Around the Realms in 20 Levels

[Dimthar]

Well, I am a "moderate" fan of the realms.

So I was thinking in creating a "Plot" that will take the characters around the Forgotten Realms. Which so far I think include:
- Faerun
- Kara-Tur
- Maztica &
- Zakhara.

One suggested route is:

Cormyr -> Waterdeep -> Saragoss (Ravenloft) -> Maztica -> Calimshan -> Zakhara -> "The Nepal Type Mountains (Don't remember the name) they are briefly described in Al-Qadim" -> Kara-Tur -> Thay.

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[Kilrex]

First off skip Maztica!

If you have access, the 3e FR campaign setting has a great trade route diagram on pg 88.

I once tried to run Waterdeep --> Nelanther (hunting kidnapped trade merchant) --> Chult (antidote for said merchant) --> Lake of Steam (Mercenaries to hunt those responsible for kidnapping) --> The Great Rift (kidnapper hidden refuge) --> Thay (kidnapper financier) --> Pirate Isles (group was captured in Thay and made slaves) --> Sembia (here they escaped) --> Cormyr (warn that trade merchant was impersonated and false goods poisoned) --> Savage Lands (where they died trying to hunt down enough dragons to fully arm themselves in dragon armor, shields and barding)

They had never played the Realms and I used it to introduce them to my favorite setting. Every campaign was held in a different area of the Realms from that point onward.

[nijineko]

well... i unfortunately have to agree about skipping maztica. having studied native american history, as told by native americans, that is... i shudder trying to read through that stuff. it saddens me, as i love the native american histories. ^^

however, exploring an entire world and emphasizing the different cultures is an awesome idea. =D very heroic and epic in scope. think of all the stories you'd get to tell!

[Dimthar]

My agenda for Maztica was pretty much related to the "War of Conquest" approach which is suggested in the Forgotten Realms Campaign of 3.X and the role of the Church of Helm in it, I was planning to run it in 4.0

In my “Purist” state of mind I do too get discouraged by poorly researched supplements of Hispanic countries (e.g. Mexico City by Night), but decided that the average person just don’t care, so I try not to care too.

Perhaps in the bottom of my heart it won’t be a true “Around the World” without a Transoceanic Trip and a visit to my beloved “Mesoamerican-ish setting”. Also the sea voyage will allow me to introduce some pirate adventures.

I am trying not to do a “Collect Items” Plot or “Where in the Realms is Drizzt D’Urden?” The challenge is to align all places in the same plot line. So I am open to suggestions.

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[Kilrex]

The best way I have always found is use the stereotype of every area you want to use and create a story to bring them together. Thats how I made my story from the earlier post.

Waterdeep - in the "City of Splendors", the populace likes the exotic and all the areas (Maztica, Kara Tur) you want to hit are exotic locales. So a group hired as guards for a rich thrill seeker or explorer might be a good start. Or the group could be children of wealthy merchants that want to prove they can do well on their own or create their own trade empire.

A word of caution though, if you plan on doing a lot of battles at sea, warn the group as they are creating characters. Nothing worse than a ranger w/ giants as first favorite enemy and never seeing one or a sorcerer/wizard with few spells usable. I would also let most of them take Balance as a class skill if yo plan on many stormy encounters or movement checks.

Also check out the book, Stormwrack. It has lots of good basics that are easily adaptable to any system or rule set.

[nijineko]

someday i should tap into the collection of stories gendered from native amerinds and create a setting based on the way they tell their histories. ^^

[Dimthar]

someday i should tap into the collection of stories gendered from native amerinds and create a setting based on the way they tell their histories. ^^

Actually, "AZTEC" from Gary Jennings is great fiction, Of course it "adds a lot" for the sake of the story, but I was able to identify all cultures described and the geographical locations. Their political motivations were not far from correct. The names are also almost correct all of them.

Of course I am not an expert, but we do study all Mesoamerican cultures in good detail since elementary school. I've been in Teotihuacan, Monte-Alban, Cempoala and Tajin also the Museum of "Templo Mayor" is a great resource, I always get a guide when visiting the ruins, and you get some interesting facts from them.

[agoraderek]

In my “Purist” state of mind I do too get discouraged by poorly researched supplements of Hispanic countries (e.g. Mexico City by Night), but decided that the average person just don’t care, so I try not to care too..

is that a WoD suppliment, by any chance? if so, dont fret, they screw up EVERY setting they put out...

[Dimthar]

This is so far just the concept.

The PCs will be sent from Cormyr to look for one of the bastard sons of the recently deceased King Azoun IV, he was sent to be trained at Waterdeep long, long time ago. They will arrive to Waterdeep just to find out that he joined a small Waterhavian Contingent in route to Maztica.

On their way they will encounter a small conjunction with Ravenloft (Saragoss). In Maztica they will have to fight their way through the Amn Forces and the Natives to reach the small enclave almost ready to fall.

There will be 2nd conjunction with Ravenloft, there they will learn from a trapped Faerunian Shadow Weave Mage that Azalin is trying to force a Grand Conjunction with Toril. In truth is the battle between Mystra, Cyric and Shar (?) which is provoking this conjunctions and is the Mage who wants to accomplish this, Azalin somehow sees the future and will try to stop him and the party to prevent Ravenloft from being ravaged by the Spellplague.

The PCs will help the Mage so they need to find out when and where the next conjunctions are to take place. So they will wander the realms looking for portents and signs that will indicate the right moment and place. There will be a special task from the mage that needs to be completed before the next conjunction.

At the end, Mystra will try to escape to the Material Plane but the PCs will manage to close all inter-planar travel (to stop the Mage) and Mystra finally will die at the hands of Cyric.

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[agoraderek]

This is so far just the concept.

The PCs will be sent to Cormyr to look for one of the bastard sons of the recently deceased King Azoun IV, he was sent to be trained at Waterdeep long, long time ago. They will arrive to Waterdeep just to find out that he joined a small Waterhavian Contingent in route to Maztica.

On their way they will encounter a small conjunction with Ravenloft (Saragoss). In Maztica they will have to fight their way through the Amn Forces and the Natives to reach the small enclave almost ready to fall.

There will be 2nd conjunction with Ravenloft, there they will learn from a trapped Faerunian Shadow Weave Mage that Azalin is trying to force a Grand Conjunction with Toril. In truth is the battle between Mystra, Cyric and Shar (?) which is provoking this conjunctions and is the Mage who wants to accomplish this, Azalin somehow sees the future and will try to stop him and the party to prevent Ravenloft from being ravaged by the Spellplague.

The PCs will help the Mage so they need to find out when and where the next conjunctions are to take place. So they will wander the realms looking for portents and signs that will indicate the right moment and place. There will be a special task from the mage that needs to be completed before the next conjunction.

At the end, Mystra will try to escape to the Material Plane but the PCs will manage to close all inter-planar travel (to stop the Mage) and Mystra finally will die at the hands of Cyric.

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good segue into 4e, for sure, considering mystra seems to die every time D&D moves to the next edition

[Kilrex]

I think it would be really cool to enter one of the temples w/ sacrifices and have that be a Ravenloft conjunction, where the undead emerge at night to feast on the sacrifices.

[nijineko]

i suspect that when mystra was a character, that the player really ticked off whomever was dm'ing, and so in all the suplements since, that's the fate of the erstwhile player's character....

[Dimthar]

I am thinking now on starting either on the "Ship" to Maztica or at Maztica. They will have a shipwreck in Dragonborn nation north of Maztica .. A Dragonborn character will be a renagade (kinda likeTeal'c in Stargate), he is fleeing from his "Dragon King".