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The_Mirt
Acolyte
USA
45 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Mar 2003 : 20:53:37
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This is the Next D&D game that I am DMing: I'm going to copy/paste it, its not completly done, If anyone can think of anything cool to add to it, please post your input.
FYI this is not a hack and slash game its a detective game. The reason I dont run hack and slash anymore is because 1) We are Epic level (21st) and we have killed so many mosters its no fun anymore. 2) You gain levels too quick if you go bye book rules while fighting monsters. These characters were Created and played to level 17 on 2nd ed. rules.
The Game:
Harpers Unsolved Mysteries File # 1
**DM ONLY**
You have received a summons from Elminster.
“I have brought you all here today, not for orders, but for discussion. Have a seat... Please. What I would like to discuss is your future in the Harpers. You are no good for field operations, everyone and there brother knows who you are, and stuff tends to end up burning and dead when you get involved. A side note: Congrats again on convincing a city of Evil Storm Giants to resurrect and rebuild 4 towns. But that only added to your immense fame.
Also there is no need for a Brute Squad, nearly every evil Dragon is dead, and evil in general is at a record low. You all don’t need to actually do anything anymore. Just mentioning your name stops armies in there tracks. An invasion of Rashamen was stopped because someone mentioned what you all many do to the capital of They while they were all fighting in Rashamen.
So that leaves only two options. Option #1 is that you become High Harpers and train members, and other mundane stuff of that sort. Option #2 is that you become Harper Overt Detectives, so that your fame will help you.
It’s your Decision…”
(If they choose to be High Harpers)
“Excellent! Storm will tell you what to do, go talk to her. If you decide to do something a little more exciting, just come back and talk to me.”
(If they choose to be Overt Detectives)
“Excellent! I will not give adventurers of your caliber mundane detective missions, only the stuff that really stumps us. I can’t think of any thing right now that our other covert Harper detectives can’t figure out, so I am going to show you what very few souls have ever seen before. Please follow me.”
He walks over to a door in his very untidy parlor, picks up a couple of stacks of dust covered books that are blocking the door, and moves them aside. As the dust is disturbed, you notice the name of a few of the books. Names like ‘The Grand History of Zhentil Keep’, ‘The Fall of Cormanthyr’, and ‘The Life of Vecna’.
Elminster tries to turn the handle of the door, but it is locked. Elminster says a few words more to his self than to you. “Ohh yes, the Password… ‘Asha Disa Passie… Tun Baffosa!’ Which you recognize as the Elvish words for ‘Open the Door… You Baboon!’
The door quickly opens, and you see a dust covered stair case leading down to the basement, you see tracks in the dust that are probably a few weeks old. The stairs are cut from granite, they are not spectacular, but they are well made like the rest of the tower. As you descend the stair case, you note to your self that all of Elminster’s tower must be cluttered with ancient books and ancient pieces of paper.
Elminster leads you up to a door in the basement, he tries to turn the handle, but it is also locked. Elminster grumbles a little and gives the door a kick. It opens by its self.
He leads you into a small 10ft by 10ft room that is perfectly organized. You see hundreds of files perfectly organized along the walls. At the beginning of the first row the files seem centuries old, but at the end of the last row, the files look like they were put there yesterday.
Elminster says, “This is the Harpers Unsolved Mysteries Room, this is the information that we are not proud of, because we pride our self on figuring everything out. Here are our case files on every case that is not closed, and may never be closed. Most of these cases are not normal murder cases. Most of these cases are History changing events that we cannot figure out.
I do not expect you to figure out any of them, because it may now be completely impossible, since most of them happened centuries ago. But if you could figure out one or two of them, it would be great, you never know, you may even change history books!”
Elminster grabs the First file on the first shelf, the oldest file in the room. Labeled ‘Unsolved Mysteries #1: The Waterdeep Hundred Year Haunting. He opens the file and briefly goes through the contents. He says, “Hmm isn’t that funny, the hundred year haunting is going to happen again in one month, this may be your chance to solve this ancient mystery.” He hands you the ancient file, and says “See what you think, if you need any advice that I may have, give me a ring on your Harper pins. I have to go; Mirt invited me for an early morning breakfast meeting. Good luck with that, if the doors give you any trouble on the way out, hit them with a Magic Missile or two.”
***DM INFO***
The symbol mentioned in the second report is the symbol for a minor deity, called Strom who was invading on Torm’s turf and was killed in a duel with Torm in -75DR. His Church was mainly absorbed into Torm’s own, but the Man who was an Apparition (Gustov 11th Pally) did not join and decided to move into the wilderness with his family. *This info can only be found in 2 books in the realms, they are both entitled Strom, one is in Candlekeep, and the other is somewhere in the Ruins of Myth Drannor.* A picture of the symbol its self can be found in a book entitled ‘Ancient Symbols Pre DR’ This book is only around 300 years old, and can be found in most major libraries, including Candlekeep, Silverymoon’s Library, Elminster’s Tower, They’s National Libaray, The Simbul’s Personal Library, Hostower of the Arcane in Luscan, Zhentil keep, Halruaa, Halister also has a copy. This book only describes the symbol as being Strom’s Symbol, and the PC’s have to find ‘Strom’ if they can figure it out.
The reason for the Haunting is because Gustov’s remains were built on top of by the Mausoleum of the person claiming to be the founder of Waterdeep, when in truth Gustov and his family was the founder of Waterdeep. To stop the haunting, the PC’s must either move the Mausoleum, or move the remains. To get the Entire story, you will have to resurrect Gustov, but he may not be so pleased to be pulled away from his family in the after life.
5th Eleasis 772 DR
This is the first case that is going to the newly formed Unsolved Mysteries File. This was Originally Harpers Case # 12 that was taken on 26th Tarsakh 720 DR, after we newly re-formed the Harpers taking an example off of Dathlue Mistwinter’s Harper Clan created The Year of Freedom’s Friends 324DR. The Harpers lead by Dathlue were destroyed during the Weeping War in the Year of the Lost Lance 712DR. We honored these brave souls by re-creating the Harpers in the Year of the Dawn Rose 720DR.
We happen to know for a fact that our predecessors took this same case and could not solve it themselves, but the information of this case was lost when the Berdusk Hall was burnt in 712DR.
Here is what we currently know:
The Waterdeep Hundred Year haunting as the name implies happens only every 100 years. From our information, on the 72nd year of every century, on Midsummer Day (day between Flamerue and Eleasias) a haunting occurs at Noon. From the descriptions of the haunting a Log Cabin appears (Apparition) some guy gets hit with an arrow from an Orc and dies defending his family. An elfish band appears and at the request of the widow carries the body off.
The Apparitions have never hurt anyone, and appear to be nothing more than just that, Apparitions.
Followed in this Folder are all reports and all info gathered on this subject. I hope Harpers some day can figure this riddle out, and set to rest the soul of this person/persons.
~ Elminster
Eleasias 1st 772DR
This is my report on the Hundred year Haunting of Waterdeep that I was told to view by my superior yesterday.
The location was very close to where he said it would be on the lower end of Dock Ward very close to the sea. The Apparition happened inside of a warehouse. I was in the general area at noon, and I saw the habitants fleeing the building. I got in and witnessed most of the event, but I missed the very beginning. I would say that it happened inside the warehouse because this was the location of the cabin in the event, and where most of the events took place.
As I came into the warehouse, I saw the spectral image of a log cabin of a style that no one has used for centuries. Outside the cabin, a Man was fighting Orcs, you could see his wife and children hiding inside the cabin. He killed 12 of the orcs, and the other four fled into the woods. He suffered many injuries in the battle and was limping back to the house when one of the Orcs reemerged from the wood line and shot an arrow at the warrior. The arrow hit the man in the base of his skull. The only sound that happened during this spectral event happened when the man died; you could hear his wife scream ‘Gustov!’ The orc started to go toward the cabin when an arrow struck the orc down. A group of elves emerged from the woods and went to the fallen man, but they realized it was too late for him and went to the woman. They exchanged some words; the woman then went and very emotionally wrapped her husband in a blanket. During this time, I could not in anyway control my emotions and started crying.
As he was being wrapped the elves brought some horses from the woods. They put the kids, woman and the body on the horses. The horses started going North East; they could walk through walls so it was very hard to follow them. I did my best to keep up with the moving image, but at the outer walls of the City of the Dead, I lost them.
Overall it was a very sad affair. As to why this still goes on after centuries, I can only guess. I think the reason for it is to remember this brave man, and why he died.
Andrew Tharson
Eleasias 1st 872DR
My report on the Hundred Years Haunting.
The reason I was assigned to do this report, is because my Great Grandfather did the same thing a century previous. I have talked to him many times about the event before he died; he told me the exact location of the event in question.
I was there at the very beginning of the event like he was not a century ago; the only thing that happened at the beginning that my Great Grandfather did not report about was that the man, Gustov, was playing with his children when the orcs attacked.
This man seemed to be a very good man, and was well versed with a sword. I would guess before this man moved into the wilderness that he lived in, that he was a military man, his battle techniques are too solid to be a random farmer. Also his sword was of an ancient style, probably pre-DR. It could have been an heirloom, like most swords are to farmers, but the sword looked to be in really great shape so I would say he got the sword new, meaning that all this happened in a pre-DR era.
I also tried to follow the procession, but I could not follow them, because they move pretty good, straight through buildings.
I also noticed something that people may not have noticed before. The man had a tattoo on his arm, it looked like this:
I hope this helps you
Andrew Tharson IV
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Edited by - The_Mirt on 14 Mar 2003 04:02:55
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branmakmuffin
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2003 : 21:05:57
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| If you've "been there, killed that and looted its lair" too many times, maybe it's time for the PCs to retire? |
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The_Mirt
Acolyte
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2003 : 21:38:58
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| Never, These characters are what got me into Roleplaying, and into Forgotten Realms in general, Thats why we are now Detectives, not all D&D is about Hack and Slash. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2003 : 09:50:00
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Personally, I love the idea of fantasy mysteries. I'm reading Daniel Hood's Fanuilh right now, in fact. (I've wanted to read this for a while, ever since I saw my brother had the fourth book, but nothing else.) If anyone can tell me of another good one, please do. (I know there are some in FR, but I want something outside of D&D.)
Anyway, from an editor's standpoint (I do this often, Mirt -- if you haven't noticed from reading the old topics then you will now), I think what you've written needs polishing. It's not really in-character, at the very least. And you need more non-speech for Elminster -- i.e., hand gestures, stroking his beard, things like that. Though try to stay away from "He takes a puff on his pipe before continuing." Clinche of the third kind.
Then again, smoking a pipe that happened to be unlit, and seeming not to notice the difference, would fit in with Elminster's cultivated strange-but-harmless-old-man image. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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branmakmuffin
Senior Scribe
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2003 : 18:52:33
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The_Mirt:
quote:
Never, These characters are what got me into Roleplaying, and into Forgotten Realms in general, Thats why we are now Detectives, notall D&D is about Hack and Slash.
Agreed. Nothing works so well in any RPG genre as an adventure type from another genre. I try to make my fantasy adventures Cthulu-ish and my Cthulhu adventures Indiana Jones-ish.
I wonder, have you purposely waited until the PCs are ready for a tag-team with Hercules, Merlin, Gandalf and the Green Lantern to have a mystery adventure? Or have you had a sprinkling of them all along? |
Edited by - branmakmuffin on 03 Apr 2003 20:19:23 |
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The_Mirt
Acolyte
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - 14 Mar 2003 : 20:42:48
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| I did not start DMing these characters untill they were 19th level, when the last DM started working more and had to quit DMing. I was tired of Hack and Slash, and so was everyone else in my group, so I started running Mystery/Detective games. I think the reason my group was tired of pure fighting adventures is because nothing is challenging. The last thing we fought was a Tarrasque, the Wizard got initive on it, and cast one spell '9th Level Dominiation' and managed to gain a Tarrasque pet =P. The Wizard did have the Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration feats, but when you can make a Monster that in the 2nd Ed 'Monsterous Manual' (stupid name) Is classed Unique meaning its the biggest badest Monster on any one plane of existance... you need to find something else to do. |
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HSolo2399
Acolyte
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2003 : 20:16:02
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| The mystery hook works well, and will open things up to allow heavy roleplaying. The only thing the real advice is from my long days of Cthulhu, hand outs. It adds to the depth, and lets the PC get hands on with evidence. The only potential problem will be if the PC's dont get results qucikly and get tired of roleplaying and just start devining. |
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My Next D&D game.
