| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| WalkerNinja |
Posted - 25 Oct 2006 : 20:41:06
Well, Friday I am beginning a new FR adventure set in the Moonsea and incorporating MotM and SoG. The players will begin at 1st level, and are based out of Phlan (three are native Phlaners, two are immigrants, but have lived there for a number of years).
Sessions 1-3 (entitled "The Laws of Phlan") are designed to liberate the characters from their lives as greengrocers. Phlan will likely continue to recur in the campaign as a sort of home base between the various phases of the MotM adventure path. These way-stops will probably kick off the "Perilous Gateways" side adventure for the Moonsea that was published at wizards.com.
But back to Sessions 1-3... The campaign will begin at the Laughing Goblin Inn (under new management since the Phlan trilogy) where one party member will be framed for the murder (in fact committed by Corwyn Jaffe of Melvaunt)of an associate of the new First Councillor (a tempermental adventurer). That character will be taken to jail, and have to face either a violent stay in general population, or an equally violent stay in a solitary confinement hole inhabited by starving rats. The character will then be rail-roaded through the trial, found guilty, and sentenced to slay the unlawful (and monstrous) inhabitants of Sokol Keep. As the solitary character would be unlikely to survive this sentence alone, the remaining characters may volunteer to accompany her. The First Councilor, upset that the character will survive then sends some hired thugs to follow the adventurers and slay them. Session 3 should end with the characters fleeing Phlan toward Melvaunt, with the Clerics of Tyr working in their absence to assuage the First Councillor.
What I would like to know from the community, is what are the 5 things that you would want to see in Phlan to be able to have the "Phlan Experience."
I figured that the Laughing Goblin Inn is an iconic element of Phlan (literarilly), and that Sokol Keep continues a tradition started by the old Pool of Radiance video game. Being sentenced to "reconstructive tasks" in lieu of imprisonment or death also is a very Phlanish activity. Is there anything that I'm missing? After these three sessions will my players have a good understanding of Phlan?
On a side note, I found a reference where Ed said that the coast of the Northern Moonsea looks a lot like Windermere, England in the Lakes District. I have since located some great pictures for a visual refrence of the terrain for my players. I think that it will add a lot to their experience.
-Walker |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dart Ambermoon |
Posted - 28 Oct 2006 : 00:12:32
Well, to add to the praise, this campaign plan seems rocking. You really seem to have it down pat, concerning the grit your players wished for.
And I really like the secret sheets idea. I´ve been using something similar to those for two chars in a Waterdeep-based Campaign. It can be a lot of fun. |
| WalkerNinja |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 21:51:11
Thanks for the reminder on the Quivering Forest! I don't think that I had ever heard of that, but it does sound interesting.
As for the three Dvoraks...
I pregenerated personalities, backgrounds, and ability scores for each of these five characters, then had my players draft them. They were allowed to choose their own class, alignment, feats, skills, etc... so long as it was cogent with the back ground that they had been supplied. My players were very much in favor of the idea, and rather looked at it as if they were trying out for parts in a movie. I emphasized that these should be dynamic characters, i.e. they shouldn't be exactly the same as they are now 10 levels from now. So I gave them an idea, I want them to run with it.
That being said...
The Dvorak family is a group of Damaran immigrants (Dvorak seemed Russo/Slavic to me, which is how I picture Damara). When they arrived, they purchased the Laughing Goblin Inn and set to work.
Bartolous is the youngest son of the family, and is exceptionally bright. To this end, his father supplied instructors for him to learn accounting and business management (to someday inherit the inn since his older brother is the dumb lug that works as the bouncer). He was later apprenticed to a wizard in Thentia (and the reason that he's back in Phlan now is very interesting).
Bartolous' father, a well-to-do inn keeper with political aspirations, tends to be charitable, and so adopted Davram as an infant. Davram was found by a ranger in the mangled wreckage of a wagon in the wilderness with an odd orcish symbol painted on his chest in blood. All of Davram's biological family were found dead (and partially eaten nearby). Father Dvorak, being a very religious, superstitious, and traditional fellow, raised Davram with the knowledge of his family's demise. He told him that it was his duty to avenge his family. To that end, as often as he could afford, he paid for Davram to study under swordsmen passing through town. Each Midwinter (I forget the name of the winter holiday), he and Davram go to "The Waiting" (local temple of Tyr) to renew a sacred vow to the gods in the midst of a secret ritual.
Esvelle, was also adopted by Father Dvorak (charity is good for one's public image, y'know), but under very different circumstances. Esvelle, also as an infant, was brought to Elsanoth New Moon by "an anonymous old crone in her last moments." The crone made him swear to protect the girl from the corrupting influences of the world. Elsanoth swore, but did not feel up to the task, and so passed the buck to the local inn-keeper. Still, he felt some degree of obligation, so he has stayed in town and continues to look in on her. She has grown up to be a very special girl indeed.
Now... why is she an Aasimar? Well, that goes back to character creation. You see, Esvelle's player DOES NOT KNOW THAT SHE IS AN AASIMAR. She doesn't even know the circumstances of her adoption in truth. She considers Elsanoth to be a friend, but doesn't know why he is so watchfull over her. She doesn't even look particularly distinctive (I believe that her traits are resonant voice and golden hair).
I mentioned that I created backgrounds for my characters, which they read and then selected their characters. Once they had selected their characters, I handed them a second sheet of paper. This one contained their SECRETS. So now you know one of Elsanoth's secrets.
But how wouldn't the player know, if he read the secrets sheet?
The secrets sheet only has the secrets that the character is cognizant of and everyone else is oblivious to. The character does not know that she is an Aasimar, thus neither does the player. On Esvelle's character sheet, it reads "Damaran Female." Each of the characters has a Secret Secret sheet, that only I have a copy of. Each time they figure one out, they get and EXP bonus. None of them even know that their Secret Secret sheet exists.
So how will she use her spell-like abilities? My thought is that whenever her heart-rate races (like someone's about to kill me!) that her light ability will "flip on."
BTW, since Bartolous is a wizard, he suspects that there is more to Esvelle than meets the eye, but trusts her implicitly since he has grown up with her.
So who are Esvelle's real parents? Well, thats on the Secret Secret Page too... |
| Halidan |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 18:53:56
quote:
Originally posted by WalkerNinja
What I would like to know from the community, is what are the 5 things that you would want to see in Phlan to be able to have the "Phlan Experience."
I figured that the Laughing Goblin Inn is an iconic element of Phlan (literarilly), and that Sokol Keep continues a tradition started by the old Pool of Radiance video game. Being sentenced to "reconstructive tasks" in lieu of imprisonment or death also is a very Phlanish activity. Is there anything that I'm missing?
First of all, let me say that I think you've gotten off to an excellent start for this campaign. I think you're players are in for some very gritty and grim times - and since they actually asked for that - they should be very pleased.
Back to your original question - for me, part of the "Phlan experience" has always been about ancient magics and lore coming to light after being burried for centuries. While many places in the Realms have buried treasure, Phlan has always struck me as a place where ancient mysteries seem to pop up around almost every corner. This would include mysteries like:
The powerful, dangerous and mysterious Pools of Radiance - pools that shift from place to place and can either provide you with awsome magical powers or kill with only a single drop.
Ancient vampires ruling hoards of zombies and lesser undead in the Valhinjen Graveyard. Cyrpts with secret passages that lead to traps and hoards of mosnters guarding ancient relics of Tyr or other goodly powers.
The strange metalic pyramid at the Sorcerer's Isle and it's mysterious inhabitant. Even if it's not spewing polution into the Stojanow River, the Isle's inhabitants are almost always mysterious loners of suspect morality.
The strange Quivering Forest north of town. The forest grows to full maturity in only a few years, but seems to have an ancient, other-worldly feel about it.
Those are my initial thoughts. |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 18:09:00
Then there's also the composer Dvorak ( my computer skills are not good enough to do the proper marking of the letters so any Czechs or fans of classical music in general will have to excuse me). Out of curiosity; where did you chose the name from? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 15:14:28
quote:
Originally posted by Ergdusch
Intersting that 3 of the group bare identical last names: Dvorak!
Even more interesting that 2 are damaran Humans but one is an aasimar. Share with me - how are they related if at all.
Or is Dvorak a last name you find so very often in Phlan like "John Smith"?? ;)
It's also a real world name... Some guy named Dvorak invented a variant keyboard layout. There are claims that it's more efficient than the QWERTY layout, but from what I've read, the studies were heavily skewed towards the Dvorak layout. |
| Ergdusch |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 14:58:03
Intersting that 3 of the group bare identical last names: Dvorak!
Even more interesting that 2 are damaran Humans but one is an aasimar. Share with me - how are they related if at all.
Or is Dvorak a last name you find so very often in Phlan like "John Smith"?? ;) |
| Kalin Agrivar |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 14:07:51
quote:
Originally posted by WalkerNinja
What I would like to know from the community, is what are the 5 things that you would want to see in Phlan to be able to have the "Phlan Experience."
the old 2E The Moonsea accessory has a lot on the flavour of the moonsea region and Phlan (I haven't compared it to the MotM adventure though)
also in 2E is Elminster's Ecologies box set, which has a section on Thar (just north of Phlan)
and there is the really old 1E FRC1 Ruins of Adventure, which was the original Pools of Radience module (but would be set 20 some years in your games past, but may have soem useful hooks, npcs and ideas you can use) |
| MerrikCale |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 13:33:17
quote:
Originally posted by Dungeon Moron
My compliments.
Same here. Nicely thought out. |
| WalkerNinja |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 12:29:51
As it happens, Hillsfar has been seeking to tap Phlan as a source for cheap unsmelted iron. The First Councilor (a half-orc) has been resistent to this because of the Great Law of Humanity (she doesn't want to feed her foes). Maalthir, not accustomed to being flouted, sets out to have bad things happen to the First Councilor until the Council gives in to his envoys. Employing uber-magics or Red Plumes would be too obvious, so he hires a Melvauntan pirate (Corwyn Jaffe) through Marduk (who pretends to be a Zhent) to do bad things to those close to the First Councilor.
That's the political end of my game, with some intra-Phlan politics going on as well. |
| Dungeon Moron |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 09:26:21
You have a very well designed campaign thought up for your PC's. I am no expert in Phlan but with all the things you mentioned, including environmental pictures, I would say your players would get a really good grasp on Phlan itself. My compliments.
I always like DM's doing some research before starting a campaign.
A thing you might keep in mind is, that the Moonsea is a perilous area, where different cities ands town all have alliances, dislikes and politics. Always nice to throw in a couple of layers of some greater plot when they reach higher levels
Good luck |
| Sanishiver |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 06:58:02
The breakdown for your group reminds me of the Grey Box style adventuring parties of old. I like it!
Although not a theme of Phlan per se (but one I recall from gaming there on two occassions), I suppose you could stress the hardcore danger of the place. That is, if the PCs are to clear areas out, you can ignore fixed encounter locations by throwing more monsters at them after the point where a 'normal' encounter would be over.
Recent play experience has reminded me how exciting it can be to battle foes continuously without resting and with little or no healing available. Your group seems suited to this style of play.
Anyway, hope this helps a bit.
J. Grenemyer |
| WalkerNinja |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 04:25:31
Sanishiver-
It is a little narrow in scope, but for now thats what my players want. We just finished 63 sessions of very broad, sweeping, semi-free-form craziness, and they told me that they wanted something old school, gritty, and mean. One of the things I started off with was limiting the party to just one spell caster, either one cleric or one wizard/sorcerer (knowing that they would dump the cleric). Its going to be very much like Robert E. Howard's Conan. Of course there is room for deviations, and I have appropriately prepared for such eventualities.
Merrick here's our roster
-Davram Dvorak (F1 Damaran Male NG)
-Elsanoth New Moon (Rog1 Moon Elf Male NN)
-Bartolous Dvorak (W1[Diviner] Damaran Male CN)
-Angorn the Black (Barb1 Shield Dwarf Male CG)
-Esvelle Dvorak (Bard1 Aasimar Female CG)
I have reasonably deep profiles on each of these, if anyone is interested |
| MerrikCale |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 02:51:41
I like it. Who are the PCs? |
| Sanishiver |
Posted - 26 Oct 2006 : 02:43:18
This sounds like a really great game-to-be.
What you've written sounds pretty arrow-straight though. That is, not much room for the player(s) to do more than be led from A to B. Perhaphs you should write up a contingency plan, or have other options on the table for you as DM, in case the players don't follow your general adventure outline?
Gosh it's been so long since I've played in Phlan...it's such a harsh, unforgiving place. I think you've captured that fairly well. 
J. Grenemyer |
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