so our group's game is wrapping up, and I've been chosen to run the next maguffin hunt. I could use some help polishing the turds I'm planning on using.
3.5 gestalt campaign. everybody's first class will be a marshal class, the second being open, but not a main caster (no druids/clerics/so on). They will be the heirs of the heads of great houses that lead the country in a council.
they will begin by the council being slain, them inheriting their parents' thrones and finding out why their parents were killed. along the way they'll have to gain support from lesser houses to avoid a power struggle and so on.
>>47497063
one thing I'm thinking of doing is having the parents put into stasis, and not slain. the would-be assassin will lift the curse if they gain magic items of power. the point of which is to make the party realize that their parents course of action is wrong and will actually doom the realms (hunting down all dragons, but the dragons are the only things holding back the Far Realm)
>>47497063
>3.5 gestalt
Well, there's your first problem. Don't do that, even without main casters it quickly becomes a bloated, overcomplicated and overpowered mess that honestly isn't worth the effort of keeping track of, unless you're a freak who jerks off to bookkeeping - at which point just get an accounting job.
>>47497106
as far as places they'll go. First I'm thinking if a jungle. Not one found on any map, but only found when one is lost... basically, it has 'openings' in every forest, and people who get lost in the woods can get stuck there.
while in there, all the creatures inhabiting it are clockwork constructs, because of the oozes and plants hunt down all living creatures (much to the dismay of the party).
they will find the creator of the clockwork creatures, and he'll be a jovial tinker (read; santa) with a shield golem protecting him. Come to find out, the golem is actually the tinker, and the fat man if his masterpiece.
>>47497148
group has done a few 3.5 gestalts before. haven't had any issues before
>>47497148
This.
Don't make a serious game with gestalt.
Further, you are making a game with a strong political leaning, but then taking it murderhobo.
Don't give them political responsibilities, then have them go traipsing across the countryside. Keep them in the city for a long while, dealing with internal issue, THEN expand to outside threats, possibly as part of a wider scale effort.
>>47497063
>everybody's first class will be a marshal class
Why? Multiple marshals are redundant. Yeah I know it's just the first half, but why not let the players choose
>>47497189
second place is the Glass Wasteland (trademark pending). an arid wasteland filled with fulgurites (pic related. if you haven't heard of them, learn you some, they're awesome). going to have a natural phenomenon be that the clouds cause a lensing effect, that cause ion beams to rain down from time to time, leaving swaths of glass.
the main baddie here, starts off a zombies not much more than sand. easy to kill, and actually break apart as they shamble forward. as they are defeated though, they show they are just sentries for their dormant masters, the nerra (monster manual 2. basically mirror creatures). possibly later ones can actiively call down ion beams or if they are hit by one, they can re-direct it
>>47497300
this was the group wanting a theme, like everyone can play bards and whatever else to play the troupe from desperado.
not forcing, they just wanted a theme. Plus we're going super low magic (hence only full-casters not allowed for their second class)
>>47497300
>Multiple marshals
I do believe he got hit by autocorrect, and meant martials.
OP, why not just limit players to T3-4 classes?
Open all books, and use foes rarely seen, like initiators, psionic foes and incarnum? It adds to the game when you aren't immediately familiar with your enemies.
>>47497300
also, not multiple MARSHAL as in the class, but like fighter/rouge/ranger.
i.e. non-magical for the most part
>>47497356
That also then brings the question of how they will deal with the multitude of game assumptions that magic, as written, will be present. Disregarding the lack of healing capacity, you also have to look at restoratives to deal with poison, ability damage/drain and the like.
What classes are open to them?
>>47497341
good point. I am using the nerra (>>47497300
), probably Jakal Lords and Jakalwere.
the clockwork creatures in >>47497189 will be covered in armor, but have delicate inner workings, so they'll be constructs that are still susceptible to crits, but have high dr (or might flip it to not show they are fake until they die so have the players wonder WHY I'm telling them hey didn't crit)
>>47497389
any non-full casters (no druid, cleric, sorcerer, psion, so on). so even bard has cure light wounds. going more of a conan feel to it; you break your arm? bad news brah. (the players want more of a gritty feel to it then just slapping on a spell and healing that hour). I will also be taking out save vs die spells and the like to they can still feel like heroes
>>47497440
You... could just run a different game, y'know?
It's a lot easier than shoehorning, but I understand if the players are diehard types. I just am personally flexible, and will seek out the right kind of game for what I want.
Riddle of Steel would be excellent for a gritty game where skill and judicious tactica matters, or SoS for something free.
>>47497493
Oh I agree, and I offered to run riddle, but they'd rather do this.
>>47497525
>offered to run Ros/SoS
>can't find a fucking soul that will even look at the book, much less run it
>have wanted to play the game for 4 years
I am so fucking mad jelly right now, I could power Australia.
>>47497579
I thought the lack of fucks given about all the creepy shit living there does that quite well
