Author Topic: Looking for some custom campaign advice  (Read 1548 times)

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jabs

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Looking for some custom campaign advice
« on: September 21, 2010, 05:32:02 PM »
Greetings all,

I am creating a custom 3.5 campaign setting, and one thing that has been on the back of my mind since I started creating the "plot" characters/bad guys is that I have no low level bad guys.  My first plot bad guy comes in at 10 HD.  Is this acceptable?  Are players expected to do simple tasks, hunt animals, etc. until about level 6-7 before they take on their first significant baddy?  Is it ok to have the first set of levels to be basically intros to the world and to wait for the major storyline stuff later on?

Havok4

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Re: Looking for some custom campaign advice
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2010, 06:07:38 PM »
Make some low level bad guys, that will make the low level game more interesting.
Or you could just start the characters out at a higher level.

wotmaniac

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Re: Looking for some custom campaign advice
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2010, 06:20:57 PM »
minions.

have the PCs run in to a few minions involving something seemingly innocuous.  have them drop a few bits of foreshadowing, maybe some stuff that doesn't make any sense until later.  this is also when you want to set them on the hunt -- have them start getting harassed by minions and have them chase them down.  only they don't yet know that they are actually minions of the big baddies ... have that get revealed after several levels of cat-and-mouse.

then start unleashing the big baddies on them.

and for a little level-grinding, have them run in to a few unrelated obstacles in the interim (road sides can be dangerous places ....)



:twocents:
« Last Edit: September 21, 2010, 06:22:54 PM by wotmaniac »

[spoiler]
If you stop ignoring 289 pages telling what the intent is to stretch "more power" in your own god complexion of your interpretation trumps all to cover ability adjustments from aging then I will ignore a quarter page of rules that exist within a sidebar.
I think in this case the grammar is less important than whether the Str and Dex bonus provided to your created undead scales.

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jabs

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Re: Looking for some custom campaign advice
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2010, 11:05:31 PM »
Hmmm, OK.  I guess I just wasn't sure how in-depth I should make the low-level game.  Thanks.

wotmaniac

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Re: Looking for some custom campaign advice
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2010, 01:14:31 AM »
Hmmm, OK.  I guess I just wasn't sure how in-depth I should make the low-level game.  Thanks.
as in-depth as you need to in order to make the higher level baddies interesting and compelling (YMMV)

the low levels is where the the players/characters develop their connection to the world, and the characters develop their identities.  the deeper that connection and the stronger that sense of identity, the better.

as a side note:
I typically don't really bust open the meat of the plot until around level 7-10.  but I do start dropping clues and begin the preliminary introduction from the get-go.  I guess it all depends on how deep you want it to go.

[spoiler]
If you stop ignoring 289 pages telling what the intent is to stretch "more power" in your own god complexion of your interpretation trumps all to cover ability adjustments from aging then I will ignore a quarter page of rules that exist within a sidebar.
I think in this case the grammar is less important than whether the Str and Dex bonus provided to your created undead scales.

Greenbound Summoning RAI
Expanded Gestalt
More Savage Progressions[/spoiler]
Report any wrongs I have done here.

awaken DM golem

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Re: Looking for some custom campaign advice
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2010, 08:25:11 PM »
It's kinda funny that a standard story line is:
Dude goes to the bathroom ; Buddies get torched ; Dude sees a bit of it and hides.

Throwing in a:
Go back to the Big Shot with the bad news ; I'll Get the Bastich !!
That shows up on easy Divinations (strong hint).

PCs are left with the question, of why the Buddies fought them at all, instead of all running away ?!
Let them twist in the wind for a while ...  small horror.

radha2g

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Re: Looking for some custom campaign advice
« Reply #6 on: September 26, 2010, 06:33:57 AM »
You could add some sort of side quest.... As somebody stated, minions. Alternatively you could make them quest that may increase their reputation, if done well. Make them get contacts with some NPC which they may need later to find out something.
This is easier said in the signature... Sorry for my English.

Tenebrus

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Re: Looking for some custom campaign advice
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2010, 10:52:28 PM »
You can use the early levels for team and character building.  The earliest adventures are mookish -- what else can you send the 12 hp fighter and his equally fragile friends to do?  The wizard, who almost everyone on these boards thinks is the heart of Tier 1 invincibility, gets to say, "I cast my 1 magic missile I get today and then go home.  See you guys tomorrow."

Gangs of thieves and bandits are nice for getting things going.  Mysteries are good, since players need their minds more than their sheer destructive power to win the day.  By levels 3 thru 9 (my favorites: the party isn't invincible but doesn't have to run away from a half dozen giant rats either), the group can bond over background color.  If the wizard's family was killed by Ogres, let him go back with his new friends and settle the score.  Evil half brother steal your estate, cleric? Let's go back and see if we can "persuade" him into changing his mind.  Lose a friend down that old tunnel?  Let's take a look.

Encourage the players to give you these threads when they draw up the characters.  Some are plotting their way to the Titan/Pixie dragon-wrought 20th level abomination killing machine but you need to draw them back to the character: why that guy is interesting to the player, why the character will be interesting to others, and why pick this guy over some other concept.

The players can give you everything you need to fill in the lower levels.  My .02.