Dragonsuns adventure

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Post originally by Paul Mitchener at 2005-05-10 04:16:25
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Hi,

I'm pleased (and admittedly slightly jealous) that your column helped you get writing work. I will miss the Dragonsuns development, although I can see how it is time to move on to something else.

One thing you said in this column (and I point I've also tried to stress, probably unsuccessfully) is the importance of developing a first adventure in order to get the feel of a campaign and campaign world. I like your take on the importance of secrets as well- that has got me thinking about how I should design things.

Anyway, my question is: do you have a first adventure planned for Dragonsuns, and can you give me a synopsis?

Thanks,
Paul

PS: I absolutely loved the ideas in column 5 (the Dragonsuns secrets column).

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Post originally by Charlie Dunwoody at 2005-05-11 04:27:14
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Paul,

Glad you liked the secrets column. I do have an idea for a first adventure but I never wrote it down. I'll post it here tomorrow since I don't have time today to type it up. All the ideas we came up with for Dragonsuns just seem to naturally lend themselves to adventure creation and I'm eager to get my ideas down on paper (well computer file really).

What I'd like to do with this column in the future is tie in a new campaign start with a column covering that campaign from start to finish. I never got a chance to actually playtest or run Dragonsuns because right now I'm running an Eberron game with 14th level characters and can't start something new.

My players have been great about being willing to take a break from D&D to play Bulldogs! but I won't be able to get a new D&D campaign started for a while yet. When I finally get around to creating that next campaign, I'll tie it into this column and post adventure ideas as well as world building.

Charlie

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Post originally by Charlie Dunwoody at 2005-05-13 05:16:11
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The PCs have enough time to try to work out an escape plan. Whatever they come up with, as they implement their escape the volcano explodes. Lava is bursting everywhere, consuming prisoners and guards alike.

The PCs can use the confusion to help their escape plan. If they befriended Baldirk, he offers help. As they attempt to get away, Baldirk calls to them and opens a secret door in the now empty guardroom. It is an entrance to the Underdark. The PCs can follow or not as they wish.

If they wish to flee, they will eventually either be caught by the dracha or escape into the jungle. They may be able to save some elves there (see end of adventure 1 below) and continue from that point. If caught, they'll have to try to escape again.

If they follow Baldirk, he holds the door open for them. Just as they enter the Underdark, Baldirk says to the PCs, "Find the gold..." just as a glob of lava incinerates him. Find the gold...? Gold dragon? Gold coins? Golden sun? The PCs don't know how Baldirk meant to finish.

In the Underdark, the PCs find the burial caves of dwarves. They can take arms and armor if they wish (a total amount of about average starting gold), but must defile the dead to do so.

Afterwards, they must parley with living dwarves. If they defiled the dwarves’ dead, the PCs will be lucky to avoid a fight and will miss a valuable clue. To escape the dwarves’ wrath, they can escape into a labyrinth of twisting lava tubes called the Twisted Caves.

If they respected the dwarven dead and can convince the dwarves they knew Baldirk, the dwarves will help them. They will provide gear to the PCs (equal to maximum starting gold for each). They don't know anything about him being a knight of Bahamut or about his gold. They say the elves that hide in the Tyrant’s realm worship a mythic sun god whose “golden halo blesses his people and directs them in their paths”.

They can direct the PCs to an exit near the elves’ home, but warn the PCs that they'll have to brave the Twisted Caves. The Twisted Caves belong to aberrations. Chokers, dolgaunts, and dolgrims (the latter two from the Eberron Campaign Setting) living in tight, twisting tubes of lava rock. The PCs can discover a clue that the dolgaunts and dolgrims are the twisted remains of goblins and hobgoblins sacrificed by the Tyrant. The PCs will have to fight their way through or try to offer bribes to get by.

Getting out of the Twisted Caves, the PCs come upon an ambush. Dracha are attacking a band of elves. If the PCs help the elves, they make a powerful new ally. The elves will take them by hidden ways to their home. The first adventure ends here, the PCs hopefully going to 2nd level.

After that there is the exploration of the Vermwood with its giant vermin and the war between dromite and thri-kree. The finding of the amulet of the sun with Bahamut’s face on the front and a high mountain choked with jungle depicted on the back. The search for gods that may not exist and a growing desire to rid the world of the Tyrant. And learning of a worse evil, the power that takes the sacrifices that power the suns themselves, and twists them into horrible servants of a dark goddess.

Darn it. Now I want to DM Dragonsuns. Maybe when I'm done with Bulldogs I'll work on Chapter 6.:)

Charlie

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Post originally by Paul Mitchener at 2005-06-16 04:03:53
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Thanks for the adventure. After taking so long to reply, I should probably say a little more than just saying that I'm now intrigued too-
the Dragonsuns setting seems to have plenty of hooks, and so should work well in play.

Oh well. For what it's worth, I'm now quite tempted to check out the Bulldog! setting.

-Paul

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Post originally by Charlie Dunwoody at 2005-06-17 12:45:11
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I'll be running some Bulldogs! games at Gen Con this year. We have some spots open if you're attending.

Charlie

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Post originally by Paul Mitchener at 2005-08-18 06:08:33
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Thanks Charlie,

I'd love to, but sadly I live in Germany :-(

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Post originally by Charlie Dunwoody at 2005-08-26 04:14:46
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Paul,

I'm going to be working on a new D&D campaign and writing about in this column starting in September. Hope to get more of your ideas then.

Charlie