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9 months ago ::
Oct 07, 2012 - 11:13AM
#11
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Date Joined:
Jul 21, 2004
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If the characters actions will be aiding a villain, I'd definitely bring the players in on it. They'll find ways to complicate their lives that wouldn't occur to the DM.
[N]o difference is less easily overcome than the difference of opinion about semi-abstract questions. - L. Tolstoy
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9 months ago ::
Oct 07, 2012 - 11:35AM
#12
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If you keep the location they are in interesting enough, they won't want to travel. If they don't want to travel, they won't go anywhere. Then they have the advantage of cool setting (airship) and you can introduce the tone (a little steampunk) without them actually traveling all the time.
True, but I also don’t want them to stay at one locale. Maybe something like how there’s a line of fueling stations, and this line happens to follow some villain. All of our campaigns tend to span a few months, and we play weekly barring circumstances. Currently reading through “Gates of Madness” as maybe a jumping point. If the characters actions will be aiding a villain, I'd definitely bring the players in on it. They'll find ways to complicate their lives that wouldn't occur to the DM.
Fair enough. Maybe for dealing with that angle I’ll wait until the characters are made. If anyone makes an evil character, I’ll tell them, and maybe an unaligned. Any good characters I’d still like to keep in the dark. The trick will be reigning in the evil PCs. For example, in the current campaign, one PC is an Eladrin hexblade that is all for HELL and SEX and DEVIANCE or whatever and we were concerned about in-fighting. When I suggested something like the mafia, the fiancée wrote in that there was a mafia with their own agenda attached to some big name demons of Hell. The mafia boss then requests the PC’s help, at the bequest of the demon lord. So he stays with the main crew and helps, but it’s for his own interests.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 07, 2012 - 11:43AM
#13
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One thing I would ask is if the players could reasonably, with the right actions and such, discover they are being manipulated far ahead of where you are currently "planning" for them to find out? (Assuming you are planning such a point)
I'm on a journey of enlightenment, learning and self-improvement. A journey towards mastery. A journey that will never end.
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My blog and stuff http://dmingtowin.blogspot.com/
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9 months ago ::
Oct 07, 2012 - 11:47AM
#14
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Date Joined:
Mar 22, 2011
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Regarding fast transport: In the campaign I'm currently planning, the players need to visit a variety of locations, in at least three different planes. I didn't want to spend half the campaign talking about hunting for portals and whatnot, so I decided to give them a base of operations in the city of Sigil, from which they can find portals leading just about anywhere.
Regarding Tharizdun: Right now I'm playing a character who is multiclassed as a Cleric of Tharizdun, but believes Tharizdun to be a lawful good deity who was framed for crimes he didn't commit and unjustly imprisoned. So far the DM hasn't forced me into a crisis of faith, but I'll be a bit surprised if she doesn't before the end of the game.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 07, 2012 - 1:02PM
#15
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One thing I would ask is if the players could reasonably, with the right actions and such, discover they are being manipulated far ahead of where you are currently "planning" for them to find out? (Assuming you are planning such a point)
Of course! I’d have it set up where they could find out right from the start, or not find out until the campaign is completed. Any important plot point would be twisted so that regardless of which path they’re taking, they can “find out” and choose to switch (or not). Where, essentially, regardless of which path they’re on the only true difference would be the ending of the campaign. If, say, the PCs were currently being manipulated to believe some priests (of Tharizdun but they wouldn’t know that) needed protection along the mountain path against marauders (the other heroes), I’d still have an alternate scenario. They know the priests are the bad guys, and instead are helping the other heroes fight a much larger group of priests, but at least one bad guy still gets away to continue whatever they were doing. So when they find out would be irrelevant and entirely up to the group.
Regarding fast transport: In the campaign I'm currently planning, the players need to visit a variety of locations, in at least three different planes. I didn't want to spend half the campaign talking about hunting for portals and whatnot, so I decided to give them a base of operations in the city of Sigil, from which they can find portals leading just about anywhere.
That’s not a bad idea. Maybe start the campaign with everyone’s on an airship, travelling to some big city for some reason. At a stop for gas, they’re attacked. What’s going on? Oh, hey, where some bad guys went seems to be on our path. Then get to the last stop where they have a choice of continuing to the city or following the bad guys. If they follow, then hurrah. If they go to the city, let them have their fun there for a bit with hints of bad things going down outside of town. If they don’t investigate, bad guys attack for whatever reason. So one way or another, they’re likely dragged into going to the temple I want them to. Yet if they go to the city, I can give them a base with portals. If not, maybe the airship comes along.
Regarding Tharizdun: Right now I'm playing a character who is multiclassed as a Cleric of Tharizdun, but believes Tharizdun to be a lawful good deity who was framed for crimes he didn't commit and unjustly imprisoned. So far the DM hasn't forced me into a crisis of faith, but I'll be a bit surprised if she doesn't before the end of the game.
I like that. There's the “evil” knight that is tainted or possessed, but that could add to it. He thinks Tharizdun was framed. If the PCs switch to the “good”, he’d be an enemy. If they’re still tricked, he can be an ally. Either way, other PCs can attempt a “crisis of faith”.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 07, 2012 - 5:48PM
#16
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Date Joined:
Mar 22, 2011
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There's the “evil” knight that is tainted or possessed, but that could add to it.
To make it a little more interesting, we housruled that my cleric powers that do radiant damage do necrotic instead. I explain this in character by saying that the divine magic is filtered through the walls of Tharizdun's prison, putting a taint on it. (Similar to the taint on Saidin in the Wheel of Time books.) Also, that taint is the reason why so many would-be followers of Tharizdun are evil and insane. So my character thinks he's the lone prophet of the true faith.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 07, 2012 - 6:19PM
#17
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To make it a little more interesting, we housruled that my cleric powers that do radiant damage do necrotic instead. I explain this in character by saying that the divine magic is filtered through the walls of Tharizdun's prison, putting a taint on it. (Similar to the taint on Saidin in the Wheel of Time books.) Also, that taint is the reason why so many would-be followers of Tharizdun are evil and insane. So my character thinks he's the lone prophet of the true faith.
*insert evil laugh here*
If you're okay with my full out thievery of the idea, may I?
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9 months ago ::
Oct 07, 2012 - 6:23PM
#18
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Date Joined:
Mar 22, 2011
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If you're okay with my full out thievery of the idea, may I?
Of course; that's why I shared it, because I thought it might be useful since you were playing with Tharizdun.
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9 months ago ::
Oct 08, 2012 - 9:36AM
#19
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Date Joined:
Feb 20, 2011
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For general 4e lore, here's a link to the official wiki: community.wizards.com/wiki/Dnd:Points_of... There are, of course, no rules for remaking the lore to suit your group.
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