Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Dec 26, 2003 19:50:16	Okay, here's the skinny. I'm trying to get a group together, but so far, that's not working all too well. But that's not the problem I need help with. While I must admit, I find that there are a lot more opportunities in the Fifth Age, I much perfer the magic the Fourth Age held for me. Hence, I would perfer to play in the Fourth Age, just a few years after the WoTL. Problem is, I can't think of an adventure. I was going to place the game during the years when the last of the Dragon Highlords are being beaten back, and use a homebrew Highlord, who was of little import during the WoTL as my villian. And here is my problem, how does this Highlord try to take Ansalon and not really make a name for himself. I've contemplated fooling around with the Device of Time Journeying, and have this Highlord send back assassins to kill the HoTL before they can accomplish anything. But if that happened, how would the PC's know about it? Any alternate ideas, or maybe an answer to the dilemma with this plot?
#2 ashramry Dec 28, 2003 19:45:46	my recommendation is to tie the story into Taladas from the time of the dragon box set. immagine just how more menacing your villan becomes if he has virtually a whole unexplored contitnent as his ally. the device of time j is a great idea...but it should be the object of the villans quest....only getting ahold of it in time for the finale where his master plan to send assassins and sabetuers (taladasian tinker gnomes?) into the past becomes revealed. ashy
#3 Charles_Phipps Dec 28, 2003 21:33:40	After Ariakus is destroyed your High Lord could actually take over and Kithara find herself with a terrible rival in fighting the Dark Lord....eventually we know the Blue Dragon Army attacks Palanthas but REALLY We don't know ANYTHING of what happens in the meantime. Actually your High Lord if he's a powerful illusionist could set up shop in Silvastani and not contradict any books whatsoever as all that is known is eventually the dark dream is beaten back. Honestly speaking there's all sorts of fun stuff that could be happening 'Off screen' I point out also the Black Dragon Highlord was never identified or killed. You could run an entire campaign about his great armies movements and the players battling him every bit as important as the War of the Lance....just...unnamed. In our campaigns we did the following adventures during the War of the Lance * A Draconian has discovered an alchemical process for turning human beings into Draconians with transplanted dragonscales (actually very similiar to the later Dragonspawn stuff) The Aurek Draconian responsible is manufacturing a huge army in his Temple to Nuitari, Chemosh, and Morgion underground and huge numbers of people are dissapearing into it. * The Neutral Gemstone Dragons live on Ansalom too but they have suddenly sided with the Queen of Darkness! In truth Gilean has been tricked by Takhasis that Paladine's activities will result in the destruction of the world with Hiddikul's help The PCs must find proof of Takhasis's duplicity or convince the neutral dragons to go against their gods * The Ressurection of Verminaard and Ariakus Ariakus the Undead Knight! * Lord Soth is immortal thanks to his curse and Chemosh has told him to take up the banner of leading the Undead...all of them against all the living!
#4 zombiegleemax Dec 29, 2003 9:16:52	You know Ashy, I never really considered including Taladas. I always have a tendency to forget about it. I am definetly going to include your idea. Maybe the PC's stumble across one of the villian's minions who is searching for the Device. Also, Chris, because of your ideas, I am most likely going to start the campaign during the War of the Lance with the Black Dragon Highlord as the villian. However, I will have him or her escape with a very small troop of draconians, and continue to harass Anasalon after the war ends. Thanks for the ideas. Anyone else is more than welcome to post ideas, because maybe someone else is havingthe same problem and would, seeing the title, come to see what ideas have been brought up. Again, thanks to both of you so far.
#5 sweetmeats Dec 29, 2003 9:21:36	Not every Highlord has to be a warrior. Your highlord could be more cautious and use stealth, intrigue and backroom tactics to achieve his goals. Only then when everything is within his grasp does he reveal the small force of draconians and dragons at his disposal.
#6 ashramry Dec 29, 2003 17:30:11	Originally posted by SweetMeats Not every Highlord has to be a warrior. Your highlord could be more cautious and use stealth, intrigue and backroom tactics to achieve his goals. Only then when everything is within his grasp does he reveal the small force of draconians and dragons at his disposal. and remember just how devestating a highlevel evil priest can be durring the early days of the war of the lance (cf verminard) ashy
#7 zombiegleemax Dec 30, 2003 10:20:24	Originally posted by SweetMeats Not every Highlord has to be a warrior. Your highlord could be more cautious and use stealth, intrigue and backroom tactics to achieve his goals. Only then when everything is within his grasp does he reveal the small force of draconians and dragons at his disposal. Actually, SweetMeats, that solves one of my problems. I wanted to introduce new characters without really affecting the storyline much. If this highlord (I really need to get around to making stats) uses such tactics, he would not draw too much attention to himself and would stay pretty much out of the main plot of the Heroes of the Lance. I've decided, however, to have this Highlord be the one harassing the Southern Solamnic Border with skirmishes, until I will have an NPC betray the PCs and allow the Highlord to launch a full scale invasion of Southern Solamnia. This part of the war was never really detailed, according to my knowledge. Ashy, thanks for reminding me that Verminaard was a cleric. But with the sly tactics mentioned by SweetMeats, I am thinking of leaning toward a rogue or perhaps noble base class with a Dragonrider PrC.
#8 zombiegleemax Dec 30, 2003 14:45:52	Here`s an idea. Since your campaing is shortly after WotL, the PC's could meet Lord Ariakan at the time he receives the Vision, this also involves more characters: a little boy called Steel Brightblade, his mother Sara Dunstan; a very young cleric named Mariel Abrenna, the black robed wizard Lily. The could see how the black knights are formed and how they become a theat!
#9 zombiegleemax Dec 31, 2003 10:01:20	Originally posted by True_Raistlin Here`s an idea. Since your campaing is shortly after WotL, the PC's could meet Lord Ariakan at the time he receives the Vision, this also involves more characters: a little boy called Steel Brightblade, his mother Sara Dunstan; a very young cleric named Mariel Abrenna, the black robed wizard Lily. The could see how the black knights are formed and how they become a theat! Actually, Raist, I was going to use that premise in another storyline. I thought it would be rather interesting to see how the players react to seeing this first-hand. It also works because surely Tanis and Caramon weren't the only people to encounter the Dark Knights before their invasion of Ansalon. The KoS could have received other reports from adventurers, and still done nothing until it was too late. Another potential storyline would be if the players discovered plans of Kitiara's to attack and fight what became known as the Blue Lady's War. That would be kinda fun to do. Just for the hell of it, I am going to post my Highlord's Stats soon, along with a personal history. It probably won't be incredibly detailed, but it will serve it's purpose. I'll probably post them tomorrow.
#10 zombiegleemax Dec 31, 2003 20:25:12	Ok, here's what I have so far with my Highlord. I'm going to decide all the rest later, but here goes... Name: Highlord Sunar the Black, Commander of the Black Dragonarmies Race: half-elf Gender: Male Age: 48 Class: Rogue, level 14/ Dragonrider, level 1 Alignment: Chaotic Evil Strength: 15 Dexterity: 17 Constitution: 16 Intelligence: 19 Wisdom: 18 Charisma: 21 History: Sunar the Black was born under the name Sunarithalion and no other. His mother was a Silvanesti elf, by the name of Alvaniorani, who abandoned her family name and House alliance. She hated the Silvanesti, especially their rigid caste system, because she was poor and because of the system, could not advance herself. She was cast out as a dark elf when her own father discovered plans of hers to assassinate Lorac Caladon and Alhana Starbreeze. She believed that with these two dead, the Silvanesti caste system would end and she would have a better life. When restlessly wandering from her homeland, she came across a band of Khurrish sell-swords, and, needing supplies desperately, she took up with them. At first, many of them wanted to use her and leave her to die, but one, a man named Tessal, would not let the others do this. Alvani soon grew to love Tessal, and he to love her. But it was not to last. Soon after Alvani discovered that she was with child, she saw her lover talking with the others, all of them trying to convince him to leave her. She was angered, thinking they had swayed him. When he entered their tent that night, he was going to tell her that both of them were going to leave together. He managed to say the words, “You must pack…” before, in her rage, she buried a dagger in his belly. Alvani managed to escape the camp unnoticed and was eventually pursued, the band wanting vengeance for their fallen comrade. Their chase lasted for thirteen years, Alvani raising her son while running from these mercenaries. One of the lessons Sunar learned from this was to trust no one. As a result, Sunar left a message at a campsite for his persecutors. It said that if he would be spared, he would give up his mother to them. It also said that he would meet with one of them in a nearby forest in five night’s time. After leaving this message, he suggested to his mother that they camp in the safety of the same forest for a few days. His mother agreed. Still not trusting anyone, Sunar set traps that he would lead the Khurs into if they tried anything. One of the mercenaries came, and Sunar revealed that Alvani was taking him to Sanction, and they set up an agreed time and place that his mother could be found at. The mercenary left, and Sunar began to plot more. He would not leave her at the agreed upon spot, but nearby enough that he could wound her, so her screams would draw them to her, and make his escape. In the city, they would be unable to track him in the crowds. But Sunar had lied, as part of his plot. His mother still loved and would never have gone to a human city. But he could easily persuade her. His attempt to do so the following morning was successful. When they had arrived at Sanction, Sunar waited until nightfall, then led his mother to an area nearby the rendezvous place with the mercenaries. Using a dagger, he cut the tendon in the back of her knee, then slashed her eyes, blinding her. When she asked him why, he replied only, “So you cannot tell them where I have gone.” He then fled the alley in which he had left her, and lost himself in the crowds of Sanction. He had worked his way into adulthood as a thief, many times picking pockets, but he found that he would get the big scores if he used his skills at plotting and deceiving. He was in his early forties when a cleric of Takhisis approached him and told him that the Dark Queen had a use for men like him. Sunar was intrigued, and eventually, doing something quite uncharacteristic for him, he placed his trust in Takhisis. Her Dark Majesty used him and his duplicitous nature to subjugate the devious black dragons, and force or convince them to bow to her will and attack Southern Solamnia.