DM Notes – Cycle01 Scene 01 Iron Aegis
Typically, a D&D campaign starts with the characters meeting in some place. The tavern is iconic within RPG adventures for this reason. They could also meet nearly anywhere else but it helps if they are somewhere they can hear a call to adventure. Sometimes there are multiple calls and they will decide as a party which to respond to.
Do the players already know each other when they meet? Sometimes they surely do. I feel, however, if the player has just invented this character that even they are meeting them for the first time. It makes sense, therefore, to start with introductions.
The opening scene(s) should, I think, create connections between the players in the party and also create connections to the campaign. They probably won’t be strong connections, for such things take time. A thread or two thick should be enough to get things going in a good direction I expect.
For the Shield of the Everwelde I wanted to try something a little different, something that might not work well at in Table Play. I wanted characters to share some things in common beyond the fact that they just met in a bar and each hunger after adventure. The opening scenes might, I thought, create connections between the PCs and the primary NPCs which will be calling them to adventure and then go about creating connection points between the PCs. When they actually meet, they may recognize they already share the primary objectives of the quest.
Connection Points
For Deynn K’Vyll, I thought he reminded me of Sildar Hallwinter in some ways. Both are big on honor and integrity. Both serve a larger cause (Sildar the Lords Alliance and Deynn – The Abbey Ironwall) and both likely take into account the objectives of the larger causes before their own personal objectives. I kind of thought Deynn and Sildar might become fast friends over a pint in a tavern. This would allow me to tie Deynn to Sildars quest in Lost Mine of Phandelver – not because of the promise of an extra 10 gold (which Deynn would not care much about anyway) and not because of some grand threat to the realms (which always exist but in context of LMoP, the NPCs are unaware of and so cannot add this level of motivation to the call to adventure.) Instead, Deynn will answer the call because of friendship.
For Roonoo, I choose a similar strategy. Roonoo and Gundren may not become fast friends in the way that Deynn and Sildar do – but they are both Dwarves – and that often is enough for Dwarves. Additionally, Gundren buys a horse from Roonoo – because Gundren sees the same qualities in the horse that Roonoo does – both have developed an instant affection for Queen A’Mine, and Roonoo just might allow that shared affection to create a bond between him and Gundren. [I probably should revisit the current draft and make more of this point than I did]. Roonoo knows nothing of Phandelver or Wave Echo Cave, or even Gundrens trade of mining… but he knows Gundren sees this beautiful creature of a horse the same way he does.
For Leely and Ileel, I thought to connect them to the campaign via the objectives of the Harpers. The sisters are overpowered, this I know… they have spent 30 years training in their monastery. Really they should be a much higher level than tier 1 player characters. But… they are completely new to the world outside of their forest. In this way, they are children, naïve and in danger of putting themselves in danger constantly. I imagined their teacher / guide in the monastery would want to expose them to the greater world of danger with a certain element of safety and protection – maybe someone with strong ties to the Harpers – like a High Priestess. Introducing the NPC Abbiree…. High Preistess of Selune. Indirectly, I am using the NPC Sister Garealle as a connection point between Leely and Ileel and the overall campaign. Their primary objective remains what it has been for 30 years – to become members and leaders within the Vandor Aegis. It is merely the next step of that goal to assist the Harpers. They may not have reason to care about the goal the Harpers goals (although I gave them one… their strong hatred of necromancy) but their own goal of completing their training and following the guidance of their teacher is plenty to drive them through the entire campaign. Maybe… Once they have the encounter with the Banshee, it is possible they will have no further connection to Phandelver and Wave Echo Cave. For this reason, I may have to change the results of that encounter with Agatha. In the published adventure, it is a mere side-quest and does not really even result in combat or anything which has impact on the larger story. Sister Garaele basically just offers a fetch quest. So either I tie Agatha to Wave Echo Case, or the Spider in some way, or I will have to give the Roven’ris sisters, or Abbiree, reason to continue with Daynn and Roonoo. Perhaps the encounter at Calling Horns may do just that?