Expanding Darkmoon Vale

[Baron Von Magpie]

Hello! I've never posted here before, but I've lurked on occasion, checking out ideas for my various games, so I figured I might bring a recent idea I've had here to get some advice.

I'm currently planning to run the Darkmoon Vale series of modules, as I like the area and find the modules run together nicely. The only problem im having with them is that Im kind of unsure where to go with the campaign after they've run out.

I kind of want to continue with the party investigating the dwarven ruins in the area that were torn up by the Rending. Specifically, I wanted to run some large adventures dealing with descending into Raseri Kanton and then capping off the story by having them delve into the sealed ruins of Jernashall up on Droskar's Crag, but Im unsure how to go about it. So Im wondering if anyone's chosen to go a similar direction with Darkmoon Vale, or has any ideas about how to weave everything together, or really just any interesting ideas about any of it?

[KenderKin]

I have thought about this before and my idea was to tie the conclusion of Darkmoon vale and jump it into the following modules.

The Standing Stones (adds a remote small town to the mix)
The heart of Nightfang Spire
Deep Horizon

These are all from the Ashardalon Series (the first AP?), it gives some consistency.

If you like Heart of Nightfang Spire, you could have it revealed after the edge of the cliff collapses or some other reason that the previously unknown thing is now there (or you could add it to the map).

[shadram]

I'm in the middle of running a similar campaign. We're just about to start Carnival of Tears, and having a great time. Following the end of Hungry are the Dead, I've got a few options for where to go next. I'm trying not to pin it down too soon, since I want to use whatever plot lines the players respond the most to.

The dwarf stuff is what I'm struggling most with, but I'm mostly treating it as a backdrop for the main plots. I'm trying to let the campaign be a little bit sandboxy and give the players space to explore between the written adventures, and they've heard about the ruins of Jernashall, so may head there eventually.

I've got a few ideas of what to do when they get there. Firstly, Everforge from Tombs of Golarion fits perfectly with almost no changes. Beyond that, if they want to explore further, I was thinking of using any volcanic/lava themed dungeons I could find. There's a couple of levels in Rappan Athuk that fit the theme nicely, plus a level in Emerald Spire. I've also got Clash of the Kingslayers, which I haven't properly read yet, but I think could be used if the PCs decide to go meet with the dwarves currently living in the Five Kings mountains.

As for other possible ideas for what to do after Hungry are the Dead:

If the players like the Fey plot, I'll run Realm of the Felnight Queen, and have the big bad be Queen Syntira's sister, and say that she's the driver of the fey's hatred of humanity in the region. This can run with almost no change, other than the starting location switching to Falcon's Hollow.

However, there's a couple of werewolf hunters in my group (one has joined the Fangwatch), so it's most likely that this is the way we'll go. My plan on that front is to tweak Broken Moon from the Carrion Crown adventure path and run that. I'm going to have Shavaros Vade be a part of the Whispering Way (the PCs told him where the Crucible, and hence the Seal of Tar Baphon, were located, so that Drazmorg can go break it) and then disappear around the time of Hungry are the Dead. I'll use him in place of the necromancer in Broken Moon, and move the adventure to the Verduran Forest. The Shadowpack will replace one of the werewolf tribes.

Hope that helps. :)

[Baron Von Magpie]

Yeah these are some pretty good ideas. I'll look into getting Tombs for everforge (And other stuff, cant ever have to many crypts lying around)

I've been percolating on it for a bit, and if my players are into the dwarf angle, I think I've got a plan. I'm going to take out the Seal Drazmorg was interested in, and replace it with a collapsed tunnel back towards the mountain, to sort of get them focused in that direction, and sprinkle some moaning Arc Words amongst the various undead they encounter up to that point: "The City Shall Live"

My big bad is going to be none other than the insane ghost of Sidrik, King of Tar Khadurrm. The horrifying circumstances of his death and his guilt over the destruction of Jernashall have bound his soul to the sealed city. And his only goal, after festering for centuries in the mountain, is to see his city rebuilt by any means, including the possible enslavement and or conversion to undeath of everyone in the Vale. I think I'll have him talk the party through the city once they get inside, to sort of make up for the Sauron Factor of him being stuck up there and not being able to directly interact with the party for most of the game.

What d'yall think? Im abit nervous about it, as I haven't written this sort of thing in a while, but I think its pretty compelling

[Aaron Burr]

Falcon's Hollow and Darkmoon Vale is one of my favorite settings, I know Falcon's Hollow is one of the Towns focused on in Towns of the Innersea and I think the one dragon from Dragons Unleashed lives under that area and even has a well known Dwarven Artifact. Looking over those two you might get a few new ideas.

[Saurstalk]

I've opted to use Ilmurea from Serpent's Skull for the Ruins of Jernsahall, replacing water with magma - but basically giving an entombed city for players to explore. Where I'm stuck is finding a good adventure to modify for the Ruins of Raseri Kanton. From what I gather, there isn't much left of the ruins - but having a starting point is proving to be a bit of a pickle.