Premade Campaign 22: “For The Eye!” (1/3)
“For The Eye!” is intended for Heroic level characters and is Part One in a Three Part series.
The party members all work for their kingdom as guards and have been stationed at a fairly desolate station for basic training. Few people know of the outpost’s existence due to its location, and the only reason it is still commissioned is for use in staging exercises. This has not stopped a group of nearby Orcs from deciding to overtake the outpost by starving out the soldiers inside the walls; capturing and killing anyone who attempts to leave or enter. Their numbers are great, and any diplomats that attempt to leave to speak sense to them soon finds his head on a pike. Food, water, and other sorts of supplies are running low, and the outpost’s morale is quickly dropping. During the night, the party is kept awake by the sounds of war drums and screams of prayer to Grummish, the one eyed god of the Orcs.
It will not be long before they decide to smash the gates and slaughter the soldiers, and the party must act fast if they hope to make it out of this training exercise alive.
The leader of the encampment is General Phillip Rodgers, alcoholic pessimist. It isn’t hard to see why he was stationed in such an off-the-beaten-path encampment, and he has very little control over the soldiers here, who don’t have a drop of respect for him. He would sooner surrender a thousand troops than lift a sword, and won’t encumber any actions of the party. Hidden in the general’s quarters are some barrels filled with ale (perfect for blowing up to cause a distraction or kill Orcs).
The encampment is only a few hundred feet in size, with large wooden walls and tents that fit the forty or so soldiers stationed there. Many of the people there thought of it as an easy retirement and are old, overweight, out of practice, and just want to get back to their families. The other soldiers are as new as the party to the military and none have ever even engaged an enemy in combat. Racially, they are mostly humans with the occasional dwarf, elf, and an Orc or two that are being persecuted by their angry peers. There are only two horses and one working wagon, but enough pieces and wood to make a few more (or modify the remaining one to make it extra badass).
There are several paths the party can take this campaign, and it is entirely up to them how they handle the Orcs outside. If they wish to spend time inside, allow them to spar with each other for experience and gamble with the other soldiers for money. This isn’t the most interesting route, but it is a way to at least get a little experience before being thrown into the fray of battle. They can attempt to barter with the Orcs or talk to them, but it will most likely just annoy or frustrate them into throwing stones and spears at the walls. The best bet is to plan an attack with the other guards, which can have this campaign be very tactical. After they do escape, they find out that this attack wasn’t just on their Outpost, but on others, and they are ordered to travel to the other encampments and help them deal with their Orc problem.
Check back tomorrow for the Paragon continuation of this Premade Campaign!
ben says:
just leting you know i am lookin on this tomorrow
April 14th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Coop says:
Let me know how it works out.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:38 am