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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Markustay Posted - 26 Jun 2015 : 03:54:11
So my son is in a campaign with me and my other son, and he is also in a game with his uncle and cousins. He was telling me about his adventures, and I realize they are exploring Gauntlgrym. My group started out with the Mines of Pandelver and are now exploring around the Neverwinter area. So geographically, they are in the same vicinity!

I texted my brother-in-law and asked what edition he is running; his game is set in the 1370's and is 3e (3.5). My game is 5e.

So I just had an idea and want to work something out with my brother-in-law: What if his group created/destroyed something, or left some other permanent 'marker' on the area, or better yet - lost an item. Maybe a valuable magic wand or sword. Once he figures out what it will be, I can have my two sons stumbled across it.

I think when my 17 year old realizes that he just found something he lost in the other game a century earlier it would be one of those 'D&D moments' that he will talk about for the rest of his life.

What do you guys think? Worth the effort, or cheesy?
16   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Rils Posted - 14 Dec 2015 : 18:37:36
Just wait until they come up against a roadblock in your (later) campaign, and then "just happen" in the earlier campaign to leave themselves the one thing they need to get past it... :)
Cyrinishad Posted - 23 Jul 2015 : 14:51:37
Just dropping my 2 cents on this one... This kind of overlap is a total homerun (and the Realms is almost built for it at this point). I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to have players find things, and interact with characters from previous or parallel campaigns before, and you can literally see the person's eyes light up when they realize what has happened... Wicked fun.

Also, I've found that it makes players become more invested in making comprehensive characters (instead of just a sheet with numbers on it)... because in the back of their mind they're always thinking that something they do, or the character they've made might affect a different campaign. It makes the players feel like they're building the world, instead of just going along for the ride... I hope it's a big hit at your table.
Dark Wizard Posted - 29 Jun 2015 : 03:20:42
Do it!
Derulbaskul Posted - 28 Jun 2015 : 16:57:58
quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood

I'd say go for it. Related question: Is there any official product featuring Gauntlgrym in some detail?



Bruce Cordell wrote a short background piece on Gauntlgrym as a DDi article. From memory - and judging by the author - it doesn't really marry up with previous lore or even the RAS-created rewrite. I like the map, though, even if it is fairly simple (basically a bunch of districts and no detail... but perfect for the way I now DM dungeon adventures).
Derulbaskul Posted - 28 Jun 2015 : 16:54:56
quote:
Originally posted by The Arcanamach

WORTH THE EFFORT. (snip)


Yep. And that must be in all caps to emphasise that this is a great idea. Definitely do it.
Markustay Posted - 28 Jun 2015 : 14:00:38
quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood

Are you saying..it's not real?

You want to know something?

After the "world... " in my above post, I originally had "which it is". But then I edited it. I didn't want people to think I'm that nuts.

When I am working on maps, and reading all the entries on each locale, and learning about the people and cultures therein (and flora and fauna), I can actually start to feel 'the heartbeat' of The Realms. I can feel its life-blood coursing through its hills and valleys. I don't feel like a cartographer, I feel like a surgeon.
Caladan Brood Posted - 27 Jun 2015 : 21:04:02
Are you saying..it's not real?
Markustay Posted - 27 Jun 2015 : 19:16:37
Okay, the adventure itself is entirely homebrew. The modules my son thinks he is seeing (and is) is really just Eric using NPCs out of other adventures (a nifty idea, really).

If anything, this would be more in the vicinity of Baffenburg (although my BiL had no idea that place existed). Its close to the spine of the world, somewhere between Mirabar and Mithril Hall. A bit further away then I had wanted, but still do-able. I can head north, or he can head south, or both.

The main thing is he is on-board now, and once he has something tangible for me to use, I will insert it into my game. We don't want anything to feel 'forced' - the whole idea is to make things flow seamlessly together as if FR was a real world... which is why we all love The Realms in the first place.


1) Buying some D&D books ----------------- under a $100
2) Having a Brother-in-law who also runs a game --- FREE
3) Having a player realize the 'rusty gauntlet' he just found at the bottom of the river was the same one he lost a century earlier in a whole 'nother campaign ---- PRICELESS.
Cards77 Posted - 27 Jun 2015 : 03:11:35
I think it's a great idea. It will make things feel very real. It will likely also really make all the players involved think about how their decisions effect the world in both games. An opportunity to demonstrate that in a fun way can't be passed by.
Markustay Posted - 26 Jun 2015 : 16:17:38
quote:
Originally posted by Caladan Brood

I'd say go for it. Related question: Is there any official product featuring Gauntlgrym in some detail?
You know, this is one of the things I need to ask my bro-in-law. I'm not even sure if it IS Gauntlgrym.

My son told me it was a 'deserted dwarven city - a ruin', and that the "Red Wizards of Thay" corrupted the dwarven clan there (or nearby) to help them. He says "He thinks its a pre-made module, but he thinks Uncle Eric is throwing in lots of HB stuff".

So I know WotC did some things in that area around Neverwinter Wood and Gauntlgrym, but that was 4e. The Red Wizards were only active (in force) in The North post-3e, so you would think his campaign was in the Unapproachable East, but I can't think of any sizable dwarven ruin that might be in that area. The only ruin like that I can think of in a region where the Red Wizards are active (in 3e) is Thunderholme. However, I know my BiL always ran stuff on the Sword Coast and loves Waterdeep, so unless he's change his preferred region I am just assuming it must be Gauntlgrym (but then why are the Red Wizards in that area in 3e? Unless thats the part he is home-brewing?)

So I guess what I am saying is, I am asking the same question as you - "does any of this sound familiar to anyone in a prefab module?" He's at work right now so I won't be calling him until later.
Caladan Brood Posted - 26 Jun 2015 : 15:47:06
Oh and yes to keeping it one thing - an item, or perhaps scribbling on a dungeon wall - "Son of Markustay was here" :-D
Caladan Brood Posted - 26 Jun 2015 : 15:45:54
I'd say go for it. Related question: Is there any official product featuring Gauntlgrym in some detail?
Markustay Posted - 26 Jun 2015 : 14:55:13
His DMing style is VERY different from mine (even though I taught him). Thus, a lot of what he does doesn't fit well with me (his players have fun though, so its all good).

I also don't want it to look like MY campaign is just the 'sequel' to his, so I don't want a lot of crossover. Plus, I think that would lessen the dramatic effect of just having this happen the one time.

So I will see what he thinks. An item would be pretty cool (even if its a non-magical item, like a gauntlet someone lost in a river), but I could see a burned-out clearing (where nothing grows) where his group had a massive (magical) battle. It could even be something I haven't even thought of, like his group carving little 'markers' along their paths so they don't lose their way - which is why I have to talk to him and we hash out the details.

The only thing I know is that they've found a dwarf (NPC) who betrayed his clan, but he did so because his clan had 'gone bad' (worked with Red Wizards), and that dwarf is now turned to stone (and they are lugging him along with them). In my campaign they are working for dwarfs and my son IS a dwarf (the Phandelver adventure), so our connection might lie in there somewhere. In his time period Phandalin was a ruin, and Leilon was an active town. In 5e, the reverse is true. If he wants, we may even somehow find a reverse-connection (although I have no idea how my 'future' campaign could effect his). Of course, I am not using the canon realms anyway, so none of that matters unless I want it to.

I guess I really need to just work it out with my brother-in-law.
Gary Dallison Posted - 26 Jun 2015 : 08:46:17
Its definitely worth finding out exactly what your son's group achieve in the other campaign (down to the minutest detail).

You can then use those results to put in easter eggs and even develop your campaign.

If they clear out Gauntlgrym then perhaps some survivors of whatever the faced escape and then plague areas around Neverwinter (i'm thinking an illithid or two here). Or if they kill off a group of orcs you can have a small group of descendants of the survivors that have a legend about your son's group (kind of like the four horsemen of the apocalypse from an orc's perspective) so you could have cave art depicting the former heroes.

Any particularly hard battle involving a major enemy could have inadvertantly created a magic item. For instance when they killed the orc boss, his shattered axe harboured a portion of the orc's soul and is now cursed if any human tries to wield it (like a sword of biting or maybe just plain bad luck).

I wouldnt make it obvious so that your brother in law deliberately puts in something for you to use later. Just try and find out as much detail as you can so you can weave something subtle in later. Subtle makes it less cheesy, and if its not obvious then you get the "ooh" moment when the penny drops for him.
Wooly Rupert Posted - 26 Jun 2015 : 06:42:31
I would do that in a heartbeat. Go for it!
The Arcanamach Posted - 26 Jun 2015 : 06:12:25
WORTH THE EFFORT.

That idea will create a real sense of continuity for your sons, and to pull it off from two separate campaigns being run by different DMs? Priceless.

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