I have recently started planning for a new low-level campaign set in Keoland/Yeomanry (Greyhawk), which should see the players pitted against crooked merchants/politicians and cultists of Vecna manipulating a sect of Tharizdun fanatics. The game will use Saltmarsh as the general background area of the campaign, as described in the 3.5 GM2, although there will be several journeys and various places visited. I’m hoping to have the campaign run from levels 1 to 10/12.
At the beginning of the campaign (591CY), the PCs are starting out as farmer boys/youngsters in a village of my own making in the southern Yeomanry, not far from the Hool Marshes and the Tors. Despite its location, the village is pretty quiet, although its missing lord has been absent for several years now (went to war in Sterich and has not been heard of since), the manor sitting empty under the relaxed guard of the local watch (farmer boys on rolling duty).
There’s a temple dedicated to Heironeus in town, financed over the years by the lord’s family (his family were devout followers of Heironeus), but since the lord has gone missing, the temple has lost influence to a growing number of Trithereon faithfuls, who are clamoring for a change in the status quo and elections of a new lord. Also, a small druidic circle established in an old stone alignment keeps a watchful eye on the woods and lake nearby, which are rumored to host fey spirits and the treasure of a goblin warband destroyed a long time ago(supposed to be at the bottom of the lake).
Some 20 Rhennee folks, who have a very poor reputation (their ancestors came to the region as the servants of an evil mage), live nearby in a small tents and carts camp, and make a living giving rides on the lake to close villages, selling charms and potions to adventurers and locals (like fertility charms and such low-level items). In the village, you also find a wizard, and your usual inn, smith, leatherworker, general store, and a rich Sea Prince exile making money as a top notch tailor.
I want to have the characters really participate in the village’s life, by having their backgrounds mesh with the local structure (ex: the mage is the wizards apprentice, the fighter is the standing mayor’s son and serves in the watch, the ranger is a woodcutter and friend to the druids, etc...). My idea is that the first “adventure” should not really be heroic, but be more like an introduction of the characters, have them participate in local events, and give them a true sense of home. Something worth fighting for or running away from I might say
By adventure 2, the PCs will be ready to tackle a real adventure (a paladin comes to the village on the trail of his kidnapped daughter, involves kobolds and caves imbued by the power of Beltar), and by adventure 3, it will be time to take to the road and kickstart the campaign's main plot(in the middle of the local harvest festival, a dying ranger crashes into town, with monsters on his tail and a relic in his hands - yes, it's an old Scarred Lands adventure remanufactured to my campaign).
So guys, have you already done something like that, what would be your ideas, what do you think I should do/recommend me doing? Any insight is most welcome.
How about some wild dogs are attacking the village livestock. The local village elder has put out a call for someone or a group to deal with the pack of dogs. After some searching they will find the pack of dogs in a small map area
( maybee a windmill, small cave, or a hidden grove along a stream).
The dogs will have killed a local ranger,elf or fay creature to put in a magic item, a potion or two and some coins ( give a rumor that the missing person has disapeared- maybee a reward too). The pack of dogs are under the control of a evil brownie that has a axe to grind with the village ( for whatever reason).
It is a cool idea, but I would prefer not to involve too dangerous opponents and NPC deaths - more something along the like of everyday life and its little struggles in a fantasy village.
Maybe running errands for the local mage, get involved in the feud between the Trithereonites and the Heirnoneus faithfuls, etc... something in tune with the local background, and mostly something that 17/18-years old wannabees with no equipment or experience can take on without major risks.
I like the idea of the pack of dogs, and the mischievous fey.
One-half of my GH campaigns have taken place in Salimoor, particularly around the U series modules (my faves).
Sinister Secret At Saltmarsh is a great 1st-level adventure. You may have to avoid allowing stupid 3.5 classes, though, as bastards like Warlocks can break a campaign into wee pieces that uses devices other than combat to further the plot.
EXAMPLE: Warlocks' eldritch blast is a spell-like ability that has no finite supply. A spell-like ability requires no verbal or somatic components. Therefore, it is impossible to bind or imprison a warlock, as they may simply eldritch blast their way out of it.
Instead of Tharizdun, go with a cooler deity like Wastri. I built the climax of a campaign around the "Feast of Frogs" or something that I read on a GH calender I printed out. I made it a Halloween-like holiday where everyone dresses up like frogs (though fancifully) and whoever with the best costume is elected Frog King and basically forced into drunkenness by everyone else. The actual holiday is an ancient Flan tradition of dressing like frogs to trick the followers of Wastri from kidnapping them and such.
Basically Wastri cultists (bullywugs) were using a vast aquifer beneath the Saltmarsh area to incarnate Wastri into physical form, using his holiday as the focus for his power or w/e (its fantasy, just make stuff up). They were using a recharge area for a large spring in the Hool to go back and forth between the underwater caves and the surface. Instead of using U3 as an island, I just made it an underwater cave stata populated by bullywugs, with the big bad being a blind-albino bullwug shaman named Horrorcroak.
I also threw the Scarlet Brotherhood in, too. I usually do.
Now, usually in my games, the PCs are low-scale heroic. They do great stuff, but world-saving and the like is not really for me. My favorite first adventure I wrote was the Viscount of Salinmoor hired local adventurer-types pretty much to be his friends. He got his education in Niole Dra, and was very fish-out-of-water on his return to Salinmoor to reign in the wake of his father's death by drowning. The actual first adventure was Cronin and his hired PCs on a fox hunt. Cronin brought the game with him from up north because it was something he knew and loved, although Salinmoor was not the best place for such a game. You can throw in whichever complications you wish, though in my original version the hunt itself was all that was needed.
I also tend to make dogs a big part of my GH games. I had Cronin bring dogs from up north: http://shop.warlordgames.co.uk/mastiffs-pack-1334-p.asp, and these are local hunting dogs: http://shop.warlordgames.co.uk/warhound-pack-542-p.asp. These hounds make great additions to a campaign, but are of a scale far-too small for use with Reaper miniatures. They work good with Ral Partha or Grenadier. My own company also makes a Warhound, whose scale was really made to fit with Reaper-sized miniatures.
The mastiffs I called Oeridian War Dogs, and the wolfhounds I called Suel Hunting Dogs. I have not actually worked my own Warhound mini into my Greyhawk yet, but I would likely make them something out of Perrenland--Warhound of the Northland, and all.
My favorite Salinmoor campaign's central plot was the conflict between the Viscount and the Merchant Lords of Seaton. GVDammerung wrote a wonderful series of articles about Salinmoor beginning here: http://www.canonfire.com/cf/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=895, that I have in hard-copy as part of my permanent GH canon. The conflict stemmed from Hewell, Cronin's father, being a tosser and letting the merchants do what they liked with total disregard for the local nobility. Cronin assumes power and hates it that his position carries very little actual authority in the viscountcy. Much of the campaign was spent by the PCs establishing themselves in the area and preaching the word of loyalty to the nobility, while the villainous republican merchant lords hired bands of thugs and pirates (including the whole Sea Ghost scenario) to oppose the viscount both morally and physically.
The end came when the merchant lords bit off more than they could chew (the Scarlet Brotherhood ended up being in control of them, btw) when they roused an off-shore colony of sahuagin and made a Faustian pact with them against the viscount and it bit them in the butts (literally).
To break it down:
Act One - Establishing themselves as Viscount's Men and cleaning up Saltmarsh (like John Wayne).
Act Two - Uniting the Noble families of Salinmoor (making them choose sides)
Act Three - Building an alliance of humanoids to oppose the Sahuagin (PC-alliance vs. Scarlet Brotherhood, Pirates, and Sahuagin).
Some adventures I threw in from misc sources and incorporated were: U 1-3, Baltron's Beacon, Tammeraut's Fate, Witching Season, The Wreck of the Shining Star, and I had references alluding to the Redshore Trilogy as a possible sequel.
I have a couple of maps somewhere I can donate, if I find them. One was a map of the Viscountcy of Salinmoor (basically two-hexes of land, including Redshore and Angleburg) and the other was Vineyard Keep--it was built atop the foundation of the U-1 Haunted House.
I also have a document made by a person I used to know fleshing out which-deities-are-worshiped-where in Salinmoor. I do not have a soft copy of it, but I can scan it, or retype it up if you want it.
I also have an awesome adventure generator that I can send you, if you want it. Its really very good, and non-setting specific.
First, besides U 1-3 (the Saltmarsh modules), you could use Keep on the Borderlands or Return to the Keep on the Borderlands as they are officially located in the Yeomanry. You will have to modify things quite a bit, but I almost always use KotB as my campaign start. I make sure the adventurers reach level two before they discover the Caves of Chaos. There are several outdoor encounter areas on the map and I add plenty of random encounters plus staged encounters of my own design to allow them to gain the experience (both the characters and the new players themselves) they will need to survive forays against the denizens of the Caves of Chaos.
Second, if you have access to the City of Greyhawk boxed set, there are a couple dozen adventure cards that have some very good short encounters on them that can be located anywhere with a little tailoring.
Third, my current players purchased the most powerful and intelligent war dog (stats as a Riding Dog in 3.5e) they could find recently. I determined that it was a Wegwiur Wolfhound (think Scottish Wolfhound). Allowing small, low-level parties to bolster their strength with the purchase of war dogs, or at least hunting dogs, is much easier, in my opinion, than adding NPCs/henchmen that you, the DM, have to play to the group.
Fourth, some ideas to add to your initial adventure could be foiling an assassination attempt upon a local notable, rescuing a local child from an attack by a rogue fire beetle/stirge/giant ant/etc., or unmasking a Gnomish illusionist/thief scaring guards away from a warehouse with Dancing Lights so that he can walk in and absond with some of the goods.
Hope these ideas help.
SirXaris
Last edited by SirXaris on Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:53 am; edited 2 times in total
An adventure I adapted for a homebrew world a few years back was one fo the adventure cards that came with either the "From the Ashes" or the "City of Greyhawk" boxed sets (don't remember which, sorry); it's titled:
"Vote for the Goat"
The idea is that an Election is being held for the position of town mayor; and a new party; the "Talking Goat Party" has thrown thier hat into the ring and they are getting remarkable support; when out of no-where; some Tasloi swing in from the rooftops like Tarzana and kidnap the Goat.
It's now up to the PCs to track down the Goat and bring him back in time for the Election.
I modified the adventure somewhat and my basic plot idea was this: There's a Tower for a local Mage nearby; and if the PCs decipher the clues correctly; it'll lead them to it. The Mage is gone away on some buisness; but his apprentice; a greedy fellow; has decided to help out one of the Goat's rivals for Mayor by utilizing some charmed Tasloi of his Master's to snatch the Goat and take him out of the race.
I made the Goat a former adventuerer who had fallen on some hard times and had very little to his name when he was polymorphed by an Enemy into a Goat. He retains his mind and memories and can Talk; he has actually grown to appreciate his new form and is happy to remain a goat.....some friends from the village he grew up in saw the chance to "help" him out and decided to put him in the race for Mayor now that the former Adventurer has grown wiser.
The adventure can be more serious (i.e. the Tasloi and/or the Apprentice fight to the death...or not....but it's some lighthearted fun that can highlight "everyday" folks' in a small town/village and have some magical/fantasy element out front-and-center as well.
I *so* remember that one. An interesting thing: depending on in which era you're playing (I believe the OP said 591) and if you include the Greyhawk Grumblers (which are wonderful!), a funny thing happened.
Greyhawk Grumbler, Coldeven 598 wrote:
It is with great fondness that The Grumbler remembers the talking goat that represented Clerksburg on the Public Council for eight years. No one said “nay” better.
And later that same year:
Greyhawk Grumbler, Goodmonth CY 598 wrote:
Public Council Vote Has Meaning for Once
The City of Greyhawk is holding elections for its Public Council at the end of the month of Harvester. A fob for the masses, this advisory body composed of a councilor from each of the city’s eight quarters (don’t ask how the city has eight quarters; it shows you’re not from here) is the closest thing the city has to a representative government. It’s worked well in the past and gave the population the illusion that they were having an impact on the city. This year promises to be different. With the Directing Oligarchy in disarray and the city on the edge of revolt, Dernan Nathane needs the Public Council to ratify an appointment of a new Oligach. Before, the council was a sideshow where candidates included doppelgangers, talking goats, and priests of Vecna. Now, it’s a sideshow with the potential for power.
The combination has drawn political parties out of the woodwork. The parties favored to win the most seats are the People’s Party for Golden Dreams and Five-Fingered Discount, backed by the merchants and thieves respectively. The Marvelous Talking Goat Party, which formed around the wildly popular Hector the Talking Goat, is back even though Hector has since passed on to the big hayfield in the sky. Other parties include A Chicken in Every Pot Party, advocating free food for the masses, Absolutely Not a Front for an Evil Cult, sponsored by the fabulously wealthy Count Merleche, and Two Drink Minimum, sponsored by the Gnarleyhouse fraternity in Clerkberg. Campaigning is expected to be vigorous, vicious, and violent throughout Harvester. Political street theater will include such staples as rallies, free food, buttons, answers in the form of a circle, worthless promises, and funny hats. The Grumbler is happy to lease its presses to parties at economically advantageous (to The Grumbler) rates.
Wonderful ideas, thank you so much for your input, I love the idea of the elections, especially since it meshes so well with my village and the growing tension between the followers of Heironeus and Trithereon.
The goat is cool, I will say nothing but nay.... :)
I think Greyhawk Adventures had some "0-level" adventures in the back that might also fit the fledgling characters.
As for the rural setting, I almost think something Tom Sawyer/Hucklberry Finn or Mayberry would be in order. Maybe they have to find the town drunk or ne'er do-well who wandered off (again) but has been gone longer than usual. Maybe they form a small posse to find a highwayman or two.
Something else that you could try in the rural setting is the relative scarcity of cash. As I always envisioned it (borrowing quite liberally from Pillars of the Earth a village is not much of a cash economy. If the players want to purcahse something, they might find themselves bartering goods and services. It also will make the characters appreciate the relative luxuries of urban life when they can toss a coin to somene to get something.
Greets Greyblade... how about a medieval styled murder...
A local farmer, while tilling his land, uncovers a gruesome body that was stabbed...
or
The local clothier finds a body sticking out of hs green dye vat (have you ever read or watched Name of the Rose?)
There are many medieval murder stories to draw from, Brother Cadfile, a monk (ex-templar), who lives in a monestary near a village and solves a murder or mystery about once a month ;-)
An old AD&D mod, L2, "The Assassin's Knot" is a fun one which you can change up easily enough to suit your game. It is an oldie but a goodie and great for lower level PCs. I believe it may still be downloadable from WotC/old TSR site.
However you decide, there are all kinds adventures out there... read/look thru a bunch, comprise several synopsis reads for your group and ask them what kind of story/adventure they would like, what intriges-interests them the most?
. . . the PCs are starting out as farmer boys/youngsters in a village of my own making in the southern Yeomanry, not far from the Hool Marshes and the Tors. Despite its location, the village is pretty quiet, although its missing lord has been absent for several years now . . . financed over the years by the lord’s family (his family were devout followers of Heironeus), but since the lord has gone missing, the temple has lost influence to a growing number of Trithereon faithfuls, who are clamoring for a change in the status quo and elections of a new lord.
If I may ask; Given that The Yeomanry has no nobility class, what do you mean by "lord?"
Thanks for the feedback and ideas, I have lots of exciting plots forming in my head, and I think I will mix a bit of everything for several sessions, to really give my players the sense they belong to that little community - will make their departure later even more poignant.
Indeed Mystic-Scholar, I meant Grossspokesman - I didn't remember the exact title
Not disputing that there are no lords (at least who use that title) in the Yeomanry, but from the LG players guide to the Yeomanry it looks like the Spokesmen and Grosspokesmen are less administrators and governors than purely, elected representatives. Most of the day-to-day running of each of the 36 districts is done by the local greater landowner, who is a lord of sorts, though he doesn't bear that title. There probably is some title the Yeoman use to refer to them, since greater landowner is kind of clumsy. Given the Teutonic-like place names that sometimes pop up in relation to areas whose population is highly Suel descended, the medieval Swedish title of storman, "great man" could work. Interestingly, even as far back as the WoGH Guide it says the Freeholder is selected by the Council of Common Grosspokesmen from amongst the greater landowners, not from their number, although I'm sure greater landowners are sometimes one of the local Grosspokesmen. I'm also sure that each district's Spokesmen and 3 Common Grosspokesmen do have a great deal of influence on how the greater landowner runs the district, as do the lesser great landowners. Probably most of the former are drawn from that class. It's a pretty fascinating form of government.
Of course LG isn't canon so everyone is entitled to run their Yeomanry the way they see fit.
There probably is some title the Yeoman use to refer to them, since greater landowner is kind of clumsy.
"Gentleman" was considered to be the "least" of the nobility class of the Victorian era, in the sense that Sherlock Holmes was refered to as "Mr. Holmes," though men who were certainly "older" than he was were simply refered to as "Johnson," or "Tom," et al, as they were "lower" on the Social Ladder. Not all men of that time were "Gentlemen," nor were they refered to as "Mister."
I want to have the characters really participate in the village’s life, by having their backgrounds mesh with the local structure (ex: the mage is the wizards apprentice, the fighter is the standing mayor’s son and serves in the watch, the ranger is a woodcutter and friend to the druids, etc...). My idea is that the first “adventure” should not really be heroic, but be more like an introduction of the characters, have them participate in local events, and give them a true sense of home. Something worth fighting for or running away from I might say
-Exactly the sort of thing I like to DM, although the players...
greyblade wrote:
...I would prefer not to involve too dangerous opponents and NPC deaths - more something along the like of everyday life and its little struggles in a fantasy village...
-Unless it is done in "the background", and the NPC was one of the PC's mentors. That would explain:
1) At least one of the PC's motivation to adventure (revenge/justice);
2) Why the higher-level NPC isn't taking care of the problem (they're dead). But then you have to explain how 1st NPCs will handle an opponent that whacked a mid-level type, although treachery or taken by surprise and/or outnumbered might do. The PCs superior numbers, plus "forewarned is forearmed" would do.
Mystic-Scholar wrote:
If I may ask; Given that The Yeomanry has no nobility class, what do you mean by "lord?"
Are you perhaps referring to the local Grossspokesman?
-England still has lords, although their temporal power is a tad reduced....
greyblade wrote:
At the beginning of the campaign (591CY), the PCs are starting out as farmer boys/youngsters in a village of my own making in the southern Yeomanry, not far from the Hool Marshes and the Tors. Despite its location, the village is pretty quiet, although its missing lord has been absent for several years now (went to war in Sterich and has not been heard of since)the manor sitting empty under the relaxed guard of the local watch (farmer boys on rolling duty).
Some 20 Rhennee folks, who have a very poor reputation (their ancestors came to the region as the servants of an evil mage), live nearby in a small tents and carts camp, and make a living giving rides on the lake to close villages...
-If they live near a lake, shouldn't a lot of the PCs have a fisherman background (i.e. different skills/proficiencies)?
greyblade wrote:
(ex: the mage is the wizards apprentice, the fighter is the standing mayor’s son and serves in the watch, the ranger is a woodcutter and friend to the druids, etc...)...
Unless the PC are all orphans or outsiders, detail their family and associates. Even if they are orphans or ouitsiders, I still detail the family background anyway. You never know when it might come in handy. Besides, at least you get a "feel" for what they were like.
In most cases, the parents would probably be low-level NPC class (3.0 or 3.5) or 0-2 level (AD&D), except possibly for the mayor and his lady. Even if the mage's parents are farmers or fishermen, they should probably have above average INT scores (dopes usually don't turn out geniuses). I assume that the PCs got to know each other by serving on the watch together? Are any of them cousins?
I don't know what the fatality rate is like in your campaign, but your scenario allows for quick replacement PCs as new younger villagers come of age. Of course, others might come from outside; you could do that if someone who has not played in the campaign before starts to play in your campaign. That way the "stranger" player is also a "stranger" as a PC.
CP's point about animals is good; they're a neat "goodie" to give the PC which don't unbalance the game. Dogs are good, horses are more obvious. There are other possibilities. They are individualized, of course.
You might want to be careful of any Heironian vs. Trithereon vs. Druid rivalry. The PC's are bound to get involved. It offers good role play, but might break up the party.
England still has lords, although their temporal power is a tad reduced
Meaning?
I can find nothing in canon sources which states that The Yeomanry has a "defunct," or "nuetered," nobility class residing within the nation.
-The Yeomanry didn't always have it's representative form of government. Before that, they had nobles (I guess).
The Suloise who originally settled the Yeomanry and mixed with the native Flan were mainly members of the peasantry of the Empire. In the century after they settled they were conquered and subjugated by a Suel wizard who fled west from the destruction of House Malhel in the Dreadwood. This was Lord Asperdies. He was eventually overthrown by the farmers of the Yeomanry who used the organizational system they had developed to fight him as the basis for their government. I doubt they would have kept any remnant of a system of nobility that Asperdies established, although there may have been something like that before he took over and some remnant of that continued. From the description though it sounds like the families of the greater landowners started out as commoners and came to acquire their land over time. Another thing to note is that when the Yeomanry became part of Keoland, the Grosspokesmen and Freeholders were accepted as noble peers by the Council of Niole Dra, so some of those people may have gotten used to being called Lord So-and-so, and been awarded some titles of nobility by the Keoish realm. I think either way works, depending on your preference.
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Allowing small, low-level parties to bolster their strength with the purchase of war dogs, or at least hunting dogs, is much easier, in my opinion, than adding NPCs/henchmen that you, the DM, have to play to the group.
aka BusterBudd
