New Campaign in Development: A Call for Suggestions

[Storm Khan]

Having some downtime due to the Corona-related recession, I am putting together a RuneQuest campaign idea, as follows:

1. PC's will have only one year of history, year 1622. All of them will come together as combatants in the Esrolian Civil War, Dragon Pass.

2. Experience will be limited to 2 points of rune magic and 4 points of spirit magic. Further sacrifices of POW, though, will be permitted to push up that rune magic total.

3. Percentage increases for skills will be 15% three times, 10% three times, and 05% three times.

4. They will begin with the task of cutting Lunar supply lines as those forces lay siege to Nochet in 1623. They will be expected to use captured booty for encouraging (errr, bribing?) others to join the cause.

5. I expect to have players unfamiliar to RuneQuest, so I am aiming for a slow start against Lunar-Tarsh conscripts. There is always time for more deadly challenges.

Does anyone have pointers? I am wondering, especially, about how to present occupied Sartar. How hard, for example, should I make it to find a functioning temple to Orlanth?

Best,

Storm Khan

 

[jajagappa]

47 minutes ago, Storm Khan said:

Does anyone have pointers? I am wondering, especially, about how to present occupied Sartar. How hard, for example, should I make it to find a functioning temple to Orlanth?

The Lunars will be supplied through two distinct lines (both following standard trade routes):  Furthest -> Grazelands -> New Crystal City -> downriver to Nochet; and Furthest -> Alda-Chur -> Jonstown/Boldhome -> Wilmskirk -> Whitewall/Karse -> across sea to Lunar beachhead near Nochet (the Lunars do not control Nochet port).

However, bear in mind that the Lunars can gather a fair amount of supplies around Nochet, particularly grain, fruit and vegetables, and livestock.  It is Esrolia, post Great Winter, so crops are growing in abundance.

The Lunars will be most prevalent in the cities and patrolling the Royal Roads of Sartar in support of both the Siege of Nochet and the building of the new Lunar Temple in the Dundealos valley.  They will likely rely on those controlling the Lunar slave farms to use mercenaries and Lunar sympathizers to keep the Sartarite tribes under their thumb.  

As for Orlanth temples (and bearing in mind that Orlanth was only partially freed from his imprisonment by the Battle of Auroch Hills at the end of the Great Winter), they are still suppressed, and those that exist are probably not fully functional.  However, most of the Lunar army is elsewhere (i.e. Nochet, Karse, etc.).  I'd likely make it that the Storm Voices are still trying to re-sanctify the Orlanth temples in those tribes where Lunar sympathizers do not rule, and are still considered outlaws/exiles where Lunar sympathizers (like King Kangharl of the Colymar) rule.  This means that finding a functional Orlanth temple will be difficult.  However, Storm Voices and God-talkers may be attempting to sanctify other hilltops and gather bands for at least seasonal worship (assuming they are not attacked).  But the number of initiates attending may be low, so these might only count as shrines or, at best, minor temples, which limit rune points regained.

[Storm Khan]

All interesting points, thank you.

[Joerg]

3 hours ago, jajagappa said:

However, Storm Voices and God-talkers may be attempting to sanctify other hilltops and gather bands for at least seasonal worship (assuming they are not attacked).  But the number of initiates attending may be low, so these might only count as shrines or, at best, minor temples, which limit rune points regained.

I wonder why you assume that a clan labeled as "Lunar Sympathizer" would not re-activate their Orlanth temples? Just because you took advantage of cooperation with the occupation forces doesn't mean that you swallowed their propaganda hook, line and sinker. A case in point is the Culbrea tribe.

King Blackmor of the Colymar. who has seen the Lunar Light, may want to be strict in disallowing Orlanth worship, but I fail to see how he can suppress it in each and every clan. 

[EricW]

Don’t be too Orlanth focussed. There are plenty of other useful powers in the Orlanth pantheon. For example Trickster knows how to survive being hunted by very angry people, and his shrines are well hidden from desecration.

[Storm Khan]

"King Blackmor of the Colymar. who has seen the Lunar Light, may want to be strict in disallowing Orlanth worship, but I fail to see how he can suppress it in each and every clan."

It may come down to play balance. Just how miserable do I want to make my Orlanthi initiates? 😉

 

 

[Storm Khan]

"Don’t be too Orlanth focused."

Yes, I will encourage a diverse set of initiates. I think a bandit / Ermal initiate would fit well in this saga. Also, a thief / Argan Argar initiate, previously running some exotic, dangerous drug the Trolls produce, is another thought I had. The Shadow Plateau is not so far away from Nochet.

No non-human PC's, though. I don't want to spark a power-gamer competition to see who can leverage stats to dominate the story. 

[Stephen L]

1 hour ago, Storm Khan said:

No non-human PC's, though.

I'm sorry, you've just described a perfect scenario for duck bandits ambushing Lunar river traffic.

Shame on you, to be so speciesist.  Ducks, overlooked yet again.

I suppose next you'll suggest baboons don't make good bandits. 

[Nick Brooke]

15 hours ago, Storm Khan said:

I expect to have players unfamiliar to RuneQuest, so I am aiming for a slow start against Lunar-Tarsh conscripts. There is always time for more deadly challenges.

Does anyone have pointers? I am wondering, especially, about how to present occupied Sartar. How hard, for example, should I make it to find a functioning temple to Orlanth?

I have generic RQG stats for Lunar Tarshite Provincial Militia in my scenario The Duel at Dangerford, which I commend to you. They'd be easy to flex up or down in power, according to taste.

My short article on Lunar Occupation and Orlanth Worship is quoted here. Basically, illicitly worshipping Orlanth at the clan level is always a doddle (except that if you're very unlucky, for the past five years or so, the Lunar College of Magic might either nuke you from orbit or else sic scimitar-wielding heroquesters on your rituals). At tribal, city or kingdom level, it's pretty much impossible. And for the brief recent period when Orlanth Was Dead, it was totally impossible for everyone in the Windstop zone.

Edited October 12, 2020 by Nick Brooke

[Storm Khan]

2 hours ago, Stephen L said:

I'm sorry, you've just described a perfect scenario for duck bandits ambushing Lunar river traffic.

Shame on you, to be so speciesist.  Ducks, overlooked yet again.

I suppose next you'll suggest baboons don't make good bandits. 

What can I say? I have been traumatized by mutual escalation duels between players looking for that ultimate edge and rendering less aggressive players irrelevant.

That having been said, I agree that Ducks will not ruin play balance and will take them under my "wing."

I don't have full stats for baboon adventurers, but they are wicked-strong (3d6+6), wicked powerful (2d6+6), wicked dexterous (3d6+6), and are faster than humans (10). They would be great bandits. Alas, I think too great.

They'd also be good NPC's for my party to recruit, so I will add them to my list of factions to flesh-out.

  

[soltakss]

18 minutes ago, Storm Khan said:

What can I say? I have been traumatized by mutual escalation duels between players looking for that ultimate edge and rendering less aggressive players irrelevant.

Tiger Son Vampires get doubled STR and doubled again in Tiger form. Just saying.

Shark Men Vampires get doubled STR and 2.5x STR in Shark form, but we won't discuss those, due to them being restricted to marshes and swamps.

[Stephen L]

42 minutes ago, Storm Khan said:

players looking for that ultimate edge

I'm glad that that's not an issue with my current lot...

As an aside, baboons might have characteristic advantages, but they are *very* limited in the weapons and armour stakes.  Given they're uncomfortably bipedal, that limits them to weapon's like spears or quarterstaffs in my mind.  And I would apply sever penalties for armour stronger than leathers or cuir-bouilli, which they might find very uncomfortable - perhaps having a Dex penalty, or just doubling the effective ENC.

However, they're you're players, so you know how best to deal with them! 

And don't forget, the biggest shiniest one attracts the attention of the big nasty when it comes to yum-yum time...

[jajagappa]

17 hours ago, Joerg said:

I wonder why you assume that a clan labeled as "Lunar Sympathizer" would not re-activate their Orlanth temples? Just because you took advantage of cooperation with the occupation forces doesn't mean that you swallowed their propaganda hook, line and sinker. A case in point is the Culbrea tribe.

King Blackmor of the Colymar. who has seen the Lunar Light, may want to be strict in disallowing Orlanth worship, but I fail to see how he can suppress it in each and every clan. 

I think the GM can determine what's right for their campaign post Great Winter.  

The Culbrea rebelled, and explicitly fought at Auroch Hills.  King Ranulf will likely have the Two-Pines clan take some heavy tribute from those clans that sympathized with the Lunars, and he's quite likely to re-activate the Orlanth temple (bearing in mind that the Lunars in Wulfsland might still intervene).

King Blackmoor has a core group of tribal thanes that are in all likelihood loyal to him, and can be used to enforce his proscription.  And given what we know of the clans preferring to gather for large ceremonies, he can refuse access to the temple at Clearwine, and still his thanes (plus any allied Lunar mercenaries) up onto the Starfire Ridge (or wherever the other temples are).  Sure, the Varmandi can gather at the Lightning Oak, but it's going to be a much weaker ceremony.

[Orlanthatemyhamster]

7 hours ago, Storm Khan said:

What can I say? I have been traumatized by mutual escalation duels between players looking for that ultimate edge and rendering less aggressive players irrelevant.

 

  

Get new players.

[Storm Khan]

14 hours ago, Orlanthatemyhamster said:

Get new players.

Just starting, I may not have that luxury. Pathfinder is big here. Also, I have met the enemy, and I am him. I am WAY TOO COMPETITIVE, and that is one of the important reasons I am a GM, not a player.

[Storm Khan]

15 hours ago, jajagappa said:

King Blackmoor has a core group of tribal thanes that are in all likelihood loyal to him, and can be used to enforce his proscription.  And given what we know of the clans preferring to gather for large ceremonies, he can refuse access to the temple at Clearwine, and still his thanes (plus any allied Lunar mercenaries) up onto the Starfire Ridge

I wonder, what prevents the equivalent of mass excommunications in the case of people changing sides? There is a game mechanism for it. Why don't, say, King Blackmoor's important thanes, only technically loyal Orlanthi devotees, wake up one day minus the ability to replenish their RP's for a year? Forever?

If I were an actually loyal Rune Priest, that is the punishment I would unleash, and quickly.

[Nick Brooke]

46 minutes ago, Storm Khan said:

I wonder, what prevents the equivalent of mass excommunications in the case of people changing sides? There is a game mechanism for it. Why don't, say, King Blackmoor's important thanes, only technically loyal Orlanthi devotees, wake up one day minus the ability to replenish their RP's for a year? Forever?

If I were an actually loyal Rune Priest, that is the punishment I would unleash, and quickly.

If you're a dodgy King and you don't have some way to lean on your Chief Priest, don't be surprised if Bad Things happen to you.

OTOH, if you're a Chief Priest serving a dodgy King and you try to pull a fast one, don't be surprised if Bad Things happen to your friends, family and flock.

Remember that only a Chief Priest or High Priest can cast Ban. And we know where they live.

[Storm Khan]

On 10/13/2020 at 9:38 AM, Nick Brooke said:

If you're a dodgy King and you don't have some way to lean on your Chief Priest, don't be surprised if Bad Things happen to you.

OTOH, if you're a Chief Priest serving a dodgy King and you try to pull a fast one, don't be surprised if Bad Things happen to your friends, family and flock.

Remember that only a Chief Priest or High Priest can cast Ban. And we know where they live.

Maybe. On the other hand, there is nothing like religion for creating martyrs in this world. Imagine the potential in a world where the power of your god manifested directly from your own fingertips? It might be something I will explore when I run my game. Not exactly "cannon," but it might be fun.