• Welcome to The Campaign Builder's Guild.
 

Ruins of a Metro-necropolis

Started by the_taken, November 30, 2006, 11:01:52 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages1
User actions

the_taken

November 30, 2006, 11:01:52 PM Last Edit: December 06, 2006, 02:46:20 PM by the_taken
Remember that campaign setting idea I had? The one where a rift created by invading lawful ant-folk outsiders bent on enslaving all of the prime material, messed up the magic system? I decided to run a game set several centuries after a successful resistance victory.

Opening post:
The Ruins of Mirafar

Before the great invasion, Mirafar was the grandest and most prosperous of all the cities in the world, and the largest necropolis of all time. Ruled by a lich and policed by vampires, it's economic power and military might formed an unstoppable engine of destruction, rebirth and prosperity, despite the setbacks of having a necroticaly tainted populous. It was also the home of the second largest center of magical knowledge and power. Many large stone towers house the living populants, while the graveborn slumbered in the tombs dug beneath the city. The sight from outside it's stone walls evoked a mixture of awe and despair. But walking the obsidian streets was known to be the most relaxing most people would ever encounter. Even the sight of a shambling zombie would not bother the residents.

Mirafar was known for it's military genius. Each shambling warrior was expertly animated and well preserved by liches, led by gifted tacticains and supplimented with vampire ninjas and living warriors. Since Mirafar gained a living population of 10,000, the kindom never lost a war.

None, save for the Formian Invasion. The outsiders were swift and tactful in attacking Mirafar first. They took in a year, with support from Mirafar's greatest rival kingdom, whose name has since been forgotten. Without the great necrotic empire, the Formians took the rest of the world with ease. Very few citizens, living and unliving, left the kingdom before it's fall, and only a handfull were able to escape the collaspe of the empire.

Though most of the outsiders have since been banished, and the kingdom's lands retaken, the world will never see the dark and beautiful splendor that was Mirafar. Unless the founding Lich King Mirafar himself is still animate.

-------------------------

Thru the laws of heritage and decendance, you and your companions are of the few people who have the right to reclaim the land for your own. Your military commander has accepted your request to have the sole honour taking the city back.

[ic=General Edward Duke]"Remanants of the Formians are still in the city capital itself, though were speculating that remanant undeath energy should still cause much trouble to any living intruders. Reasoning that's why the Formians used this place as a prison. I'll leave you a small camp of warriors to hold off guerillas while you cleanse your ancient homeland."[/ic]

Across the open dirt field sits the city. A few towers are missing from the paintings you have viewed in your youth, and a half-built formian mound has sprung up. This hollow husk is your birthright, and you can feel your home calling to you.

It's a strait forward quest, spelled out and handed to the adventurers. My dillema is how to keep the party interested for play from levels 5 thru 13 or so while only encountering corporeal undead, formians, and the rare POW (living and unliving).

SA

#1
November 30, 2006, 11:36:36 PM
My advice would be to not merely have the aforementioned encounters.  I'm doing a "reclamation"-type campaign of my own, and faced the same problem.  To counter that, I decided that the invaders continued to use humans for labour (and perhaps sustenance), permitting them to dwell in their own resource-depleted cities where they would have to compete merely to survive, let alone to mount a resistance.

It makes sense for the formians to do something to that effect, and it will provide the players with some respite from the constant city-crawling.

the_taken

#2
December 01, 2006, 12:14:15 AM
Resource-depeleted city? Sounds like my retrofitted metro-necropolis prison. There's so much death energy lingering in the place that only hardy concentrations of positive energy can survive. So that means plants, food, only grows in the 'hallowed' areas while the few ghouls feed off those that wander out looking for water or a new stick to fend off the other prisoners. This also means that the undead can stay and be encountered.

Staked vampires are abound, if only as piles of ash in their coffins. Removing the stake and dropping a few CON points of blood will revive them.

Lots of shinnies to be found. The formians looted for usefull items, not lucretive items. No magic weapons, just gems and coins.

-------------------

Mirafar architechture: An interesting design was developed during the first expansion of the outside walls. Families built a very large stone house directly atop a shallow tomb. As the years passed, the family built the house up, adding new floors and rooms for new members, while digging more tunnels into the tomb. Tombs eventualy interconnected to ease flooding.
During the second expansion, the process was refined. A very deep hole was dug benath the home, and from there the city's newwest seweres were installed first. Then the tombs and sarcophegie were built.
One should note that the tomb and home combo was only used after the first expansion, the orriginal city kept it's residents and dead in seperate sections. The dead in the Graveyard Garden sorounding the palace to be exact.

the_taken

#3
December 03, 2006, 06:21:35 PM
How about Zelda style dungeon quests? The PCs need to aquire 3 keys to eneter the inner city, from outside the city. Then they need 4 keys from the Vampire lords inside the inner city to enter the old distric and the palace. Then within the palace is one final key to enter the Lich King's tomb.
The PCs should aquire 1 lvl per dungeon, then there's the formian mound for bonus points.

Each of the four Vampire Lords' Manors could have an elemental theme to it as well.

Captain Obvious

#4
December 03, 2006, 07:59:45 PM
Sounds cool. Are the vampires and liches the good side (from the pc's PoV at least)? That sounds really cool. i may have read it wrong though.

Is this a game to play at the cbg of elsewhere? If here, i'd love to join, but then i should prolly not read further in this thread.
[spoiler=My Campaign Settings]
The Age of Kings: My main CS(Comments and Criticism welcomed)
Shadows of the Last Alliance: My PbP game\'s CS (Not much written here yet)
...As it is in Heaven: My newer CS (currently mostly just brainstorming)
Vorsatz: my newest setting.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Quotes]
\"We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, leaving only the memory of smoke and the presumption that once our eyes watered.\" -Samuel Beckett
\"Who am I lady? I\'m your worst nightmare. A pumpkin with a gun!\" -Merv Pumpkinhead
\"This whole Case is like a chocolate jigsaw puzzle: It\'s messy, it sticks to your fingers and you don\'t know whether to fit the peices together or just take a big bite.\" - Jack Leaderboard
"Pig's lips meet my lips,
Pig's Stomach meets my stomach,
A meeting of meats."
- Anonnymous hotdog haiku.[/spoiler]
My Unitarian Jihad Name is Brother Boot Knife of Forgiveness.
Instigator of the Weirdo Invasion! :weirdo:

!turtle Are you a member of the turtle club? You bet your boots I am!

SA

#5
December 04, 2006, 06:52:20 AM
The dead ones seem to be on the good side.  Taken speaks so highly of them in the first post.

the_taken

#6
December 04, 2006, 05:01:41 PM
The point is that the liches and vampires were the masters of the once greatest empire on the face of the planet. Wether they were/are of good alignment or not is irrelevant.

In any case, I'm using the concept of negative energy as evil energy. Wether the Vampire Lord Molok was a good guy that pet kittens and gave money to the poor, and never created a vampire spawn or other undead creature while the city was in it's glory days doesn't mean he decided to sit in his coffin and waste away instead of hunting for necks to suck dry after the formians passed thru. Assuming he wasn't staked, the negative energy drove him mad and caused him to turn to the pitch black side. Negative energy in it's purest form is more evil than a rabid balor, and no matter what you are, it's going to make you more and more evil as time goes by, without powerful magic or intense psycological help.
This also means that uncontrolled mindless undead will wander about to do evil.

--------------------------

snip

the_taken

#7
December 06, 2006, 02:11:08 PM
snip

the_taken

#8
December 06, 2006, 02:45:38 PM
snip

the_taken

#9
December 06, 2006, 10:15:15 PM
Would it be more interesting if my zombies spewed some sort of black mist every time you cut them? Instead of blood, they gush clouds of black death energy! That would probably be cool if this was an animated TV show or a video game.

the_taken

#10
December 06, 2006, 10:29:02 PM
snip

Epic Meepo

#11
December 06, 2006, 11:16:29 PM
If you're latest question is whether or not those PrC's would make good encounters, I say go for it. They seem to fit the theme that you're going for and seem like they'd make fun villains.

As for zombies that spew clouds of negative energy, that sounds like a good way to freak your players out. They'd probably think that the clouds of negative energy have some sort of game effect they've never heard of before.
The Unfinished World campaign setting
Proud recipient of a Silver Dorito Award.
Unless noted otherwise, this post contains no Open Game Content.
[spoiler=OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a]OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.

1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Modern System Reference Doument Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Walker.

Swords of Our Fathers Copyright 2003, The Game Mechanics.

Mutants & Masterminds Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing.

Unearthed Arcana Copyright 2004, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Andy Collins, Jesse Decker, David Noonan, Rich Redman.

Epic Meepoââ,¬â,,¢s forum posts at www.thecbg.org Copyright 2006-2007, E.W. Morton.

Cebexia, Tapestry of the Gods Copyright 2006-2007, the Campaign Builder's Guild.[/spoiler]

the_taken

#12
December 07, 2006, 01:44:10 AM
snip

the_taken

#13
December 07, 2006, 06:27:43 PM
The pressure is on. I'm typing up the PM I'm sending to Leaping Shark over on the WotC forumns for permission to start a PbP game. When that thread is given the go, I'm going to start a PbP pregame thread here with a few twists.

Two games at once, seperate score sheets, same goal. I should have the first few adventures ready to go by the time LP says "go".
Print
Go Up Pages1
User actions