So I've been asked to run a game using 4.0 . I don't have a D&D insider account over at the wizard site, but I did find this interesting bit: Here (http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/duad/chaosscar).
I like the idea of the meteor hitting, but I want to tweak it a bit, as a starting point for (what is right now, just a single adventure.)
[spoiler=Horrid Map]I'm quite embarrassed to post this map, but my old laptop with photoshop died unexpectedly. This is entirely done in paint, and will only be used for my reference. (I have several old-school hand drawn maps that I hope to scan eventually, and edit accordingly.)
(http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p136/channinBsan/Cragforgebitmap.jpg)
[/spoiler]
The map shows the current town, with the temple on the ridge, right below the clockwork-like lift, {albeit a bit more primitive, but it was constructed early in the mining towns history, when alot of money was to be made.)
The river runs North-south, originating in some mountains. Smaller buildings and warehouses that are abandoned to the dark.
Cragforge was founded at the site of an impact crater. The towns origins are steeped in mythology involving a dark entity that resided in the meteor, or possibly at the site of the impact. A cult was formed, as cults tend to do. The dark god/ entity/ evil thing ordered them to cause as much havok in the surrounding lands as possible. The cult was destroyed by a couragious paladin whos name is lost to time, but on the site of the old temple of the dark one, a new temple was founded, one devoted to this paladin, who rose to demi-god status.
(Heres the bit that I'm having trouble with)
As a result, a town sprung up around the temple. Mines were constructed and precious ores were pulled from the mountain. Gold, silver, iron and a strange un-earthly black ore were discovered. This black ore was either smuggled away from Cragforge and then made into weapons, or the holy order of the temple was corrupted by its power. (not sure) either way, these 'black weapons' were hunted down and destroyed along with whoever used them.
But inevitably some survived.
The mines of Cragforge have recently been exhausted of resources, the black ore long gone. The silver and gold shipped away..
Somthing stirs beneath the mines. New foolhardy excavations are being led into the bowels of the earth. Creatures of darkness swarm the country side, apparently stirred to life by this black entity.
And that is about all I have. At the moment. I want to use some horror elements, (I recently played Castlevania symphony of the night after about ten years, great inspiration their,) I also have a rogue PC who has developed a pretty interesting backstory, involving a secret god of thievery, who demands physical tribute... and that's about it.
So yea. Thats a start.
Why limit the black ore's use to weaponry? Does it have some properties that make it super-useful for weapons, or useless for other construction? I am imagining the potential of a corrupting black metal as a plot device, and it is huge. What if the ignorant townsfolk made holy amulets out of the black metal in honor of their ancient paladin hero, not realizing that these good luck charms were poisoning their minds? Imagine your players' dread when, after hunting down a rogue "black weapon" user and seeing firsthand what that sinister metal can do, they realize it's all throughout the town they're protecting-- in the building frames, in the cobblestones of the street, in the wrought-metal street lamps, in the buckles of the peasants' shoes....
People will tell you that the "digging too deep and awakening a timeless evil" is overdone, but I like it.
What is the role of the modern temple, exactly? Yeah, they were established in ancient times to honor an ancient hero, but what do they do? Are they involved in government? Do they have much political clout? Do they actively work as guardians to prevent more evil from coming out of the mines? Do they strive to do charitable works and convert the heathens? Do they keep a standing army in the ancient paladin's memory, ready as a first line of defense in case something goes catastrophic? The temple seems like it's important in your "ancient evil god/black ore" story, so I think it's worth examining in greater detail what it actually does and how it affects people, beyond "there is a temple here." Especially if you're setting this temple up for a fall to corruption.
Quote from: Luminous CrayonWhy limit the black ore's use to weaponry? Does it have some properties that make it super-useful for weapons, or useless for other construction?
I am imagining the potential of a corrupting black metal as a plot device, and it is huge. What if the ignorant townsfolk made holy amulets out of the black metal in honor of their ancient paladin hero, not realizing that these good luck charms were poisoning their minds?
[/quote]
Imagine your players' dread when, after hunting down a rogue "black weapon" user and seeing firsthand what that sinister metal can do, they realize it's all throughout the town they're protecting-- in the building frames, in the cobblestones of the street, in the wrought-metal street lamps, in the buckles of the peasants' shoes....
[/quote]
People will tell you that the "digging too deep and awakening a timeless evil" is overdone, but I like it.
[/quote]
What is the role of the modern temple, exactly? Yeah, they were established in ancient times to honor an ancient hero, but what do they
do? Are they involved in government? Do they have much political clout? Do they actively work as guardians to prevent more evil from coming out of the mines? Do they strive to do charitable works and convert the heathens? Do they keep a standing army in the ancient paladin's memory, ready as a first line of defense in case something goes catastrophic?
[/quote]
Still fleshing this bit out. I plan on the temple being a sort of cover for surviving agents of the black one. (damn I need a name).
But yea, it is important for the town and for the PCs. Especially if a Cleric is playing. I think alot of cool plotlines will rise up if he realized the holy order that ordained him is a bloody death loving cult plying to take over the world, and then casually destroy it.
A bit more coming soon.
[ic= Bit of Backstory, Mythos and Legend]
...his was such energy that he could not travel the great stretches of the Astral Flux unguarded. He would be likened to a star-shear power. And the Flux and all its myriad gods and entities would take his power. So from his otherworldly prison he concocted a scheme. The great Black Beast made a vessel of iron and stone-black stone. Gold and silver which was of no great importance but numerous in quantity on that far flung prison world.
And he traveled here to this spot for lack of a better world to inhabit perhaps. And his vessel buried, deep into the warm earth. A black heart in a primitive world.
We mortals- we men made a deal with the Worm. And he ate our souls and inhabited our minds with visions of power. We faded with time. And he slept. But the stone. It held power with it. Drops of darkness in its touch. Flames of billowing black aether shot from its very surface and we made weapons and armors. We donned amulets and trinkets . We carried it away from this spot... To the four winds, not knowing its true power nor the creature that inhabited it. The power of the Worm of the Earth. The Dark One.
[/ic]
(//../../e107_files/public/1259780271_968_FT75381_comet.jpg)
[ooc] It just occurred to me that the making of weapons from near indestructible space rock would prove a problem. For now I will put it in magic ritual to take the rock and shape it. Or perhaps the creator has to strike a deal with the Dark One to actually make the item. [/ooc]
[ooc] My rogue character has asked for a deity to worship...through theft. From time to time the deity sends him a vision or somthing to show him what to steal next, and where to take it. The rogue will have a rune on his wrist or palm, that only glows faintly (or causes a stab of pain) whenever he comes near an object of interest for the deity.
[/ooc]
Arc the Coveter
A localized deity of the mortal plane, he is roughly equivalent to the Raven Queen, in that his domain is inevitable. Theft is bound to occur due to want, and Want is a very mortal thing. Kingdoms have toppled over want, kings dethroned, great treasures stolen and lost etc. It is a very secretive cult, and the symbol of Arc, (A semi-circle with a dot within) is never written anywhere permanent, and used only to mark the passage of another member of the cult, or to show directions. It might be scrawled in the sand, or very lightly in wood, but always in a clever place that an average person would not think to look. The design is meant to look almost natural, and very simple in order to make the mark quickly, and efficiently.
The deity speaks to prospective worshipers- mainly street riff-raff, thugs, thieves, etc. through visions or dreams. The cult is found only in small pockets of two or three, who may not even know they are working in conjuncture, let along the true identity of the others. For example, one member may be tasked with stealing a key, the other a map and the third, would use the map and key to steal what the cell was truly after.
The cells answer to a fence who coordinates the lower members, much like a puppeteer. The Puppeteer takes the items and adds to a larger cache of goods that draw from that region. The region is under control of a higher up, and he uses the wealth to conduct large scale operations, fund expeditions to dangerous lands/ruins etc, in order to gain more valuable items, maybe even magical items or artifacts. What happens to these items is unknown except to a handful of very powerful mortals.
[ooc]
Evolving some themes of the campaign...Dark Paladins. Mysterious Gods. Dead gods for that matter.. Want, Life, Death, Need.
Also I've been digging through old school console RPGs lately.. Castlevania as I mentioned before. But also FF7 (the meteor thing) Dark Paladins (FF2? 3?) and time (chrono trigger).
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Some places:
Wycheborne Pillars
Local legend says if you wish your child to be gifted with dark powers, you should conceive at this spot. (why anyone would wish to have a demonic child is beyond me or the PCs , but hey legends tend to be quirky like that.) This might be a good explanation for Warlocks etc.
The pillars are numbered in the hundreds. Structures fifty feet to one hundred feet high, built of the rocks scattering the low lands around Cragforge, and the massive driftwood logs found on the shoreline some fifty miles away to the east. (someone must have dragged all this stuff together..nice little bit o' fluff) Anyway the site is a leyline for dark powers. Maybe a tendril of the Cragforges evil.
Inspired by this. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladonia_%28micronation%29)
Waterworks of Lu
Before the current era, and long before the Cragforge meteor struck, their was of course a great stereotypical empire. But it rose and fell very quickly. The waterworks are mounds raised in spirals, some as big as half a mile wide and several hundreds of feet high. They collected rainwater and were used to irrigate the incredible amount of farmland needed to sustain the empires huge population.
Long in ruin, the three main mounds, (they look like [spoiler=Triskelions]
(//../../e107_files/public/1259861370_968_FT75381_triskelion_.png) (//../../e107_files/public/1259861370_968_FT75381_triskelion.png)
[/spoiler] from above.) and a handful of the larger aqueducts splintering off are all that remain of the monument.
Madmans Living Hill
Seen from a distance this mountain appears to look like an enormous giant laying down on his back. (it probably was..ever adventure inside of a thousand year old giants intestines?)
Tomb of Mim
Not much for this yet, but I know it involves ice.
Yellow Caves
I found a desert type adventure I wanted to use, mostly inside sandy dungeons, and I figure this will work.
[spoiler=Wind Harp]
(//../../e107_files/public/1259861722_968_FT75381_windharp.jpg)
Ever since I saw this over on Atlas Obscura I wanted to incorporate it into a setting. I'm thinking of making it a physical embodiment of Time. The four winds (of time) continually blow through the Harp, (creating an eerie tune) and cause the forward flow of time. If someone were to cease the winds, then time maybe could be manipulated. More on this later I suppose.[/spoiler]
I like Arc the Coveter.
I want to know what makes people want to worship him, though. Are want and need tide together? Does he provide for his worshipers?
Quote from: SarisaWycheborne Pillars
Local legend says if you wish your child to be gifted with dark powers, you should conceive at this spot. (why anyone would wish to have a demonic child is beyond me or the PCs , but hey legends tend to be quirky like that.) This might be a good explanation for Warlocks etc.
Maybe demon cults like to abduct pregnant women and take them to that place?
Quote from: SarisaThe pillars are numbered in the hundreds. Structures fifty feet to one hundred feet high, built of the rocks scattering the low lands around Cragforge, and the massive driftwood logs found on the shoreline some fifty miles away to the east. (someone must have dragged all this stuff together..nice little bit o' fluff) Anyway the site is a leyline for dark powers. Maybe a tendril of the Cragforges evil.
Now I'm burning to know more about that place's history. Although it may be good to leave the story partially obscure, it couldn't hurt to throw some hints as to who constructed the pillars and why.
Don't be afraid to make your players justify their own character origins.
If you're running a game, you've got enough planning and preparation work on your plate without taking it upon yourself to provide a stock origin story for every character class/archetype your players may or may not choose.
Regarding a place like the Wycheborne Pillars, if you need the place for your own nefarious schemes or you want it because you adore its color and charm, great. But if you've got a player who just wants a Warlocks 'R Us retailer, let him come up with his own origin story-- that's his problem, not yours.
In my experience, most players-- at least, the ones you want to have in your game-- are remarkably good at writing their own ideas that either fit into the confines of whatever world you're running in, or that stretch those confines in ways acceptable to the both of you. If a player wants to write up an evil god of thieves and the possible conspiracy that drives his worshipers, or a dark cult using sinister landscaping to infuse unborn children with dark and terrible powers, great. Maybe that player will be prescient enough to seize your "black metal" idea and run with it; maybe you can associate the two after the fact (and possible not tell your player until later). Sure, you will occasionally get the guy who signs up to play in your Call of Cthulhu game but writes you an X-Men character for it, but swift, firm correction works wonders. I recommend a spray bottle full of water, just like you'd use on an unruly cat. In general, though, it is safe to delegate this sort of thing to your players-- it reduces your own workload and gives them a sense of investiture in the world and in the game.
Basically, this is the part of your planning process where I encourage you to focus on the important basics, because I fear you are in danger of missing the forest for the trees.
This sounds really interesting. I love the plot twists, the ones about the black metal. Burried with a black shiny medallion, the peasants shoe buckles and street lamps made of dark=awesome.
Quote from: Luminous CrayonIn my experience, most players-- at least, the ones you want to have in your game-- are remarkably good at writing their own ideas that either fit into the confines of whatever world you're running in, or that stretch those confines in ways acceptable to the both of you.
In general, though, it is safe to delegate this sort of thing to your players-- it reduces your own workload and gives them a sense of investiture in the world and in the game.
[/quote]that[/i] into it. But absolutely this would be encouraged. I would even bend a few rules to get the PC the character they want. Except for the warlock thing.
QuoteBasically, this is the part of your planning process where I encourage you to focus on the important basics, because I fear you are in danger of missing the forest for the trees.
Thank you for the sound advice.
Quote from: GhostmanNow I'm burning to know more about that place's history. Although it may be good to leave the story partially obscure, it couldn't hurt to throw some hints as to who constructed the pillars and why.
I'm not sure myself (yet) why they were built. I know I want to keep with the theme of this evil corrupting existing elements of the world. So possibly these things are epic-ly ancient. Built long before the meteor hit, or any empires rose and fell. That sort of thing.
Quote from: SarisaTo me, the warlock class is kind of ...idunno COOL yes. But it just doesnt work for me.
I know
exactly what you mean by this. Totally on the same page as you, re: warlocks.
METEMTEC DOGSPEAR:
Was once a great Shaman for goblins in the Low Kingdoms. He gained control of the tribe after killing a the leader of a tribe of Lycanthropes that had been fighting the Grim Totems for territory. (hence the name Dog Spear) Goblins still have a great fear of any kind of dog. MetemTec was apparently killed instantly when the meteor struck after having horrible visions of dark things crawling from the earth. (which goblins also worship, but only specific geographical locations) The goblins constructed stone totems all across the valley in his honor. Many of them were pulled down by the Paladins of Bahamut, but most of these were small things. One major totem remains on the Old East Road and acted as a buffer for the evil in the Wycheborne Pillars. These totems are guarded by the goblin tribe called the Grim Totems to the south , which is ruled by a Tiefling Warlock named Damakos ( infernal pact) Damakos uses his infernal powers to combat a much greater evil (the meteors dark creature) .
[ooc]
This NPC is long dead, but the PCs will encounter these 'totems' on occasion. Goblins in this world are not all that they appear to be-namely the stereotypical violent little creatures. I'm trying to give them an almost meso-american spin. We'll see how it turns out..
[/ooc]