I'm thinking of an adventure path for my higher level characters that involves them helping lead a re-settlement in an area that has been plagued by war. My premise is to partly have their government reward them with some land and titles and also to give them some interesting challenges. My players themselves have expressed interest in some ideas, including the Psion wanting his character to found a school and the paladin wanting to start a knightly order devoted to her goddess, the cleric wanting to found a shrine or temple, etc.
Are there any suggestions on how to best make this work? Should I for instance just offer it to the group and then let them figure out how they want to manage it? Should I have a senior nobleman or something as an npc governor? What kinds of challenges that are both high level and yet non-epic might I offer in this kind of situation?
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I think the first and most interesting thing would be a spin on "Heart of Darkness." A noble "guy with a questionmark hat" has a colony that is really hosed; thinking Roanoke or something, and has need of adventurers to go square it away. The main problematic is that the current "Mayor" of the colony is insane, and extremely resentful of the noble for sending these guys over to replace him. Keep this on the downlow though, the noble is just sending them to help the struggling colony out (for all the pc's know).
There can be external stressors and the internal strife caused by the guy in charge being insane, and this can culminate in a coup; or perhaps they display loyalty to the Mayor(?) It's roleplaying!!! It's intrigue!!!
And of course, with the cleric there, the Mayor KNOWs the cleric is out to start a sect to pull a coup de etat on him. It doesn't help the least bit that the mayor and 2/3 of the population are of a competing religion with the cleric.
Yeah, I'd definitely put a mayor there in an adversarial situation.
When you say higher level, what exactly does it mean?
I'd take a scene from Pocahontas (as in the Disney movie). Ratcliff was the govenor who was sent to colonize the new world, and in the end, was the bad guy. Make him quite a bit higher level than the PCs and give him a strong leading of men who follow but fear him. Have him make both good and bad decisions both. Maybe a bad decision on the way over to colonize the land as a foreshadowing.
As things progress, his decisions become worse when dealt with hardships, such as climate, monsters, and hostile races. Eventually, his decisions cause the lives of many of the men and they are looking towards the PCs as new leaders.
Give him enough power that in the end he can challenge the entire group or colony. Maybe he finds some secret altar or location of some sorts there which give him increased power in order to accomplish this.
Once you have reached the tail end of the scenario, the PCs have the opportunity to make a great deal with the local race(s) which will be good for them as well as the character's homeland. For their efforts of colonization and bringing together an agreement of some sorts which is very beneficial for their homeland leader, the PCs are rewarded with land grants.
When you say higher level, what exactly does it mean?
Heathansson and EileenprophetofIstus you both present ideas that I could probably combine. Perhaps this same governor is both capable and yet paranoid; gradually he sees the pcs as rivals and does search for an item of great power.
What kind of races might you guys suggest that might work for EileenprophetofIstus' idea? I was thinking it should seem like a dangerous enemy at least at first.
When you say higher level, what exactly does it mean?Heathansson and EileenprophetofIstus you both present ideas that I could probably combine. Perhaps this same governor is both capable and yet paranoid; gradually he sees the pcs as rivals and does search for an item of great power.
What kind of races might you guys suggest that might work for EileenprophetofIstus' idea? I was thinking it should seem like a dangerous enemy at least at first.
Mr. Fish: Can you tell us what the area is like in which you wish to colonize....world, terrain, brief history, that sort of thing?
It is a now rather desolate area of a once happy and fertile land. During a recent war it was attacked and the people mostly fled to the safety of a fortified city. Now as the war continues there is an effort being made to colonize it with refugees in order to produce food, iron, lumber and furs.
Once the town is established and farmsteads rebuilt the idea is to expand into abandoned territories around it (roughly 60 miles in diameter).
There is a large forest, not entirely explored, to the west of the town. North of it there are mostly plains that were once pasturelands and farmsteads. To the east there is rolling country and a large river, then perhaps fifty miles beyond that farmsteads and villages defended by a fortified city. (it is from this city that the refugees have come) The land is temperate, with mild winters and warm summers.
The country overall (beyond this particular region) is a collection of city states that form a republic. The invaders of this particular region have mostly been driven away but I was imagining that some pockets of them would remain, as bandits or warlords (they were mostly barbarian tribes, hobgoblins, orcs, hill giants, ogres).
I do really like your idea about some other racial group that might be in the area, perhaps that were there unnoticed till recently or else may have moved in in the wake of the invaders, themselves seeking a home maybe.
I haven't pulled out any monster books yet, but if this was my campaign I would pull something out from underground. If your looking for this colonization situation to last for many game sessions it will be a bit tougher for the PCs to get to the heart of things if the creatures live underground. If the PCs get close you can always put them further and further below ground.
What levels are you looking at? I had the impression 1st level for starting but maybe that assumption was wrong? What level would you like the PCs to be when the challenge of the "other creatures" because a handful for them?
You could also use the idea of multiple creatures all related to the ruling of one larger creature. That way you could start out small and work your way up with the PC challenges.
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Hmmm.....I'd put a druid of some sort in the forest, with a tribe of followers, who moved in during the conflict and NOW claims suzerainty over it. He's up to something really flakey, something involving far realm summonings, but on the outside he's all "peace and love; we have to protect the forest from these guys with their silly territorial dispute wars." Make him a real passive-aggressive wolf-in-sheep's clothing.
As for race, IDK offhand. I'd make his tribe some kinda human/far realm hybrid, like those blonde kids from the John Carpenter movie; I can't remember it offhand.
(edit)Village of the Damned. Only, make half of the village unwitting normal human/elf/whatever dupes, so when the party goes after the evil guys, they look like the heavies.
Hmmm.....I'd put a druid of some sort in the forest, with a tribe of followers, who moved in during the conflict and NOW claims suzerainty over it. He's up to something really flakey, something involving far realm summonings, but on the outside he's all "peace and love; we have to protect the forest from these guys with their silly territorial dispute wars." Make him a real passive-aggressive wolf-in-sheep's clothing.
As for race, IDK offhand. I'd make his tribe some kinda human/far realm hybrid, like those blonde kids from the John Carpenter movie; I can't remember it offhand.
(edit)Village of the Damned. Only, make half of the village unwitting normal human/elf/whatever dupes, so when the party goes after the evil guys, they look like the heavies.
"Children of the Corn"? Is that the movie you were refering to, Heathy?
edit - Ok. So I was wrong.
I'm thinking higher level like around 12th +.
Hm...the druid leader idea does really fit the bill--perhaps some other refugees not in the town have come to rely upon him? Perhaps he has a number of other creatures at his beck and call? It might actually be more challenging for my pcs (who are goody types) to have to contront someone who is not just some monster or evil alien race but rather a different ideology. Only how to work it?
If you can get your hands on a copy, the Power of Faerun and the Stronghold Builder's Guide have some really interesting idea's on how to deal with this situation.
Ironically enough I'm currently doing a similar thing in my own campaign where my players have been given grants of land for blunting the invasion of their southern neighbor. The war isn't over and neither side has the strength currently to push the other so that leaves the players dealing with bandits, deserters, Hextorite warbands, displaced farmers, a pissed off druid and rogue dragons in an effort to establish themselves as the 'true' power over the region.
What always works for me is to reward players for the efforts they make, if my players want to establish mines in the nearby mountains I will present problems(brigands, infrastructure, manpower) but if they manage to pull that off they will reap the rewards(even if I didn't put any useful minerals in those mountains in the first place). Of course its acceptable to let some of their plans fail, if they want to change the course of a major river through rocky soil, they can try, but failure is the final result without some major magical nuclear holocaust.
Finally, once they're established, threaten what they worked for. But don't overdo it or they won't be willing to leave their lands anymore for fear of losing it while they're away.
Let us know how things pan out, I'm interested in knowing how your players will handle it and if they're enjoying it.
I'm thinking higher level like around 12th +.
Hm...the druid leader idea does really fit the bill--perhaps some other refugees not in the town have come to rely upon him? Perhaps he has a number of other creatures at his beck and call? It might actually be more challenging for my pcs (who are goody types) to have to contront someone who is not just some monster or evil alien race but rather a different ideology. Only how to work it?
You might want to consider using a race of creatures from one of the MM the PCs are less familiar with, and then a race which offers a variety of different types. Example...one book offers many types of mind flayers, another like spawn of tiamat, etc. I suggest this because it gives you a variety of monsters which are related, yet different for various challenge levels and would work for a more powerful individual as well. If you like the druid idea look for something that is compatable with that. I'd stay away from something which requires classes to make it more powerful so as to avoid a headache on your part. Pretty much why I'm suggesting picking a monster type in which WOTC provided several variations of already.
Rift: Interesting similarities. The war isn't exactly over in my campaign either but without the food and goods produced by this region it won't go that well for the republic. I like your progression of events ideas and may borrow them.
Eileen Proph of Istus: Out of curiousity why do you recommend race over class as a way to avoid headaches? I was also under the impression that you were originally suggesting a Pocahontas like idea--how would you suggest carrying that out?
Eileen Proph of Istus: Out of curiousity why do you recommend race over class as a way to avoid headaches? I was also under the impression that you were originally suggesting a Pocahontas like idea--how would you suggest carrying that out?
That way you didn't need to custom make as many NPCs by adding class levels and changing statistics frequently to challenge the PCs as they got more powerful. Essentially by having an assostment of monsters which were the same race but different versions (such as the spawn of tiamat or mind flayer) much of that work has been done for you. Not saying that you still wouldn't need to add a level or advance a monster, you'd just be minimizing the effort on your part. Time saver, that's all.
Eileen Proph of Istus:
I was also under the impression that you were originally suggesting a Pocahontas like idea--how would you suggest carrying that out?
I was making comparisons....in the movie the explores colonize a new land (your PCs so to speak). In the movie they encounter hostilities of the Native Americans (the monsters you want to challenge them with), in the movie they have a leader who turns out to be a villain(your mayor or whoever is in charge of the colony other than the PCs.) With the suggestions that you'd receive, I think you would still be achieving this basic line up.
So exactly what did you decide to do in the campaign? Did you decide on a particular monster type? We might be able to pan out details if you were interested in the basic plot idea.
I'm going to go with the following for problems in the area:
1. local bandits who are deserters from both armies (mixed bands of renegade soldiers, rangers, barbarians, hobgoblins, goblins, ogres)
2. A combination of fae creatures (haven't quite decided what yet) that resent the incursions into their lands. It may be possible to treat with them. I am going to have a druid be significant but ultimately I will use some kind of fae creature--an advanced great treant or some such thing--perhaps one that gets further advanced by magics done by the fae faction supporting it--that is the commanding figure. My pcs met such a tormented treant before and it will be meaningful I think to them. I may even have it posessed or something, who knows.
Any further ideas would be most appreciated.
BTW I've decided that appart from a citizens' militia any army in the area will have to be raised or brought by the pcs themselves. This is certainly possible as they have made a number of allies and friends through their actions. Some of these would volunteer probably out of a debt of gratitude. (their options here would include gnomes, lizardfolk, wild elves, and humans from other towns)
1. local bandits who are deserters from both armies (mixed bands of renegade soldiers, rangers, barbarians, hobgoblins, goblins, ogres)
Don't know if your still going to have a mayor of sorts involved, but if you do could it be that some of the above individuals have secret ties to him. If so, perhaps the land holds some sinister secret which is grab for power and the above persons (monsters) are kinda holding the land, scouts, etc. secretly divulging the mayor with whatever pertinent information. His actions could be in line with the Druids allowing an allegiance of some sorts towards the middle or end of the story line. If you elect to have the mayor and druid opposed to one another then surely when the time comes, the druid will send his warriors after him, and with the mayor being tied to the PCs and the small militia they may have built on their own, they are all threatened.
2. A combination of fae creatures (haven't quite decided what yet) that resent the incursions into their lands. It may be possible to treat with them. I am going to have a druid be significant but ultimately I will use some kind of fae creature--an advanced great treant or some such thing--perhaps one that gets further advanced by magics done by the fae faction supporting it--that is the commanding figure. My pcs met such a tormented treant before and it will be meaningful I think to them. I may even have it posessed or something, who knows.
Maybe this is way out of the direction your thinking but....some sort of curse that this treant or Fey creature has caused upon the land which brings it to its current dismal state. This could affect the PCs as well, rotting graing, food poisoning, nasty poisonous gasses erupting from the earth, madness causing people to turn on one another, etc. The one creature is responsible. Perhaps some sort of long lost curse which the PCs slowly discover which is tied to the fey creature. Destroy the creature, remove the curse to the land.
I think what I like is the idea of the allegiance the pcs choose determining the direction of the conflict to some extent. So that for instance the mayor's actions might be provoking the fae faction to some extent. However I do like the added complication of the curse that you mention as well. While this probably needs to be ironed out some I think I like these particular angles to your plotting help. Thanks very much!