Chronicles Campaign Without Pregen Characters - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Chronicles Campaign Without Pregen Characters

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
staticnomad
Dec 22, 2005 22:29:37 Okay, so I'm preparing to run the classic campaign that Chronicles was based on (I have a copy of the old SAGA/AD&D Dragonlance Classics 25th Anniversary).

After much debate I have decided not to run it with the premade iconic characters we all know and love, because: 1) I have too much of a preconception of those characters from reading the novels and consequently wouldn't think it just for my players. and 2) My players are very into making and identifying with their characters.

This decided on, I have decided to simply require that the characters the plaers make with in a necessary plot hook (as there are a number of pretty crucial hooks with the pregen characters.) These include: Someone having the blue crystal staff, someone having a connection to Kitiara...

My question is: What plot hooks are critical and what ones are helpful? (I'll be going through the campaign myself to figure out them all in the near future, but figured people here would be knowledgeable and helpful.)

P.S. The 3.5e update of this campaign looks awesome, but alas, it comes out too late for this campaign, which starts in a few weeks.

Note: Cross-posted to the dragonlance.com forums.
#2
zombiegleemax
Dec 23, 2005 9:58:50 The War of the Lance supplement has good ideas on how to use your own characters in the War of the Lance.
#3
zombiegleemax
Dec 23, 2005 17:11:48 Several groups I've been in, we have never used the pre-gen iconic characters, for much the same reasons as yours. I think that this merely makes the DM's job just a little more creative. Don't be scared to think outside the box. Make people like Kittiara and Ebon different people. This makes the surprises still be surprises and helps with out of character knowledge that even the most mature and responcible role-player can stuggle with at times. These NPC's might have the same, similar, or even completely different ties to the PCs that Kit and Ebon have that are so important to the story. One time Kit was a PC who had dropped out before we even got to the first Chronicle map. In another, Ebon was someone we had worked for in a mini adventure while we were still 2nd lvl.
#4
fireinthedust
Dec 25, 2005 10:34:00 I've got acouple of the original modules (really well done adventures), and I'd love to get my hands on the rest of the War of the Lance stuff.

My take on it, as I'd like to do roughly the same thing, is to take the general geist of the plot and use it in an altered setting with the prestige classes of the Dragonlance Campaign setting that came out (it's really good!).

I'd say the important elements are:

1) start in Solace/home town, and have the Dragon armies invade. The PCs get a sense of urgency in what they're doing and it pushes the plot along. I'd say it's the key motivator and why the party may stick together: the rest of the world is in chaos, and even if they're disparate in nature, they'll stick together AT FIRST because it's safer in numbers. They were basically ants running around the feet of an elephant for what I remember.

2) Crystal Staff: have the cleric character start with no spells, but they have the staff. They need to get to Xak Tsaroth to find the discs, and when they do the cleric has access to spells as if they'd always had them.

3) Starting from scratch: basically as above, but keep in mind that the Dragon armies are the well-prepared forces of the bad guys, and the Good Guys are starting from scratch. Whatever plots you make up, the good deities are caught with their britches down so that the PCs are the only chance to find the Items of Power needed to stop the world from falling into chaos.
For example, I remember they had to go into all these old places and get items of power: dragon orbs from an ice berg, sylvanost turned into a nightmare realm, Raistlin took over the tower of wizardry no one was using at the time, fistandantilus' tower, things like that. I think the Good dragon armies were a plot element designed to get the PCs to a more Offensive position before the clymactic finish. Maybe switch what that would be, like make one of them that's a knight of Solamnia get up to Knight of the Rose by questing after the dragon lances or the regalia of Huma; the PC wizard can take the test of the towers, and eventually take on a tower of their own; the Cleric can help the knight, and also find artifacts of Paladine.

4) Portals are a big deal for some reason. So's the secret base of the bad guys in Neraka (what a great name, btw). the main thing is to have Takhisis trying to escape the Abyss, so if the PCs can get to epic levels you can have them fight her avatar (soup up a Hydra with multiple dragon BWs and 20 levels of Cleric spellcasting ability, and you'll be good).

Merry Christams, and God Bless us, Everyone!!!

(and happy chanuka/holidays/etc. for everyone!!!!!)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 staticnomad Dec 22, 2005 22:29:37	Okay, so I'm preparing to run the classic campaign that Chronicles was based on (I have a copy of the old SAGA/AD&D Dragonlance Classics 25th Anniversary). After much debate I have decided not to run it with the premade iconic characters we all know and love, because: 1) I have too much of a preconception of those characters from reading the novels and consequently wouldn't think it just for my players. and 2) My players are very into making and identifying with their characters. This decided on, I have decided to simply require that the characters the plaers make with in a necessary plot hook (as there are a number of pretty crucial hooks with the pregen characters.) These include: Someone having the blue crystal staff, someone having a connection to Kitiara... My question is: What plot hooks are critical and what ones are helpful? (I'll be going through the campaign myself to figure out them all in the near future, but figured people here would be knowledgeable and helpful.) P.S. The 3.5e update of this campaign looks awesome, but alas, it comes out too late for this campaign, which starts in a few weeks. Note: Cross-posted to the dragonlance.com forums.
#2 zombiegleemax Dec 23, 2005 9:58:50	The War of the Lance supplement has good ideas on how to use your own characters in the War of the Lance.
#3 zombiegleemax Dec 23, 2005 17:11:48	Several groups I've been in, we have never used the pre-gen iconic characters, for much the same reasons as yours. I think that this merely makes the DM's job just a little more creative. Don't be scared to think outside the box. Make people like Kittiara and Ebon different people. This makes the surprises still be surprises and helps with out of character knowledge that even the most mature and responcible role-player can stuggle with at times. These NPC's might have the same, similar, or even completely different ties to the PCs that Kit and Ebon have that are so important to the story. One time Kit was a PC who had dropped out before we even got to the first Chronicle map. In another, Ebon was someone we had worked for in a mini adventure while we were still 2nd lvl.
#4 fireinthedust Dec 25, 2005 10:34:00	I've got acouple of the original modules (really well done adventures), and I'd love to get my hands on the rest of the War of the Lance stuff. My take on it, as I'd like to do roughly the same thing, is to take the general geist of the plot and use it in an altered setting with the prestige classes of the Dragonlance Campaign setting that came out (it's really good!). I'd say the important elements are: 1) start in Solace/home town, and have the Dragon armies invade. The PCs get a sense of urgency in what they're doing and it pushes the plot along. I'd say it's the key motivator and why the party may stick together: the rest of the world is in chaos, and even if they're disparate in nature, they'll stick together AT FIRST because it's safer in numbers. They were basically ants running around the feet of an elephant for what I remember. 2) Crystal Staff: have the cleric character start with no spells, but they have the staff. They need to get to Xak Tsaroth to find the discs, and when they do the cleric has access to spells as if they'd always had them. 3) Starting from scratch: basically as above, but keep in mind that the Dragon armies are the well-prepared forces of the bad guys, and the Good Guys are starting from scratch. Whatever plots you make up, the good deities are caught with their britches down so that the PCs are the only chance to find the Items of Power needed to stop the world from falling into chaos. For example, I remember they had to go into all these old places and get items of power: dragon orbs from an ice berg, sylvanost turned into a nightmare realm, Raistlin took over the tower of wizardry no one was using at the time, fistandantilus' tower, things like that. I think the Good dragon armies were a plot element designed to get the PCs to a more Offensive position before the clymactic finish. Maybe switch what that would be, like make one of them that's a knight of Solamnia get up to Knight of the Rose by questing after the dragon lances or the regalia of Huma; the PC wizard can take the test of the towers, and eventually take on a tower of their own; the Cleric can help the knight, and also find artifacts of Paladine. 4) Portals are a big deal for some reason. So's the secret base of the bad guys in Neraka (what a great name, btw). the main thing is to have Takhisis trying to escape the Abyss, so if the PCs can get to epic levels you can have them fight her avatar (soup up a Hydra with multiple dragon BWs and 20 levels of Cleric spellcasting ability, and you'll be good). Merry Christams, and God Bless us, Everyone!!! (and happy chanuka/holidays/etc. for everyone!!!!!)