Continued campaign ideas

[Gandalf970]

We have been playing this campaign for a bit now, since we can play 2-4 times a week and 5-6 hours per session.  So the party has kind of taken over an area and runs a city.  They are master traders and run the thieves guild in this kingdom.  They also are nephews to the King in the next kingdom and brothers to the kingdom to the North.  They wanted to experience some high minded things they don't normally do.  This is mostly a mannish world with no demi-humans or monsters per say.  They have faced off against a demon once and there is very little magic.  They have also faced off against some assassin cults, barbarian kingdoms and demonic cults.

 

What I am looking for is some continued campaign ideas.  They are pretty high pointed characters now pushing 300 points and can handle combat pretty well.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Ninja-Bear]

Well are you adversed to having any monsters? My first thought is perhaps an invasion? So maybe Orcs decide to invade? Or a twist, in the sample campaign Western Shores the background has some one explore -what became known as the Demon Cleft. This triggered 100 years or turmoil as Demons swept through the land. You could use some similar I think. 

[drunkonduty]

Rival thieves guild. Someone starts hitting the PC's operations and henchfolk.

 

International Diplomacy. They must prevent a war. Or start one. Maybe arrange a marriage. Or arrange a trade treaty. Obviously by itself this is kinda dull. So enter the rivals who wish to assassinate, frame , and just generally derail the PC's efforts.

[Lord Liaden]

One of the kingdoms the PCs are related to is usurped. Suddenly friends and allies have become enemies. The PCs may have to defend their land from attacks from that kingdom. Alternatively or in addition, they may help the rightful ruler regain their throne: provide sanctuary to the fleeing royal family, or sneak into the kingdom to extract them; engage in espionage or assassination missions against the usurpers; assist rebels within the kingdom, or try to raise an army to retake the throne.

[Steve]

Perhaps a new religion arises, one that begins quickly gaining followers. The leader is a very charismatic sort who calls out the wickedness of thievery and is a very compelling speaker. Throw in a few genuine miracles and some of the nobility considering joining up, and things could get interesting.

[Tjack]

   I read about how high level these characters are and how the seem to have things wired in the lands where they live...

  So how about a “To sail into the sunset” kind of thing. 
   You have a group of people (the characters, not the players) who may be getting bored with their lives. Getting a little fat and lazy. Maybe seeing those first strands of grey in the hair.  A large portal opens in the heart of the city.   Someone who needs help, who was told by the Gods (or powerful wizard) that the heroes who could save their world could be found here.

   This is a chance to strip the characters down to their basics again. They travel thru the portal with only the equipment on their backs to a place beyond their knowledge. Where even the stars In the night are different. 
   Shake things up!  A Druid trying to connect to a new biosphere.  Paladins & Clerics far from their Gods trying to spread the word anew.  A new world with new adventures to make an old heart young again.

     Just a thought.

[Gandalf970]

Thanks Ninja-Bear, Tjack, drunkonduty, Steve and Lord Liaden.  These are all great ideas and I will take them under strong consideration.  Love this forum, your so helpful.

[mallet]

Maybe a cataclysm of some sort happens. massive earthquake, tsunami,  or "star falls from the heavens" and "reshapes" the map, as it were. Lakes or ocean side cities are now in desert or marsh, massive canyons opened up, mountains rise or fall, etc... 

Survivors (including the players) have to rebuild and struggle to survive, fending off bandits and outlaws that have sprung up in the wake of the event. Also have to discover why it happened. Could be natural, but might be better if the cultists or demons caused it as part of their plans. Maybe the Gods caused it as a punishment or test. 

 

Could be a sign of magic reawakening in the world. Maybe orcs or goblins or other evil beings are released from their "prisons" beneath the lands, or the undead begin to walk the land. Also might uncover "sunken cities" that are now on dry land because the ocean receded giving new places to adventure and explore. 

 

You play enough that you could build up to it over a few sessions. Weather changes, or small tremors happening. Players hear the cultists are planning something major, and try to stop them (which takes them away from their kingdom) but they don't do it time and fail to stop the badguys, but are fortunate enough to be just far enough away from the main disaster zone so that is how they survive (cultists didn't want to die in the disaster either so they did the ritual just outside the disaster zone). 

[Brian Stanfield]

You could always go beneath the city into the sewers. That could develop into an entire sub-culture like the Parisian sewer system, or perhaps some low-level sewer monsters that won't break your "mannish" worldview too much. Or you could go full-blown Cthulhu sewer scenario and shut a gate to a supernatural plane that was accidentally opened by one of your cultist groups. Monsters would only last long enough to shove them back through the portal without any long-lasting effects, and you get the fun of hacking and slashing for a little while.

[Steve]

2 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

You could always go beneath the city into the sewers. That could develop into an entire sub-culture like the Parisian sewer system, or perhaps some low-level sewer monsters that won't break your "mannish" worldview too much. Or you could go full-blown Cthulhu sewer scenario and shut a gate to a supernatural plane that was accidentally opened by one of your cultist groups. Monsters would only last long enough to shove them back through the portal without any long-lasting effects, and you get the fun of hacking and slashing for a little while.

Another option for Sewer City is ghouls. They could be an offshoot of humanity, mutated by exposure to something down there. They have an entire culture in Call of Cthulhu mythology you could draw from.

[Ninja-Bear]

7 hours ago, Steve said:

Another option for Sewer City is ghouls. They could be an offshoot of humanity, mutated by exposure to something down there. They have an entire culture in Call of Cthulhu mythology you could draw from.

Well instead of ghouls then how about those fish races? D&D have some Cthulhu inspired and I think even the fantasy bestiary for Hero does too.

[Brian Stanfield]

Please, just not zombies! Unless you stat out Rob Zombie for your newest evil villain . . .

[mallet]

2 hours ago, Brian Stanfield said:

Please, just not zombies! Unless you stat out Rob Zombie for your newest evil villain . . .

 

I find I don't mind zombies nearly as much in a fantasy rpg as I do in modern time movies and tv. They can be a major threat and scary if/when an evil wizard/necromancer raises all the dead villagers in a small town he just had slaughtered by his goons and sets them loose on the surrounding countryside. 

 

Players are trapped in an inn or barn and have to stay alive until dawn (when the zombies collapse back to being dead) or escape the area before they are eaten. Fun times for everyone. 

[Ninja-Bear]

What if you have a completely foreign culture some to interact with? What if a Chinese or Japanese culture comes over? You have to have your European Fantasy follow exactly like real world history. If you want Mongols fine but instead you could have a horde of Samurai come directly over. 

[Brian Stanfield]

15 hours ago, mallet said:

Players are trapped in an inn or barn and have to stay alive until dawn (when the zombies collapse back to being dead) or escape the area before they are eaten. Fun times for everyone. 

That’s the scenario in Fantasy HERO Battlegrounds, by the way. Sort of a tried and true adventure!

[Gandalf970]

Well I went with the Necromancy idea.  They were called into a conference with the various kingdoms who were taking the brunt of the fighting.  They said that these warriors would not pick up the dead from the battles.  As they snuck around behind enemy lines they found dead soldiers laid out in large groups.  They kept going and it was cool because they didn't understand.  Then they got to the enemies lands and seen very poor people and seen the ritual of the necromancer and they kind of pooped themselves when they realized all the solders that would be summoned.

 

Thanks for the help I appreciate it, my group did as well.