Campaign Fun

Been quiet here lately but sometimes there's just not a whole lot to write here that I think might be worthy. The group did manage to get together for an adventure with our high level FR PCs. This is the campaign that was "ended" some months back when they defeated the plans of Orcus and the meteor throwing device he was using to pummel planets and grow his undead legions. Since then, the PCs have helped to stop a githyanki incursion (spurred by planar tears which occured with the destruction of the ethereal-based tower which controlled the meteor thrower). The PCs also brought about the final destruction of the Crystal of Shadowed Deeds which housed the final essence of Bhaal in our campaign. Last time, the group was called to Suzail for a public festival in their honor but was instead caught up in an elaborate githyanki revenge plot against them.

For Sunday's game, I was torn. We weren't certain we were even playing until later in the week and, as readers of my blog know, I like to have a whole week to plan an adventure. With time at a premium, I went to my collection of premade modules--DCCs in particular. The PCs are between levels 11 and 15 and I decided on DCC4: Bloody Jack's Gold. I had read the adventure once before when I considered writing a sequel to it for Goodman Games. When that fell through, the module was shelved until last Friday. Then my sister and I were invited to my brother's Saturday night (which turned into a late-night Atlantic City trip!) which meant even less time for module prep.

The result? I didn't use the DCC after all. Not only did I not get the chance to re-read it, but running it wouldn't have felt like it belonged in that campaign. After 30 adventures, a campaign definitely acquires its own feel (I'm not sure how to describe it--the PCs and players know what to expect from their companions and the types of monsters and plots just seem "right"). So, after getting back home close to 3am Sat night, I grabbed Mysteries of the Moonsea off the shelf for a quick look. I'm quite happy with the adventure site format in the region books. It didn't take long to settle on "Abarat's Folly", a site where a long-dead elven wizard constructed a tower with portals that, at the time, linked several other elven communities. Seems a cadre of devils from Myth Drannor discovered a way into the tower (but, according to the writeup, could only leave the tower by another portal which a key must be found to).

Plot aside, the area of the tower was quite close to Elventree, a locale already traversed by these PCs and home to a friendly druid NPC as well. There was also something intriguing about the tower itself; it was comprised of some kind of magically enhanced ivory. Even in a sleep-deprived state, my brain drew a connection to my Stargate-esque planar campaign where the PCs there explore the multiverse through glyph gates seemingly made of this same ivory-ish substance.

The easy addition of some leftover ivory slabs and notes (yet to be revealed to the group) from the elven wizard detailing the mysterious race that left the materials there spells a crossover campaign event! I had always planned on (eventually) investigating the glyph gates' origins in the planar game but can now do so with appropriately high level PCs. I suppose the moral of all this is that even the most hastily cobbled together adventure can yield great things. It helps to have a helluva good group of players too. ;)