Need ideas for my campaign (My players stay out!)

[Shadow]

Hi,
I'm needing suggestions for my current plot arc of my campaign. I want to PCs to end up in the Nightmare Lands, but I'm not sure how to get them there.

Currently the PCs are in Port-a-Lucine, Dementlieu investigating an assassins guild known as "The Lords of Death". The PCs discovered that the The Lords of Death are really a private army under a Dominic Belafonte. Dominic Belafonte is a fairly high level wizard and a member of the Fraternity of Shadows (the Ravenloft society, not this message board ). He has been using the Lords of Death to do his dirty work.

The PCs teamed up with a priest of Ezra, Ft. Jean-Pierre D'Aginorne in the investigation. Ft. D'Aginorne had a daughter, Yvonne that was a prominent NPC in the game, as well as a potential love interest to one of the characters. In retaliation for meddling in his affairs, Belafonte sent a group of assassin to Ft. D'Aginorne's house. The PCs managed to fight them off, but Yvonne was killed by the assassins.

Because of Yvonne's tragic death, the party became victims of the Nightmare Court. The Ghost Dancer took advantage of the situation and filled the PCs with dreams of guilt. Every night the party has a dream where they see Yvonne still alive, but chained up. Just as they were about to save her, an assassin would appear to slay her. However, the PCs have recieved help battling the Nightmare Court from Reymond (taken from the Kargatane's Book of Shadows) a seemingly catatonic "lost-one" who is appears as a mighty warrior in dreamscapes. With Reymond's help the PCs have started to fight back in the dreamscapes.

Now where do I go from here? I want the PCs to end up in the Nightmare Lands and get involved with the Nightmare Court. However, I need to resolve to the loose plot ends with Dominic Belafonte and his Lords of Death. Any suggestions?

-Shadow

[Tobias Blackburn]

Well, rather than just killing Yvonne, what if the assassins captured her. The PC's arrive just in time to see her devoured in a conflaguration of magic.

The Fraternity itself deals with trying to discover the nature of the Demiplane, so perhaps the experiment she was subjected to tossed Yvonne into the Nightmare Lands themselves. The PC's spend their time tortured by the Ghost Dancer for their apparent failure, but later discover that Yvonne is actually alive and a prisoner to the entities that have been tormenting them.

If that doesn't get them moving into the Nightmare Lands, nothing will.

As for the Lords of Death and their master, perhaps the boss travels to the nightmare lands too, and that's where they finally face him. Perhaps they don't actually smash the Lords until the event where they lose Yvonne.

[sabbattack]

Well, am I the only one who thinks that the Nightmare Court should be untouchable, let alone unkillable?

We have thought of a great campaign relaxant by incorporating player characters in the Dreamscape. When I'm getting tired of DMing and want some action, another one gets to DM while "the characters' dream selves are used".

Anyway, I have designed the Nightmare Court in such a way that they turned out as semi-godlike. Their power is so vast that they even haunt some other Darklords. Maybe the favorite subjects of the Mists, maybe even a manifestation of the Mists' own cursed nature (Campaign Spoiler anyone???), the nightmare court stretch their power to every single domain (except some few, for example Souragne because of Misroi's specific curse and abilities, and that's another spoiler...I hope none of my players read this) and do as they please.

The best way to take the party there IMO is to present an "Aber" to them (is he a real one??? They've never seen one of course ) who claims that he can drug them into a coma-like state so they can enter. Of course, while they're comatose 1,000 things can happen to them and this creates great plot hooks.

Cheers!!

[Willum Tournir]

I really like the idea of using various Dreamscape things in the campaign. I was originally going to use the aspect of nightmares by using the psionic power of Dream Travel (at least I think thats the name of it - its still early, so i can't remember as well as I usually can). Where could I get more information about the Dreamscape for use in my campaign?

[sabbattack]

Well, for starters try to find the "Nightmare Lands" supplement on ebay or a similar web site (it's 2nd edition, so you'll have a little work to do). It's neither expensive or difficult to buy, and it's one of the best bang for buck books out there, along with The Carnival. Probably the best RL supplements.

It should be more than enough. Also, i think I've spotted some 3rd edition articles along with an Aber shaman class in some QtR and/or USS.

Cheers!!

[Jason of the Fraternity]

It should be more than enough. Also, i think I've spotted some 3rd edition articles along with an Aber shaman class in some QtR and/or USS.

Quoth the Raven Issue 6 has an article on the Abber Nomads (by David "Jester" Gibson). A very comprehensive piece on the race and culture. Plus, it does detail an Abber Shaman class as well.