I am getting ready to start a new campaign at a local library soon (mid-February) and I thought this would be a good place to get some input and/or advice.
The PCs are going to be at level 10, or ECL 10 anyway. I have, as of right now, 5 PCs, one of which will be NPC'd on the first night.
Minotaur Swashbuckler 2
Half-Dragon/Half-Giant Soulknife X (10 - LA)
Dwarf Fighter 10
Human Wizard 10
Elf Bard 10
Now, you might notice that the first two characters are rather uncommon, while the last 3 are fairly standard. That's because three of my players like to keep the character making simple so that they can get to the game, and the other two would just as soon make my job as complicated as possible.
One can quickly see the problem of uniting these two groups, one of which seems like a normal, if undermanned, adventuring party, while the other one looks more like an encounter for said party. However, I had a brainstorm last night which lead me to both a campaign idea, or at least the beginnings of one, and a way to unite these two separate groups.
[ic=The Hook]The city of Dallar is under attack by a Bugbear king. He has united the Goblins and Orcs to form one great amry to march through the region and conquer it. However, before they can pick up any real momentum for this march, they must first lay waste to the great city. As the battle began, the people of Dallar despaired, seeing the hordes of Goblins and Orcs overwhelm their troops, assisted by many hired monster mercenaries. Trolls, Ogres, and others bolstered the forces of the Goblins.
However, the tide quickly turned as a band of brave adventurers arrived with reinforcements from the nearby underground Dwarven city of Khurst-Uzal. The heroes were leading the soldiers of Dallar to victory over the Bugbear king, when suddenly there was an earth-shattering explosion from the middle of the battlefield. Hundreds of soldiers, Dwarves, Goblins, and Orcs, were thrown aside like pebbles, their bodies breaking on the bloodied ground. Smoke rose from the gigantic hole in the ground, obscuring the field.
The Bugbear king thought to use this distraction to his advantage, and sent forth the rest of his army to destroy his opponents, but they didn't make it far. From deep inside the newly-created pit poured terrible, terrible beasts. Black as night, yet bright as fire, these creatures quickly tore through the army of the Bugbear king. The Dallarians began rejoicing, when the beasts turned on them.
It was a slaughter, some soldiers rallied together and were able to survive until the monsters suddenly stopped. A giant bird has risen from the hole, yet not a bird. It seemed like a great black raven with fiery wings, but it was too horrible to be a real bird of any kind. On its back, though, was a man. He wore robes of purest white, save for a a blood-red sword emblazoned on the back. He carried a long, blue staff, and waved it over his head. Instantly, all the creatures who had before been fighting the soldiers and the Goblins disengaged and followed the man on the bird-creature.
He urged his flying mount forward, but pulled it back at the last second, spotting something on the ground. The winged beast dove downward, snatching a small figure in its enormous claws, before flying off, followed by an army of the terrible beasts, towards the Sansal Mountains.[/ic]
Basically, the Elf, Dwarf, and Human are an adventuring party, along with a Halfling Paladin, and have recently come to save the city from an army of Goblins and Orcs. It might be a nice ending to a campaign for level 10 characters. However, instead of triumphing over evil and saving the city, this explosion throws the whole thing into turmoil. During the mess with the Bugbear kings forward assault, a pair of monsters, a Minotaur and a Half-Dragon Half-Giant, are thrown together with the Elf, Dwarf, Human, and Halfling. They prepare to battle, when the beasts turn on the city. They must then work together to stay alive until the beasts retreat. However, the man on the bird-creature suddenly swoops down and grabs the Halfling Paladin.
The Elf, Dwarf, and Human must, of course, rescue their companion, and the Elven Bard, who I will be NPCing the first night, is going to hint at a monetary reward from the Paladin's order to the Minotaur and the Dragon/Giant in order to get them to join.
Now, my question is, does this sound like a good opening for a campaign? If you were playing it, would you be willing to go after the Halfling? Is there something you think would make it mroe appealling? Or maybe just more fun? Question, comments, compliments, and criticisms are welcome.
I probably would, and I definitely would if my character were of good alignment and/or good friends with the paladin according to backstory. Make sure, however, that if you intend to build on the story and invole the two stranger PCs in the game as permanent members of the party that some events take place that will create bonds between the characters in-game. Getting trapped in a dungeon and needing all of their skills to get out or something.
It looks good to me.
I'd say just one more thing. It is just as much up to the players to make their characters work together as it is up to you. If you have questions about what might help make these characters work together, go ahead and ask your players. Especially the ones who are creating the more unusual characters. If they want to be creative with their characters in this way, it's only right that they should use a little of that creativity to help find a way to get along with the other characters. (Unless everyone is happy with a barely-unified party, in which case, no problem.)
The two players with unusual PCs tend to play the kind of characters who, though they may irk the rest of the party (and the DM) on occasion, they generally have the good of the party in mind.
As far as events which can cement a bond between the PCs, I think that the first battle, surviving against the beast-thing, is a good foundation for that, and perhaps one of the first adventures will further bond the characters.
As of right now, I have no more done than what is posted, but maybe I'll update this thread as more interesting information is added to the campaign. Thanks to snakefing and WitchHunt for your advice.
Okay, I've made a significant, at least culturally, change to the world I'm running this campaign in.
Arcane magic is on the way out.
With the relatively recent, 400 years ago, discovery of the Stone of the Opened Mind, anyone with a strong will can travel there and unlock their Psionic abilities. With the "market" of the supernatural opened up like this, Arcane magic, relatively long and difficult to learn, has taken a loss of popularity. In fact, it seems that anything Arcane magic can do, Psionics can do just as well, if not better, and with much less hassle. As a result, Wizards and Sorcerers are much rarer. The great mage councils of old who would gather together to work toward the betterment of society and the furthering of the Arcane arts. However, there hasn't been a meeting of that sort in 100 years. Tens and hundreds of Wizard Acadamies closed, less than 50 schools are still running today, each with its own Archmage. The last time the Archmages met, 100 years ago, they vowed to continue their teachings for free as long as they could. To that end, they pooled their wealth and put it into 50 separate schools, providing free Wizard training for as many students as they could accept. The other Archmages, those who were not teachers, set forth to obtain treasures and gold to continue to fund their schools, but they have all perished or disappeared. Now, the 50 schools are run by 50 High Wizards, 10 Arcane Masters, and 1 Archmage, Gregory the Wise. He has a number of personal apprentices, but he holds little hope of any of them acheiving the same level of knowledge of the Arcane Masters, or even the High Wizards.
Psionics is the new thing, within 20 miles of the Stone of Opened Mind are 15 Psionics schools, and countless Psionic Masters who teach one student at a time. Specially crafted Psion stones can light cities, purify water, and even enhance travel through Psionic forces. People, whether they know it or not, rely on the power of Psionics every day.
Now, you may have just now figured out what's going to happen in my campaign, but that's okay. The man that rose up from the pit is the last descendant of the previous royal family, one that ruled 600 years ago. In that day, Arcane magic was at its peak, people came to their local magicians for everything. He grew up in a world where all nobles were tutored in magic. When he learns that the Arcane arts have fallen into decay, he sets out to destroy the Stone of the Opened Mind.
Why he was imprisoned, and why he was released, I haven't figured out yet, but those details will come.
Hey I like this. So much that I'm gonna ask if I can be involved in the campaign. My dude would be a human Psion, possibly with levels of pyromancer. His part in this would be he's trying to keep the pit dude from wasting the Stone of the Opened Mind. Can I come? Pleeeeeeeeeease?