Out of Ideas [could use some help]

[Socondor]

Hi there!


I like to say Hi! to everyone here.


I'm not a native english Speaker so please be gentle


Ok, here is my Problem:


I got a new campain with 6 Exalted Characters going. I managed to get their attention the way i want it


But after the next Round i will be out of ideas.


So far the characters have managed to find a litle old man an his daughter.


This old man has found out the location of a tomb long forgotten. In the Tomb seems to be a mighty Weapon which could cause some trouble.


The Characters found out, that the daughter was a fake, in fact she is a Member of a thieves guild wich is also hunting after the treasure. The old man died and the "daughter" is missing.


The characters are on their way to the home of the old Man to look for clues regarding the Tomb.


The campain was well going, i already worked out the city, the tomb (with some nice and/or nasty secrets), but i'm missing an idea how to go on.


One thing for sure is, that the character won't get a hold on the weapon.


i'm intending to destroy it a battle, but on the other hand a theft might be interesting . . .


Just as i wa about to give up, google showed me this nice forum.


So i'm hoping to get some ideas from you out there.


best regards


socondor

 

[Persell]

The weapon is stolen by the thieves.


The thieves are actually controlled by a Yozi cult, but the thieves don't know it.


The demon in charge has to use the weapon to break the binding holding it, if that occurs then it is now loose upon Creation (further story material), or the demon is stopped and and the group are now heroes (yay).

 

[Flagg]

Just as i wa about to give up, google showed me this nice forum.

Welcome, Socondor. As an aside, I'm curious: what did you type in to google that returned this site?


-S

 

[Persell]

The weapon itself could have been locked away in the tomb not because it is powerful, but because the weapon has a powerful demon (or angry spirit) sealed away in it.  When the weapon is destroyed, the villian is released from his prison, but flees because he needs to gather his strength.  (maybe he only flees because he starts to loose the battle against the players.)  Then the players have to hunt him down following his path of destruction.


EDIT: or maybe it was fair folk that was imprisoned inside the weapon, and he is fleeing to the wyld, or a demense so that he is not destroyed, but along the way he ravishes every person he comes across.

 

[Seiraryu]

Hey Socondor; welcome to the Exalted Compendium Redux.  We're here to help.  


Anyway, aside from the above suggestions (all of which interesting) you could also introduce a third party.


It wouldn't be hard to justify why a Lunar, Sidereal or even a group of rogue god-blooded (or even gods) would want the "weapon."


Hell, even another Solar.  Night Castes are great at that sort of thing.  However, Changing Moons, Chosen of Jupiter and Journeys, etc. are all great candidates, too.  Hell, maybe the little god of the place that the weapon is sealed in could just flip and say "Hmm, fuck this, I want the weapon," and take it in the midst of the fight.


Anything is possible.  Go with what you want.

 

[Jakk Bey]

Rather than a powerful weapon or a cache of jade and silver, perhaps the tomb has other First Age goodies that could destabalize entire economies in the Realm or at least upset the Guild if it were to fall into the "wrong" hands--ie, them.


Say a mystical loom that will weave cloth from straw and grass. Silk. Cotton. Wool. A cloth with the softness of velour, but the strength of leather or even chain.


A Mana Engine--one of my favorite First Age goodies--that spills out a tasty and nutritious tofu-like brick that can be programmed for taste. Be it like beef, chicken, a silky smooth cream, fresh gooseberries, or anything else the  operator might desire. It only needs Essence, and a supply of organic material, like grass, or dead rats, or oats, or anything else for that matter. Drop in the organic matter, and out comes tasty food.


A Duplicator--a machine that can take raw materials, and transform them into servicable items instantly. A sword only needs a like amount of steel or iron. A a wagon wheel could be made instantly if you had enough wood.  A wagon could be fabricated if you had enough wood and metal, without any crafting time.  Put in a gold ring, and it could replicate it a few hundred times. Put in a bow, and get a few dozen with a little time.


A Purifier--transform poisonous or tainted water, or food, or contaminated stuff, and instantly get it purifed of all poisons.  Got nasty salt water? Not any more. Potable water, just by running it through the machine. Someone salted your fields? No problem, just run the loam through the machine.  


A First Age Medical Station. A bed that heals whoever is placed within it. Heals Aggravated damage even. Maybe it doesn't do it instantly, but perhaps it can heal normal wounds in only a day, cure any non-mystical disease, and bring even the infirm and elderly to the peak of health in only a day. Aggravated wounds heal at twice or even thrice the normal rate. It needs a sacrifice perhaps, a point of Bashing damage for each level healed, but it need not be a human that takes the hit. A cow might suffice to heal a few people. Aggravated wounds healed cause Lethal to the subject, but that's a small price to pay, especially for a cow or an ox, to heal a king or a noble, right?


The PC's hear it's a weapon, but it's something that someone said was dangerous. And they're right, such a device could destabalize a lot of power bases, and they would certainly want such a thing for themselves, and keep their rivals from getting their mitts on it.


Who would want it? The Abyssals certainly wouldn't want wonders like this to come back. The Realm would certainly want a wonder like this for themselves. The Guild would want full access, and to deny anyone else. The Lintha would want a chance to get it, and put the screws to anyone who might want some use from them.  Any number of criminals and ne'er do wells would want the power and access for themselves.


And the thief girl knows it, and plans on getting the goodies for herself. And there are those who figure that she'll betray them, and are watching the PC's in order to use them as bird dogs to flush her out. The Abyssals and other factions are all watching the watchers, and when the PC's get past the safe-guards, they'll strike. First each other, while the PC's are in the tomb. The Guild picket gets taken out first--say by the Lintha. The Abyssals are watching and waiting--they're patient so a few Lintha putting pointy things into Guilders isn't any of their business. The Realm may take a stab at overwhelming force, and the Abyssals would let them set up, and take measures to take them out--say a bunch of Hungry Ghost types raised and ready to hit the Dragon Bloods as they engage the Lintha, who may or may not retreat, or they might have bribed the Dragon Bloods' troops to betray their masters for a chance at the Big Loot, that they'll never get because the Lintha plan on poisoning the betrayers anyway.


When the PC's get out, the confusion starts, as several sides begin their attempt to steal the goodies, and put sharp things into the PC's.


And then, perhaps a Sideral, who has been watching in the wings, while the confusion is really going, comes in to secure the goodies for his own faction--Bronze, Gold, or a God who contracted the Sidereal to get the goodies for its own followers.  


Or perhaps, just a simple Heroic Mortal, a crafty Thaumaturge who has a particular Demon bottled up, could make their way through the confusion and steal the goodies right under everyone's nose.  And a chase scene or at least a scene where the factions try to sort out what happened, and then try to find the little bastard who trumped them all ensues.

 

[wordman]

Most of the responses have focussed on extending the tomb/weapon story. It seems to me, that's not what the original post was asking. The question was, after the resolution of the tomb/weapon story, what next?


Also, I assume your circle is solars? Your original post didn't say. In what part of the world is the circle?


First thing, whatever story you decide comes next, plant plot seeds for it as soon as you can in the tomb/weapon story.


For example, suppose in one of the minor rooms of the tomb, there is a mosaic of a bunch of lizard men worshipping a solar on a pyramid holding an artifact of some kind. Across the way is another mosaic of the same solar being buried in the pyramid, with the artifact. Then go buy Ruins of Rathess.


Or, suppose the tomb contains a clue to finding a Peach of Immortality (see the Sidereals book). If you use some of the other suggestions made and add other "interested parties" into your tomb/weapon story, maybe they are not interested in the weapon at all, but are tracking the Peach.


Perhaps the raid on the tomb results in an imprisoned spirit being set free. Perhaps this spirit is so grateful that she promises a favor. Or, maybe the spirit's superior is grateful. Or, maybe the entity that imprisioned the spirit in the first place is very mad. Maybe the spirit itself is bad news, and causes trouble for the circle.


Or, find a published adventure you like, and figure out some way to meld into into your storyline. May I suggest my Forgotten Suns for some ideas (although with six members in the circle, you'd need to crank up the opposition significantly). Also, read this thread


Perhaps the circle comes across some opposition that carries hearthstones, one of whom happens to have a Hearthstone Compass, and have the next adventure be tracking down the manse.


Perhaps the characters come out of the tomb just in time to see a metor strike a few miles away. Turns out that it is a "delivery" of starmetal, and the circle manages to get to it before the sidereals do.


Maybe the tomb holds a copy of the letters found in Time of Tummult.

 

[Socondor]

First of all: Thanks for your Help!


It gave me good hints how to go on.


@Stillborn


I was just looking for Exalted Compendium @google


You showed up first.


Im quite busy right now, so forgive me for not giving the details you would llike to have.


My PC's are all Solars. I don't have the Sideral book (not yet). ould you explain what a Peach of Immortality is?


The theft idea is quite good, but i'm afraid my Party might not be concerned about it. Any Ideas how to fix that without nuking the enviroment?


The TOmb is the grave of a Hero long forgotten. There will be found the sarkophaqe with the Body and the Weapon (some kind of Warstrider -the n/a kind of artefact) when it is stolen, how can i make sure my PC's will track it?


It should not be used, because then i got no idea why it should be used on the Pc's.


Thanks for the Help


Greetings from Germany


Socondor

 

[Obsidian Soul]

A N/A level Warstrider?  That's a pretty powerful weapon there, like a Titan from 40K I imagine.  Okay, you want them to run after it?  Tell them that it has about 100 tons of Magical Materials and First Age Alloys in its frame and, even if it is destroyed, it will provide them with enough goodies to make hundreds of lesser artifacts.  Hell, I imagine that it has a lot of secondary systems that would be about Artifact 5 (like Essence Generators, for instance) so you can hint that it will be possible to salvage those from the wreckage.  You could also hint that it was stolen by the Realm to be used against the masses of reappearing Solars that have overwhelmed the traditional Wyld Hunt, such as the Bull of the North and, if they don't get it back or destroy it, it will be used on them after the Realm gets done with the major threats.

 

[Forn Clakes]

Why have it stolen, why not simply have it posessed?


In the sourcebook Kingdom of Halta, there is a Warstrider of immense proportions called "Vengeful Thunder" that has awoken due to some specific undertaking.  Try and take a look at this, if you can.


The basic idea is that the Warstrider was given specific instructions from its creator in the First Age, and it is now drawing Essence from the surrounding area (although i've forgotten the reasoning why).


Anyway, just a little bit of input in a sea of great ideas so far.


Good luck, it sounds good!


~FC.

 

[Socondor]

The thing is, that i don't want the Strider to be aktivated.


The PC's schould just start to fantasize about all the bad thing this Baby will be up to if it is unleashed.


But the possesion thing gave me some other Idea. Maybe the will of the the


former owner is still someware in this Strider preventiong it from beeing used


by the "bad ones" which gives the Characters some time to regather thier strenght and make a plane to destroy it.


The only thing i am concerned about is, how can you steal a big non moving first age Warstrider without killing the PC's and without them trying something stupid?


Is there some kind of poisen, which send them to a death like state for a day or 2 ?


I mean if i captured the PCs why schouldn i kill them? 6 Bad Ass Solars would let themself be imprisond for to long.


Thanks so far and i gonna let you know how the Game will have worked.

 

[Forn Clakes]

Instead of a poison, how about a defence mechanism on the 'strider, like a jolt of electricity capable of frying mortals, yet merly stunning the Exalts into temporary unconsciousness?  


~FC.

 

[Persell]

Make it damaged. Only its legs work properly. So there's a good clue as to where it's gone (the trail of gigantic, yard-deep footprints), and also something for the circle to work on once they've captured it.

 

[Socondor]

the idea i have is, that after surpassing all traps set in this tomb an after a fight with the "girl". The Mainforce of the assasine-guild arrives.


Now you gave an idea how to steal the Strider without having the Pcs killed.


Some Kind if defense System stuns the Pcs. Make it seems like they are dead. (So the Assasines won't kill them)


And they will find some trails to follow.


I'm thinking about a Chace after the strider leading the PCs slowly to nexus.


I'm looking foward to the Game this Evening.


I made a nice riddle for them to get into the Tomb.


They won't be able to enter unless one of them uses all compassing sorceress Sight. I hope they will find this out

 

[Forn Clakes]

Never hope, my friend, player's always find a way to screw up your plans.  Find a way of making them use the Charm.


~FC.

 

[Socondor]

So, the game went very well abd i'm proud to say that all wennt according to the plan.


All PCs are kind of dead and are waiting for the next gameround.


Now i got 2 weeks to finish the chase-Story.


Thanks @All for their kind help.

 

[Forn Clakes]

Cool.  Just out of curiousity, when you say dead.....


~FC.

 

[Socondor]

Cool.  Just out of curiousity, when you say dead.....
~FC.

well i just deep-fryed them . . . sort of.


I thought about the defense system thing. My war strider is about 30 Meters high. So this is one Kind of War Strider (The normal ones are between 12 and 18 meter high) is one hell of weight to carry out. I needed some time, so the characters were shocked for some good damage and will be saved by the Spirit of the unnamed Hero, who will ask them to make sure the Stryder won't be used for Evil things. They can either agree or die .


Sounds fair to me. And because i let "The Girl" steal the Strider after some taunting i just know, they want her dead so baldy, they would team up with the devil himself.


I thought about the spirits needs one week to Heal them, so the Stryder is on it's way to Nexus. So i just need to think about some encounters. The Assasines think the PCs are dead and won't be looking out for them. Still i was thinking about some kind of "Enclaves", who will spott the PCs and try to gain some influence by killing them.

 

[Flagg]

(The normal ones are between 12 and 18 meter high)

I think you mean "feet", not "meters".


-S

 

[Socondor]

(The normal ones are between 12 and 18 meter high)

I think you mean "feet", not "meters".


-S

Well i got the german Version of the books and it says meters. But if in your books it's feet then im glad, because i found the Striders where kind of big.


Besides if it's feet then "my" Strider would be 30 feet high (about 10 meters)

 

[Flagg]

Well i got the german Version of the books and it says meters.

Either that's a mistake, or I need to go re-read my books.


-S

 

[Forn Clakes]

I'm sure mine says meters as well  :?


~FC.

 

[Socondor]

I'm sure mine says meters as well  :?
~FC.

Can you approve it?


I'm quite interested in it.


Besides i just got my Hands on a copy of The Autochthonians how possible might it be to have a bridge between the 2 world? Like some kind of Rifts, accedential ripping Character of both World into the other?


I just flew over the book, but i found it quite interesting. How possible might it be that a Starmetal Caste (i guess they are the Smiths) to be trapped in "our" world, making the best out of it?

 

[Jakk Bey]

Slow down. Read the whole thing. There are plenty of ideas on how to integrate Alchemicals, even without going full on with the Locust Crusade, but  a few lone Alchemicals are going to have a hard time, just "going it alone."


Alchemicals are built on the idea of having a support structure. They'll build it, but they have very specific purposes. Take your time before you try to work them into your plots, because they are certainly cool enough, but Alchemicals deserve more than just passing mention.


A few Alchemicals working as recon, with a strongpoint or two to fall back on, while they get a better idea of the lay of the land, and the state of the Realm and the Threshold isn't bad. There are certainly a lot of ideas to play around with in the book. Take your time with it though, before adding things.

 

[Forn Clakes]

Agreed


~FC.