-Spoilers-
Without getting into the precise details (as they are messy and involve some drama), my players has elected to start up a new group of characters, however the group has asked that instead of starting a new campaign that they stick to and finish Savage Tide.
Alright I so… Now I have a completely new group of people with no ties, links, or reason to bother with the Lavinia’s problems or her little troubled Island, or this Shadow Pearl Nonsense- So how do I involve them? The original Group left off after completely clearly out the City of Broken Idols… except Khala (Hence messy).
So the idea is this party is going to eventually pick up right where the last level 12 party left off. My current line of thought is to start the new party off at level 10 in Sassarine and have them investigate sooomething… Which leads up to them wants to take a boat to the Ilse of Dread to investigate further. Perhaps they should investigate the Farm where Vanthus worked just five years ago to find the place overrun by demonic farm animals and Savage Farm hands… This is lead into more run ins with the Crimson fleet.
Perhaps once the PCs arrive at Farshore the small town is under skin walker attack?
Ideas? The party will be starting at level 10 so I have some lead up to “current” events. (Ba-dum-chin!)
Are the new characters already made? Or can you have the players make a new party of Olmans/Tanaroans (for instance)?
Are the new characters already made? Or can you have the players make a new party of Olmans/Tanaroans (for instance)?
To be completely honest my Players have not firmly decided that they are doing this just yet... but they are certainly leaning towards it.
So no, absolutly nothing is set in stone. I'm just trying to get a head start on this idea before it falls through.
They could be living in Farshore and perhaps they fought for it during Tides of Dread. When the previous group does not return, they hear about it and offer Lavinia to investigate.
They could be relatives of the previous PCs trying to locate their family.
Perhaps they were aboard the Blue Nixie (if you still can get away with that).
They could be shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread, near Farshore, and rescued by people from Farshore. In return the people ask them to investigate the disappearance of the previous PCs.
They could belong to one of the factions in the abyss adventures (e.g. the church of the whirling fury) and asked to investigate (after a vision received by one of the priests).
Are the new characters already made? Or can you have the players make a new party of Olmans/Tanaroans (for instance)?To be completely honest my Players have not firmly decided that they are doing this just yet... but they are certainly leaning towards it.
So no, absolutly nothing is set in stone. I'm just trying to get a head start on this idea before it falls through.
Well without knowing the circumstances left in your campaign (ie which npcs are still around etc) I would have to go with the Uber-generic approach to this situation and have them all start as another group the Vandorboren's keep on retainer, ala the Jade Ravens. The group is hired bu Lavinia's aunt in Cauldron to find her neice and nephew who basically disappeared with no contact. Then you can have some stuff in Sesserine, use the plantation idea already posted, and eventually they can find Lavinia in Farshore and maybe save her and the town from another attack (as been stated). Then she basically gets them to help her deal with all the crap the last group failed to do and the show goes on from there. I think other than the Olman idea this is the best approach since it gives them a clear motivation and reason to do what they have to from day 1. And the best part is that they could have started their search and journey just after Lavinia left Sesserine so they would in the end lose no time in game (ie they arrive the week of or after the other group went gone). Hope this helps.
I agree with Hogarth's idea about 'going native' with Olman or Tanaroan PCs. It would be a great opportunity to try a more primitive-vibe campaign (assuming the players are receptive to it), and immediately plug them into the Isle of Dread and the Savage Tide.
The support articles in Dragon Magazine went into some detail about native stuff for players, from the various tribes to specific weapons (and even a prestige class). You might also be able to get some inspiration from Nick Logue's Razor Coast Indulgence "The Warrior's Way", which details some interesting fighting styles that would match this theme nicely.
As always, my humble 2cp... :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Well without knowing the circumstances left in your campaign (ie which npcs are still around etc)
Don't be afraid to toss ideas... One has to assume us DMs are a creative sort and are able to take vague ideas and run with them.
Anyway most of the importent NPCs are still alive (or have a respectible replacement inplace).
The Jade Raven Druid is dead (ala Tides of Dread pirate attack), but the Ravens in my campaign had five members so they are still going strong with four.
Would really like some way for the PCs to be endeared to Lavinia. Even after she is taken at the end of CoBI I would like them not just to have a reason but a WANT to chance after the Vanderborens. If they dont' have a real want they may say "Well why doesn't Lord Manthly take over control again?" and forcing them would be along the lines of rail roading.
I understand only I can am able to really drive my players because I know them- but a general idea would be appericated. I'm just throwing my line out into the sea of ideas and waiting if I get a bite, at this stage.
@hogarth: Are you of the same from the OP boards?
@hogarth: Are you of the same from the OP boards?
Yes, as far as I know. :-)
Personally, I think that trying to force the players to be buddies with Lavinia Vanderboren is not necessary (unless the players are into that). It shouldn't take a whole lot of extra motivation to try to get them to stop the end of the world.
The new PCs could have been slaves who were forced to row for the Crimson Fleet when they attacked Farshore. They've been freed and are in Farshore while the leaders/elders/rulers/whoever decide what to do with them. When the original group goes missing, a group of ex-slaves (who just happen to be adventurers) volunteer to go look for them.
-Spoilers-
Without getting into the precise details (as they are messy and involve some drama), my players has elected to start up a new group of characters, however the group has asked that instead of starting a new campaign that they stick to and finish Savage Tide.
Alright I so… Now I have a completely new group of people with no ties, links, or reason to bother with the Lavinia’s problems or her little troubled Island, or this Shadow Pearl Nonsense- So how do I involve them? The original Group left off after completely clearly out the City of Broken Idols… except Khala (Hence messy).
So the idea is this party is going to eventually pick up right where the last level 12 party left off. My current line of thought is to start the new party off at level 10 in Sassarine and have them investigate sooomething… Which leads up to them wants to take a boat to the Ilse of Dread to investigate further. Perhaps they should investigate the Farm where Vanthus worked just five years ago to find the place overrun by demonic farm animals and Savage Farm hands… This is lead into more run ins with the Crimson fleet.
Perhaps once the PCs arrive at Farshore the small town is under skin walker attack?Ideas? The party will be starting at level 10 so I have some lead up to “current” events. (Ba-dum-chin!)
Maybe the new PC's are are an old group of adventurers that Lavinia hired but were never heard from again. They suddenly awake or something to find themselves on a freaky island partial amnesia each PC has different memories so they have to work together to understand what is going on and get caught up in this story all over again. Give it like a LOST feel, also you can get pretty creative with their back stories and stuff so it flows a little more with the STAP. Just an idea hope it helps?
DAve
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
|
If you're starting from Serpents of Scuttlecove you could always replace Lavinia with Harliss Javell and switch Harliss for the Sorcerer/Favored Soul from the Jade ravens. Your players could be enemies of the 7th Coil rescuing slaves from the Yuan-ti and Crimson Recruiters and old friends/competitors of the Jade Ravens. Harliss could have been a paid informant of whatever power or patron your party might be working for.
OR... jump out to the Planes and have your PC's work for a Planar power. Have them be tracking down the Tooth of Ahazu, set on the mission as pawns of Malcanthet (say one of her lilitus posing as a high ranking Cleric of some good temple hires them or even a Faction from Sigil).
I used the STAP from HBTM to PoD as a totally planar campaign. My players are gonna invade Gaping Maw next week and try to finish off Big D!
--I am a Vrock, I'm a Tanar'ri!
If you want to link the PCs to Lavinia again, you could have them work for a political enemy of the Meravanchi family (depending on the result of the elections) who wants to support Lavinia to prevent the Meravanchi family from getting too much power in Farshore.
If you're starting from Serpents of Scuttlecove.
What about killing Khala and ending up on Big D's kill list? Everything else in CoBI is dead- but Khala and his pets are still alive and ticking. He's pretty importent plot point, makeing the Shadow-Pearls and all.
Ofcourse twisting that idae and having the new PC venture to Isle of Dread, and... something something...Have them be tracking down the Tooth of Ahazu, set on the mission as pawns of Malcanthet.
...you could have them work for a political enemy of the Meravanchi family who wants to support Lavinia to prevent the Meravanchi family from getting too much power in Farshore.
Hmn and hmn...I like both those.
*Wheels turn and tosses out his line into the Idea-Sea again.*
P.S. Good to see you here too hogarth. :)
|
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
|
Well Khala can't make any more Shadow Pearls if your party took out the Temple of Holashner in TLD. Reboots by their very nature require some tweaking!
I mean I completely tore the AP off the Prime and placed the various adventures in the Outer Planes. HTBM, ToD, & CoBI are all set in the Beastlands and the River Oceanus (to balance the Styx later on). TLD was set in Pandemoniums 3rd and 4th layers. Scuttlecove got a name change to the gatetown of Plague-mort. The Crimson Fleet became the subfaction of Doomsguard that made the Ships of Chaos, the Olman became the Wylders sect. Farshore was a Sign of One colony run by Factol Darius' daughter Lavinia.
--Vrocknrolla!
Steal an idea from my STAP Saturday crew:
In your case, Khala decides to take his wrath out on Sasserine. Due to the total wipe, he arranges for post-mortem interrogation - even if it means "intercepting" the 'soul' on its journey to its final judgement or what have you - to gather information. He exports the remaining shadow pearls to the Abyss except one, which he delivers to the home city of the player characters.
He shows up and "test fires" a Shadow Pearl on the city - presumably Sasserine - with minions in tow - after all, he can summon more pretty readily - then returns to the Isle of Dread to rebuild his operation, send a report or two off to the Big D with the glorious results of the detonation and arrange for the now more-experienced versions of Olangru, Vrocky and other demons the characters massacred.
Your new characters are the survivors of the blast - they have to get out of the city in a medieval version of Apocalypse Now, tangle with a lesser minion group of Khala's who stuck around to pillage and plunder and thereby acquire a "bearing" to Khala's pad, get to the Isle, and once more dispatch Khala or drive him from the temple.
If need be, your Khala can be the recurring nemesis, beckoning and taunting your characters further into the campaign, only to die at the end somewhere close to the Prince of Demons.
I would suggest setting a more desperate tempo with the resumption of the campaign - perhaps during a high-level divination a character gets a "year and a day" foreboding, increasing with intensity as the lunar months pass or what ever is appropriate to the campaign and character.
Or perhaps an annoying toucan shows up and pesters them, literally dropping hints. Or a pair of monkeys heckle them (complete with flung poo). Or the like. ^_^
One of the events that could happen in Tides of Dread was that the Blue Nixie can sail back to Sasserine and return (6 month round trip. Maybe that time has elapsed and another group of reinforcements for Lavinia has arrived, perhaps having been sent by relatives from Cauldron.