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Vaeldroth
Acolyte
USA
25 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Aug 2012 : 18:14:00
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Hi all,
I've currently got a 1e Greyhawk game I'm running my 3 players through on a regular basis. The group consists of an OA-styled monk, a cleric of Narebo, and a drow magic-user/thief.
I'm currently running them through the moathouse section of the Temple of Elemental Evil supermodule, if any of you are familiar with that. I purchased the Forgotten Realms Adventures book in hopes of moving them into the realms in the post-ToT era, but the best I can come up with is having the Big Bad at the end of the moathouse trick them into entering a magic portal to the realms.
There are a few problems I'm finding with my approach. One, a portal is kind of a trope way of dumping them in, but they are used to sandbox play, so it's hard to steer the group into anything, and I don't want it to feel forced. The other is that the cleric is a follower of Narebo, which is easily converted to Tymora, but the best I could come up with there is that Tymora owes Narebo a favor, and will provide powers to the cleric while they are in the realms. How should I introduce the cleric to Tymora?
I also had 2 different ideas for dumping the group into the realms. One is to dump them into water and have them be rescued by a ship pulling into Suzail, and soon after, pirates attack. The other is to place them north of Suzail with a not-yet-converted-to-Cyric cleric of Myrkul in their way, with a Suzail patrol that's been trapped between the cleric's forces and the rocks asking them all kinds of questions about who they are and where they came from.
Phew! Sorry if that was kinda long winded, I just wanted to be clear.
Any help would be appreciated!
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2067 Posts |
Posted - 21 Aug 2012 : 18:22:02
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Are you sure you want to treat it as a shift from one world (Greyhawk) to another (Forgotten Realms)?
It might be less jarring to say "it's been in FR all along," particularly if the PCs have never ventured beyond Verbonc (sp?).
There are plenty of places you could put T1-8 in the Realms if you've only ever done that region. Call Norebo a regional alias for Tymora and that will help further.
Happy to give suggestions on your original question, but just curious why you were choosing the separate world approach.
--Eric |
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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Vaeldroth
Acolyte
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 21 Aug 2012 : 18:29:44
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quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd
Are you sure you want to treat it as a shift from one world (Greyhawk) to another (Forgotten Realms)?
It might be less jarring to say "it's been in FR all along," particularly if the PCs have never ventured beyond Verbonc (sp?).
There are plenty of places you could put T1-8 in the Realms if you've only ever done that region. Call Norebo a regional alias for Tymora and that will help further.
Happy to give suggestions on your original question, but just curious why you were choosing the separate world approach.
--Eric
One reason is that my group has a tendency to play it safe. I really don't want them to go back into Hommlet. TH=heir habits are almost absurd. A first twitch reaction every time hit points or spells get low is "run back to town where it's safe!" I don't want them to have that option so much. I also screwed up with the drow, she's been able to generally walk in the open, but spooks the locals. I'd like to move to a harsher type of play more appropriate to how drow would be treated by the general populace.
The party's also been chasing their NPC hirelings instead of making more progress.
One more reason is that they rolled for their homelands in Greyhawk, and social status.
Finally, I've found I really have more fun with my own material, and don't want to deal with running a module any more. |
Edited by - Vaeldroth on 21 Aug 2012 18:31:50 |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 21 Aug 2012 : 19:10:48
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The most common way to travel between worlds is via gates -- don't worry about it being a 'trope way', these connections are fundamental to the premise of the Forgotten Realms. Either they go accidentally -- probably via an old, forgotten gate in a strange place they're exploring, or someone sends them there through a number of magical means, or they choose to go somehow. Sorry, don't know which will fit your campaign best. In the accidental case, you might put in some kind of clue, like symbols in a ruin's ancient stones, so it feels less arbitary.
Quite likely your cleric of Norebo will find his spells mysteriously granted, in fact by Tymora, who may send explicit or cryptic messages to him or may stay silent, leaving it to him to work out what's going on. Or his spells may stop until he devotes himself to a god of the Realms. Either way, have them encounter a few different kinds of priests, whether in shrines, temples, travelling, part of other adventuring companies, of which Tymorans are one. I wouldn't think in terms of gods owing each other favours or other human behaviour like that -- keep it mysterious. |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2067 Posts |
Posted - 21 Aug 2012 : 19:28:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Vaeldroth
One reason is that my group has a tendency to play it safe. I really don't want them to go back into Hommlet. Their habits are almost absurd. A first twitch reaction every time hit points or spells get low is "run back to town where it's safe!" I don't want them to have that option so much.
So, this is unlikely to change simply by shifting worlds. Assuming you go with the portal idea, dumping them in hostile territory is the best way to go (which you suggested above). And like Faraer says, portals are a staple of the Forgotten Realms, including portals between worlds.
quote:
I also screwed up with the drow, she's been able to generally walk in the open, but spooks the locals. I'd like to move to a harsher type of play more appropriate to how drow would be treated by the general populace.
This actually screams opportunity to me. Why is she able to do this, when other drow cannot or dare not?
One answer is that she's an idiot or convinced of her own power. One day when the PCs return to Hommlet (in the Realms, for example), the find the entire population (with any hirelings they left behind dead as well) slaughtered, and spiders everywhere. Of the drow, there's nothing to be seen.
The other answer is she can't. She's dead soon enough, and the drow who killed her (to make an example of her for daring to escape the social strictures of her culture) replace her with orders to do their mission better.
The party's also been chasing their NPC hirelings instead of making more progress.
quote:
One more reason is that they rolled for their homelands in Greyhawk, and social status.
Finally, I've found I really have more fun with my own material, and don't want to deal with running a module any more.
All good reasons. |
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 05:17:37
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Yeah, I ran GH for years, and would never allow a Drow PC in that setting (they are killed on sight, even more-so then in FR). There are NO good Drow in GH.
On the other hand, we connected Erelhei-Cinlu (from GH) to FR (because it IS canonically mentioned in an FR sourcebook) in the Elven netbook. Basically, the deep Underdark has even deeper connections between planes (Beyond countless Doorways Underlands), and fanatical (by Drow standards, which is pretty bad) Menzo drow used these connections to establish a city in GH many years ago, and trade existed to some extent for quite some time before the path was lost. Unfortunately, using this plot hook would mean going deep into the Underdark, which I really don't think your group of overly-cautious types will do.
The portal thing works, because there are supposed to be multiple connections between the Realms and GH. However, I would make it a choice (and use their 'scared rabbit' tactics against them). Have them confronted by a being of immense power (demon lord, uber-lich, giant hamster of doom, etc) and told that they are "being exiled for their indiscretions". The choice is either to fight the unwinnable fight, or walk through the portal the creature opens. The choice, at least, will still feel like their own.
Or, if that still feels a bit too forced, have them walk in on the uber-baddie and confront him as he opens up a "portal to ultimate power"... which of course leads to the realms (and probably comes out in one of those pools of power/moonwells). When they start getting their butts handed to them, the only path open to them should be to flee through the portal (make sure they see beautiful, pastoral lands beyond the portal - don't want to spook them).
You can railroad a party if your subtle, without them knowing your doing it.
If all else fails (and they are still too cautious), have someone on the other side of the portal bring the lot of them through and confront the uber-baddie (Elminster is perfect for this, but you probably don't want to slap the players in the face with FR right off the bat). Basically, some unknown powerful being brings the whole room the characters and the NPCs are standing in to him, and he 'helps' them fight the uber-baddie, after which he completely ignores them and disappears. They are stuck with a trashed room (minus walls), in the middle of a forest, with no idea where they are or how to get back.
All they have is a scrap of paper with some writing on it, and a strange amulet....  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 22 Aug 2012 05:20:11 |
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Vaeldroth
Acolyte
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 22 Aug 2012 : 05:51:59
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I have to say, all of these ideas so far are more than terrific. A few of them have actually been run over in my head but I've kind of tossed them to the side in the past. Thank you all for helping me flesh things out.
The idea I had in mind for the portal is the lord at the end of the moathouse. There's a 10' wide long hallway with a slew of guard alcoves in it, with big bad at the end. The module is designed so that you're supposed to defeat the New Lord that resides there, but it was my plan to put the portal there, and have the lord coax them into it during combat, but I think another option could be if I have the whole place start caving in from a burst of misfired magic. After all, it is a ruin that was sacked many years ago, in the middle of sa swamp. Likely no question it could cave in at any moment! :)
Thanks again,and keep the suggestions coming! |
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archmagestar
Acolyte
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2012 : 04:53:31
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I grew up playing Greyhawk and when the DM wanted to switch to the Forgotten Realms we all raised a big stink about it. However there is no world as exciting as the Realms and your players will adapt and love the switch too.
Portal are the easy way of course but there are many spells and items that can plane shift them on their way too. It might even allow you to play it as a type of trying to get back home senerio. Where your characters adventure around the realms in search of a means back to Grey Hawk. Elminster and Mordenkainen do know each other. |
Forgotten Realms Junkie |
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Moving my 1e Greyhawk campaign to 2e realms?
