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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 16:36:16
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At my local gaming club myself and another DM take it in turns to run games - a couple of months at a time. The other guy is half way through his turn at the moment and I've been working on the next step of mine.
At the end of the last turn, my players were inducted into the Moonstars and this happened right at the same time that Khelben sacrificed himself to build Rhymanthiin.
The first step of this section involves a divination revealing a heretofore unknown clone of Manshoon still in Stasis but about to be revived by minions of the pit fiend Abarax (Lord Orgauth).
My problem is that the dungeon I've prepared won't hold the players back for more than 2 game sessions and I'm wondering whether I should leave this as a one shot and devise another story arc or try and expand this concept into a campaign. I'm not sure however, where I can take a campaign like this. I still haven't explored Abarax' motivations for trying to control a clone of Manshoon so that's a potential starting point.
Any takers?
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When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
Head admin of the FR wiki:
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Demzer
Senior Scribe
877 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 17:02:39
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Uhm, a few questions:
- Does any third party know about the existence of the clone?
- Are the player tasked with the clone's destruction or they're "just" tasked with preventing his awakening?
- Are the minions of Abarax going to turn the dungeon into a new power base or are they going to take the newly awakened Manshoon somewhere else?
- Do the players have enemies/nemesis still alive after your other adventures?
The answer to each of those questions leads to some more developments:
- If anyone else knows about the clone (depending on where this happens it may be Shades, Red Wizards, Cult of the Dragon, regular Harpers, other local powergroups, government agents, local garrisons aroused by the minions open actions, ecc ...) then there can be some sort of threefold rush to the stasis chamber or the victorious party may be confronted/ambushed upon exiting the dungeon;
- If the players are tasked to prevent the clone's awakening then a further request (conveyed via sending or similar methods) may be to take the clone *out* of the dungeon and move it to a Moonstars hideout to prevent any further tries at awakening it or to study it. This leading to a whole new segment with the party trying to get a way with the clone without awakening it and pursued by all kind of things (other minions of Abarax or third parties listed above);
- If the minions of Abarax are going to turn the dungeon into one of their bases then there'll be more of them, they'll be doing abvious preparations like setting up ambushing points, resetting traps and restructuring the whole place. And after the party as cleared the dungeon there will be more coming the party's way with caged monsters and the like, expecting to get into one of their strongholds and instead discovering the meddlers trying to get away and the players may receive the additional task of ensuring the dungeon stays clear and sealed to prevent the baddies from getting a stronghold in the region;
- If there's some recurring villain in your campaign then one of his plots for revenge is an obvious and perfectly fit way to make your players busy;
This are just initial thoughts, any other information about your campaign/players may help shape things up (provided they don't lurk around these halls looking for clues).
Hope this helps. |
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Lord Bane
Senior Scribe
Germany
479 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 17:07:31
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How about for startes toughen up the dungeon? That should have them take more than 2 game sessions. After all we speak of a lair of a Manshoon clone and they are not simply hidden in the next farmers barn  . Of course it does depend how often the group meets and how long the sessions usually take.
Then have the minions of the fiend succeed in reviving and teleporting the clone out. Depending on where this clone is to be positions geographicly, make them head to the next greater settlement with Moonstar contacts or sages willing to cooperate and with clues found in the dungeon where they may have taken the clone. Add in some minor tasks and encounters in the city like a gang war or political schemes to occupy the group for a bit which may or may not be tied to the fiend and then have them set out to find the clone and confront the fiend with what ever motivation he may have in the long run.
That should cover you for some sessions and maybe the player actions give you connections to branch out the story and depending on how deep you want to go in politics, you could have them unravel a scheming that concerns stability in the region. Of course this is just a quick shot for potential campaign plots, you are free to use it or not, as long as you donīt make it too easy for the nosy harper clones  |
The driving force in the multiverse is evil, for it forces good to act. |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 17:16:15
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quote:
Originally posted by hashimashadoo
My problem is that the dungeon I've prepared won't hold the players back for more than 2 game sessions and I'm wondering whether I should leave this as a one shot and devise another story arc or try and expand this concept into a campaign. I'm not sure however, where I can take a campaign like this. I still haven't explored Abarax' motivations for trying to control a clone of Manshoon so that's a potential starting point.
Any takers?
Obviously a bit more info about the campaign in general would be good (how many players/what level/how often do you play/how focussed are they are getting through the adventure etc).
The key to a campaign (that is not a sandbox game) is an overall plot that the players dip into and dip out of as they play through the campaign until they have that 'eureka' moment when they realise that Goodsir Glimmergold of Wheloon is not only their patron, but he is also the Hullack Hawk, as well as the local contact for the Dragoncult and is also sponsoring the red crag pirates to disrupt grain shipments from Turmish to Sembia etc etc etc all found out by the players putting all those little pieces of info together that have been woven into the grand tapestry of the game.
Of course the players have to be enjoying the game in the first place, so ask them what they like and dislike and ask them what they would like to do and who they want to take on. Also leave the plots open ended, so to use your example, Orgauth awakens the clone however the pesky adventurers turn up and stop him turing it into a thrall of his, the clone escapes the PC's have a scrap with orgauth and his other minions, one side flees and then you have 2 or 3 plots to play with:
1) find and recover/find and kill/find and befriend/find and turn to the light side the Manshoon clone before someone else does (Orgauth, the current incumbent Manshoon, Semmonon, The Twisted Rune etc etc etc)
2) Deal with the backlash of Orgauth and his minions coming after the PC's for intefering in the first place.
3) Orgauth takes a kicking from the PC's and gates in a Devil or three, should make the PC's go ay??? so it gives them something else to research and find out about. Did he actually cast a spell to gate them in or was that a natural summon devil ability and if it natural how did he do that.......
As to why Orgauth wants to control a Manshoon clone is not important at the minute, the players don't need to now that, that can evolve organically via play, what is important is whether the idea make a great game that the players buy into and enjoy.
Cheers
Damian
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So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
Edited by - crazedventurers on 03 Nov 2013 17:17:51 |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4687 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 17:21:15
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Well it might only last one session if PCs are really lucky, or might expand to four or more if unlucky. Never count on things going how you expect.
You certainly can expend the idea, however it almost certainly would become some kind of arc. Place hooks or traps in your existing in order to hopefully have a few months play. Kidnapping, rumor of artifact, dimensional portal trap are a few ideas that you might try. Of course sometimes a comment on background might result in the players going off the map because the players think the idea is interesting. A reference to a nearby castle or town only meant as background clearly might for some reason appear to the players. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2013 : 18:38:47
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Haven't read anyone else's suggestions (yet), but the first thing that leapt to my mind was that there is something special about this particular clone.
Perhaps its a very early one, before some event 'drove him mad' and turned him to evil? (or, at least, hand-wringing stereotypical evil). Maybe its just an imperfect one from an early attempt to design his own version of the spell? (thus, you can still go with the whole 'nice Manshoon' route).
And, of course, the entire story-arc should somehow end with a catastrophic event that turns him evil anyway ('Fate', and all that - it was inevitable). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1150 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2013 : 17:00:18
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Thanks for all of your suggestions so far. I'm running a chaotic (some good, most neutral) party of well-equipped (especially against undead) 14th level characters who like a good fight but have a high 'turnover rate' of PCs (they still talk constantly about a Wail of the Banshee trap that they tripped at the beginning of summer which killed all but two of them because of some unlucky dice rolls). The last campaign was investigative in nature but they quickly got fed up with that and though they're local heroes in Waterdeep, they want to spend time out of the city now.
They have a nemesis but she's holed up in a well-defended lair in Undermountain and her reach doesn't extend beyond that dungeon after the last blow that they dealt her. The group has expressed interest in assaulting that lair but I'm putting a time limit on how long they've got to stop this clone to increase tension.
I've made the dungeon as tough as I think they can handle - some of the players are less forgiving than others about the frequent deaths in the party. Abarax himself won't be making a personal appearance. I'd like him as a kind of looming threat on the horizon. A Dimensional Portal Trap sounds fun but it could frustrate the group in that they have yet again been denied their vengeance against their nemesis.
My campaigns always try to tell a story so strong narrative is a must as long as it doesn't get in the way of the PCs killing and looting. For example it was Laeral and Kyriani who inducted them into the Moonstars. The only reason they found out about the clone is because an upset Laeral wanted to hear Khelben's voice one last time after he'd died but was instead answered by Mystra - who is concerned about what the devils have planned for a powerful practitioner of The Art whom she has her eye on. Most things in my campaigns are also optional so the PCs will only find this out if they first notice and then inquire about Laeral looking like she's recently been crying or why neither she nor Kyriani can provide more help (Laeral is preparing Kyriani to take Khelben's place as Blackstaff to keep up appearances.
I had the idea that the PCs could put an end to the Manshoon Wars, which I'm going to have as a massive cross-planar conflict where there are more clones than anyone expected there to be. Perhaps they unravel Abarax' plot as they go...but the idea is only part-formed. I don't know how they'd react to planar mechanics - this is only their first campaign so I might want to do something less ambitious.
Thanks again and keep the suggestions coming! |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
Head admin of the FR wiki:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/ |
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Eilserus
Master of Realmslore
USA
1446 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2013 : 19:42:26
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I find it ten times easier to rewrite or modify already published adventures. Read aloud text always takes me forever because I don't want to just say you enter a 10x10 room with a kobold in it. With that being said, when I have an adventure that balloons out into something that is gonna be big, I tend to split it up into chunks if possible.
I could see a pit fiend wanting to get his hands on a Manshoon clone, especially if that gave him control of the Zhentarim or even parts of it. If you need more time to work and design that for future adventures, try looting old Dungeon magazines for adventures you can rewrite or use in the meantime. Then after a few more adventures the players can proceed with the 2nd part you have designed regarding the Manshoon clone etc. |
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DoveArrow
Seeker
97 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2013 : 02:03:28
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I don't think the pit fiend is trying to control Manshoon. I think the pit fiend is working for someone else. If you're introducing pit fiends into your campaign, that suggests that you're dealing with some pretty high powered individuals in your campaign. Perhaps the pit fiend was summoned by someone to find the clone, revive it and take it somewhere else. Perhaps the person who summoned the pit fiend is the one who revived the clone and is now using the pit fiend to buy time while s/he teleports away with Manshoon.
The question then is, who revived the clone? For what purpose? Perhaps they need the clone to open something that only Manshoon can open, like a treasure cache or a portal to a demiplane. Perhaps the person is hoping to transfer his or her own consciousness into the clone in order to take control of the Zhentarim.
Whatever the case, why does the person need these things? Is it just power they want or do they need the power for something else? Marinate on some of these questions and hopefully you can find your campaign.  |
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How to expand a campaign
