a list for the project, feel free. Mine's squid2@earthlink.net
Squid
Sorry to hear about that run of bad luck, Squid, nothing worse than a surprise job loss....Hope your field isnt closing up like so many others!
Id be interested in helping out so whoever is working on the email addresses, mine is
npiccini@hotmail.com
Wow, sorry about your job squid.
Okay... my job situation has settled down. I am no longer in danger of losing my home as well... so, I've compiled the emails and will be sending out a starter email either tonight or tomorrow. If anyone is still interested in joining us, email me at the address I posted above.
Squid
We should revive this. :)
We should revive this. :)
:) I still haven't finished SCAP though. I think it might take me 6 more months or so.
I'm in if anybody still wants to give it a try. Can't make many promises for deadlines, though, since I'll be starting my doctoral studies soon.
dave_coalter@hotmail.com
Why not?