So I was thinking of a campaign based around a Beholder as the main bad guy. But I can't seem to get my ideas in one direction/having difficulties coming up with ideas to flesh it out. Any ideas would be appreciated.
So it would be called "In the Eye of the Beholder." Kinda like the saying so it would play off of that a little.
Main Antagonist - Beholder
Other antagonists - Lamias who disguise themselves to lure PCs or something.
Lair - would be a cave or castle or something
Other ideas - I want to make sure that a large variety of abilities/skills would be necessary and useful so that way everyone would have a chance to shine.
But I need help to flesh things out. Like plot hooks. Motives of beholder etc.
I thought it would be fun to construct a campaign with the community to see how you all play homemade campaigns, etc.
There are a lot of questions that need to be answered first.
What is the scope of the campaign? A few session in one city or municipality to defeat one boss? Or a spanning multi-level world trekking, plane hopping, environment exploring adventure?
Do you want standard core races or something more exotic? Is it a world without elves, humans, dwarves, gnomes or halflings?
Is magic common? rare? new or ancient? Does every shop keep have a pocket of ioun stones and a modern firearm beside their stack of wands?
Is the setting coastal? desert? European temperate forest? tropical dinosaur swamp? Underdark glacier frost world based around hot spring communities? A sprawling, unending metropolis continuously rebuilt upon a millennium of sewers, ruined buildings and filth where the rich live miles above the rabble? A floating island chain where land is as precious as life itself (and the struggle for land creates strange alliances of good and evil)?
Who are your players? Experienced? New? Do you have 10 or 2?
Is your beholder in a city, secreted away in a tower controlling the king and manipulating the councilors to do his bidding? Or is he hiding in the countryside with a gaggle of cultists sending out spies and assassins in a bid for more wealth (or information, or power)?
Is he a young being trying to carve out his place in the world (a world secretly run by many more experienced beholders)?
The types of creatures selected should reflect the environment you choose, and the setting will inform on the cultures and races that play a part in the story.
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SIMPLE CONSTRUCT METHOD v3
At the top of an A4 or A3 page place the Heading Starting point and underneath place the Adventure name. Draw a square around it with a line leading down to an empty box.
At the bottom of the page place the Heading Conclusion, the Boss Battle and a red square around it.
PROCESS
construct you brief view of an adventure path in its simple forms in a block by block path to the conclusion. You can have side quest ideas attached and other possible connecting links.
DRAFTS
Use a stencil and pencil with a quality errasor and you should be fine. Also use INDEX cards different colours for expanding information, on towns buildings of interest NPS or creatures.
World: Well its a pretty standard world. Probably just the pathfinder one. It would probably be in a more remote area where magic is less common (i.e. people are wary of wizards and there aren't magic shops on every corner where all of the loot can be dropped and the next tier of weapons and accessories can be purchased.) Also weird monsters would be less seen (i.e. if the villagers saw the beholder, they would think giant floating demon rather than Beholder.)
Players: Probably on average three very experienced players.
Expected Length: Several sessions, but not a start at level 1 go to level 20 kind of deal but at least several levels worth.
I guess I'm just looking for ideas. Like I like the idea that the beholder is controlling the king and that he has spies (the Lamia). So these are the kinds of things that I'm hoping to flesh out, but I'm just drawing a blank right now.
So I've got a few more ideas, but I'll need some help thinking of good challenges related with Lamias and a Beholder.
So what I've got:
-Lamia has taken the temple of a local god and defiled it. She has charmed some monsters to help guard her new home. (What monsters would be good?)
-Children have been kidnapped, no one knows exactly why. But they really have magical aptitude and are being kidnapped by the lamias to raise an army. They are being held at the temple.
-One of the stronger Lamia working for the beholder is a cleric and could use that to benefit their side. (Any ideas on what cool things an enemy lamia cleric could do?)
-With that I guess the beholder is charming the king (not right away so the king can get the PCs on board first) and the beholder is charming other monsters to help him. (Any ideas on what other monsters would have synergy with this feel?)
-Any other ideas?