first age cities in campines

[dreamspawn]

I dont know about you but some players are aways on about first age cities and that solar curse spell that holds places or people out side of time.


it can be annoying cant it?


Well my hint for you people out there is to give them what they THINK they want, but take hints from rathas and the hiden mance. first age cities are lost for a reason  


After a while of whining I decided to give it a try in my campaine.


First thing is first with the spell, if it was easy to return the cities they would of been returened by now, getting the city back should be a quest in it's self, then once its reeturned there is the race to get there, fighting armys and other powerful entitys who also want the city.


after all this there is also the inhabitants of the city, (who the players didn't even think about) yes most of them are a powerhouse of first age lore.


Theres a smith in the city who made excilent swords, and a toy maker who made enchanted toys. but at the end of it they still need food.


(In my city they had no farmars as food used to be delived as part of the delibreatives orders)


After feeding the polpulos of a whole city maybe they can work there way in but how do you run a first age city without the resorses of the first age.


And on top of all that I placed a curse on the city. people who were atuned to the mance in the city gane fantastic luck (Which the players and charictors didn't find out till the end) and everywere else has bad luck.


Hit the players sence of duty, show them what they are doing to the world and then tell them the price of the luck (After they figure it out on there own)


to stop the bad luck they have to get rid of the city by undoing what they did or recuresing the city.


also tell them about a 'luck pool' about how every time they had some random good luck it means after the city is gone they have a random pice of bad luck or a botch.


Or a simer curse of the luck maginitude, dont make them suffer for no good reason though, dont be petty, give them chances to over come the problems but make the easiest way to get rid of the problems to be saying goodbye to the city.


after all this they player mostly gain a little more careful about what they wish for.


personaly I think it was a fun brake from the useual adventures, but thats my idea about first age citys and players wanting to get things without working for them  :twisted:

 

[Sherwood]

I like the idea - give the players what they think that they want, but show them that the cold hard face of reality tells them that they really don't want this nifty little trinket.  Even if you pull some changes to the story that Spawn laid out, it can still be fun.


Give the players a empty city to play in.  Let them walk around, marveling at the glory of the First Age and start drooling at all the artifacts/money/power they can get from the place.  Then, start dropping problems in their laps.  Perhaps the city is cursed like Shadar Logoth from the Wheel of Time series of books.  Or, there is a few legions of dead being led by a few Abyssals on the march (or Dynasts from the Empire, or whatever powerful advisary you want to throw in).  Do the players try to keep ahold of the city against overwhelming odds?  Or, grab what they can and run, leaving the treasure for the invading army?  Possibly, they have a option to destroy the city to keep its lore from falling into the 'wrong' hands, but at the expense of having to leave everyting behind.  Even the greediest players might think twice about trying to load up on junk if it will kill them.  Or, let them take some stuff on the fly.  You then have the options of letting the PC's keep what they get, or come up with some reason why it won't work outside of the city (it was powered by the Manse you just blew up.  Ooops, sorry.)


I may just have to pull this one in my game.....   hehehe!

 

[dreamspawn]

lol


*evil grin*


I like the way your mind works


To be honist though I was very lucky I play with a few fantastic people who love the idea of the exalted world even if they do get a little greedy, a nudge in the right direction usealy work. but a smack down was needed in this situation.


But I must say you raised a lot of valied points  :twisted:

 

[Jakk Bey]

"Lieutenant, give me the city map.  What exactly do we have to work with here?" Golden Lotus swept his hair back, and pulled it into a hasty tail. His head was aching, his back screaming, but the display before him was more important than his own comfort. Unconquered Sun help your servants...


Verdant Flame handed him a scroll case. "We've done our preliminary sweeps. We've got two of the Mana Machina up and working, but the bindings on most of the Spirits to the city are going to have to be set again. We've got  water in the cisterns, but the pumps are going to have be repaired.  The central cores are inactive, and we're going to have to do a cold start on all five--the Elementals have flown the coop sir. It's going to take some effort to get those bindings back up--there's still a connection, but they're out of date. We're going to have to recast all the protocols--but the good news, is that we won't have to start from scratch."  


Lotus took the scroll, grateful for his second's alacrity. He's much better than I deserve. "How about the Mana Net? Any word from the Delibrative about our situation? Any idea on how long we were in that crystal?"


Verdant Flame shook his head. "We haven't been able to raise anyone sir. As far as we can tell, the Mana Net is down. We've only got our reserves, and none of the other Manse are responding." Lotus' First looked down and away. "We've been gone a long time, sir. A very long time."


Lotus shook his head. "So, what have we got? Realistically?"


"We've got two of the Mana Machina. We've sent scouts to explore the area around the city, and there's game and arable land. It's late in the season, so I don't think we're going to get much into the ground before winter hits. It's going to be a hungry winter, but if we're careful with hunting, our plantings, and the Machina, we should get through without losing anyone." Verdant Flame put his hand on Golden Lotus' shoulder. "Whatever that was, plucked the city right up. As far as we can tell, everyone made it.  The men are on patrol across the city, to see if anyone needs assistance. They're pulling together, sir."


"Good. Excellent. What else have the scouts reported?" Lotus studied the scroll, and map laid out before him.


"They've made contact with the locals, sir. We've got solid intel about what happened.  The Delebrative is gone. It's a mess out there, and it looks like we're on our own." Verdant Flame looked down, and then his eyes met his Priest King's.


For a moment, Verdant Flame and Golden Lotus communed. The years as Golden Lotus' First, the long years together, the friendship, and their shared duty to the people of the Spire. In that moment, Verdant Flame realized that Golden Lotus knew what was to happen next. Knew, and accepted.


Golden Lotus sagged back, Verdant Flames dagger slid free from the Priest King's chest.  The Dragon Blooded First lowered his eyes for a moment, as he let the body fall. He kneeled beside the fallen Zenith as the life fled from his eyes.


"If it's any consolation, sir, you were the finest commander that I've had the pleasure to serve with. You taught me well. The people come first. Always the people. I wish that you could join us, when our guests arrive, but it's a brand new world out there, and you are simply not needed."


Verdant Flames closed Golden Lotus' eyes, and took a breath. "Captain, what's the status of those backwards savages?"


"They'll be here in force in three days sir." Verdant Flames noted that his Dragon Bloods concealed their shock well. They'll adjust to the new order. They'll have to.


Has the King's wife returned my message?"


"Yes. She has gathered her people, and they'll exodus to the South. She and her followers should bypass the Realm's forces. She's taken as many of the children as possible. They'll be raised as her own, sir. She wanted you to know that she understands.  Great Sol, she understands."


Verdant Flame snaps a backhand across his Captain's cheek. "Belay that talk, Captain. Belay that right now. We've got three days to get this this city up and running, and show these ignorant savages that are claiming to be our brethren that this is a Dragon Blooded city. If we're going to survive in this new age, and our people are to survive, we've got to set those things aside.


"We've got a long three days, people. And a longer winter coming. Like it or not, the world has moved on, and if we're going to get our people through this, we're going to have join it."


Verdant Flames just wished that his King and liege could have joined them as well...

 

[Jakk Bey]

So, your players want a First Age city to explore.


The question is: are they going to understand all that they're finding? Think the Three Seashells from Demolition Man.


Yes, they'll find some gorgeous things. They'll find these lovely satin generators, that spin out endless sheets of thin satin, similar to the machina that the Guild uses in the Realm.


What the characters don't know, is that was the equivilant of toilet paper in the finest of First Age homes. The Dragon Bloods base an entire fashion industry on cloaking themselves in what amounts to rolls of TP.


I think that giving characters a city to play in, that they can't hold is a bit selfish on the part of the ST. If you put something into your plot, then it should have a good reason for being there. Be it clues to a greater plot, be it a hook for another tale, be it a tale of loss and regret. But don't just put something amazing in, just as window dressing. Certainly not as an excuse to hose players.


If you're not ready to let them have great tech or Artifacts, then don't give it to them.  Plain and simple. Don't let them see the goodies and then snatch them away without any hope of retaining them--that just leads to frustrated players.  The ST's job isn't to dash characters' dreams.  It's to present compelling tales.


The idea of finding a trove of wonders that has to be buried in order to keep them out of enemy hands is an old one. But if you're going to insist on such a tale, then it should serve a greater purpose than to quell playes' calmoring for goodies.


Yes, give players what they want, good and hard.  Let their actions have consequences, but that means if they can find a city full of First Age goodies, then they ought to have a reason to find it, a reason to use those goodies, and a chance at staking it out as their own.  To simply stack the deck against them from the beginning...that's the opposite of a Monty Hall Campaign, and it's not very fair to players.


With great power comes great responsibility. One of Stan Lee's best lines. But it doesn't diminish the strength of that statement. If you give players something powerful, then they'd best have something of equal power to use it for. Be that save a city from being overrun, be it as a base against a powerful new adversary, be it to make powerful allies against an old threat.


A First Age city shouldn't be a one shot, throwaway tale, or just flavor text. Even if the players can't hold the thing, they should have a chance to at least save it, preserve it for later, or make allies with.

 

[dreamspawn]

Yes, give players what they want, good and hard.  Let their actions have consequences, but that means if they can find a city full of First Age goodies, then they ought to have a reason to find it, a reason to use those goodies, and a chance at staking it out as their own.  To simply stack the deck against them from the beginning...that's the opposite of a Monty Hall Campaign, and it's not very fair to players.


With great power comes great responsibility. One of Stan Lee's best lines. But it doesn't diminish the strength of that statement. If you give players something powerful, then they'd best have something of equal power to use it for. Be that save a city from being overrun, be it as a base against a powerful new adversary, be it to make powerful allies against an old threat.


A First Age city shouldn't be a one shot, throwaway tale, or just flavor text. Even if the players can't hold the thing, they should have a chance to at least save it, preserve it for later, or make allies with.

Hum Great point, I did do the 3 seal shells thing, but wont go into that.


the power of the city was used to defeat the power of a death lord as well as a few fea meroders who wanted the city. they also used it as a sabalising center for people to learn to read write ect. first age medical care was given to there armys, they actual took on the role of the city.


Actualy THEY chose to get rid of the city, it was a heroic undertaking to replace an item the stole that was the key to the spell.


they saw what there good luck was doing to the small villeges around the city, and to a lesser effect placer fervor afield the did the right thing KNOWING if they did they would have this back lash of bad luck, they got everyone who didn't wana disaperer with the city out, before they re cursed it.


I Personaly think they had a great time, after all it was a tale of there heroic nature, where the Dragon Blooded from Lookshy worked together with the anithema to help not only the area, but the small guy as well, knowing what would happen, all this was over a 2 year of game play.


They could of just left the city and enjoyed good luck all there life, laidened down with artifact, even with the problems they would of had


I personaly am proud of the choise they made after all


Great power= great resposiblity


Your right it is a great qote, just very cheesy


:twisted:

 

[Nightdawn]

Give the players a empty city to play in.  Let them walk around, marveling at the glory of the First Age and start drooling at all the artifacts/money/power they can get from the place.  Then, start dropping problems in their laps.  Perhaps the city is cursed like Shadar Logoth from the Wheel of Time series of books.

What was the curse on Shadar Logoth, for those of us who don't read Wheel of Time?

 

[Sherwood]

What was the curse on Shadar Logoth, for those of us who don't read Wheel of Time?

The basic premise of the series is that there is the 'Dark One' locked away in a prison and some idiots decide to take a peek and see if he really exists.  This releases evil and warfare to rage across the land.  One city decides to use the dark tactics against the evil forces.  This twists the city and its inhabitants.  One day, everyone dissappears leaving no trace.  One army of the Dark One's troops camped out in the abandoned city, and was destroyed to the last man.  All that was left was blood and handwriting begging for help from the Dark One.


The evil of the city consumed all inside it, and continued to grow and try to ensnare other victims.


The series it up to book ten, and is still going strong.  I recomend it highly for anyone that loves great fantasy.  Written by Robert Jordan.  Look it up.  You won't be sorry.