Been discussing campaign ideas with a friend, and he said that he wants a campaign where Iuz is ultimately defeated. So, PCs include:
One paladin (played by said friend) and one wizard (played by my cousin Soulcleave), both Suel. Both are twins.
One rogue (played by my other cousin), probably Suel. However, she may play a mixed character.
One orc sorcerer.
One Fremen psion.
The idea for the campaign is simple. Become powerful enough to lead an army into the Empire of Iuz and defeat the evil demigod. However, I'm starting them at first level, and in the Free City of Greyhawk. So the group needs to level up.
Should I run them through an easy adventure to start with? Something like Palace of the Silver Princess? Or Keep on the Borderlands? Just wondering what you suggest. Bruce R. Cordell's The Sunless Citadel would also work. We will be playing D&D 3.5, though.
I'll have Iuz play a ever present menace in the campaign. So the group knows when to go up to the Empire of Iuz, defeat his army, and eventually kill him. Eventually, my cousin Soulcleave will ask that I make his character an undead, though. So probably a Suel Lich is going to be with the heroes.
I did the same thing you describe. I placed the Keep in the northwestern Vesve and made the evil clerics of the Caves of Chaos agents of Iuz. The humanoids were special forces that had slipped through the lines of resistance and been gathered by the clerics in preparation for an assault on the Keep in order to make it a forward base for expansion of Iuz's empire. Once my players had finished with the Keep and the Caves, they had many choices about where to go next. Of course, they weren't yet powerful enough to confront Iuz directly, so I had that excuse to lead them all over the Flanaess on other adventures. See if my campaign blog gives you any ideas.
Should I run them through an easy adventure to start with? Something like Palace of the Silver Princess? Or Keep on the Borderlands? Just wondering what you suggest. Bruce R. Cordell's The Sunless Citadel would also work. We will be playing D&D 3.5, though...
-Depending on the era, the adventurers could do Border Watch. It's 4-6 PCs, 1-3 Level, but mysteries are always a little fluky when it comes to level. A more powerful group can still screw everything up, so it could provide a challenge, even after finishing the Caves of Chaos (if you go that route). If it turns out easy, so what? It's still a few extra XPs, a story, and maybe the PCs make some connections with important people that comes in handy later.
I used Border Watch to good and similar effect in my FtA 2e campaign, which I believe started in late 582 CY.
I encourage you to consider in what era you want the PCs to adventure. Do you imagine them intervening before Iuz inaugurates the "Greyhawk Wars" or only rising to prominence after he's expanded, per canon, his empire.
You might also consider whether you want to use the strife between Iuz and Vecna depicted in Vecna Lives!.
Also, The Marklands, Iuz the Old, and City of Skulls all offer a lot of background information that you might use.
Finally (at least for this post), consider the areas / regions where you want the PCs to range and/or base themselves. Greyhawk City is of undeniable import, but you might give the PCs deeply rooted reasons to hate Iuz the Old if you, for example, made some of them from the (former?) Shield Lands, northern Furyondy, the Highvale or Vesve Forest, etc.
I used Border Watch to good and similar effect in my FtA 2e campaign, which I believe started in late 582 CY.
I encourage you to consider in what era you want the PCs to adventure. Do you imagine them intervening before Iuz inaugurates the "Greyhawk Wars" or only rising to prominence after he's expanded, per canon, his empire.
You might also consider whether you want to use the strife between Iuz and Vecna depicted in Vecna Lives!.
Also, The Marklands, Iuz the Old, and City of Skulls all offer a lot of background information that you might use.
Finally (at least for this post), consider the areas / regions where you want the PCs to range and/or base themselves. Greyhawk City is of undeniable import, but you might give the PCs deeply rooted reasons to hate Iuz the Old if you, for example, made some of them from the (former?) Shield Lands, northern Furyondy, the Highvale or Vesve Forest, etc.
Ah, thank you mtg. Northern Furyondy can make some sense as a starting point. I got Iuz the Evil. I haven't given it a proper read through, I only scanned it. Extenuating circumstances are preventing me from reading through campaign material.
I was thinking of starting at 591 CY. after the Greyhawk Wars. My friend hates Iuz. He says that the half-fiend has committed the Unpardonable Sin, and therefore must die.
I might get City of Skulls and Vecna Lives!. I may also get the Marklands.
IIRC, Marklands was released just before Iuz the Evil, which was followed by City of Skulls. Vecna Lives! is earlier than all of them, and mostly focuses on its eponymous villain, but as mentioned, it features / implicates Iuz toward its conclusion.
But, Marklands and Iuz the Evil are well paired, and I understand that City of Skulls, which I have never owned or read but have learned about over the years via discussions here and/or in the old GreyTalk listserv, features the kind of high-level adventure that you've evoked for the final or penultimate part of your campaign.
With a 591 CY start, your PCs will have survived the Greyhawk Wars (582/3 - 585) / Iuz's devastation of the north and have it in their recent memory.
Regarding, the Suel heritage characters, if they really want their characters to be "pure Suel," the closest likely homeland to the Empire of Iuz is the the Duchy of Urnst, which the original WoG boxed set describes, "The inhabitants of the Duchy of Ernst [sic] are nearly of pure Suel race." Id. at 13. Other possible locales include the Kingdom of Keoland, County of Urnst, and Greyhawk itself. Farther afield, they might be from Rhizia—lands of the Frost, Ice, and Snow Barbarians.
Of course, they can / should be from wherever you'all prefer. Those are just some ideas that draw on the WoG presentation of the "Characteristics of the Races Inhabiting the Flanaess".
I'm discussing origins for my friend's character right now. He also says that he wants to go into epic levels. Level 30, to be precise. He also wants to lead a certain kind of army.
I thought he might be pure Suel, but that's not the case. Although starting them in the Duchy of Urnst is an idea, he's adamant on starting in Greyhawk. He wants to play a mixed race. So, starting them in the Free City might be okay.
As for Marklands and the others, I'm still going to get them from Drivethru. However I think there is a problem with my browser and Drivethru, but I need to talk to my bank first about reversing some charges.
...I understand that City of Skulls, which I have never owned or read but have learned about over the years via discussions here and/or in the old GreyTalk listserv, features the kind of high-level adventure that you've evoked for the final or penultimate part of your campaign...
-It provides some general background info' on Dorakaa, which could come in handy long before 10th level.
EltonJ wrote:
...I thought he might be pure Suel, but that's not the case. Although starting them in the Duchy of Urnst is an idea, he's adamant on starting in Greyhawk. He wants to play a mixed race. So, starting them in the Free City might be okay...
-Greyhawk's origin is heavily Suel, anyway. IIRC, the courts spoke Suel until relativley recently.
Okay . . . A campaign update. I told another friend (Dennis Jenson) about my campaign and he offered to play Iuz. He thinks I won't be able to play Iuz in the correct way.
He says that Iuz has an extensive spy network. I asked him if it's as extensive as the Scorpion Clan's (L5R, not Greyhawk), he says it may be greater. I got Iuz the Evil, and I have yet to read it through. So, he tells me that Iuz would use every resource he has to preserve his life against this group of adventurers.
...he offered to play Iuz. He thinks I won't be able to play Iuz in the correct way...
-Iuz gets a lot of characterization in Artifact of Evil (2nd Gord book).
EltonJ wrote:
...He says that Iuz has an extensive spy network. I asked him if it's as extensive as the Scorpion Clan's (L5R, not Greyhawk), he says it may be greater...
-The senior-most operatives are the six members of the Boneshadow. Obmi and Keak are detailed in Artifact of Evil (ca. CY 581?). There are probably hundreds of others scattered throughout the Flanaess. Some are mentioned in the various city of Greyhawk supplements and adventures. A female halfling operative is mentioned in the court adventure, The Prince of Redhand, based in the town of Alhaster in Redhand. I'm sure others will come up with additional examples.
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