Hi, DM Mouse here. I need help coming up with a mid-high level multi-world/realm spanning campaign. I just finished a large campaign with 4 players and they are now about 15th/16th level. I want to run them on one last good campaign taking them up to around 20th level before their PC's go into semi-retirement.
This particular group is known as 'Doom Brigade' and they are primarily based out of the World of Greyhawk setting, but they have travelled to Sigil, the Demonweb Pit, several layers of the Abyss, and other strange places. So they are no stranger to travelling to far off places.
My idea for a campaign is one that they do a lot of planar/world/realm travelling.
The main idea for this campaign is that one of the PC's has an evil clone out there causing trouble in the world. He is a worshipper of Nerull and is going to be leading the PC's on a wild goose chase.
In their search for him, the PC's will travel to:
-Forgotten Realms (Abeir-Toril)
-Dark Sun (Athas)
-Ravenloft (Demi-plane of Dread)
-Eberron
-City of Brass (Elemental plane of Fire)
I have thought of other worlds as well such as Dragonlance, Mystara, Hollow World, etc. However, I'm not sure I will include those.
The part where I need the help is:
Why are they chasing this clone to all these different places? What is it that he's doing? Why would he go to Dark Sun or Eberron? What is it he needs?
The stats on the clone are that he's a high level Sorcerer/Cleric of Nerull. He mostly wields destructive and Necromantic magic. I figure I may turn him into a Lich as well, since that would make sense.
P.S. I'm not really worried about how to get them to these different worlds/realms. They could obtain a magic item (rod of travel) or go thru planar gate ways (such as in Sigil). Or in the case of Ravenloft, the Vistani could point them to the way out.
Perhaps you can use the theme from the movie one. He is aware of other worlds and wants to consume the life essence of himself in ever campaign world. As per the clone spell once it becomes aware that another clone or the original exists they seek to destroy each other. In this case grant bonuses each time he consumes himself in another world.
If the clone is successful he will become the living avatar of Nerull. Dead shall inherit the Oerth and eventually set about Armageddon to all the know universes and primal planes. I hope that is epic enough for you.
Perhaps, eons ago, there was a great pre-human empire, populated by the star spawn of Cthulhu, colonies of the Queen of Chaos, spell weavers, ethergaunts, the Juna from Spelljammer, serpent people, dragons, Carnifex, aboleths, flumphs, kender, elder elves, Melniboneans, whatever, spanning many different worlds, and the clone is looking for lost knowledge found in the ruins, knowledge that can only be put to use when it's all collected together. Or maybe each ruin has instructions to get to the next one, and the final one has the location of a great artifact or treasure.
You could use the Imaskari, a plane-spanning empire from the Forgotten Realms setting, assume they had colonies in all the listed places, and have the clone looking for the scrolls that contain their great secrets of epic magic, though that might make the campaign seem very Realms-centered. You could use the Suloise or Baklunish or Isles of Woe instead, but that might make things seem very Greyhawk-centered. So it might be better to make up an empire that died long before humanity rose from savagery.
To add texture, I'd make use of other multi-planar races and factions that are seeking the same thing. The rogue clone can be allying with some of them or, in some cases, they might ally with the PCs against the clone. It's even possible that the clone and the PCs might have to temporarily ally with one another against a common foe.
Y'know I just thought of something kinda kooky. What if I did something totally unexpected to the PC's? Something like from out of a movie where it isn't what you expect-a twist of sorts.
The PC that this clone is based off of is a Sor/Cleric of Wee Jas. I had decided that the clone was a Sor/Cleric of Nerull cause I figured that would be kind of poetic. Wee Jas vs. Nerull.
What if the clone was actually working for Wee Jas and was so deep undercover that he had to do unspeakable acts? (The PC was Lawful Neutral at the time when the clone appeared. So that doesn't inherently make the clone evil)
The purpose of these acts would be to gain Nerull's trust so that the clone could gain a portion of his power or become a sort of avatar of Nerull. What this all leads up to would be Wee Jas finally confronting Nerull while he's slightly weaker.
In 4th edition D&D the Raven Queen defeated Nerull and took over his portfolio. There's never been a mention of Wee Jas in 4th edition and it's always been my thinking that they are one and the same. Also it has been alluded too by other people as well.
So I could do something like that. I think it makes for a good story. Besides, I want this to be pretty epic since it will probably be this group's last big game.
Of course, where do the PC's fit in? And it still doesn't explain why they would have to go from world to world and such. I need a reason for them to go to Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Forgotten Realms, etc...
Bilarro ... not sure to understand...the magical object or a human being ..
i'm apologize if i don't catch it....
I know it's not a new idea... my reference is the TV series "Fringe"
And behind this...The destruction of two Worlds at same time if these worlds merge together ...and who wants that.. THARIZDUN...
If a big gate is open at same time at sime place both on these two worlds there is a a chance to create huge maelstrom and swallow up these world..
Sorry if my sentences words etc.. is not clear for you...it's not easy to translate my French in English...but if someone could correct me i'll appreciate
Sorry fellas, I shouldn't have been so cryptic. Bilarro (as in the Iron Bands of Bilarro) is an evil twin of Lord Robilar from an alternate Oerth. I think the two were accidentally switched when Robilar was adventuring beneath the Ruins of Castle Greyhawk. Bilarro caused some trouble on Oerth before Lord Robilar was able to make the switch back.
I can't remember the source, but I believe Rob Kuntz (Robilar's orignal player) said that he did not approve of how Robilar was treated in the official Greyhawk Wars - siding with Rary and all - and he was the one that suggested that it was Bilarro who committed that treachery, not the real Lord Robilar.
I can't remember the source, but I believe Rob Kuntz (Robilar's orignal player) said that he did not approve of how Robilar was treated in the official Greyhawk Wars - siding with Rary and all - and he was the one that suggested that it was Bilarro who committed that treachery, not the real Lord Robilar.
You're thinking of Oerth Journal #7, in which Kuntz speculated that it was a rogue clone of Robilar's who was responsible.
The idea that it was a parallel Robilar from an alternate Oerth was Erik Mona's, and first appeared in Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk.
In their search for him, the PC's will travel to:
-Forgotten Realms (Abeir-Toril)
-Dark Sun (Athas)
-Ravenloft (Demi-plane of Dread)
-Eberron
-City of Brass (Elemental plane of Fire) [snip]
Why are they chasing this clone to all these different places? What is it that he's doing? Why would he go to Dark Sun or Eberron? What is it he needs?
It sounds like you're looking for internal motivation for clone, but it could be that the clone needs to visit each of these (and whatever additional) locales in order to complete a ritual or some other tasks or gather materials/research from each. So, perhaps you should further consider what the locations are that you want to take the PCs to, and then start to use those to build connections that will draw the clone (and the PCs) to them.
For example: perhaps the clone needs access lore within "The Brass Tome of the Damned" in one of the libraries of Vizikar, an efreet emir. In order to gain admittance, he needs leverage against Vizikar, which requires a visit to the FR where he must bargain with/defeat/bribe/spiritwrack/whatever the Blackstaff, in order to secure the truename of Vizikar (or whatever leverage you deem appropriate). Working backwards through these chains of connections and contingencies is somewhat akin to building the wake for an artifact, in case that may prove useful inspiration too.
Mouse wrote:
Hi, DM Mouse here. I need help coming up with a mid-high level multi-world/realm spanning campaign. [snip]
This particular group is known as 'Doom Brigade' and they are primarily based out of the World of Greyhawk setting, but they have travelled to Sigil, the Demonweb Pit, several layers of the Abyss, and other strange places. So they are no stranger to travelling to far off places.
My idea for a campaign is one that they do a lot of planar/world/realm travelling.
If you're also looking for planar-travel resources, two of my "From Kuroth's Quill" columns in Knockspell magazine deal with gates and planar travel (and my current two are dealing with the demi-plane of shadow): issues 4 and 5 cover the gates materials.
Anyway, I hope some of that is useful/inspirational? _________________ Allan Grohe<br />https://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/greyhawk.html<br />https://grodog.blogspot.com/
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