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nblanton
Seeker
USA
95 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Aug 2014 : 16:08:30
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So, the subject sets the basis. I'm trying to start a Scardale campaign. I'm running 3.5 rules and mostly converting stuff from 2e that I have to make it work.
My party started off as locals from Essembra, and I have them currently running a slightly modified 'Rudwilla's Stew' (Dungeon #45) that I have setup in Hap. I've always loved this adventure, and I have a group of people that have never played with me before, so I was able to put them through some of my old faves. The basic mods I've done are story related. The bugbears in the adventure are some leftovers from the Zhentilar troops that were dispatched to occupy Scardale. Also, the adventurers are Battledale militia that was dispatched from Essembra to Hap for the mission.
Ok, so my goal is to have the party get a hook for some reason to get to Scardale. I haven't decided to have the Shaking Plague a thing yet or not. Either way, I want to get the party into Scardale. Once they get there, I want them to get involved with a yet un-named character that was Lashan's lieutenant during the war. He has been hiding in disguise since the occupation. I'm basing this character on Ser Davos Seaworth from GoT, which has me thinking about developing Lashan as sort of a Stannis type guy. To my knowledge, he was never officially fleshed out beyond the basic facts of Lashan's War. I've checked the OGB, The Dalelands, and 3e and 2e FRCS.
So, the plotline I want to run is as follows. I want the PCs to have to break this guy out of Zhent controlled Sea Stallion and get involved in a plot to find Lashan. Basically, I've come up with a backstory that adds some extra dimension to Lashan's history. I think that the official story for Lashan was that he was an adventurer in his youth, got a merc army together, and went to expand dad's realm and unite the Dales. I've let that remain as the 'official story'. But Lashan actually joined up with a spelljammer crew in his youth. The mercs he hired were fellows that he met while he had a (very successful) career as a spacefaring adventurer. The Davos character, was one of his earliest contacts that he met on Bral just after he left Toril. Well, perhaps these guys are still looking for the payment they were promised, or maybe they remember their former adventuring partner, or the Davos character has been pulling strings and 'getting the band back together'. Only thing missing is Lashan himself.
So, I've got lots of hooks. Too many I'm afraid to flesh them all out. Its been a long time since I've ran a game, so that's adding to my frustration. I've been trying to add a few more elements, including Scyulla Darkhope and possibly one of Manshoon's clones (I need someone to be able to give the adventurers a Freedom spell to release Lashan). I thought that Manshoon might just be willing to do this for his own ends to just put a little unexpected pressure on the Zhents with a reformed Scardale under Lashan and perhaps giving him a new empire to develop. Plus, I like to have characters do things that they end up regretting down the road.
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It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. Never hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, if it goes against the obvious intent of the game.
Afterword, DMG pg 230. |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1882 Posts |
Posted - 11 Aug 2014 : 16:39:18
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| Sounds good so far. Not a huge fan of Spelljammer myself (though it has some of the best writing from those days) but it's an interesting twist to Lashan's story. Just so you know, awhile back it was discovered (and confirmed by Ed) that Lashan is a descendant of Elminster's. Not sure if that adds anything for you (and likely shouldn't as Lashan isn't aware of this legacy) but there it is. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6384 Posts |
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nblanton
Seeker
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 11 Aug 2014 : 17:14:29
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quote:
Originally posted by The Arcanamach
Sounds good so far. Not a huge fan of Spelljammer myself (though it has some of the best writing from those days) but it's an interesting twist to Lashan's story. Just so you know, awhile back it was discovered (and confirmed by Ed) that Lashan is a descendant of Elminster's. Not sure if that adds anything for you (and likely shouldn't as Lashan isn't aware of this legacy) but there it is.
Do you have a link to that? I've searched the forums and the net and found very little.
*Edit--Found it. Although it really is basically what you said. Distant relation, no further details. |
It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. Never hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, if it goes against the obvious intent of the game.
Afterword, DMG pg 230. |
Edited by - nblanton on 11 Aug 2014 17:41:34 |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6384 Posts |
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nblanton
Seeker
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2014 : 01:28:35
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Here is where I was sorta thinking about going. A Manshoon clone is trying to get set up his guy in Scardale. Behind the scenes, at least. Around the same time, Scyulla is dispatched from Zhentil Keep to basically claim the throne. I'm going to have the PCs work with Manshoon initially, to do the grunt work for him and release Lashan. I'm feeling the end game will be some sort of reversal of allegiances for the PCs once it becomes clear who and what they are doing. At this point, I would like to perhaps have them come up with some method of turning Scyulla from evil, since it seems like there was some sort of magical influence applied to get her to turn under Lord Orgauth. I could see Elminster being willing to help either of them get 'redeemed' especially if they are both distant relations.
I think I'm going to have some of the middle level campaign in spelljammer, there is a certain drow captain that I think might be imprisoned along with Lashan's lieutenant. If you have Dungeon #45, you know the guy. |
It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. Never hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, if it goes against the obvious intent of the game.
Afterword, DMG pg 230. |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1882 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2014 : 13:11:55
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| I like the idea of a plot twist. To really throw the PCs, have one of them unknowingly be a descendant of El's as well. Refresh my memory, was Lashan evil? Or was he just ambitious? I don't recall atrocities being credited to him, just the desire to carve out a kingdom of his own. |
I have a dream that one day, all game worlds will exist as one. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2014 : 14:44:03
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quote:
Originally posted by The Arcanamach
I like the idea of a plot twist. To really throw the PCs, have one of them unknowingly be a descendant of El's as well. Refresh my memory, was Lashan evil? Or was he just ambitious? I don't recall atrocities being credited to him, just the desire to carve out a kingdom of his own.
I think Ed said it best [back in 2004]:-
quote:
Despite his claims at the time of his attempted conquest, Lashan isn’t seen by many in the Dales to have been the “rightful” ruler of anywhere except by brute force ...
In that context, I suppose it would depend on just *who* you are asking about whether Lashan was evil, or just plain ambitious. |
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nblanton
Seeker
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2014 : 23:36:35
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| Sort of off topic, but about Lashan's motivations. Well, lets look at the world he lived in. The dales are a basically a group of relatively unaffiliated areas that are not very powerful in themselves. On that point, the entire Heartlands with the exception of Sembia and Cormyr are basically city-states at best that control some distance outside the city walls. The nation-states seem to exist outside of the Heartlands. Either way, the dales are amazingly vulnerable due to their independence. The dales near the borders seem to face near continuous threat or just outright seizure or attack. Moondale, Daggerdale, Teshendale, Sessrendale (although Sessrendale was destroyed by another dale) all are either gone or under near constant attack from outside. Shadowdale likewise has been the target of numerous attacks from outside of the dales. While the Elven Court was still in place, I would think that the fiercely independent dales would make sense. It was probably better, from the elves point-of-view to have several small independent townships around their homes in Cormanthyr than say Cormyr or Sembia, or one of the Moonsea city-states. But, now the elven court is gone so there really can't be anything much to keep the powers on the borders from poaching the dales off one-by-one. I know that the elves began to leave during Lashan's war, I can't completely disagree with the reasoning. If Scardale was to remain independent, which would be in Lashan's personal interest a united dales would be better than the current situation. Lashan sent an envoy to Shadowdale asking for a treaty, which makes me feel that his interest was more in uniting, than pure conquest. |
It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. Never hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, if it goes against the obvious intent of the game.
Afterword, DMG pg 230. |
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Razz
Senior Scribe
USA
749 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2014 : 23:47:24
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| Really? I am curious as to how that conversation ever happened. Did someone ask for a list of Elminster's known descendants and Lashan of Scardale popped up? |
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The Arcanamach
Master of Realmslore
1882 Posts |
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Trying to start a Scardale campaign.
