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Jergals Spare Scythe
Acolyte
USA
23 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 04:07:32
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Hello all, I come seeking advice.
I'm considering running the 3.5 Realms again, and am torn between two kinds of campaign I'd like to run.
Option A is a draconic themed story. The PC's would be required to either have some draconic blood or a draconic themed class/prestige class. The Dragonfall War would feature prominently, possibly tying in with the Blood War.
Option B is all the PC's are undead, or undead-ish. Possible hooks include finding who turned the party, being tasked with battling the Illithids and/or attempting to return to the land of the living.
Option C is chucking all the above and running Axe of the Dwarvish Lords ;)
Any comments/criticisms welcome.
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"Seek to bring order to the chaos of life, for in death there is finality and a fixedness of state. Be ready for death for it is at hand and uncompromising."
Excerpt from Jergal's Dogma, Faiths and Pantheons, page 99 |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 04:24:47
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AXE OF THE DWARVISH LORDS!
An all dwarf party has been a dream of mine for decades!
The other two could be fun as well, though the undead one might be difficult. You could instead start the game with a "normal" party of adventurers who fight undead...with one lone member actually BEING undead and helping the group lay to rest all the souls so afflicted. The reason they don't put to rest the undead party member is, well, they were a party member before and the group wants to hunt down the monster that "turned them" and then try to find a way to either bring back to life the member or let them "expire".
I like the draconic themed party idea second best. Their patron(s) could be good aligned (or evil!) dragons who want to help fight the opposed alignment dragons. If the party were evil, they could be their own Cult of the Dragon Cell of roaming adventurers/swords-for-hire that other Cult Cells pay to do work for them. If good aligned, they could work for perhaps a mated pair of Gold or Silver dragons bent on helping out the local village/town/city/kingdom (increasing in importance as the party grows).
Any adventure is fun though...but the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is best!  |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4430 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 04:49:14
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| I like Option B, playing an undead or dead-ish character sounds pretty cool. Taking elements from things like Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead and Heroes of Horror is pretty cool. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 13:04:39
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Agree with Diffan here - option 'B' seems so full of possibilities.
I like that type of plot: "You wake-up and don't know who you are - figure out what happened to you". Good stuff.
If you make them a party of dead dwarves, you could combine it with Axe of the Dwarvish Lords. 
Not a big fan of dragons (way too 'uber' for my tastes). |
"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 05 Mar 2013 13:06:02 |
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Jergals Spare Scythe
Acolyte
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 13:52:09
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Thank you all for suggestions 
I also feel there is more potential for a better story in a party where one or more PCs are undead-- themes such as redemption, damnation and the ethics of feeding on the living.
However, Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is hard to pass up, especially since most of the legwork is already done and mapped out. I too would love to guide an all-Dwarf party (undead or living) seeking a legendary Dwarven weapon.
I'm leaning toward undead, but might consider the mix Markustay suggested |
"Seek to bring order to the chaos of life, for in death there is finality and a fixedness of state. Be ready for death for it is at hand and uncompromising."
Excerpt from Jergal's Dogma, Faiths and Pantheons, page 99 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 17:31:47
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IIRC, in FR canon, the axe was lost somewhere at sea. My thoughts here are that a small group of dwarves were entrusted with its safekeeping... and they failed.
Now they are 'back', and the only way to redeem themselves is to find the axe and return it to their people. That ties both scenarios together.
EDIT: This isn't something unique to the Realms - there is another case of dwarves still trying to fulfill their duties after their death in The Horde boxed set (pg.37, Dead Dwarf Bridge entry). |
"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 05 Mar 2013 17:35:02 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 17:47:35
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| I'd favor option C, if for no other reason than having a party of all dragons or all undead is going to be extremely limiting for the PCs. Their options for interacting with regular NPCs will be extremely limited, and forget going to town to resupply. Plus, a moderately powerful cleric would be able to ruin the day for a bunch of undead guys. |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7971 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 18:36:26
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quote:
Markustay
I like that type of plot: "You wake-up and don't know who you are - figure out what happened to you". Good stuff.
Well, it's a bit easier to figure things out when you've tattooed messages to yourself onto your flesh ... just sayin'. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Kyrel
Learned Scribe
151 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 19:08:06
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Heh. I'll actually be starting up a campaign within the next couple of weeks. One player is playing a young Silver Dragon/Mage, and another is playing a Barbarian Half-Dragon. There will be a couple of additional players who haven't figured out what they'll be playing yet.
The dragon is looking to get her hands on as many spells as possible (and build the basis for a proper hoard...), and the Half-Dragon is tasked with helping her do that.
Starting point will be Icewind Dale, and then we'll see where things will end up. |
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Jergals Spare Scythe
Acolyte
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - 05 Mar 2013 : 23:02:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I'd favor option C, if for no other reason than having a party of all dragons or all undead is going to be extremely limiting for the PCs. Their options for interacting with regular NPCs will be extremely limited, and forget going to town to resupply. Plus, a moderately powerful cleric would be able to ruin the day for a bunch of undead guys.
For an undead party, I agree it would quite the challenge in the Realms. Very few places would tolerate them, and most (druids, elves, good-aligned churches) would attack on sight regardless of alignment or conduct.
I could, however, see the churches of Velsharoon and/or Jergal providing, at the least, covert aid. Some thieves guilds (Night Masks, Shadow Thieves) or the Twisted Rune might help for the right price. Setting up contacts with powerful undead and undead organizations would be key. A city of the undead was presented in Libris Mortis, and could be a safe starting point until the party matures.
Clerics of all stripes would indeed be the party's bane. Good clerics would want to destroy them, and evil ones would seek to control them. Stealth, a PC cleric to bolster and possibly a good Illusionist to disguise them would be helpful to avoid TPK.
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"Seek to bring order to the chaos of life, for in death there is finality and a fixedness of state. Be ready for death for it is at hand and uncompromising."
Excerpt from Jergal's Dogma, Faiths and Pantheons, page 99 |
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 00:49:58
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| I'd say go with C. There is so much great information from all the different editions on dwarves that hardly ever gets used. Look around and I'm sure you'd find some great ideas (FR, DL, Mystara, and Dragon Mag would be where I start). |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 12:41:12
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| Option B and waking up dead is a bit like our campaign. We woke in a tunnel full of corpses on their way to be cremated on the plane of fire. |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 14:41:32
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Corporeal undead can survive in pretty extreme environments, so you can take players across very cool scenes rarely seen by regular low level adventurers.
An undead can walk beneath the waves of a (shallow) sea, brave extreme colds, suffer the most disease ridden or poisonous marches, climb the highest air deprived altitudes, and so on with considerably less concerns than a breathing, eating and sleeping human could.
Undead also can span time rather easily, just by standing still for a couple of eons in a preferred hiding place you can have players emerging from slumber/torpor only to experience a whole new era of the world. |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Jergals Spare Scythe
Acolyte
USA
23 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2013 : 01:32:53
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Hmmmm, good points, all. Mayhap the party would not have to be undead all the adventure, just for a time, and then just to get through an environment the in which the living would never survive, as Bladewind said.
Shoulda done a poll, but I'm new to internet forums
@Markustay, I'll track down that source. My FLGS is having a trade-in day this weekend, and maybe I can score The Horde on the cheap. I do have AoDL, and will dive back in when I get home next week. |
"Seek to bring order to the chaos of life, for in death there is finality and a fixedness of state. Be ready for death for it is at hand and uncompromising."
Excerpt from Jergal's Dogma, Faiths and Pantheons, page 99 |
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Draconic or Undead campaign?
