Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Hammer of the Gods

The boys will soon be wrapping up their journey through the A-Series and then on to GDQ.  My plan is to play either G or D during Gen Con. After all, what could be better?

But before that happens I want to introduce the big bad problem, someone or something has snuffed out the Sun.  The lands are dark and cold and people are dying.  The is going to be a huge meeting in the City of Greyhawk to try to figure out the problem.  The big guns of the world are going to investigate a lead they think is good while the PCs deal with some giant raids.  I don't need to tell you which group is going to be successful.

BUT before that can happen they need to solve the problem of not freezing to death.

The idea is for this one shot adventure the Council (in Greyhawk) will ignite a large asteroid called "Moradin's Forge" to give them temporary light and heat.  They wanted to do it to one of the moons, but the witches in the world objected to that (and thus allows me to set the stage for the next adventures).

I need something for a group of 8th level characters to do in this.

Alternately I could have the boys play some of the council; very high-level wizards and the like to set it ablaze.  But really setting the Forge on fire is not supposed to be the difficult part.  I thought maybe they would need some special fire to do it, or means to get it to the forge.  Maybe even finding Moradin's Hammer to do it.  But while the stakes are very high, I want it to be something I can do in a 4-hour afternoon.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Bonus points if it can be tied into Led Zeppelin at all.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, you could have the "Special fire" be something they need to steal from the Fire Giants. And only the Ice Giants know where the Fire giants are, and only the hill giants know where to find the ice giants (although the humans, lucky, know where the steading of the hill giant chief) Because the Chief is a vassal of the Jarl, who in turn is a vassal to the king.

Or you could go Mythic and have the sun be something that was stolen and taken deep into the underground, by a people from the cold and dark who envy the surface's warmth and heat. Or want to use the sun's fire as 1/4th the components to build a new, free, body for their Elder Elemental God...

Jonathan Linneman said...

So the sun has refused to shine? I would say some mountains need to crumble to the sea at some point.

And that seems like the kind of thing that would get the attention of giants, so I like Brett's giant idea. And the different types of giants...the players should have to get them to work together...

Your hand in mine, we walk the miles... Get the giants to do that, and the key to reigniting the sun shall be revealed.

Sean Robert Meaney said...

An Indigenous Australian tale says the Hawk Tribe bought Fire to the world.
hawk-spelljammer, fetch fire from some other 'setting'. In the Mystara setting is the Fiery brand of Masuwa (an artefact of Orcus) fetch it from his temple in the Mystaran System, Battle some Heldannic Knights for it, fly back in their Artifact Powered Warhawk. and flee back to Greyspace. Use it to ignite the Sun...and wear the consequences of Bearing the burning torch of Orcus.

Sean Robert Meaney said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JWRouseIII said...

Stairway to Heaven - The asteroid needs to be tethered to Oerth, beanstalk style. Massive supplies of spider silk are required, or a magical/alchemical formula to manufacture it.

No Quarter - The snow falls hard, the winds of Thor are blowing cold. The players must carry news of the silk formula through a nightmarish winter landscape, hounded by death.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

This are such good ideas that I might even spin them off into something else now!