| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Varl |
Posted - 31 Dec 2007 : 20:22:11
I'm curious if anyone has ever compiled a list of major campaign story arcs for the Realms from the available data? Do you think The Grand History of the Realms book is the definitive source for Realms campaign story arcs?
There is so much Realmslore contained just within this one book, it makes me question which way to proceed with it all. Do I start certain campaigns back in time so they can experience some of these Realms story arcs, or do I treat most if not all of the historic lore in GHotR as possibilities for current times?
Take for example, -160 DR, The Year of the Stone Giant. The picture alone on page 56 is worthy of wanting to include something from Dodkong's era, whether that be the revivifaction of Dodkong himself or possibly travel back to -160.
What do most Realms DMs do when it comes to interesting lore from the past that you might want to include in the present? |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| ShadezofDis |
Posted - 10 Jan 2008 : 17:45:11
quote:
Originally posted by Varl
What do most Realms DMs do when it comes to interesting lore from the past that you might want to include in the present?
I include the stuff as "back story". Back story, for me, is a way to chart the flow of NPC action. Since I run a very "loose" game (ie. PCs get to do whatever they want, including pulling stakes and heading somewhere else) I chart out NPC actions, providing more background plot.
I also like to take some history and manipulate it in order to provide myself with some further plot. Eventually the PCs figure out the who, what and why and it's quite fun.
As an example;
I'm running a game in Turmish near Gildenglade. I've decided that one of the "power players" is a Lich who lives (unlives? *g*) in his citadel at the bottom of the Lake of Drifting Stars. I made him the great, great-uncle of . . . damn, the ruler of Chondath . . . Elias Winnear? somethin like that I think, too lazy to look it up right now, but that's one hook to history. The other is that he's one of the original members of the Windlass Coven (I think that's the name) and when the Emerald Enclave broke their power he faked his defeat and death (sinking his citadel to the bottom of the lake and undergoing the lich transformation). Since then he's worked on building his power and helping to build his families power (hence the reason Chondath is in what's his name's hands and the reason for his magical skill)
His overall goal is to get the PCs to get some items that the elves locked away on the plane of steam. These items hold the essence of his more powerful minions from back in the day and will eventually take over the PCs (unless they can thwart it).
Then there's the noble who controls the region east of where the PCs are located. He's sick and tired of the Turmish republic and the illegality of slavery (he wants some feudalism damnit!) and he's working to see the fall of the republic and the installation of a tyranny (with him towards the top of course). I'm not sure where I want the development of his scheme to be at this point though (it'll depend on whether I want to run a war or not *g*).
Those are just two plots that I pulled from "history", I could probably go on and on and on. :) |
| LordArcana |
Posted - 06 Jan 2008 : 16:25:39
Most of the campaigns i have run begin with picking a year (which has some pretty interesting set in stone events) and then working the PC's into them in some manner. The campaign i just started (1363 DR) the PC's begain in Loudwater and i am going to have them hang around the area for a few levels before sending them on a divine inspired quest to Daggerford where they will take part in "Hordes from Dragonspear".
Since i just purchased GHotR i figured i would use it a little to provide some in game historical info for the players (and make the book worht buying). Instead of just spouting off facts i decided to use events that occured in years that coincide with bad guys i have built...
One of the necromancer-lords of Imaskar (c-530DR era) survived the wars that ultimately defeated them in -511. He retreated into hiding for many years being believed to be responsible for certain minor bad things until 863 when he was "killed" (actually) imprisoned in a stasis effect from another mage that used the retributive strike of a staff of power. Waking up 500 years later in a world that is slightly different than he remembers he falls in line with Velsharoon and develops an anger for Cyric.
Promised more power from his deity he plans a massive undead assult on Llorkh which is good for the PC's but draws the attention of the harpers which gives me a hook to get them involved instead of running away.
There are some other small things i have used from GHotR as well.
IN CONCLUSSION
GHotR is a great source for story arcs IF and only IF you subscribe to the cannon history of the realms. Personally the one draw back i found is i dislike the current history, mainly from 1374+ so i have decided i will not use it...yet.
2nd edition sources - mainy of the 2nd edition FR books are for free download on the WotC website. You don't need to use them for stats on NPC's but they work nice for background information.
Movies - Using undead in my campaign as a major conflict i didn't want the standard slow moving zombie, and skeleton etc. I watched all the "zombie" movies i could find and developed my own zombie stats which have gone on to freak out my players. To the point i got yelled at by the mother of my youngest player (16) that he had bad dreams about zombies whos wounds closed over with black goo 
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| freejack13 |
Posted - 05 Jan 2008 : 06:24:57
I'm running an Imaskari based campaign where a Red Wizard has discovered one of the ancient Imaskarcana and has manipulated the PCs into locating the other 6.
Using lots of dead languages and the players are going to fighting monsters and people with skills and abilities based out of the Lost Empires of Faerun book. Stuff the party has never seen before. |
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 01 Jan 2008 : 18:15:48
Well, a lot of times I use it to tie into things that haven't been officially "located" in the Realms yet, to help give it a more Realmsian feel. |
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