PDA

View Full Version : Plot Ideas: Help me brainstorm (both normal and wacky welcome)



Fiery Diamond
2011-05-10, 12:05 PM
So I'm going to be starting a new D&D campaign (3.5, in case anyone has any edition-specific ideas). I've got the general gist of the setting all written up, and I have the basics of the continent that they're on. The problem is that I'm having trouble thinking of good adventure ideas.

Feel free to stop reading the rest of this post and just put adventure ideas here. However, it would be great if I could get some help with adventure ideas that work particularly well with the setting, so if you are interested in that, keep reading for some basic info.

The World (Syllenari)
Ok, I'll try to be brief.

Planar Stuff

Syllenari (material plane): The surface down to a depth of 100 miles of a giant cylinder. Things known as clime nodes exist embedded (stationary) in the cylinder which affect weather patterns and geography, making the weather and geography not resemble the patterning found in the real world; these clime nodes have physical form, but no known way of interacting with them (magical or mundane) exists. There's a lot more, but it wouldn't be relevant until much higher-level play (such as the space-time-screwing-with-you vortexes on the top and bottom of the cylinder).

The elemental planes (Kuratia): They exist inside the cylinder and are completely contiguous - you can actually physically cross from one to the next. Home to Chanera, the goddess of change.

The Nether Void: A vast unknown. The material plane and the three planes immediately below are suspended in it. It is the home of Vorago, the sole evil deity of the setting. Its influence sweeps over Syllenari one month out of every year, creating the season of Nox, during which bad stuff is more prone to happen (see the section on Nox).

The solar (Solisia), lunar (Lusella), and stellar (Tsionas) planes: Exist within the Nether void and are home to their respective deities (Sol, Luna, and Stella). They are the sun, moon, and stars.

The Demi-planes: Home of the lesser deities Arkon (god of the hunt), Melada (goddess of the arts), and Thellis (god of trickery and wealth).

The outer planes: Can't have any effect on low-level play. Includes planes related to time, gravity, mind, light, dark, and battle, and three afterlife planes based on the moral axis.

Time, Seasons, Nox

Year=13 months, Month=4 weeks, Week=7 days.

Five total seasons (not all locations experience all five): Spring, Summer, Nox, Autumn, and Winter. Nox always falls on the seventh month, no matter the location.

Nox: A month when a wave of dark energy from the Nether Void covers Syllenari, during which days are darker and the stars cannot be seen at night. Magic relating to positive energy and light is weaker, while magic relating to darkness, shadows, and negative energy is stronger. Most monsters become more aggressive during this time and natural disasters are more common. People with a natural predisposition for evil have fewer inhibitions. Spirits and otherworldly creatures have been known to appear.

Character Levels of the present day - for anyone who has any 3.5 specific ideas; otherwise irrelevant

1-2: Normal people -everywhere
3-4: Career people (soldiers, skilled blacksmiths, etc.) -common
5-6: Professionals (ranking officers, blacksmiths renowned within an area) -uncommon
7-8: Experts (highly ranked officers, widely renowned blacksmiths) -rare
9-10: Elite (generals, extremely famous blacksmiths) -very rare
11-12: Champions -only a handful in each major country
13+: Legend status

In the distant past, people were higher level. Prodigies and adventurers tend to be higher level than others. Certain countries have greater concentrations of people of higher levels in specific classes.

The Continent (Meyyra)
Here we go:

The countries
The Tsadiris Empire: The largest country. Located in the central and southern portions of the continent, it borders all the other major countries. It is the largest country on the continent. It is not "empire in name only;" the empire has taken over a number of smaller states and absorbed them. It is militaristic, but has a lack of focus on magic. It has quite a bit of cultural diversity, but too much overt expression of former culture is frowned on by the central authority. The rulers are humans. Anyone who shows great potential (and great loyalty to the Emperor, of course) is given a chance to make him (or her) self great. Currently, after a decade of non-expansion, it seems to be looking into extending its reach into the...

Territories of Chandr: A collection of numerous small countries which have a VERY loose (and tenuous) "alliance" to assist in their interactions with the other major countries. Some of them style themselves as kingdoms, others are run by self-styled warlords, and a couple consider themselves democracies. Both individually and as a unit they are much weaker than any other country on the continent. Various races inhabit them. These countries are much less advanced than the major countries, and petty squabbles between the territories are frequent.

Republic of Asleruina: A primarily elven country which is run by a series of councils at various levels of government. They tend to stick to themselves, though they are not truly isolationist. They have strict rules, but they are not nearly as harsh as the empire, and the republic is considered a good place to live. It has a fairly high standard of living and is probably the most comfortable country for the common folk, though common folk rarely have the chance to advance their station. Because of the high volume of forest in this country, there is a fair amount of druidic magic, but arcane magic is looked down upon.

Yelurin Kingdom: A very large kingdom. The nobility consist primarily of humans (the King is a human) but there is a smattering of dwarven and elven nobility as well. The heads of the highest noble houses form a council under the king, which often has its own agenda. The king is the acting head of state, however, not a mere figurehead. The provinces of the kingdom are controlled directly by the nobility, however, which imposes some limits on the king's power. Yelurin has no overwhelming martial or magical might, but they are the most balanced in terms of having both military and magic. They have friendly relations with the Republic, very bad relations with the Empire, and neutral relations with...

Magocracy of Durs Amel: This country is run by a hierarchy of mages. While traditional military is lacking due to a contempt for those without magic, this country is arguably even more powerful than the empire, and is in fact the only country that the Empire is afraid of enough to treat with proper respect. While the arcane is more highly regarded than the divine, both are valued, as is scholarship in general. As a result, the magocracy is the most technologically advanced country on the continent, every city filled with magically-powered (and otherwise) features to enhance the lives of residents. However, while life in Durs Amel is convenient, those who have not the natural gift of sorcery, the intellectual capacity for wizardry, the talent for bardistry, or the faith for clerical or druidic magic are treated with complete contempt and are second-class citizens.


The current map

http://i.imgur.com/DEUGul.jpg


The players:

NG Ranger//Druid 1 (or 3, I don't know yet): From Asleruina, she's now in a relationship with the next character and traveling to Chandr "where all the work is." Raised by her parents.
CG Rogue//Sorcerer 3: From Durs Amel, he's now in a relationship with the previous character and traveling to Chandr "where all the work is." Raised as an apprentice and then kicked out for causing trouble.
Possible third player

Don Blake
2011-05-10, 02:13 PM
Be forewarned, the following ideas tend a bit towards the strange side.


1: A knight rides into a small village, and takes up a position in the center of the town square, just in front of the village well. He remains completely immobile regardless of weather, or the reaction of the townsfolk, except by responding with minimal force to strongly discourage any attempts to force his movement. He does not interfere with the drawing of water from the well. After a few days, the grass around the well begins to show odd discolorations. Wild animals seem to vanish from the surrounding forests, and the trees all begin to lean directly towards the well. The village folk and their livestock become lethargic and spend more and more of their days sleeping, with the people, regardless of age or gender murmuring "I am to be a mother."

Then strange boils begin to develop on the arms and legs of the villagers.

2: A thousand years ago, the Stone Giant Elder known only as the Mountain Father had himself chained to the living rock of the Cliff of Daggers so that he might gain enlightenment. Now, after a millenia of silent meditation, he says he will speak his great secrets once, and once only.

There are many on their way to learn these secrets, but it's a difficult journey, made more perilous still by the consideration that secrets are most valuable when you're the only one who hears them spoken...

Aux-Ash
2011-05-11, 02:01 PM
Oh look, this setting again :smallsmile:. I like how the map looks now.

As for some adventure hooks. I got one, or actually more of a campaign, on the top of my mind. It takes on a bit of a mundane, serious and political side of things though.

Beginning with the party coming across the smoldering remains of a large village. All the houses have been burned down and only blackened husks remain. All over it lies rotting bodies, mostly just men. By the side is a big pyre of bodies. In the village well there's dead villagers floating. All over the place, the living survivors are picking among the remainders of their lives. Trying to save some possession, bury a family member... many are injured and almost everyone shies away from the party.

If the party asks they'll only learn that a Chandr warlord passed by some days ago. His army took them by surprise and most of the men stayed behind to buy their families some time to hide in the hills. The people are completely spiritually broken... they've lost everything. The party can't really do much... at best they could take on a few wandering maurauders following in the army's wake that haven't left yet.

Only a few days after leaving though, the party notices that the villagers are following them. At a distance, not seeking contact with them. But unmistakeningly following them. Having nothing left they just followed the party... they don't really know why. They got nothing better to hope for really. These destitute and hopeless people, sort of hoping that the party can help them return to life.

What follows is then helping the villagers find a new place to set up a village, occasionally having to protect them from monsters/bandits on the road. Having to find herbs to cure poisons from snakebites or to help mend broken bones. Having to negotiate favours from local warlords for protection/the right to pass their lands/the rights to settle. Having to assist them in exchange for these favours.

Eventually perhaps learning who this warlord is (and by extent which of the great powers that aid him) and bringing him to justice? Or perhaps he died elsewhere?

Potentially a long string of adventures that could take on a very personal touch as the players get to know the villagers. A plot of great success... but also possibly great tragedy. One of a very hard life and people overcoming it with a little help?

Winds
2011-05-11, 02:34 PM
Go with a classic formula: an evil mage plans on using the nox to boost his abilities permanently. Maybe he has plans for some form of ascension, such as to become a lich. Maybe he wants to try and make the nox last longer. Or maybe he just wants to use it to take out his opposite number while his alignment would be stronger.