some question about campaign development - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

some question about campaign development

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Mar 17, 2004 15:11:59 Good night,

I am interested to hear how you incorporate the following subjects into your campaign, as I think of ways to incorporate them into mine.

Saragar.
Dead lands.
Crimson Savannah.
Ur-Draxa (it is not gone in my campaign).

I have another problem, about focusing the campaign. It seems in times, that my players are many times the glue the world together. I usually conect them to the veiled alliance of Raam, and the pyreen, but for some times, it seems that without them the world will surely fall (I explain to them that they are probably the only people that care about the world, but I can't sell it to them too many times).

I need some advice, on how to pukk them a little back to behind the scenes, How to let the campaign pass, without them having the active role of saving the role from a ravaging high templar, or a vicious grand defiler (interesting to say, that they are too weak to kill those individuals, and that most of the time the big evil guys survive).

I want to advance the campaign, but to show the players, that their deeds have indeed improve some of the harsh ways of life in athas, but not by advancing the campaign artificially in time.

My two ideas, is
a) some city scheming - letting them live for a while in Raam (the main city), while around them the nobles and merchants (Raam is free in my campaign) scheme, and let them develope the cuty.

b) after a while, take them for another corner of the world, where they are not know - maybe Saragar or Ur-draxa, with the levy - and let them live there for a while, maybe trying to return home?

any help will be appriciated.
#2
dawnstealer
Mar 17, 2004 16:59:23 Depending on their levels, there are a few ways you could go. Since the goal is to include the farther reaches of Athas, I'll toss a few ideas at you.

First, Saragar is probably the last place on the list the PCs will visit as even its memory has faded from the world. The easiest way to get the PCs to Saragar (and Ur Draxa, for that matter), is to drop one solitary hint and let them pursue it. For Saragar, part of a treasure horde could be a scroll that mentions the great School of the Way to the North that sits on the bank of a sea. Maybe toss in a bit about "great treasure" or something. It shouldn't take much more than that. If the PCs want to go, they'll go.

With Ur Draxa, depending on whether this is pre or post Cerulean Storm, you need only have an "old coot" or "wanderer of the Silt Sea" or "captured or grounded roc rider" mention the land of plenty deep in the Sea of Silt; a paradise without comparison.

The Crimson Savannah can be reached by having the PCs run afoul of the Kreen empire, or be forced to track down a Tohr-kreen that runs there. Another in is to have them go to Thamasku, the Halfling city or anywhere on the Cliffs. A new kreen critter could scale the cliffs and attack while the PCs are there. The PCs will have to decend and find out where the critters are coming from.

The Dead Lands can be done one of two ways.

1) An army of the dead attack a Southern city while the PCs are nearby and they either a) are attacked along with the city, or b) are there when it occurs. They must travel South to duel it out with some big baddy deep in the deadlands.

2) The PCs come across some clue that points to a necessary component, clue, weapon, magical item, etc lies deep in the land of the dead. Through a few adventures, they find out that the land of the dead is the Deadlands and it's far to the South.

Keep in mind that PCs that travel to all of these places are extremely well-travelled, and that kind of movement on Athas is pretty unlikely for one group. Pick your favorites and focus on them - the PCs can't solve all the world's problems.

Hope that helps.
#3
zombiegleemax
Mar 20, 2004 22:39:07 Sorry, i know this is a bit off topic, but...

As far as campaign beginnings, I've been pondering the idea of starting a group of players out right after the fall of Kalak. Their bond? They are a group of nobodies, hired by Tithian to take out those templars who were Tithian's enemies.

However, I've only really thought about the beginning, not how it might develope (which is pretty much the antithesis of this thread...)
#4
jon_oracle_of_athas
Mar 21, 2004 10:05:37
They are a group of nobodies, hired by Tithian to take out those templars who were Tithian's enemies.

"I don't care who you use, as long as they're not complete muppets." - Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels quote.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Mar 17, 2004 15:11:59	Good night, I am interested to hear how you incorporate the following subjects into your campaign, as I think of ways to incorporate them into mine. Saragar. Dead lands. Crimson Savannah. Ur-Draxa (it is not gone in my campaign). I have another problem, about focusing the campaign. It seems in times, that my players are many times the glue the world together. I usually conect them to the veiled alliance of Raam, and the pyreen, but for some times, it seems that without them the world will surely fall (I explain to them that they are probably the only people that care about the world, but I can't sell it to them too many times). I need some advice, on how to pukk them a little back to behind the scenes, How to let the campaign pass, without them having the active role of saving the role from a ravaging high templar, or a vicious grand defiler (interesting to say, that they are too weak to kill those individuals, and that most of the time the big evil guys survive). I want to advance the campaign, but to show the players, that their deeds have indeed improve some of the harsh ways of life in athas, but not by advancing the campaign artificially in time. My two ideas, is a) some city scheming - letting them live for a while in Raam (the main city), while around them the nobles and merchants (Raam is free in my campaign) scheme, and let them develope the cuty. b) after a while, take them for another corner of the world, where they are not know - maybe Saragar or Ur-draxa, with the levy - and let them live there for a while, maybe trying to return home? any help will be appriciated.
#2 dawnstealer Mar 17, 2004 16:59:23	Depending on their levels, there are a few ways you could go. Since the goal is to include the farther reaches of Athas, I'll toss a few ideas at you. First, Saragar is probably the last place on the list the PCs will visit as even its memory has faded from the world. The easiest way to get the PCs to Saragar (and Ur Draxa, for that matter), is to drop one solitary hint and let them pursue it. For Saragar, part of a treasure horde could be a scroll that mentions the great School of the Way to the North that sits on the bank of a sea. Maybe toss in a bit about "great treasure" or something. It shouldn't take much more than that. If the PCs want to go, they'll go. With Ur Draxa, depending on whether this is pre or post Cerulean Storm, you need only have an "old coot" or "wanderer of the Silt Sea" or "captured or grounded roc rider" mention the land of plenty deep in the Sea of Silt; a paradise without comparison. The Crimson Savannah can be reached by having the PCs run afoul of the Kreen empire, or be forced to track down a Tohr-kreen that runs there. Another in is to have them go to Thamasku, the Halfling city or anywhere on the Cliffs. A new kreen critter could scale the cliffs and attack while the PCs are there. The PCs will have to decend and find out where the critters are coming from. The Dead Lands can be done one of two ways. 1) An army of the dead attack a Southern city while the PCs are nearby and they either a) are attacked along with the city, or b) are there when it occurs. They must travel South to duel it out with some big baddy deep in the deadlands. 2) The PCs come across some clue that points to a necessary component, clue, weapon, magical item, etc lies deep in the land of the dead. Through a few adventures, they find out that the land of the dead is the Deadlands and it's far to the South. Keep in mind that PCs that travel to all of these places are extremely well-travelled, and that kind of movement on Athas is pretty unlikely for one group. Pick your favorites and focus on them - the PCs can't solve all the world's problems. Hope that helps.
#3 zombiegleemax Mar 20, 2004 22:39:07	Sorry, i know this is a bit off topic, but... As far as campaign beginnings, I've been pondering the idea of starting a group of players out right after the fall of Kalak. Their bond? They are a group of nobodies, hired by Tithian to take out those templars who were Tithian's enemies. However, I've only really thought about the beginning, not how it might develope (which is pretty much the antithesis of this thread...)
#4 jon_oracle_of_athas Mar 21, 2004 10:05:37	They are a group of nobodies, hired by Tithian to take out those templars who were Tithian's enemies. "I don't care who you use, as long as they're not complete muppets." - Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels quote.