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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Nov 2004 : 03:50:47
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Hi, I'm planning to run a new campaign in the FR...
At the end of 2E and for first years of 3E I ran a single player game where the main character was a assassin. Now, I feel ready to handle a group of 4 evil character in this new campaign. I got the idea to start them at level 3, giving them a little background, and make them all related to an evil organization. Some could be active member, others traitors, etc... I would then start the campaign by recruiting them into a new secret organization...
Also, I have the book of vile darkness and I'm looking some of the material in this book.
My first idea for the start location is the sword coast, probably Baldur's Gate.
I'm looking for ideas, suggestions and comments...
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2004 : 09:53:18
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I typed out a lengthy reply to this... and accidentally hit escape...
I might come back and retype it later once I am done wishing all manner of ills upon this message boards system. |
Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 03 Nov 2004 : 10:38:43
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Fortunately a game with an evil party functions much the same as one wit ha good party, and you are able to use most published adventures (as well as your own previously crafted adventures/adventure idea stockpiles) with little if any alteration.
The main differences you will see are the moment when the pcs hit on your lure, which I use instead of plothooks. Case in point, a monster plagues the countryside, people are dying, and they cry out for a hero to aid them nothing. As soon as you mention the hefty reward for the deed… SLAM, you got ‘em.
Adventurers are basically mercenaries at their core, and even when motivated by altruism, will still expect to be paid. Evil adventurers are just of a tendency to emphasize the getting paid part.
Also, generally of a vain nature, they like being doted upon as heroes, and a village that builds a statue of them in their honor stokes the egos of most evil characters… especially if they are handsomely paid as well.
There is the issue of how and why a party of evil people works together… and having them all belong to the same organization works… but is often strained, and can be of little fun.
Basically, mutual protection, the characters using one another, and so on could keep a party together, Example, the Fighter considers the mage his personal mobile artillery piece, just point, and it launches fireballs. The mage thinks of the fighter as his personal servant, meat shield, and bodyguard, and this is reinforced since the fighter wants to keep his pet evoker safe, and the wizard does want to chuck his spell arsenal.
Also, do try to remember that just because the character has the Big E on his sheet he is not devoid of all positive traits. Evil can love, evil can have friends, and evil can cooperate. The Characters’ relationship might evolve into (or perhaps has) into an almost healthy working relationship. However, they are evil, so the likeliness of this is small.
As evil players, they will also likely come into more treasure than the rules expect, what with looting graves indiscriminately, having no qualms taking the grateful elderly couple’s life savings they offer as thanks, etc. Worry not; you just need to give them opportunities and reasons to spend this cash on things that do not make them generally more powerful in combat.
I tempt my players with all manner of things to get them to spend gold on: Finery, rich food, liquor, wine, drugs, and women. (I run a primarily male game, but the opposite could easily hold true, with love slaves and courtesans designed to appeal to women, like the guy rumored to have centaur blood, he is so well endowed)
The trick is knowing what makes your players tick. In my game, the Red Wizard loves flashy opulence, respect, fear of him, and the finer things in life. I can regularly bleed gold from him by tempting him with rich tobaccos imported from afar, other more enjoyable herbs, fine clothing, and particularly desirable but rather useless spells (that have what I call the “muahahaha factor”). The warrior types are easily swayed by attractive women (and will often retain a good amount of treasure aside as gifts to them) as well as rare and expensive alcohols, and general comfort (all I have to do is detail the differences between the 3 silver and 5 gold rooms in the inn, and I know which way they go).
The same knowledge about what makes the characters tick applies to the players, if they are your friends, you should know their dark desires, and be able to manipulate them into going down the path you want with only minor trouble. This allows you to easily get the players into adventures you want, take desirable (to you, of course) paths in said adventures, and the game in general, and so forth.
Generally speaking, evil characters will have less compunction about offing your NPCs. Prepare for this. Either make your key NPCs a bit more powerful than you normally would, or somehow endear them to the players, they might just slit the throat of the paladin sent by the duke to watch them on their mission for him, but are far less likely to do so if you instead use a burly thug of a Fighter/Barbarian. Especially if he shows them his favorite den of inequity before they leave town.
Late game, you start encountering some problems more serious than having to list the reward for slaying the monster before telling them how it is mistreating the villagers.
When the players reach high level, in the 15 range or above, they are virtual juggernats of destruction, superhuman, and quite thoroughly evil. The 8th level fighter king and his 50 3rd level warrior guard is no longer sufficient to keep the players from slaughtering him and emptying his treasury.
Once this area is reached, you have the not so enjoyable choice of just generally boosting the combat power of most NPCs enough to make them a threat to the players, or instituting seemingly omniscient organizations to keep them mostly in line.
Fortunately here, the organizations the Pcs are in might help you out. In my game, the Red Wizard knows fireballing the town and writing “Thay rules” in blood on the temple of Helm would sign his death warrant, not from the helmites necessarily, he figures they are a bunch of goody two shoes wussies, but from the upper echelons of Thay… Whom he actively and realistically fears.
Combine in the harpers, and a few other good organizations, and you should be able to keep the PCs in line until you get them off of faerun. Yes, off of faerun. The realms are in general not too great a place to be, and if you run a persistent campaign world like I do (every Fr game I have ran happened in my realms, and is accounted for), just “resetting” the game is not too great of an option.
If you are comfortable letting the players have a freer hand, and do not mind letting them do horrible, horrible, evil things to the realms… then you get to finally see the bad guys win, possibly. Depending on your dark tastes, this could be a lot of fun. Personally I would think it highly amusing and enjoyable to watch a party of adventurers rise to positions of power, and eventually assemble a force capable of conquering the Realms in such a manner as villains we have been using for decades have always been trying.
If such does not appeal to you for whatever reason, then it’s off to the planes! A campaign to conquer and hold a layer of the abyss or Hell could be the basis for an entire Campaign, as well as the conquest of an alternate prime material plane, or a region of the realms you do not care for. Never liked Zakhara? Let the PCs do horrible things there! And since you do not use it anyway, your next game can be set in the same reality as this one with less of an impact on the setting)
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Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 03:03:50
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Thanks Capn Charlie,
Now I have more details about the campaign, the PCs :
A 3rd level human rogue, rank&file member of the shadow thieves.
A 1st level drow wizard fleeing from the house Jaerl outpost in Cormanthor.
A 1st level rogue Fey'ri
A 3rd level monk from the Monks of the long deah order.
My first adventure is based on a occult Sharess cult.. cleric of sharess turned evil by a demonstone (from BoVD)
I'm thinking about where to place this first adventure. |
Edited by - Skeptic on 13 Mar 2005 00:22:33 |
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DDH_101
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1272 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 03:34:18
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Hmmm... a cult of Sharess? Interesting, but Sharess's followers are all of good alignment so I expect there would be some kind of conflict.
Since you want to involve a cult of Sharess in your first adventure, my first choice would be in Mulhorand. After all, Sharess was a Mulhorandi deity known as Best before being struck by wanderlust. Another choice would basically be in large cities such as Westgate or Selgaunt, where there are large festhalls, run by clerics of Sharess, but do not have very uptight or strict laws. You could also start in Athkatla, as one of your PCs is a member of the Shadow Thieves so you could tie all that into one city. |
"Trust in the shadows, for the bright way makes you an easy target." -Mask |
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 15:27:23
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Since Sharess has a dark past, the clergy tolerate some evil member. (Power & Pantheon) I know that this was not included in the Faith & Pantheons but...
To make thing worse, I'm thinking about using a Demonstone (minor artifact from BOVD), the evil Sharess priestress would be in possession of it. (the stone turns it's owner Chaotic evil and make it really cruel).
Waterdeep is the easiest way to include 3 party member, the only problem is the drow, but of course, the drow is a problem is nearly all cities.
How much a drow would be tolerated on a Waterdeep street ?
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Edited by - Skeptic on 08 Nov 2004 15:28:18 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 15:54:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Skeptic
How much a drow would be tolerated on a Waterdeep street ?
A drow in Waterdeep would be as tolerated as a vegetarian would be at one of Malar's Great Hunts. In other words, not at all. Waterdeep is a lawful city, and they do have some odd races living there, but you're speaking of a race that is known for being quite evil and cruel, a race that is feared by all who live under the light. At the least, expect the drow to be arrested on sight. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 16:00:15
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Ok, that's what I tought... Any suggestion for a big city that would tolerate (meaning not arrested on sight) a drow ?
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 16:33:47
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| If you want to stay in the Waterdeep area, go under it. To Skullport. Lots of just about everything there. |
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 17:01:06
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Yeah, I plan to use the Skullport location in the future. (In mid-levels probably).
In your opinions, how much the Disguise skill could be used to make a Drow appear to be a moon elf (or sun elf) ?
The Fey'ri will probably use his Alter Self to take the form of an Avariel ;)
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Edited by - Skeptic on 08 Nov 2004 17:46:42 |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 17:26:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Skeptic
Yeah, I plan to use the Skullport location in the future. (In mid-levels probably).
In your opinions, how much the Disguise skill could be used to make a Drow appear to be a moon elf (or sun elf) ?
The Fey'ri will probably use his Alter Self sp. to take the form of an Avariel ;)
I would just use the rules as written with a disguise kit. Watch out for those detect evil/alignment and true seeing spells. :)
Can the fey'ri use alter self on the drow? With Alter Self, you are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form's race. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check.
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 17:45:43
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Nope, the fey'ri can use Alter Self at will with an infinite duration, but only on itself.
I think that the Disguise skill is the way to go at this time. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 18:07:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Skeptic
Yeah, I plan to use the Skullport location in the future. (In mid-levels probably).
In your opinions, how much the Disguise skill could be used to make a Drow appear to be a moon elf (or sun elf) ?
The Fey'ri will probably use his Alter Self to take the form of an Avariel ;)
Why an avariel? That would still really stand out. A fey'ri could simply alter his wings away and then change to look like a regular elf...
As for the drow, the trick is hiding both his hair and his skin tone. I'd say you were better off relying on magic than the disguise skill. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 19:04:39
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The Avariel thing was more a joke than anything else :P
I know that a good disguise will need hair dye and make up on all exposed skin for the Drow, but at their level, it's more efficient than a 10 minutes Disguise Self.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2004 : 20:40:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Skeptic
The Avariel thing was more a joke than anything else :P
I know that a good disguise will need hair dye and make up on all exposed skin for the Drow, but at their level, it's more efficient than a 10 minutes Disguise Self.
How about a bit of minor magic, like a hat of disguise?
Also, how about just stayed cloaked and hooded, and gloved as well, but hiding his face behind an obvious mask -- kinda like the Masked Minstrel, in Waterdeep... |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2004 : 01:21:50
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The Drow finally choose to go with the Hat of disguise...
First session is over.. they "randomly" all met in the Stump bug, troubles with a group of undead forced them to help each others.
The rogue was there to bury a corpse, he hands up fighthing skeletons with a shovel ;)
After this fight, they end up in the small town of Rassalantar and they encountered a woman (a devil at the service of Marune) who was looking for peoples for a job in waterdeep.
Thanks for all your answers. |
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Skeptic
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1273 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2005 : 17:30:27
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Their first quest was finnaly to get a Demonstone (minor artifact of the BoVD that turns someone alignement to CE) from a Sharess cleric working as an "escort" at the Purple Palace in Waterdeep.
My idea about the campaign is to have Marune (high level wizard planning to make shadow thieves return to Waterdeep) to set a webbed secret organisation to prepare the return of the Shadow Thiefs in the city of Splendor.
Giving to some independant groups very different task to do, he will twart any kind of divination tricks.
Their next task is to make an barbarian princess and her warrios come back as undead. (The barbarian princess killed by Waterdeep mens and burried at Maiden's tomb tor). These incorporeal undead will roam on the long road, doing a great fear effect on the area.
Afther that, I plan to make them organize the death of three different ally of Waterdeep over a year of time. (A member of the Grey Force, a member of the Red sasches and a member of the moonstar, for exemple).
I don't want for the PCs to simply kill them, I want the PCs to set up a trap for them, so that no one can easly figure out that they are behind their death.
I would appreciate any ideas, suggestion, comments, etc.
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A new campaign
