The campaign starts about 50 years about the returning of the gods, so I can do just about anything with the setting. Currently the players are in the town of Talorin (about 2 weeks travel south of Palanthas).
The party consists of the following.
-Kagnonesti Ranger
-Kagnonesti Fighter
-Silvenesti Wizard
-Kender Rogue
-Gully Dwarf Mystic
The two Kagnonesti elves are brothers on a small quest to return a sacred tome back to Palanthas.
The Silvenesti Wizard is a decendant of Starbreeze, but minotaurs have slain/imprisoned most of the royal family so our wizard has to go into hiding for the moment. Thus why she's actually putting up with the others.
The Kender happened to be passing through the area looking for an adventure. "Thistle Rubylifter is the name, please to meet you".
And the Gully dwarf, this guy is playing a wonderful part. He stowed away on a caravan until he was discovered and booted out in Talorin. He did manage to take a butcher's knife (small dagger), large serving tray (large shield), and he picked up a dead lizard that he uses as a holy symbol. I gave him a +1 to concentration check since he "thinks" it's magical and he focuses more on it.
Anyways back to the adventure thoughts.
The general idea later in the campaign will be that the Ethergaunts (fiend folio) will invade krynn.
A few changes though.
1. The Ethergaunts are from a plane other than the Etheral one.
2. They caste psionic manestifations instead of spells
3. They have an immunity to cleric spells instead of arcane ones.
The basic premise is that the Ethergaunts were the gods of krynn's first attempt at creating life. But the gods felt they failed and left the world their created. Sound familiar? The exception is the gods have never returned. Panic and fear swept the Ethergaunts, years passed and no gods returned. Over the years they changed, with the loss of their magic they turned inward and explored their minds finding psionics. But because of the utter abandon they suffer they have the spell immunity to clerical spells (instead of immunity to arcane spells).
Now I'm creating an Evil Irda NPC that has gone partially insane with the idea of protecting her people. I decided that not all Irda have perished in the Summer Flame book. She's so set on protecting and isolating her people from others than she will go to no lengths to succeed.
She has learned how to leech magic from items (just like during the war of souls) but she has also learned how to leech magic directly from other wizards to the point of killing them.
She is going around abducting wizards for her master plan. She is trying to create a new plane of existence for her people but she has to sacrifice 12 wizards to caste her spell properly.
The PCs will not confront her until about 5th or 6th level, obviously they will not be able to take her down, but it's more of interrupting her spell. The spell will tear a rift between krynn and the Ethergaunt's plane that the gods had created to protect Krynn. The Wizard will get pulled to Ravenloft for her evil act and the players will get caught in the wake of the mists and pulled along.
They'll end up in Lord Soth's domain. Now I didn't have alot of background on it so I asked a friend. He told me about "The White Rose" who is supposed to be the traveling incarnation of Soth's wife. She is supposed to be able to sent travelers home.
In any case I like the idea, so the players will awaken in a field at night (it's always night) and have no idea where they are. I have no intentions of mentioning ravenloft at any time nor will they seem my source books for it either.
The players wander and probably search for the wizard.
They'll find they nothing looks familiar. They'll encounter someone being attacked and if they help him they'll find out about the white rose. He doesn't know much about the White Rose other than it's rumored she can help. Chances are they will start inquiring about this White Rose at the local Inns. Unfortantly this will bring unwanted attention to them. Eventually they will find the White Rose and get back to Krynn.
They'll find that nearly a year has passed and strange things are happening across the land. Once peaceful nations are warring against each others. Personalities of people are radically changing, people are claiming memory loss.
The Ethergaunts are using their ability to dominate someone's will and control them.
The Ethergaunts are trying to distrupt and weaken the enemy prior to their full invasion.
At this point I'm still thinking. I thinking that the PCs will end up taking the fight to Ethergaunt's home plane. But I need to work out more details, especially since they'll be some good sized battles once the Ethergaunts invade.
What do you think and any suggestions?
At this point, even a son or daughter of Alhana would be to young (for an elf) to be out on their own.
Have you all worked up the explination on this? (you might want to flesh this one out a bit more with your player)
Also...your "evil" Irda. I think because her (or was it his?) reasons are not necessarily selfish (protecting others) but not entirely selfless either (own race), and the fact that she's willing to go to any length to do so...to me that really sounds more like Chaotic Neutral...especialy the insanity part.
That's just a suggestion though.
I'll push it to 150 years after the Summerflame since my Silvenesti character is about 110 years old.
And I think the Irda will get changed to CN for the alignment, but I think she will still get zapped to Ravenloft because of the countless evil like deeds she did.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Just suggestions.
I could use the standard Lizardmen as the basis for the race and gear them towards Sorcery magic. (Unless they actually have stats for them).
This actually works perfectly.
I had the two Kagonesti elves on a mini quest to take an ancient tome to the great library of pathanas. The tome is written in a very old langauge that the kagonesti can barely read. It's translations have been passed down over ages. The tome foretells of a great prophecy of a great evil, but they cannot read all of it. Thus taking it to the great library. The evil of course being the Ethergaunts.
Now I hadn't decided who wrote it since it was in a language that was very old, but with your Bakali idea I will have them be the creators of the tome. They foresaw the return of the ethergaunts and know the potential devastation they can cause.
The prophecy refers to a "Fallen One" forcing the hand of god across the sky. Wiping the stars from the heavens he shall unleash utter desolation upon the land.
I'm going to spice that up a bit, but the Fallen one is the Insane Irda trying to create a new plane of existence for all the Irda.
"Wiping the starts from the heavens..." refers to the spell failing and weakening the planar barrier between krynn and the Ethergaunts home plane (still need a name). But the weakening of the barrier causes the sky to be blackened out for a full 24 hours. Complete darkness with no stars or moons. The High Socerors can still feel the presence of their moons but cannot see them through the blackness.
Eventually the PCs will have to take the fight to the Ethergaunt's home to fix the planar barrier but perhaps the Balaki would have the information of where this plane is located?
What do you guys think now? Getting better I hope.
Cheers,
Cam
You should find someone to fit Paladine into this, I think....and give some explanation as to way the Gods of Good abadoned the Ethergaunts, since it would be a bit out of character to them. Perhaps the Ethergaunts proved so neutral and lawful that all of them are of that alignment, and concepts of good and evil are beyond/mean nothing to them. Then perhaps they just didn't worship the gods much at all, and so the Gods quietly left....and only much after this did the Ethergaunts even notice the gods were gone, became angry, judged, and sentenced them.
Or maybe I am just rambling to myself like a crazy person. : )
-Drachasor
I like the idea of the Ethergaunts judging the gods guilty various crimes and unfit to manage any worlds.
I was thinking that the Ethergaunts initially were heavy magic users but perhaps they didn't pay homage to the three gods of magic. The Bakali were there as well but were much more tribal in nature compared to the Ethergaunts
They took magic for granted and didn't respect it. Plus with the Ethergaunt's caste system (Red, White, Black) not all Ethergaunts were allowed to think freely for themselves even if the option was given. The Ethergaunts were too strict in their ways.
Ethergaunts also enslaved thousands of Bakali and killed countless more in their quest for dominance.
The gods didn't like them dis-respecting magic and the form of slavery that the Ethergaunts put on their own people not to mention the Bakali. So the gods left to make a new world, learning from their previous mistakes. However they knew of the deadly potential the Ethergaunts possessed so they locked them away within their own plane.
The Ethergaunts were furious, their gods abandoned them without reason (to them), the gods took away their magic, and imprisioned them to their own plane. The gods also took what remained of the Bakali to krynn, hoping for a better way of life.
Hundreds of years passed, rival factions believed that each other were to blame for the god's disappearance. Wars raged for those hundreds of years until a single Black Ethergaunt used it's newly learned psionic powers to stop a battle. Almost instantly word broke out and soon conflict had stopped. The single Ethergaunt taught others the truth of what happened and why the gods left. Peace was restored and soon all Ethergaunts were developing their Psionic powers. Hundreds of years later still their psionic powers had developed to a point of near pefection. They are able to manifest powers at very young years.
During this time of "Awakening" the Etheralgaunts tried and judged the gods and now are on what can only be reffered to as a Holy War against the Gods of Krynn.
Since the PCs will be sent to Ravenloft for a while they will return and a year has passed (although to them no more than a month or 2 actually passed while in Ravenloft).
When they return things will already be set in motion, Ethergaunts will have already started sending Red Ethergaunts as scouts to check out the "abilities" of the god's lesser beings.
Even though Paladine is now mortal I think I will put him in his Fizban role instead as a mortal (perhaps with a different name though) The PCs, soon after returning to krynn, will be met by Paladin, although they'll think he's just a wizard of the High Sorcery. He will explain who these shadows are moving through krynn, but he only knows up to the point the gods left them. He will send them to find the remaining Bakali since they might have more information.
The Bakali surprizingly have more information than Paladine does.
They were kept informed by one of their most ancient shamans, he could "see" what was happening. Unfortuantly the shaman passed away nearly 150 years ago.
In reality the single Black Ethergaunt that taught the rest about psionics and the Bakali's ancient shaman was Takhisis. This was sort of her "Ace in the hole" that she left brewing for a while.
Too few in numbers the Bakali cannot directly fight the Ethergaunts, but when ready they can send the PCs to the Ethergaunt's home plane to end the war.
Getting better? Any more suggestions?
Thanks again to everyone!
Do you like or dislike my campaign idea?
Thanks!
The history of the Bakali could tie in rather well with the campaign ideas you have. Since they did start to worship dragons, maybe Takhisis was directly involved in influencing their worship. That would tie in with the deception idea you proposed with Takhisis, leading the shaman along.
I think your pretty good to go. Sorry about taking so long to get back to you.
If you could find out which two evil gods influenced the Bakali that would be great.
I think I will use gods that also presented him/herself to the Ethergaunts as the Black Ethergaunt at the beginning of the "Awakening".
Thanks again!
Not to be a buzzkill or anything, but that's what Ravenloft is; an inescapable battleground/jail for the forces of evil.
-TRRW
They'll THROW you out of Ravenloft if you break one of their toys. Killing a dark lord in such a manner that he's useless to them is described as the most consistent way of getting out
Originally posted by TheRedRobedWizard
How do you plan on getting your PCs out of Ravenloft? It's not exactly something that can be done... I mean, people go to Ravenloft and NEVER COME BACK. By never, I mean NEV-AR. Sure, it's been done, but only with the direct intervention of several PANTHEONS of deities (Greyhawk's, Faerun's, and both their respective Overgods) to get a small group of adventurers out.
Not to be a buzzkill or anything, but that's what Ravenloft is; an inescapable battleground/jail for the forces of evil.
-TRRW
Lord Soth got out, at least in one version. He didn't have any pantheonic assistance in leaving. He's not exactly your typical adventurer, but he was a Dark Lord, and if he can get out of this interdimensional jail cell of evil, then surely some hapless mortal adventurerers can stumble their way out.
According to "Domains of Dread", there is no effective way to get out of Ravenloft, short of killing ALL the domain lords. Doing so, however, would make the characters that accomplished this feat into new Domain Lords because they were killing all the Domain Lords just to get out.
Ravenloft is a one way trip, if you're playing by the book. If you're playing "dur i'm gon bend da rulz cuz i cant com up wit anyting bettar" D&D, then by all means, allow your characters to waltz right out of Ravenloft.
Sorry about the diatribe, but RL is the only setting I take more seriously than DL.
The only thing close to an "easy way out" is to get yourself killed while in RL and have a friend on another plane cast Miracle/Wish to bring you back.
In all seriousness though, getting out of Ravenloft without some deific intervention is tantamount to killing every kender in DL while simultaniously being a Cleric of Paladine and Takisis. It's just THAT out of sync with the setting.
-TRRW
Originally posted by TheRedRobedWizard
Lord Soth only got out because of an editorial/creative mistake.
According to "Domains of Dread", there is no effective way to get out of Ravenloft, short of killing ALL the domain lords. Doing so, however, would make the characters that accomplished this feat into new Domain Lords because they were killing all the Domain Lords just to get out.
Ravenloft is a one way trip, if you're playing by the book. If you're playing "dur i'm gon bend da rulz cuz i cant com up wit anyting bettar" D&D, then by all means, allow your characters to waltz right out of Ravenloft.
Sorry about the diatribe, but RL is the only setting I take more seriously than DL.
The only thing close to an "easy way out" is to get yourself killed while in RL and have a friend on another plane cast Miracle/Wish to bring you back.
In all seriousness though, getting out of Ravenloft without some deific intervention is tantamount to killing every kender in DL while simultaniously being a Cleric of Paladine and Takisis. It's just THAT out of sync with the setting.
-TRRW
Domains of Dread was 2nd edition Ravenloft. Any contradiction in a newer version supersedes what is stated in a previous version. The 3rd edition Ravenloft Campaign Setting specifically states that Ravenloft campaigns can be campaigns limited entirely to the demiplane of dread OR they can be "weekends in hell" for outlanders. So if blackphoenix wants his PCs to make a month or two sidetrip to the horrors of Ravenloft, then he is most definitely "playing by the book".
Originally posted by TheRedRobedWizard
Lord Soth only got out because of an editorial/creative mistake.
Lord Soth got out of Ravenloft because it was decided that he would. This same powerful creative and authorial power is available to every DM, and should be flexed where necessary to preserve the enjoyment of the game.
It lessens the horror and grim nature of Ravenloft to make escaping it an easy thing to do, but it should never stand in the way of the game. All that's required is some interesting and flavorful avenue of escape, with some great potential for lasting consequences, and you're set.
I think it's been established that I'm a great advocate for maintaining a setting's integrity, but if this guy isn't interested in running a Ravenloft campaign and would rather run a Dragonlance one at this point, Ravenloft's "rules" lose their grip and Dragonlance achieves genre dominance.
Cheers,
Cam
Domains of Dread never said that. Domains of Dread also pointed out several Dark Lords were totally immortal with no way of killing them (Soth included)
Also players wouldn't have to kill all the Domain Lords to get out, killing one in an adventure was often enough AND...
frankly since Dark Lords are all practically ireedeemable evil, killing them all would be a service
I re-read through DoD and RLCS and found my mistakes, so I apologize to all involved.
-TRRW
Originally posted by TheRedRobedWizard
I still maintain that "weekend in hell" type adventures make Ravenloft a lot less of the "OMG SCARY" that it was supposed to be.
I re-read through DoD and RLCS and found my mistakes, so I apologize to all involved.
-TRRW
It's all good RedRobe
I can understand your desire to keep Ravenloft the doorless prison for good and evil that it most assuredly is.I was told by a friend of mine (who's not playing with us but has been DMing for a very long time) that there is a way out of Lord Soth's Domain.
He said that there's a female elf reffered to as the "White Rose".
Supposely she's the re-incarnate of Soth's wife and she helps lost travelers back to their own plane. She's not exactly the easiest person to find, apparently Soth knows of her presence but she can only be found when she wants to be found.
I don't know about the truth of this "White Rose" but it sounds good enough for me.
What do you guys think of that?
(this is paraphrasing some of the more detailed descriptions and stories of the Bakali from "More Leaves From the Inn of the Last Home"- a good read if you can get it)