Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

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Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Nox »

Hi all,

I am planning a quite long campaign for my players.

I want them to play all(or most of) the significant events on ravenloft timeline!

Actually i'm sure to play The Hexad (GC) and the Bleak House. I'm looking for more materials and big events! I'm planning to include also the Grim Harvest.

I need some help with with linking the Adventures toghether though.

For my players: I will cut your legs if you read!
Here I put the order of the adventures of the campaign, if something mismatch official information, or if you find any errors in the timeline, feel free to tell me. Take into account that I moved the order of the Hexad to match the Level requirements. I suppose Hyskosa tribe is part of Manusa tasque ( most likely Canjar), so they can time-travel, as advised in the Kargatane NotWD. Please read the spoiler , I included them just to have a more clean format, they contain important questions.
The format is the following:
Name of the adventure (Level) - Year -
VIEW CONTENT:
Eventual Comments/Questions

The Hexad - The Night of the Walking Dead (Level 1-3) - 736 BC
The Hexad - Touch of Death (Level 3-5) - 737 BC
The Hexad - Feast of Goblyns (Level 5-7) - 738 BC
Bleak House - Seas of Madness (Level 5-7) - 738 BC -
VIEW CONTENT:
I found no info on this adventure timeline. I put it there because levels fits, if you have any solution let me know.
The Hexad - Ship of Horrors (Level 8-10) - 739 BC
The Hexad - From the Shadows (Level 9-12) - 740 BC
The Hexad - Roots Of Evil (Level 9-12) - 740 BC
Chilling tales - The taskmaster's Leash (Level 7+) - 741 BC -
VIEW CONTENT:
I'm not sure if I should include this one. Van richten is still alive and i know he ask adventureres to help him in this adventure, let me know what you think.


The Grim Harvest – Death Unchained (Lv. 5-7) - 749 BC
The Grim Harvest – Death Ascend (Lv. 6-8) - 749 BC
The Grim Harvest – Death Triumphant (Lv. 6-10) - 750 BC
Bleak House – Homecoming (Lv. 7-12) - 750 BC
The Grim Harvest – Death Triumphant (Lv. 6-10) - 750 BC(Dec)
VIEW CONTENT:
I would go on but i think that this is enough material for a lot of time, I dont even know if we will ever do all this stuff. Anyhow i'd like to know what you think and How can I improve this order of adventure, how could I link them, and if there is other adventures who would fits this timeline of events. I know there's a hole in the timeline here (741 - 749 BC). I could add some adventures to keep it up, but i'm not sure i will, cause I could also trap the PCs in something Cryogenic-like for 8 years just to fill this hole, but it sounds quite trivial to me. I also need to justify why so many time passes between an adventure and the next one (i'm quite sure none of the above mentioned adventure last an year so...). I thought that I could adapt later adventures (The Grim Harvest and the Bleak house's final) by raising a little every challenge and strenghtening the enemies so they'll fit the level of the PCs. I think it is possible, right? Consider that i have to translate them into my language (If i do not find them), then i have to convert the adventures to 3.5, so it wont be much of work to revise the enemies since i practicall will re-write all the adventures. :azalin:
Bleak House - Level 5-12 is composed by many adventure, each one linked to the other, but I suppose I could split them up as I did it above, right?

Last but not least: Is it possible in your opinion to use older adventure (events that belong to a previous time to the one in which we play)? For example some adventure from 450 BC or so (if there are some, of course).

As always,
Thank you in advance!
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Zilfer »

Well as for adventures back in the past, there is always time traveling mists. Which isn't too unusual when you have High Elo's next to Low Elo's and crossing a border can defaultly feel like going 'back in time' or sometimes into a whole another world.
There's always something to lose.

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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by ewancummins »

Is Elo similiar to CL (Cultural Level)?
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

I've used Feast of Goblyns in a "time travel" type mode (via Scaena) and ran From the Shadows long after the Upheaval, by just saying that Azalin was trying to fix his prior mistake. Don't be a slave to the timeline, IMHO.

I would include "The Evil Eye" for sure, if I were you. It's the only other "significant" event in the timeline not on your list. (OK, Die Vecna Die is significant for the multiverse, but not for most of Ravenloft)
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Nox »

Gonzoron of the FoS wrote:I've used Feast of Goblyns in a "time travel" type mode (via Scaena) and ran From the Shadows long after the Upheaval, by just saying that Azalin was trying to fix his prior mistake. Don't be a slave to the timeline, IMHO.

I would include "The Evil Eye" for sure, if I were you. It's the only other "significant" event in the timeline not on your list. (OK, Die Vecna Die is significant for the multiverse, but not for most of Ravenloft)
The funniest thing is that we start in Invidia, so i could add The evil eye it and easily menage to link it to the rest of the adventure.

I'll add it for sure. Maybe i'll also add Die Vecna Die, but i'll see if I can find a solution to link it.
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by The Lesser Evil »

It is my understanding that everything in Bleak House takes place in fairly rapid succession after each other in 750 BC, with each having tie-in hooks leading to the next one.

From the "Author's Introduction" in Sea of Madness:
VIEW CONTENT:
This adventure allows player characters to experience the events surrounding the demise of Rudolph van Richten in the year 750 of the Barovian Calendar.
One of the thing you'll run into running the GC modules and Bleak House in one campaign is the presence of Dr. D in both FoG and BH. Dominia didn't technically exist until 740 BC, as Dr. D was in Gundarak prior to that date. Regardless of the timeline, including Dr. D. will require some consideration as to how if he is killed in one and appears in the other and also how to get the PCs to trust him considering his previous betrayal. (It was suggested by someone that he should chalk a resurrection up to some sort of miracle, and whatever miraculous agent revived him cured him of his vampirism. To prove it, he might meet them in the daylight. (IIRC in FoG he's written up as a normal vampire, but in later writeups he's the cerebral vampire- which is a nosferatu variant.)

As for the Taskmaster's Leash, you could include it. It certainly could foreshadow events later to come and could give more background/oomph for his eventual breakdown and deterioration. (You could also put in flashbacks, etc.) However, if you do include the Taskmaster's Leash, i would suggest you include at least one CT adventure or other situation where the good doctor is actually helpful to the PCs. If the only times they get to see him in action is that of somebody who needs saving, they might come to the conclusion his reputation is all hype and that he's really just a befuddled old man. (That is not to say he should grandstand them, solve their problems, or boss them around, but just be a beneficial presence in the long run of things- BH strikes me as being the most meaningful when the players not only have some knowledge but also some attachment to VR.)
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Nox »

The Lesser Evil wrote:It is my understanding that everything in Bleak House takes place in fairly rapid succession after each other in 750 BC, with each having tie-in hooks leading to the next one.

From the "Author's Introduction" in Sea of Madness:
VIEW CONTENT:
This adventure allows player characters to experience the events surrounding the demise of Rudolph van Richten in the year 750 of the Barovian Calendar.
One of the thing you'll run into running the GC modules and Bleak House in one campaign is the presence of Dr. D in both FoG and BH. Dominia didn't technically exist until 740 BC, as Dr. D was in Gundarak prior to that date. Regardless of the timeline, including Dr. D. will require some consideration as to how if he is killed in one and appears in the other and also how to get the PCs to trust him considering his previous betrayal. (It was suggested by someone that he should chalk a resurrection up to some sort of miracle, and whatever miraculous agent revived him cured him of his vampirism. To prove it, he might meet them in the daylight. (IIRC in FoG he's written up as a normal vampire, but in later writeups he's the cerebral vampire- which is a nosferatu variant.)

As for the Taskmaster's Leash, you could include it. It certainly could foreshadow events later to come and could give more background/oomph for his eventual breakdown and deterioration. (You could also put in flashbacks, etc.) However, if you do include the Taskmaster's Leash, i would suggest you include at least one CT adventure or other situation where the good doctor is actually helpful to the PCs. If the only times they get to see him in action is that of somebody who needs saving, they might come to the conclusion his reputation is all hype and that he's really just a befuddled old man. (That is not to say he should grandstand them, solve their problems, or boss them around, but just be a beneficial presence in the long run of things- BH strikes me as being the most meaningful when the players not only have some knowledge but also some attachment to VR.)

I totally agree with you. The gentleman caller can actually bring peoples back to life, and surely he can also turn them whatever he wants, so maybe i could use this for Dr. D. Anyhow i'm open to any proposal about this topic, since i did not read the adventures yet, and i didnt know about this "little problem".

Still i have the problem of Dr. D. They will never thrust him, i know my player, they are suspicious and probably even after he meets them in daylight they will suspect he's trying to mess with them, I need some help. I dont know Dr. D. enough, i'm fairly stuck here...

About the timeline, how would you arrange it? I'd like to keep the timeline mostly canon. I read that quote on the introduction of bleak house and I though it this way: "VR dies in 750, events in this adventure could be previous to this date". But i'm probably wrong.
Fact is I dont like using much time travel. I can do it once or twice, but i dont want it to became an habit.

About VR I wanted them to know something more about this great hero. The paladin already meet him in the previous campaign, so i have an hook to make them meet again. Fact is the paladin still doesn't trust VR that much, and he sometime thinks his reputation (As you said) is all about popular hype, and not for proper heroism. CT are chilling tales? Have you any other adventures in which VR take a part in helping the PCs?
I'm not good at justifying flashbacks. I'd reall like to include them to give my players clues on what's going on, or on the background of NPCs, but i dont know how to introduce a flashback and make it plausible and not make it seem forced just to let them know. Any advices on them?

To Recap my questions:
1)Since I dont know much about Dr. D. yet, Do you have any advice on how to run those adventures without messing things up? Consider that my player are suspicious and i'm sure they will not trust someone who betrayed them even if he proof he is different.

2)Would you make any change on the timeline of those events? If so, how would you arrange those adventures? Expecially about Dr. D. Since as you said he will not be in Dominia before 740 BC. Keep in mind that I could adjust any adventure to whatever level is needed, even if it would involve a lot of work..

3)Do you know any other adventures who involve VR as PC main helper?

4) How would you use flashbacks and make them plausible and not banal to the PC? How would you justify them?

Thank you in advance.
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by DustBunny »

Well, this topic reminded me of when our party did the Grand Tour Conjunction many years back.
So I decided to crawl out form lurking under the forums and throw in my 2cp.

Our GTC group while not as ambitious as covering all the way to the Grim Harvest, covered the timeline from 528 (Ravenloft I6) to 740 (Roots Evil).

The PCs woke up on the Old Svalich Road in the middle of a charred area of ground with vague memories of something silver, a big fight, and an explosion. After getting their bearings the PCs proceeded on with I6. During the final fight blue sparks start appearing, followed by flash and feeling of disconnection. The PCs then wake up in hospital in 579 in Mordent (I10 - HoGH). When the Apparatus blows, jump forward again to 635 for a Dragon magazine adventure in Valachan.

This continued on, jumping forward every few years, sometimes to conjunction events, other times to one of the mini-mods as filler or just general 'adventuring'. The PC's never find out why they are jumping forward through time tough they suspect maybe the Apparatus exploding did it, but in either case the 'hops' are getting smaller so it should soon be over.

Along the way they got a bit of a reputation about them and not a good one. Tales appeared that say when 'The Four' (4 PCs) walk the land, chaos is coming, and their pictures even appear in historical texts or old paintings. Imagine reading the equivilant of Shakespear and seeing yourself in his play, or even finding out that that girl the fighter had a fling with is the Great Grandmother of the monster you are fighting.

From reading these texts, the Kargat, and memory, a certain lich king has an idea - if 'The Four' are not bound by time, if he gets it right he can send them back to 351 - cue From the Shadows. It also explains _why_ he needed the PC's as opposed to anyone else.

From there cue 'Roots' and in the final battle between Inij, Az and Strahd and with silver holy symbol there is a loud bang.
Regaining consciousness they woke up on the Old Svalich Road in the middle of a charred area of ground with vague memories of something silver, a big fight, and an explosion.......

This is where the campaign ended as our DM was starting to suffer burnout, and real life was getting in the way.

With your Super tour, the Doomsday machine exploding could easily throw them back and have them hopping forward as they are drawn back to the point of impacts.
EG: They wake up in the swamp ( Walking Dead) wondering what happened and then they skip forward again through adventures until the 'big boom'.
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Nox »

DustBunny wrote:Well, this topic reminded me of when our party did the Grand Tour Conjunction many years back.
So I decided to crawl out form lurking under the forums and throw in my 2cp.

Our GTC group while not as ambitious as covering all the way to the Grim Harvest, covered the timeline from 528 (Ravenloft I6) to 740 (Roots Evil).

The PCs woke up on the Old Svalich Road in the middle of a charred area of ground with vague memories of something silver, a big fight, and an explosion. After getting their bearings the PCs proceeded on with I6. During the final fight blue sparks start appearing, followed by flash and feeling of disconnection. The PCs then wake up in hospital in 579 in Mordent (I10 - HoGH). When the Apparatus blows, jump forward again to 635 for a Dragon magazine adventure in Valachan.

This continued on, jumping forward every few years, sometimes to conjunction events, other times to one of the mini-mods as filler or just general 'adventuring'. The PC's never find out why they are jumping forward through time tough they suspect maybe the Apparatus exploding did it, but in either case the 'hops' are getting smaller so it should soon be over.

Along the way they got a bit of a reputation about them and not a good one. Tales appeared that say when 'The Four' (4 PCs) walk the land, chaos is coming, and their pictures even appear in historical texts or old paintings. Imagine reading the equivilant of Shakespear and seeing yourself in his play, or even finding out that that girl the fighter had a fling with is the Great Grandmother of the monster you are fighting.

From reading these texts, the Kargat, and memory, a certain lich king has an idea - if 'The Four' are not bound by time, if he gets it right he can send them back to 351 - cue From the Shadows. It also explains _why_ he needed the PC's as opposed to anyone else.

From there cue 'Roots' and in the final battle between Inij, Az and Strahd and with silver holy symbol there is a loud bang.
Regaining consciousness they woke up on the Old Svalich Road in the middle of a charred area of ground with vague memories of something silver, a big fight, and an explosion.......

This is where the campaign ended as our DM was starting to suffer burnout, and real life was getting in the way.

With your Super tour, the Doomsday machine exploding could easily throw them back and have them hopping forward as they are drawn back to the point of impacts.
EG: They wake up in the swamp ( Walking Dead) wondering what happened and then they skip forward again through adventures until the 'big boom'.
Oh! Welcome back fellow traveler! :D
I like your idea, but one problem came out of it. I ended the events timeline after the requiem, but the campaign could actually go on after that event. When i read your Idea it looks like a ciclic events, in which the player are ported back in time every time the Doomsday device explode.
It doesnt convince me in this way, because if we want to keep playing after this, I need a reason for which that time the player will not get ported back in time again... I dont know the Grim Harvest adventures so i depends on You now :D.

A separate question: How much time do you think it will require to be completed this campaign? (We play once a week, 4-8 hours, depends).
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by DustBunny »

When i read your Idea it looks like a ciclic events, in which the player are ported back in time every time the Doomsday device explode.
It was cyclical. Remember the old phrase 'those who forget history are doomed to repeat it'? After we agreed to end the campaign - the DM told us that the original plan was that we weren't the heros. We were actually unknowing _darklords_ stuck in an endless time loop of history. Doomed to repeat terrible misjudgements until we 'did it right'. It never panned out and was quietly dropped behind the scenes.
A separate question: How much time do you think it will require to be completed this campaign? (We play once a week, 4-8 hours, depends).
It would depend on the amount of side tracking / interludes included.

The Death trilogy for example is very linear as written with each module being able to be done in about 2-3 of your sessions.
But when we played it (from memory) we started with 'Horror's Harvest' (a Dungeon adventure) to explain why we went to Falkonovia ( 1 session), then Death Unchained (2 sessions), an interlude wrapping up Horror's harvest and transitioning to the next module (1 session) Death Ascendant (1 session). Which roughly doubles the time taken.
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Dark Angel »

DustBunny wrote:When the Apparatus blows, jump forward again to 635 for a Dragon magazine adventure in Valachan.
Leave it to me to focus on the minute detail when it comes to Dragon and Dungeon magazines, but are you talking about the Dungeon magazine adventure (Cat of Felovic in issue 50) or is there a Dragon magazine one? Which Dragon magazine issue (best of your knowledge)?
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by DustBunny »

Dark Angel wrote:Leave it to me to focus on the minute detail when it comes to Dragon and Dungeon magazines, but are you talking about the Dungeon magazine adventure (Cat of Felovic in issue 50) or is there a Dragon magazine one? Which Dragon magazine issue (best of your knowledge)?
Ack my bad. I meant Dungeon. Apologies :oops:

It was a modified 'The Price of Revenge' from Dungeon magazine #42 IIRC.
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Nox »

MMMMH... i still have this BIG problem about how to justify the fact that pass almost an year from an adventure to the other... how can i explain this to my players?
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

DustBunny wrote:The PCs woke up on the Old Svalich Road in the middle of a charred area of ground with vague memories of something silver, a big fight, and an explosion... Regaining consciousness they woke up on the Old Svalich Road in the middle of a charred area of ground with vague memories of something silver, a big fight, and an explosion.......
By Ezra, that's cool!
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Re: Help Campaign Building - GC, VR Bleak House and more!

Post by Gonzoron of the FoS »

Nox wrote:MMMMH... i still have this BIG problem about how to justify the fact that pass almost an year from an adventure to the other... how can i explain this to my players?
This could depend on the players to answer. Do their characters have homes? lives? Something they can return to for a year until they are next called to adventure?

If all else fails, just be vague. "After about 10 months of travelling and helping out people along the way, you find yourselves in the town of Harmonia, Kartakass, having just reunited a mother with her child who had been lost in the woods..."
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