With all the awesome resources and campaign journals I've gotten so much use and enjoyment out of around here, I've come to the realization there's really no two ways about it. It's time I start a chronicle of the mishaps and hard-fought victories of my ill-fated group of adventurers. If anyone can gleam some wisdom from our mistakes, or at least a chuckle at our ill-advised fumbling about in a world where fools are eaten by belligerent goblins, maybe a portion of my longtime lurking and leeching of others' hard work can be redeemed.
So we're playing Rise of the Runelords, converted to 4e D&D using Scott Betts' excellent Tales from the Rusty Dragon blog. Not content with that however, I've even gone and put the whole business in the post-spellplague 4e Forgotten Realms. I'm sure at least 80% of any prospective readership on these particular boards hastily clicked the back button right there, but in case anyone's still here, enjoy the ride. Actually I'm even hoping to find some assistance in making the most out of this corner I've painted myself into.
These are the basics.
Sandpoint lies on the Sword Coast, not far north of Baldur's Gate (which will serve as my Magnimar). I expect to be taking some fairly large liberties with both ancient Realms history and current cosmology. The barebones plan is that it's Returned Abeir that's made the Runelord Resurgence possible. Thassilonian is an ancient Abeir language, and the Runelords' ancient civilization (far from an all-encompassing empire in my campaign) will turn out to be the only one to ever exist on both Abeir and Toril simultaneously. With the large Giant presence in the Adventure Path, I expect something cool can be done with the diety/primordial divide as well, but I'm still a bit hazy on that bit.
So if I'm not taking the time to convert every detail meticulously, why Forgotten Realms to begin with? It's the common denominator for the whole group. One of the players was in my 3.5 Age of Worms campaign that sputtered to a halt in Spire of Long Shadows (after a TPK in The Champion's Belt) about 2 years back, 2 of the others I've played some Vampire: the Requiem with in-between that, and the last 2 haven't played tabletop RPGs in 9+ years. They've all played the Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights CRPG's though, and a bit of shared world history should give me some head start on immersion and a feeling of being invested in the area. Then again, my Age of Worms group (accidentally) let Greyhawk City blow up in a giant storm of Wights and Wraiths, so we'll see how things go :P
A couple of shout-outs are in order.
Scott Betts, this campaign would never have happened without your excellent conversion work. You make the nuts n bolts of 4e encounter design look easy even to this mechanics-paranoid newbie DM. Thanks!
Tintagel, you make my miniatures look way more awesome than they deserve. Your combat maps are a big hit at my table. Thanks!
Mary Yamato, your dextrous parrying of players relentlessly demanding an internal logic is an inspiration. Thankfully I'm blessed with players much more accepting and willing to just go along with the ride when they think that's what the situation calls for, but your insistence on making things watertight still makes me strive to be the best DM I can be. Thanks!
If you see any major stumbling blocks I'll run into with my FR converting, please do give a shout. Any input and feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Coming up next: Our brave (if occasionally inept) heroes Revealed!
Here is our starting lineup.
Anath Zainu, a fervent human Cleric of Kelemvor, grew up an orphan in Candlekeep. She's always been a little heavy on the 'go out and smite the undeads' part of the faith, so a few years back she was sent to Sandpoint to serve under Father Zantus and help out with funeral services. It was hoped that exposing her to a multi-faith congregation and tutelage on more worldly matters might make her a more well-rounded servant of the faith. By all accounts, this theory seems to have been an utter failure.
Krivar Greyscale is a Dragonborn Fighter from a small tribe settled in Erlkazar. Highly discontent with his peoples' penchant to stick to old Abeir customs despite everything this new world has to offer, he has gone out into the world to discover what he can, trade stories with those he meets, and carve out his own fate.
Akalimë, Elven Ranger, expected to become a part of the informal forest folk cordon that keeps the chaos of Luskan confined to the walls of Luskan. Instead, he was sent to Sandpoint to babysit old Niska Mvashti and help keep the Sandpoint Hinterlands safe.
Sincerity, Tiefling Warlock. Con-man. Came to Sandpoint with misters Mortwell, Hask and Tabe to swindle the town dry during the festivities.
Vondal Ricewyn, Dwarven Wizard. Hailing from a wealthy merchant family in Amn, he puts very little stock in these ancient traditions and orders of esteemed magical academies, when by all accounts they don't know anything more than any common hedge wizard about what happened to the Weave, and how to go about repairing the whole thing.