| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Rapida |
Posted - 29 May 2005 : 02:28:38
(I'm not sure I followed cannon FR, I might of severely weakened some group or forgotten about them. If I did please forgive me, mention it, and suggest a way to put them in.)
Well my PCs have done it again, taken a simple adventure and screwed up the dalelands. I need help planning my next game because my players took some un expected turns. First off the CotSQ is the module I'm going to lead into, but first they have to deal with a minion of Irae. A vampire sorcereror drow who serves her. I won't bore you with my whole campaign or anything. Here is the most recent happenings. They arrived in archenbridge to find a paladin that had recently gone missing. They asked around town then were pointed to a shrine of Tyr he ran. They investigated and found that he (Arathorn) has gone to investigate the recent surge in undead around the dales. Well he found and was transformed into a vampire by the priorly mentioned drow. They went into the archwood to investigate, this is where I need help. The Arda (the drow vampire) and Arathorn have already ran out all of the druids or turned them into undead. The PCs investigate meeting a few undead and finding a ghost that they decide they should ( an old druid that was killed by a hydra when she tried to save a girl from it, she needs to be buried to be released). Anyway so they wander in the woods trying to find the source of the negative energy (a portal that Arda opened to help power the undead).
Then they ran into Arathorn, he made the party flee after a tough fight where he was forced to assume gaseous form and flee to his coffin. Well the PCs head back to the Temple of Chauntea (the temple thats been suppourting them on this quest to remove the undead), they get healed and sleep at the inn. Then an undead assasin attacks and kills the cleric (they knew of the assasin he had been killing nobles in the dale, I got this from the FRCS about the hook that an undead assasin had been killing nobles, anyway). They hurry to the temple with the body the cleric doesn't want to get raised (he was a DMPC that I had wanted to get rid of). Then they head back into the woods to kill the hydra from the druid quest. They go into the swamp to find it and they find it. It surprises them and forces them to flee.
Arda then scrys on them like she has been doing for a while now, the mage's anti-scrying blocks the first attempt but the second gets through. She commands the undead to converge on their position. They are chased through the forest by undead. Soon they are surrounded, the mage gets a crazy ideal. He casts rope trick and throws in a bag of holding ( As a house rule to weaken rope trick this acts as a portable hole into a bag of holding, you know the planar rift and all). 2 of the characters are shunted to the House of Nature, and the third is teleported to the plane of fire (he dies). I need help deciding on what happens to the 2 in the house of nature, they are in the realm of Nobanion. So they need a way to get home and a way to stop Arda. Arda saw them get thrown into another plane and assumes they are dead.
So I'm thinking she will launch an attack on Archenbridge crushing its defenders (I know there is a Temple of Chauntea and Temple of Tempus, any others?). So the PCs will have to go into a ghost town (literally) and assasinate Arda. Any suggestions on anything? (Sorry if the above is kind of hard to read but I'm just typing it as I think of it.) I would like the town to be destroyed or at least battered. I'm thinking Sembia will move in and take over most of the land. Also, Elminister is in Hell at the time so don't mention him please.
Another ideal is I was thinking of making about a month of time pass since they were transported through the rift and the time they use their ring of sending (or help something in the HoN) to get home.
Does anyone else have any ideals or suggestions? And did I even post this in the right spot? |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Xysma |
Posted - 02 Jun 2005 : 17:07:52
Dargoth's right, it is issue 121 of Dungeon that contains the Archwood campaign. You should still be able to pick it up at a gaming store, I know mine still had several copies yesterday.
As far as whether you should get Dragon or Dungeon, it depends on your DM style. Dungeon is DM based, containing adventures and such, whereas Dragon is good for DM's and Players, providing new crunch, as well as some decent fluff. I let my subscription to Dungeon lapse, and kept my sub to Dragon, simply because I never run premade adventures, but that's just my style. |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 01 Jun 2005 : 13:56:21
quote:
Originally posted by Rapida
Do you think I should go back to the drawing board since her being able to take over the city realistically isn't very likely. I kind of wanted a big change to happen because one of my players commented it didn't matter what they did the events would come out the same. So any suggestions besides her trying to take over Archenbridge? Her purpose for taking over the Archwood could have to do something with those ruins, and whatever is in them. Any ideals on where I should go? I ended last game with them arriving in the HoN.
I think you have to decide whether you wish her to pull a 'trump' card out of her sleeve (summoning beholders to her aid? Death tyrants?). Having not read the module (CotSQ)it is hard for me to give any sound advice, whether conquering Archenbridge is possible by her forces.
If you intend for her to raid Archenbridge, I suggest you purchase 'Heroes of Battle'. It gives a good description on how battles work on a general scale, AND it contains some 'mini-scenarios' related to battles and war.
Maybe she will use an attack on Archenbridge as a diversion, so that any 'meddling' Harpers and adventurers will rally to its defense. At the same time, she´ll perhaps take a look at those ruins, while your PCs are striving to 'save the day'...
|
| Dargoth |
Posted - 30 May 2005 : 01:57:52
quote:
Originally posted by Rapida
Do you think I should go back to the drawing board since her being able to take over the city realistically isn't very likely. I kind of wanted a big change to happen because one of my players commented it didn't matter what they did the events would come out the same. So any suggestions besides her trying to take over Archenbridge? Her purpose for taking over the Archwood could have to do something with those ruins, and whatever is in them. Any ideals on where I should go? I ended last game with them arriving in the HoN.
You defintely want the Secrets of the Arch Wood module by Skip Williams as it reveals what the Ruins are |
| Rapida |
Posted - 30 May 2005 : 00:52:53
Do you think I should go back to the drawing board since her being able to take over the city realistically isn't very likely. I kind of wanted a big change to happen because one of my players commented it didn't matter what they did the events would come out the same. So any suggestions besides her trying to take over Archenbridge? Her purpose for taking over the Archwood could have to do something with those ruins, and whatever is in them. Any ideals on where I should go? I ended last game with them arriving in the HoN. |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 29 May 2005 : 19:51:50
quote:
Originally posted by Rapida
So I'm thinking she will launch an attack on Archenbridge crushing its defenders (I know there is a Temple of Chauntea and Temple of Tempus, any others?). So the PCs will have to go into a ghost town (literally) and assasinate Arda. Any suggestions on anything? (Sorry if the above is kind of hard to read but I'm just typing it as I think of it.) I would like the town to be destroyed or at least battered. I'm thinking Sembia will move in and take over most of the land. Also, Elminister is in Hell at the time so don't mention him please.
I do not think that Elminster is the only powerful Harper in the Dalelands. Certainly they have many agents in the Dalelands, who will summon help. Probably an invasion of this kind would also draw nearby Dales to help protect their neighbour (at least Battledale). Unless you are talking about a "lightning-fast attack with invisible assailants", I think Archendale would have time muster its forces, and try to recruit some mercenaries and adventurers as quickly as possible.
I think Sembia would send troops to its borders, and when the smoke clears - no matter who wins - they´d close in to salvage what they can.
|
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 29 May 2005 : 19:42:10
Ah, sorry, I meant that they could return to Faerun at "the other end of the chain" of these portals, and THEN go through them in "backwards" order to finally reach the Dales.
But I have to say that I like Dargoth's suggestion maybe better, that your PCs reach Underdark under the Abbey through a portal from HoN. Then they would be sent through the 'Trail of Tears' (in the "right" order) to help establish an abbey to Tempus at the end (see 'Death Before Dishonor'). And they would get the boon from the God of War (which might help them in their desperate battle in Archendale...) |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 29 May 2005 : 19:34:40
quote:
Originally posted by Dargoth
You may want to check out Secets of Archwood by Skip Williams its in one of the more recent issues of Dungeon magazine (I believe its 121)
The Underdark beneath the Abbey of the Sword in battledale contains a number of Portals to other planes so this maybe a way for those characters trapped in the planes to return to Faerun
Excellent idea, Dargoth. Indeed, the Abbey has portals that the PCs could use to return to Faerun.
Faiths & Pantheons contains a complete description of the Abbey, and its clergy (including maps). The caverns beneath the abbey also hold potential for adventure, and the PCs might end up laying to rest the haunted soul of the former high priest, Eldan Ambrose.
I would also suggest downloading the Perilous Gateways-articles "The Trail of Tears" (by Eric L. Boyd). They might be introduced as a quest to your PCs, or maybe they go through them "backwards" to get to the Dalelands from the Planes?
|
| Dargoth |
Posted - 29 May 2005 : 04:33:25
The following issues have 3ed FR modules set in the Dalelands
87 Raiders of Galths Roost
92 Spiral of the Manzessine (This module ties into COSQ)
100 or 101 Woe to Mistledale
121 Secrets of the Arch Wood (this explains why all the logging stopped in the Arch Wood) |
| Rapida |
Posted - 29 May 2005 : 04:00:06
I would like to but I don't have access to any of the dungeon or dragon magazines. I have been contemplating ordering one, which would you suggest for a DM in Forgotten Realms? |
| Dargoth |
Posted - 29 May 2005 : 03:49:59
You may want to check out Secets of Archwood by Skip Williams its in one of the more recent issues of Dungeon magazine (I believe its 121)
The Underdark beneath the Abbey of the Sword in battledale contains a number of Portals to other planes so this maybe a way for those characters trapped in the planes to return to Faerun
|
|
|
