| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Snotlord
Senior Scribe
Norway
476 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Sep 2005 : 10:55:54
|
Hi all,
I have a drow character in my neutral/evil Waterdeep campaign, and are trying to develop some plots for this character, and was hoping you good folks could help me out with some brainstorming.
First, she is (according to the player) the daughter of a matron mother of lolth in Menzoberranzan. She is a rogue/spymaster, so she is not likely be on very good terms with her mother (not being a cleric and all...).
Second, she is (according to the player) sent to Waterdeep to watch over the slave trade in the region, as her family is involved in slavetrade. She does not have access to Skullport yet, as the group has not found a way down there.
Third, she is the first drow character anyone has played in our group, so I want to bring out all the archtypical stuff this time around, and play with everything the players expect from the drow.
I have picked the Clerics of Mystra and the Church of Tyr as the one of the main villains (or good-guys really) for the campaign, and I am trying to motivate a strike at the headquarters of either church as the epic conclusion of the campaign, so anything that involves either church would be great.
To make things more difficult, I've already used the artifact chase plot for one of the other characters (the group's sun elf is looking for an artifact hidden in the House of Wonders). So I need something else for the drow.
Any ideas? Thanks!
|
|
|
Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2005 : 12:55:22
|
A few ideas
The Drows characters house back in Menzoberrzan wants to get a foot in the door in Skullports slave trade, this brings the character into conflict with Kesra Tanor Thal the major drow player in Skullport.It also brings them into conflict with the Elistrees drow who are oppossed to slavery.
The drow character may have to meet members of the 7 Nobles houses of Waterdeep that control the illicite trade between Waterdeep and Skullport to organise a deal.
It may also bring them into the conflict with the Harpers or the Moonstars who arent keen on slavery in or beneath Waterdeep
|
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
 |
|
|
khorne
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1073 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2005 : 13:02:43
|
| Which are the seven houses in Waterdeep who handle the illegal trade, and how come the harpers, Khelben, the moonstars, the lords of Waterdeep etc haven`t cracked down on said houses yet? |
If I were a ranger, I would pick NDA for my favorite enemy |
|
|
|
Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2005 : 13:44:09
|
quote:
Originally posted by khorne
Which are the seven houses in Waterdeep who handle the illegal trade, and how come the harpers, Khelben, the moonstars, the lords of Waterdeep etc haven`t cracked down on said houses yet?
Thann and 6 others, I cant remember if Elaine lists them all in Dreamspheres |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
|
|
|
DDH_101
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1272 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2005 : 16:40:36
|
quote:
Originally posted by khorne
Which are the seven houses in Waterdeep who handle the illegal trade, and how come the harpers, Khelben, the moonstars, the lords of Waterdeep etc haven`t cracked down on said houses yet?
If I remember correctly, Gundywnd (sp?) is another one.
Second, the two-city consortorium thing has existed since the times of the Guild Wars. Nobody can really stop it because everyone knows Waterdeep thrives partly due to the success of Skullport. If Skullport is gone then a lot of Waterdeep is going to go broke.
Thirdly, none of the 7 families can back out of this deal even if they wish because the other 6 would then declare war on them and this would turn Waterdeep back into the times of the Guildwar, where there were assassinations and attacks. |
"Trust in the shadows, for the bright way makes you an easy target." -Mask |
|
|
|
Crennen FaerieBane
Master of Realmslore
USA
1378 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2005 : 18:16:14
|
Next, you could have a rivalry for power with the Xanathar's troopers in Waterdeep. They may not like that a Drow house has shown such a interest in what clearly is there territory.
C-Fb |
Still rockin' the Fey'ri style. |
|
|
|
Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 17 Sep 2005 : 19:08:16
|
quote:
Originally posted by Snotlord
Third, she is the first drow character anyone has played in our group, so I want to bring out all the archtypical stuff this time around, and play with everything the players expect from the drow.
Well the female should despise males, but how the player handles it is not your problem. Any NPC male Drow certainly should be ready to bow and offer all respect in any encounter that does not revolve about desire to kill a female or a slaver. Even some of these might make a public showing of defference even if planing to kill soon.
Other things would be spiders treated as pets or at least protected. It would strike me that she would not be unescorted by at least a few males guards prehaps though not needed to be Drow. Even if she is not a Cleric she is female thus the producer of more Drow to be protected. It might effect game balance providing a few servents/guards but for Drow flavor there should be something there. Perhaps two goblins, War level 1 to 3 (this depending on level of play as well) of course these guards might have only goals as well that might be adverse to the interest of the female, freedom, wealth side deals oe revenge. They should not be two powerful and perhaps if she gets into combat earily could die quickly. |
"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 |
|
|
|
warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
|
|
Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2005 : 01:17:16
|
quote:
Originally posted by warlockco
An easy way to take care of the guards and also start building up her force for the slave trade is suggest that she take the Leadership feat.
Then her Cohort at the very least can be a bodyguard.
That can be one way to handle it as well, however I do not like requiring a player to burn a feat. The matron certainly could require protection for third/fifth or whatever daughter and be under more direct control. Leadership certainly could be useful though. I do not see what level of play this is and leadership might already have been selected.
I piture the House she would belong to rak 25 to 15 range. Not one of the big however not to small to be able to extend influence into Waterdeep.
Oh one should bear in mind that Waterdeep does not allow Drow in city, for some reason they are not trusted *wink*, so she and escort might need disquises (I forget how Waterdeep feel about goblins if they were to be used as guards). |
"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 |
|
|
|
Snotlord
Senior Scribe
Norway
476 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2005 : 09:04:41
|
Thank you folks on the ideas. Unfortunately the player wrote the background after the character was introduduced, after we established that the drow was alone in the city.
I think I'm gonna explain this by having sent the character to Waterdeep on a suicide mission by her mother, and let her later realize this when her allies ask where her guards are and so on. So her true enemies are not rivaling drow in Skullport, but parts of her own family. |
|
|
|
warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
Posted - 18 Sep 2005 : 09:59:02
|
quote:
Originally posted by Snotlord
Thank you folks on the ideas. Unfortunately the player wrote the background after the character was introduduced, after we established that the drow was alone in the city.
I think I'm gonna explain this by having sent the character to Waterdeep on a suicide mission by her mother, and let her later realize this when her allies ask where her guards are and so on. So her true enemies are not rivaling drow in Skullport, but parts of her own family.
i.e. serves her right for not becoming a priestess?   |
News of the Weird
D20 System Reference Document
D20 Modern System Reference Document
|
|
|
|
Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 23 Sep 2005 : 18:46:16
|
Well met!
How about using ghaunadans as opponents (orallies?) for your drow PCs? They lurk in the sewers, preying on the unsuspecting and careless citizens... I think that one of my characters once heard of rumours of a temple/shrine of Ghaunadaur in Undermountain... |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
|
|
|
Snotlord
Senior Scribe
Norway
476 Posts |
Posted - 23 Sep 2005 : 21:17:18
|
quote:
How about using ghaunadans as opponents (orallies?) for your drow PCs? They lurk in the sewers, preying on the unsuspecting and careless citizens...
Good idea. The player has placed the character firmly in the Lolth camp, so I am looking fareward to throwing a treacherous family at him, and give the character (her, as it is) more religions to choose from.
I'm looking for ways to lure them down into Undermountain, so ideas would be really cool.
This is my dilemma in a nutshell really. I want to feature soooo much in a few hours of gaming every other week, without letting one character dominate the pary. I have a drow rogue, a cynical sun elf wizard, a cleric of Mask, two blackguard wannabes, a dashing pirate and a really cool sorcerer aasimar... So little time, and real-life creeps in on my gaming time 
Luckily Boyd's Waterdeep book gives me boatloads of material to work on. The sun elf sent some time at the Wands academy last session, I was ill prepared as usuall, but the material in Boyd's book gave him lots to think about and some fun role-playing with his new mentor. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Drow plots in Waterdeep?
