Drow war : world of player
- Thread starter raskal
- Start date
Utgardloki
Mongoose
My impression is that the book is written with the intent that the PCs come from the world of the setting.
However, my intent is to run the game with PCs from other settings. I plan to establish the PCs in another setting, and then bring them into Drow War. That is my personal choice, however.
I think it works either way.
However, my intent is to run the game with PCs from other settings. I plan to establish the PCs in another setting, and then bring them into Drow War. That is my personal choice, however.
I think it works either way.
Depending on what nations the characters choose to be from, their backgrounds may play zero role in the game (such as Elves from Shallenoi), or they may wind up adventuring in their homeland (like elves from Xoth Sarendi). It is up to the player and Gm how important their background connections will be in shaping adventures in those places.
The plot is also fairly easy to adapt to other campaign settings. Assuming your game world represents a wide variety of cultures and races, it should be easy to adapt. In the first book, the main requirements are: a) a coastal nation ruled by a council and b) a monarchical state with extensive swamplands (which has just gone through a religious upheaval in the past generation) bordering on a more barbarous society. The second book adds a desert society, a frozen barbarous waste, a militaristic warrior nation, and an advanced island nation ruled by elves. The third book is much more easily adaptable, as most of the adventures are extraplanar.
The plot is also fairly easy to adapt to other campaign settings. Assuming your game world represents a wide variety of cultures and races, it should be easy to adapt. In the first book, the main requirements are: a) a coastal nation ruled by a council and b) a monarchical state with extensive swamplands (which has just gone through a religious upheaval in the past generation) bordering on a more barbarous society. The second book adds a desert society, a frozen barbarous waste, a militaristic warrior nation, and an advanced island nation ruled by elves. The third book is much more easily adaptable, as most of the adventures are extraplanar.
Utgardloki
Mongoose
Unfortunately, time is something I never have enough of, but I've gotten partway through the first book, and thought of ways to tie Drow War in with other worlds.
For example, Perhaps the Broo of Glorantha could be involved in the first adventure. I've thought of a way, although I don't want to post how it can be done because I don't want to give a spoiler.
Involving other worlds does change the adventures a little bit. I'll probably start a thread on that when I get ready to think about it.
Since I'll probably run the PCs through Witchfire Trilogy first, who knows when, or if, I'll ever get to run Drow War.
For example, Perhaps the Broo of Glorantha could be involved in the first adventure. I've thought of a way, although I don't want to post how it can be done because I don't want to give a spoiler.
Involving other worlds does change the adventures a little bit. I'll probably start a thread on that when I get ready to think about it.
Since I'll probably run the PCs through Witchfire Trilogy first, who knows when, or if, I'll ever get to run Drow War.
I think you lose a few things if you make the characters "outsiders". For starters, when the time comes to save the world, our heroes will not really have a personal stake in the conflict. Characters who are not unambiguously good and altruistic might be tempted to wash their hands of the matter.
As a GM, I like to introduce side quests and NPCs from a character's background. As mentioned above, depending on the home realm a character picks, this may not be an option, but the more options in a GM's toolbox, the better, sez I.
Of course, a GM who wants to keep things simple might be better off with characters completely untethered from teh campaign world.
As a GM, I like to introduce side quests and NPCs from a character's background. As mentioned above, depending on the home realm a character picks, this may not be an option, but the more options in a GM's toolbox, the better, sez I.
Of course, a GM who wants to keep things simple might be better off with characters completely untethered from teh campaign world.
thedarkelf007
Mongoose
Then there is the "they all meet in a bar" scenario ;-)
Might be the only structure on the island.... and they are the only people in it...
lol..
Though I would say that when I run it, I'll tell them where the game is starting, even have sent out the opening scene of the game, where they are on the island already.
As part of character creation they have to determine why they are there, and why they are there with the other characters.
This make a good collaberative environment and leads to some interesting and unexpected plot lines for the Games Masters to use in future sessions.
Might be the only structure on the island.... and they are the only people in it...
lol..
Though I would say that when I run it, I'll tell them where the game is starting, even have sent out the opening scene of the game, where they are on the island already.
As part of character creation they have to determine why they are there, and why they are there with the other characters.
This make a good collaberative environment and leads to some interesting and unexpected plot lines for the Games Masters to use in future sessions.
thedarkelf007
Mongoose
Good read for a start... sounds like something I have done before, though it was in a star wars game at the time.
Learning who and what you were previously to the awakening is a fin and ammusing part of this style campaign...
who knows, you could have previously been a killer and was mindwiped to be a hero...
Would that change how you act from that point onward?
Learning who and what you were previously to the awakening is a fin and ammusing part of this style campaign...
who knows, you could have previously been a killer and was mindwiped to be a hero...
Would that change how you act from that point onward?
My groups actually have no character background. Perhaps I took the first scene a bit too literally, but they have no memories before their appearance at the first node. They think they went to sleep - but perhaps that's only because they woke up. In fact, they are quite starborn. it's a divine sort of thing.
It's actually making for some fun plot twists... one of my characters is abidly anti-religion, and he's having some trouble with that... since in my game, he's basically the created agent of the gods - and specifically of the goddess nuith. She's taken to speaking to him about the inconsistencies about it. He's quite disturbed by it - and the rest of the party has noticed that something's off about him, and have no idea what.
js
It's actually making for some fun plot twists... one of my characters is abidly anti-religion, and he's having some trouble with that... since in my game, he's basically the created agent of the gods - and specifically of the goddess nuith. She's taken to speaking to him about the inconsistencies about it. He's quite disturbed by it - and the rest of the party has noticed that something's off about him, and have no idea what.
js
I did this scene in a slightly different way. The players are from the world, all who wanted a deity selected them from the pantheons in the book.
When they awoke upon the isle they had no memory of their former lives. My initial plan for it was that they were either purely physical manifestations of the stars energy. With that in mind I gave them basic information about each of the lands in the world as well as the gods, and treated it as if they had an instinctive basic knowledge of the world. In this way leveling became more of an act of learning to unlock more of their inner power than simple training.
However my mind has slowly been changed by what the players and by extend their characters, have come to believe. We have been moving along slowly, spending a great deal of time RPing the interactions between the characters themselves as well as those of the people around them, so we are about 5 sessions in but still about a town away from Saragost. Thus the players have had a lot of time to think about the hints they have, but they don't have many clues yet.
They have begun to believe that they are direct reincarnations of the heroes from the last equinox, that is why their signature weapons seem to call to them. I think that in some ways the story hints that they were born to live this destiny, but due to their amnesia they believe that they formed on the isle as a hand of Nuinth. It seems to be a story that the players can all get behind and I believe that I can work it into the future of the campaign as they regain and even surpass their former power.
When they awoke upon the isle they had no memory of their former lives. My initial plan for it was that they were either purely physical manifestations of the stars energy. With that in mind I gave them basic information about each of the lands in the world as well as the gods, and treated it as if they had an instinctive basic knowledge of the world. In this way leveling became more of an act of learning to unlock more of their inner power than simple training.
However my mind has slowly been changed by what the players and by extend their characters, have come to believe. We have been moving along slowly, spending a great deal of time RPing the interactions between the characters themselves as well as those of the people around them, so we are about 5 sessions in but still about a town away from Saragost. Thus the players have had a lot of time to think about the hints they have, but they don't have many clues yet.
They have begun to believe that they are direct reincarnations of the heroes from the last equinox, that is why their signature weapons seem to call to them. I think that in some ways the story hints that they were born to live this destiny, but due to their amnesia they believe that they formed on the isle as a hand of Nuinth. It seems to be a story that the players can all get behind and I believe that I can work it into the future of the campaign as they regain and even surpass their former power.
Grandpa_Tiax
Mongoose
It really depends on how gung-ho your players are going to be. If they just love playing dnd, then it doesn't matter how you place them. However, 2/3 of my players didn't feel any connection to the events, even though their characters were from the world. This ended up making them apathetic and unconvincing to the towns they visited, making things more difficult. However, the game plans for this and gives you suggestions for if the game goes all downhill. It doesn't really matter as much in the first half of the book, because your players will (hopefully) end up traveling to Caldraza anyway. They may regret being apathetic as future events unfold, however.
I think my players got involved and feel tied to the events because I played up the starborn piece. They're not of the world, but they're definitley there to save it.
Which has lead in some cases to a bit of arrogance on the part of the PCs - and watching that come up against the iron dukes was kinda fun.
js
Which has lead in some cases to a bit of arrogance on the part of the PCs - and watching that come up against the iron dukes was kinda fun.
js
Oh yes, the Starborn vs the Iron Dukes was a major clash of egos in my campaign. I had to bring forward the drow attack by a day as I thought the PCs were going to walk away from Crom Calamar in disgust!
2 of them are also now pretty worried as they come from countries that have allied with the drow (Visk and Kandang).
2 of them are also now pretty worried as they come from countries that have allied with the drow (Visk and Kandang).
gym_wizard
Mongoose
I haven't been to the forums in a while to this thread may be old so forgive me....
Some of my PCs are starborn from other equinoxes, one is from the 'present' time, one is from a 'future equinox'. This created a aura of mystery as well as giving them a uniting element.
give me a shout if I can help...
gym_wizard at yahoo dot com
Some of my PCs are starborn from other equinoxes, one is from the 'present' time, one is from a 'future equinox'. This created a aura of mystery as well as giving them a uniting element.
give me a shout if I can help...
gym_wizard at yahoo dot com
gym_wizard
Mongoose
Assuming they destroy the abyssal alter (tomorrow night) he will just continue to 'live'. Being that the 'future' he visioned was the current time line.
If they fail (they all die and the drow control Ashfar) then I'll fast foreward the events of Book 3 a thousand years- to the next equinox.
If they fail (they all die and the drow control Ashfar) then I'll fast foreward the events of Book 3 a thousand years- to the next equinox.
These days I am going to start the drow war.
I guess I let my players begin like in Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame books - they play themselves, transported to another world. I will prepare sample characters for them, they still have to get the idea what they can accomplish and what not.
Guess it will be a load of fun...
regs
Xian, Germany
I guess I let my players begin like in Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame books - they play themselves, transported to another world. I will prepare sample characters for them, they still have to get the idea what they can accomplish and what not.
Guess it will be a load of fun...
regs
Xian, Germany
gym_wizard
Mongoose
TopCat said:
As it turns out it wasn't actually a future he was from, but his (and by extension the other starborn from other times) character 'always prepares for the future'. My PC has a firm grip on 'what has happened... will happen again', so he prepares.
