My players may be evil when I run the campaign. It seems that without Allustan offering a reward for favors they may not want to accept the request. The town may be destroyed, but I don't know if the PC's will be inhabitants of the town or not, and even if they were they may be evil enough that they don't care as long as they are safe. The characters don't know it is a potential world-wide event so they really have no motivation to investigate the worms.
I am thinking of running a pre-adventure showing them what the worms can do, and trying to find a personal reason for them to get involved, but I don't really want to.
I was wandering if anyone of you had any ideas of how to motivate characters in a similar situation.
PS:The players know a little about the adventures(no spoilers of course), but their characters need motivation, without it seeming railroadey(not a word).
I was wandering if anyone of you had any ideas of how to motivate characters in a similar situation.
Hi wraithsrtike
I DM'd a group of evil/CN mercenary-type PCs through AoW a few years back. They started off as slave labour working in the mines for Gelch Tilgast, who requests them out to steal a map to the Wispering Cairn from Dietrik Cicaeda (IMC, the cairn was not common knowledge.) You see, I had Smenk commission Auric, Khellek, and Tirra for the Stirgenest Cairn. Gelch, in an attempt to one-up Smenk, gets the party to retrieve a map to the Whispering Cairn and then wants them to investigate it for him in return for their freedom. I had to flesh out Gelch and Smenk a bit more and really played up the competition/animosity between them. With the PCs stuck in the middle it created some intriguing scenarios: Captain Trolliver Trask and the town guard were looking for the thieves who stole the map from Dietrik, Smenk trying to buy/blackmail the party, Gelch scrambling to rebuild his business while dealing with the unscrupulous PCs, etc. Eventually, the party's greed was enough motivation to get them to the cairn, but not before establishing some enemies and allies in Diamond Lake. I went with a "good vs. evil begets evil" approach rather than a straight forward "good vs. evil" theme. At a later point, the party took it upon themselves to assasinate Jierian Wierus, which not only was a dangerouly fun excursion but also had huge repurcussions that followed the party even to the Free City.
It was a blast to play, but sadly this party was TPK'd much later on (I think it was in the module after The Champion's Games). Running an evil group was fun, but be prepared for a much more complicated campaign (depending how evil thier actions are) and altering some story/NPC elements.
I was wandering if anyone of you had any ideas of how to motivate characters in a similar situation.Hi wraithsrtike
I DM'd a group of evil/CN mercenary-type PCs through AoW a few years back. They started off as slave labour working in the mines for Gelch Tilgast, who requests them out to steal a map to the Wispering Cairn from Dietrik Cicaeda (IMC, the cairn was not common knowledge.) You see, I had Smenk commission Auric, Khellek, and Tirra for the Stirgenest Cairn. Gelch, in an attempt to one-up Smenk, gets the party to retrieve a map to the Whispering Cairn and then wants them to investigate it for him in return for their freedom. I had to flesh out Gelch and Smenk a bit more and really played up the competition/animosity between them. With the PCs stuck in the middle it created some intriguing scenarios: Captain Trolliver Trask and the town guard were looking for the thieves who stole the map from Dietrik, Smenk trying to buy/blackmail the party, Gelch scrambling to rebuild his business while dealing with the unscrupulous PCs, etc. Eventually, the party's greed was enough motivation to get them to the cairn, but not before establishing some enemies and allies in Diamond Lake. I went with a "good vs. evil begets evil" approach rather than a straight forward "good vs. evil" theme. At a later point, the party took it upon themselves to assasinate Jierian Wierus, which not only was a dangerouly fun excursion but also had huge repurcussions that followed the party even to the Free City.
It was a blast to play, but sadly this party was TPK'd much later on (I think it was in the module after The Champion's Games). Running an evil group was fun, but be prepared for a much more complicated campaign (depending how evil thier actions are) and altering some story/NPC elements.
My players would probably be more of a neutral or lawful evil. Basically greedy and self-serving, but not killing without reason so they can avoid attention. I need a reason for them to do the wizard's quest, and care about the age of worms before it becomes apparent that it will affect them.
It was a blast to play, but sadly this party was TPK'd much later on (I think it was in the module after The Champion's Games). Running an evil group was fun, but be prepared for a much more complicated campaign (depending how evil thier actions are) and altering some story/NPC elements. My players would probably be more of a neutral or lawful evil. Basically greedy and self-serving, but not killing without reason so they can avoid attention. I need a reason for them to...
Hey Wraithstrike
I am currently running the AOW campaign with a bunch of LE characters - self-serving, greedy, as you said. The campaign started when they were all marooned near Diamond Lake, and the first few adventures I had the same problem you have currently - I had pay them to do anything.
But with the AOW starting to bloom, somewhere along the lines they realized with all their self serving antics it won't matter if the world doesn't exist. Each of them is now dead set on stopping the AOW from occurring. Still a little self serving but non-the-less I don't have to pay them anymore. Actually I didn't really need to do that every since they got to the free city and agents of the Ebon Triad attempted to frame and kill them. You may have to appeal to their greed at first, or whatever gets them going - you are the DM so hopefully you know the players, then show them that they won't be able to enjoy themselves if the world ends. Hopefully they'll get the hint.
Hope that helps ...
It was a blast to play, but sadly this party was TPK'd much later on (I think it was in the module after The Champion's Games). Running an evil group was fun, but be prepared for a much more complicated campaign (depending how evil thier actions are) and altering some story/NPC elements. My players would probably be more of a neutral or lawful evil. Basically greedy and self-serving, but not killing without reason so they can avoid attention. I need a reason for them to...Hey Wraithstrike
I am currently running the AOW campaign with a bunch of LE characters - self-serving, greedy, as you said. The campaign started when they were all marooned near Diamond Lake, and the first few adventures I had the same problem you have currently - I had pay them to do anything.
But with the AOW starting to bloom, somewhere along the lines they realized with all their self serving antics it won't matter if the world doesn't exist. Each of them is now dead set on stopping the AOW from occurring. Still a little self serving but non-the-less I don't have to pay them anymore. Actually I didn't really need to do that every since they got to the free city and agents of the Ebon Triad attempted to frame and kill them. You may have to appeal to their greed at first, or whatever gets them going - you are the DM so hopefully you know the players, then show them that they won't be able to enjoy themselves if the world ends. Hopefully they'll get the hint.
Hope that helps ...
They ended up not being evil. We just had our first session this weekend.