In a few weeks I'm going to be starting a new Campaign that I've barely thought through or designed and would LOVE some suggestions.
The Vampires of Caliphas have decided to "grow" their "network" outside of Ustalov and into Varisia. Vampire NPCs Luvick Lamorath, Desmonde Kote, Natasha Pavlaris and others detailed in the Carrion Crown Adventure Path are joining with a Pangolais Vampire and Chelaxian Vampire to begin some ground work in Varisia -- likely near Ilsurian and the Ashwood. Some of the Drow from Second Darkness, having been thwarted in that AP, will join the vampires in this new venture.
I will be getting characters, settings, ideas and themes from the Carrion Crown and Second Darkness Adventure Paths, "Dark Tower of Cabilar" from Dungeon #1, "Lady of the Mists" from Dungeon #42, "Night Swarm" from Dungeon #62 and likely a few other sources -- probably some 2E Ravenloft stuff and 3E adventures such as The Sunless Citadel.
All I know beyond that is that the PCs will begin in Cheliax (with foreknowledge that the Campaign takes place in Varisia) for the beginning of the adventure, "Lady of the Mists." Only, instead of a tyrannical politician fleeing the empire to the Lady for his Elixir of Life, it will be a Chelaxian Hellknight or Paracount or somesuch going AWOL to join in the vampire games upcoming in Varisia.
-- The PCs will be tasked with following?/hunting? him for some reason (TBD when the Players detail their PCs).
All ideas are welcome!
So, I have some -less general / more specific- requests for ideas.
SPOILERS:
:The Vampires of Caliphas are expanding to Varisia. Florian Lamorath (Luvick's Proxy) is leading the expansion with Ramoska Arkminos -- who is the lynchpin of the expansion after his master, human Ristomar Tiriac of Varno and Luvick cooked up the idea. This I got.
But when vampires Florian & Ramoska arrive (long before the PCs get involved),
HELP All suggestions are welcome.
: The Drow of Zirnakaynin that will join the vampires somehow are Gadak Simiryin, the non-noble but ambitious Rogue who has left Zirnakaynin and spent time in the Mierani Forest before -- and worked with surface-dwellers before.
Also a couple Drow nobles from SD that seem to fit in a campaign leaving the Underdark and joining vampires:
Tiryin Vonnarc, the Second Son of Matron Pravora Vonnarc who has no magical aptitude and whose personality is such that Matron Pravora doesn't know what to do with him. He seems a great candidate to go to the surface and "work with" vampires.
Finally is Covakis -- rumored to be a father to some of Second Daughter Faidaeva Vonnarc's children. And since she's a major hothead who loves to inflict suffering (and since he's such a braggart), I can see him needing to get away from Zirnakaynin for a while for a venture such as this.
So those are the NPC players at the BBEG level -- I just need help on getting them together -- Why / How do they meet?
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Second, ( Spoilers)
I really like the Vilkacis from "Broken Moon" and want to include a Werewolves of the Ashwood and a Vilkacis (ghostly undead werewolf spirit tied to a phylactery-like stone) in the campaign.
But I can't see how the joint Vampires of Caliphas and Drow of Zirnakaynin would want to do anything outside of the major cities Korvosa, Ilsurian and Riddleport. (I'm probably focusing on Ilsurian and Riddleport for the Campaign -- suggestions?) But if the Vampires and Drow are staying in town how can I include from the ?!
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Finally, though I don't know how many out there still know of it, I'm including themes from "Lady of the Mists" from Dungeon #42 to begin and "Lost Tower of Cabilar" from Dungeon #1 somewhere. And I'm having some trouble, not so much with the first but certainly the second, melding them into the overall Campaign. I'm pretty confident that they'll each find a natural spot once I nail down the vampire & drow alliance but, you know, all ideas are welcome.
But when vampires Florian & Ramoska arrive (long before the PCs get involved),
How can they meet up with the Drow? HELP All suggestions are welcome.
The Drows defeat left them shamed in the eyes of their people. The wandered the lands and fell into the thrall of the vampires and now they become Drow/ Vamp thralls ?
But if the Vampires and Drow are staying in town how can I include Werewolves from the Ashwood?!
For me Vampires and werewolves do not get along...ever. I love the backstory in Underworld. I always have campaigns pitting vampires against werewolves. The other thing I like so much is that Vampires love Fey blood. The purer the better. Elves are ok, but you get some real fey blood and it is like the most delicious thing in the world to them. Plus they get that limited walk in the daytime immunity and boost to all their abilities. So why not have the Vamps wanting fey blood. The werewolves can be protectors of the woods and clash with the vamps but they send in their new drow thralls to deal with it instead. The vamps gain the edge with the drows and so the werewolves need to bring in the big bad Vilkacis which half the clan object to cuz they can't control it. So now you got fey, vamps, drow and werewolves. Sounds like a fun time to me. I may want to run it too!
Thanks!
My generation, and my taste in particular, is a bit older than the vampire-vs-werewolf pop-culture craze of the last 20 years or so but I have been acknowledging that that conflict has become so overwhelmingly popular that I should start to consider it -- and since I am looking for a way to include the werewolf theme of "Broken Moon" I think this is the perfect place.
I've never heard of the vampires-love-Fey-blood thing but I don't mind it at all. I think I can now easily find a way to get the vampires & Drow against some werewolves from the Ashwood -- and likely now the Sanos since it's full of Gnomes & thin boundaries to the First World.
Sweet! The vampire liking fey blood is a True Blood theme. Keep me posted when you get it done as I would be interested in running it also.