I'm a returning DM/GM running one of my favorite camapign styles: Post-apocalyptic creatures of the night. My characters are starting at level 5 so they have the ability to contribute. Basically, an army of Undead, Necromancers, Devils, and lycanthropes are taking over. My PCs have one week to discover the threat (after the completion of the triggering quest) before the war starts. I already have a good idea what happens. The army pushes all manner of living creatures inland (it begins on the south end of the southern kingdom) where the living must cooperate, in small amounts, In the upper underdark, entered through the largest mountain.
What I need are:
1) Quest Ideas
2) Miscellanneous suggestions to make things go smoother
(If it helps the party is a Elf Witch, Elf Summoner, Human Cavalier, Gnome Alchemist, and Human Rogue/Assassin
1. Clearing out underground areas for refugees (dungeon crawl)
2. Escorting refugees
3. Fighting rearguard actions
4. Retreving stuff left behind. (eg What do you mean you left an artifact of goodness locked in the vault in (insert town name) rather than bring it with you! We need that for the war effort.)
5. Rescue VIP's captured or stuck behind enemy lines.
6. Recon missions (find out where the baddies are and report back without letting them know you were there.)
7. Negotiations with various factions in the army. (eg convince the lycanthropes the others are just going to kill or enslave them after the resistance is crushed.)
8. Diplomatic missions
-to other planes for reinforcements (Please send angels!)
-to the Drow. (Please give us food and space lest the refugees decide death is worth the risk and attack one of your cities enmass leading to big casualties on both sides.)
9. Support hard points of resistance.
- The mages at the Tower need this spellbook with the spell Destroy army; you need to get it to them.
- The clerics at the church need holy water and relgious items to prevent it from becoming desecrated and severing their god's ties to the plane.
10. Assasination of leaders or key elements of the army. (Kill the necromancers and the undead become uncontrolled and attack their "allies")
11. Escort VIP's with critical abilities.
-The clerics need to get to the graveyard to perform a ritual that makes the bodies unraiseable. You have to get them there before tomorrow and protect them while they do it, lest we have 100's of zombies show up inside the city walls.
Ok thanks that is pretty helpful. If anyone else has ideas though, let me know.