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Chapter 1: Preliminary Matters: Difference between revisions
Chapter 1: Preliminary Matters (view source)
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Nathan Heard (talk | contribs) (Created page with "Where to start? In a campaign that involves many plot threads across multiple kingdoms, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The goal of this chapter is to provide you, the MC, with several potential starting points. You might start all of your players off in the same area, or you might introduce each hero to the world individually, weaving together tales that begin before the adventuring party truly forms. MORALLY GRAY CAMPAIGN == Know the Heroes == Before d...") |
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[[Cloven Lands Playtest Material|[back to The Cloven Lands]]] | |||
Where to start? In a campaign that involves many plot threads across multiple kingdoms, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The goal of this chapter is to provide you, the MC, with several potential starting points. You might start all of your players off in the same area, or you might introduce each hero to the world individually, weaving together tales that begin before the adventuring party truly forms. | Where to start? In a campaign that involves many plot threads across multiple kingdoms, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The goal of this chapter is to provide you, the MC, with several potential starting points. You might start all of your players off in the same area, or you might introduce each hero to the world individually, weaving together tales that begin before the adventuring party truly forms. | ||
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|'''Morally Gray Campaign''' | |||
''The Cloven Lands'' is intended to be a morally ambiguous campaign. The multiple factions in this campaign each have some valid points, and each have their own flaws. As such, the recommended method of playing this campaign is the most complicated one: divide your players into three groups (or four if you also use ''The Heartstone of Vedrathis'') and play through each prologue following these heroes individually. This will set up the campaign to have the greatest amount of nuance as each of your players will have notably different perspectives on the same events. | |||
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== Know the Heroes == | == Know the Heroes == | ||
Before deciding where to start your campaign, spend some time talking about your players’ characters with them. You might do this individually over text or phone call, or you might dedicate your first game session to working with your players as they collectively create their characters. | Before deciding where to start your campaign, spend some time talking about your players’ characters with them. You might do this individually over text or phone call, or you might dedicate your first game session to working with your players as they collectively create their characters. | ||
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|'''Lineages''' | |||
At this point in Ancerra’s history, Nalathesh, Kendaria, and especially Bridgemoor all have quite diverse representations of the lineages found in the CRB. Fiendbloods, [[Raedeen]], Remnants, and [[Undead]] are much less common than the other lineages, but can still be found in any of these three nations. | |||
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As your players are imagining their characters, pay special attention to the heroes’ [[Backgrounds, Occupations, and Professions]] (BOPs). This will help you determine how and where to begin the campaign out of the several possible starting points. While any nation will have folk with any occupational tag, some nations have higher concentrations of specific occupations. Each of the seven occupational tags are listed below, with summarized pertinent information about Bridgemoor, Nalathesh, and Kendaria. For more complete information on these three nations, and on the other nations that border Nalathesh and Kendaria, see Appendix A. | |||
As your players are imagining their characters, pay special attention to the heroes’ Backgrounds, Occupations, and Professions (BOPs). This will help you determine how and where to begin the campaign out of the several possible starting points. While any nation will have folk with any occupational tag, some nations have higher concentrations of specific occupations. Each of the seven occupational tags are listed below, with summarized pertinent information about Bridgemoor, Nalathesh, and Kendaria. For more complete information on these three nations, and on the other nations that border Nalathesh and Kendaria, see Appendix A. | |||
==== Academic ==== | ==== Academic ==== | ||
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Think about the [[backgrounds]], occupations, and professions of each of your adventurers. How might it make the most sense to introduce them? If all of your players have the Wandering and/or Mercantile occupations, maybe they are a group of Nalatheshi caravaners. If they all have the Academic or Aristocratic occupations, maybe they are lifetime residents of Bridgemoor. Work with your players to decide where each of the heroes hail from. If one or more of your players have specific visions for which nation they are from, honor those ideas and work with them when planning [[how to]] start the campaign. | Think about the [[backgrounds]], occupations, and professions of each of your adventurers. How might it make the most sense to introduce them? If all of your players have the Wandering and/or Mercantile occupations, maybe they are a group of Nalatheshi caravaners. If they all have the Academic or Aristocratic occupations, maybe they are lifetime residents of Bridgemoor. Work with your players to decide where each of the heroes hail from. If one or more of your players have specific visions for which nation they are from, honor those ideas and work with them when planning [[how to]] start the campaign. | ||
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|'''Optional Bonus [[Skills]]''' | |||
If you wish, you can offer an extra +2 bonus in one skill to each of your players, to reflect the way their nationality has influenced them. Your players can choose their +2 bonus based on their nationality, as recommended below. This table accounts for all of the nations immediately bordering Nalathesh and Kendaria, so if your heroes come from farther afield, use whichever list appears most reasonable to you. | |||
'''Bridgemoor:''' Law, Politics (of Bridgemoor), Savoir Faire | |||
'''Kendaria:''' Carpentry, Politics (of Kendaria), Religion (Archfae) | |||
'''Nalathesh:''' Appraising, Navigating, Politics (of Nalathesh) | |||
'''Constel:''' Carpentry, History, Politics (of Constel) | |||
'''Falth:''' Deceiving, Evading, Politics (of Falth) | |||
'''Hadla:''' History, Politics (of Hadla), Woodcarving | |||
'''Husk:''' Arcana, Intuiting, Politics (of Husk) | |||
'''Kess:''' Eavesdropping, Politics (of Kess), Scavenging | |||
'''Lesmishan:''' Appraising, Intuiting, Politics (of Lesmishan) | |||
'''Nevna:''' Menacing, Politics (of Nevna), Vehicles (Water) | |||
'''Vadan:''' History, Nature, Politics (of Vadan) | |||
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== Determine the Prologues == | == Determine the Prologues == | ||
Having figured out how each of your adventurers fit into the campaign world, it’s time to prepare the prologue adventure or adventures. Remember that you can start ''The Cloven Lands'' with one of three adventures: The Nalatheshi Caravan, Kendarian Diplomats, or The Bridgemoor Mines. ''The Heartstone of Vedrathis'' is also a viable beginning to the campaign. | Having figured out how each of your adventurers fit into the campaign world, it’s time to prepare the prologue adventure or adventures. Remember that you can start ''The Cloven Lands'' with one of three adventures: The Nalatheshi Caravan, [[Kendarian Diplomats]], or [[The Bridgemoor Mines]]. ''The Heartstone of Vedrathis'' is also a viable beginning to the campaign. | ||
You might have a single prologue, one-on-one individual prologues, or spotlight prologues. | You might have a single prologue, one-on-one individual prologues, or spotlight prologues. | ||
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This approach allows each player to feel [[grounded]] and important in their own region of the world before they form a group. | This approach allows each player to feel [[grounded]] and important in their own region of the world before they form a group. | ||
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|'''Individual Prologues Example''' | |||
Imagine that Nathan is the MC for ''The Cloven Lands.'' His players are Grant, Andi, Jake, Myco, and John. Nathan decides that he wants to use the Individual Prologues introduction to the campaign. | |||
After the group has made their heroes, Nathan looks over their BOP and backstories to determine where each hero should start the campaign. He then runs several separate starting adventures. In the first session, Jake plays through the events of The Nalatheshi Caravan. In the second session, John experiences The Bridgemoor Mines adventure. In the third session, Myco plays the Kendarian Diplomats prologue. Finally, for the fourth adventure, Nathan runs Andi and Grant through ''The Heartstone of Vedrathis''. | |||
Jake, John, and Myco, come together to play The Underbridge Cult. Subsequently, Andi and Grant join the party in the events of Chapter 4. | |||
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=== Spotlight Prologues === | === Spotlight Prologues === | ||
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Once you have determined which heroes will be introduced in which prologues, explain to the players that when their hero is not present in a prologue, they will run another character temporarily. Players can make their own temporary heroes, or use premade characters from the Legends of MythCraft if they do not want to make additional characters. While every player is involved in every prologue, the MC will spotlight the heroics of the particular heroes that will go on to form the main adventuring party of ''The Cloven Lands''. | Once you have determined which heroes will be introduced in which prologues, explain to the players that when their hero is not present in a prologue, they will run another character temporarily. Players can make their own temporary heroes, or use premade characters from the Legends of MythCraft if they do not want to make additional characters. While every player is involved in every prologue, the MC will spotlight the heroics of the particular heroes that will go on to form the main adventuring party of ''The Cloven Lands''. | ||
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|'''Spotlight Prologues Example''' | |||
Imagine again that Nathan is MCing ''The Cloven Lands'' for Grant, Andi, Jake, Myco, and John. Using the Spotlight Prologues model, Nathan will again use each hero’s BOP and backstories to determine where each hero should start the campaign. Instead of running individual sessions with only one or two players, Nathan runs multiple campaign beginnings with each player present, even when their adventurer is not introduced. | |||
In The Nalatheshi Caravan, Jake’s character will receive the spotlight, but Grant, Andi, Myco, and John will also play heroes that later fade into the background and become NPCs. | |||
Likewise, in the Bridgemoor Mines and the Kendarian Diplomats, John and Myco respectively will have their heroes receive the most prominence, but each player will be present with their own temporary hero. | |||
''The Heartstone of Vedrathis'' prominently displays the antics of Grant’s and Andi’s characters, though Jake, John, and Myco will participate with their own temporary heroes. | |||
In The Underbridge Cult adventure, Jake’s hero from The Nalatheshi Caravan will team up with John’s hero from the Bridgemoor Mines and with Myco’s hero from Kendarian Diplomats. Grant and Andi can use their placeholder heroes from any of these three adventures during this time. | |||
Finally, upon the conclusion of the Underbridge Cult adventure, the true party that will go on the remaining adventures in ''The Cloven Lands'' takes form: Jake from The Nalatheshi Caravan; John from the Bridgemoor Mines; Myco from Kendarian Diplomats; and Grant and Andi from ''The Heartstone of Vedrathis''. Any additional heroes at this point become NPCs that fade into the background. The MC may use these NPCs from time to time to convey information to the adventuring party, which will be a fun, rewarding callback to the campaign’s origins. | |||
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Having determined how you will approach the prologues, it’s time to dive into the campaign! | Having determined how you will approach the prologues, it’s time to dive into the campaign! | ||
'''[[The Bridgemoor Mines|Prologue: The Bridgemoor Mines]]''' | |||
'''[[Kendarian Diplomats|Prologue: Kendarian Diplomats]]''' | |||
'''[[Nalatheshi Merchants|Prologue: Nalatheshi Caravan]]''' | |||