Campaign Building and Testing...

[Darkone432]

Hello. As of the moment, I have devised he beginning of a campaign up to the point where it branches off. My inquiry is this. Does a campaign building template exist and what restrictions must I take when, with the lack of individuals to test it on, I test the campaign on myself, and thus act as both GM and PC?

Have:
- All significant (named) enemies.
- The general Setting.
- A rather insignificant aspect which could drive the story in almost entirely separate directions.

Lack:
- Idea of a minimum campaign APL.
- An effective means of bringing all the characters to the location of the campaign itself without giving the much hated "You all meet at the (insert tavern name here)..."

[Mysterious Stranger]

One of the best ways to get and hold the characters together is for them to be part of some sort of sponsored team. This also allows you to set the tone and theme of the campaign. For example if you are running a campaign based on hunting down undead a church sponsored undead hunting group make sense. If on the other hand you want to run a more political campaign then the party could be agents of the king, or even agents of his opposition. Tell the party in advance and it will make the job of making characters easier.

At low levels the characters all tend to be pretty much the same. Stats are actually more important than class at first level. Martial characters for the most part can’t afford many of the things their concept requires. Around 4th level or so most classes have started to come into their own. By now most characters should be able to afford their basic equipment. Archers will have appropriate bows; those that rely on heavy armor can afford it. Spell casters can afford wands and scrolls to supplement their spells. This is also the point where classes start to gain their signature class abilities.

[Darkone432]

For a separate session, my GM decided to start the characters at level 4 so we had a place to start of.

The signature villains place in CR around the stage of CR: 9-11, but I don't intend to throw my initial party at even some of the weaker "bosses" until they gain a few levels. I read something that I find I be a bit interesting. It's a 5-step thing which involves everyone fleshing out the character's background to give a premise of why they are there, then they each make a little story blurb detailing their rise to adventuring if starting at level 1 or their their "first" adventure which eveyone passes around to let the others try to figure out a place in someone else's story. Basically make the characters know one another. I am simply wondering as to a minimum party level for this campaign of mine.

Enemies:
- NE Clerics of Apollyon/Urgotha
- Hydrodaemons
- Leukodaemons
- NE Witches of Apollyon/Urgotha
- NE Inquisitors of Apollyon/Urgotha
- Cacodaemons
- Zombies, Variant
- Skeletons, Variant
- Dire Rats
- Rat Swarms
- Wererats

Significant Enemies:
- Nnateck, Leukodaemon Antipaladin of Apollyon 4 CR: 11
- Malaise Blackheart, Human Witch 9 CR 8
- Alexander Blackheart, Human Cleric of Apollyon 9 CR 8
- Maurinanyi Deadleaf, Elf Lich Cleric of Urgotha 9 CR 10
- Alexander the Returned, Human Plague Zombie Lord Cleric of Apollyon 9 CR 9
- Malaise the Returned, Human Plague Zombie Lord Witch 9 CR 9
- The Hunter Between, Tracker of Leng Ranger 6 CR 11:- Reoccuring, Hopefully…
- The Sisters of Malady, Daughters of the Dead with a level in Rogue, Monk, or Natural Weapon Oriented Fighter. It really depends on what I need them for.

Setting: Kreatn

Background Info: It has been fifty years since this kingdom’s greatest tragedy. Having nearly been torn apart by a great plague having appeared suddenly in the month of Rova of the year 4649 AR. With the aid of mighty heroes now gracing the afterlife with their presence, the now thriving kingdom’s luck has been on the rise, but something awaits... Something they thought vanished long ago.

The Heroes of Kreatn
- Tynerious Fairwind, A drow exile who seeks to redeem his corrupt kin. Missing.
- Morganna Curefeather, A human cleric of Shelyn who brought her worship to the small town. Dead.
- Roland Twinheart, A human rogue once native to the village. Dead.
- Echo Mirrenolin, an Elven bard who to this day waits for her husband to return from the Underdark. Living.
- “Pads” Littlerock, The Halfling rager for whom the town’s guards base their training off of. Dead.

Significant Current Events: The town is preparing to hold its yearly festival honoring the heroes who saved them all those years ago. The festival will hold from the end of Rova to mid-Lamashan, which has the unnatural habit of always landing on Oathday, the seventeenth, the day the plague mysteriously ended...

Potential Effects of the Campaign:
The PCs will become saviors of the kingdom and gain renown matching that of the above group. They however will find a persistent enemy in The Hunter Between as well as among the servants of Apollyon and Uragotha. Knowledge of their existence will spread, possibly even to the Outer Planes and beyond… Woe be the day when something acts on this knowledge…

Political System: The kingdom is run by a council, at the head of which sits Alexander Twistedwind and his wife, Malaise.

Terrain Type: The city itself has changed from the small town it once was to a grand place, which could lead to fights in places not thought of before…

Time Allotted: Seven days…

This is all I have.

-Tracker of Leng: An amalgam of a Xill and a Denizen of Leng.

[Darkone432]

What restrictions do I need to place on myself when I perform my test campaign, under the circumstance that I am both GM and and the Entire Party.