Campaign Frames

FOR the elemental APOCALYPSE Campaign Frames 1 COVER: “Vanitas” (1630) by Pieter Claesz Campaign frames Examples that can help narrow focus for an elemental apocalypse adventure campaign

Presented here are four campaign frames that might be employed to give a published adventure focusing on an elemental apocalypse a narrower focus and an outlet for players to portray characters in a specific genre. The four campaign Quest of the Gauntleted frames are: Knights An order of Arthurian-styled knights Airship Defenders finds their notions of chivalry and of the Realm superiority shattered, only to be replaced by Steampunk and pulp action as the crew contrition and sacrifice in order to find the of an airship take on evildoers who employ relics that will enable them to defeat the the same elemental forces that power their overwhelming power of elemental forces. own vehicles and mechanical wonders. Blackened Staff Boarding Towering School for Aspiring Wizards Watertown Inferno and the Chalice of Fire The everyman and everywoman heroes Apprentice wizards grow in power and of 1970s style disaster movies must survive loyalty to one another as their castle/ the elemental-fueled apocalypse that is academy is the key to defeating the engulfing the cities of the coast and find the elemental evil that threatens the courage to defeat the plans of the cultists. surrounding area.

Campaign Frames 2 Airship Defenders of the Realm

Theme: The same elemental forces that Monsters - adversaries: Add more power the wonders of the age — flying constructs, especially those powered by machines and other pulpy gizmos — are water and steam. Provide cult leaders with being yoked by religious fanatics intent on mad scientists. establishing a new order. (Man vs. Machine). Furniture: Airships, of course, as well as PC types: Associated air force of rogues, gear-driven “magic” items, ray guns; when alchemists, mechanics, techo-wizards and you see an instant where a monster is spellcasters with an elemental bent, as well serving a purpose that a machine might as some fighters who favor two-fisted work, think about swapping out. solutions to problems.

Towering Watertown Inferno

Theme: The realm is beset by a string of courage when others falter, firefighters, elemental disasters such as you’d find in priest on a cruise liner, airport tower 1970s disaster movies (“Towering Inferno,” controller “Poseidon Adventure,” “Airport”) that seem Monsters - adversaries: Most often the overwhelming to the everyday folks who biggest obstacles are presented by naysayers must survive them. Victory may not come by or those who make foolish decisions that outright defeating the bad guys in battle, but make the disaster worse. As commoners, the simply by foiling the destructive powers they PCs might have the most difficulty unleash. overcoming misguided or flawed authority PC types: Regardless of the PCs’ level, figures. class or power, they should maintain the Furniture: There is always a way out of mindset and outlook that they are common each mess, a thing they can do or an object folk doing their best to survive this series of to acquire that will undo the disaster caused disasters. The heroes of disaster movies are by the cult leaders, if the PCs only have the everyman and everywoman who summon courage to go for it.

Campaign Frames 3 Quest of the Gauntleted Knights

Theme: The Green Knight comes and Monsters - adversaries: Adversaries as challenges a new generation of haughty or presented in the campaign book should bored knights. The Green Knight displays suffice, but good-aligned mystical beings, his prowess then says that a force of allies of the Green Knight, should be used to elemental power will threaten the coast (and give aid and restoration when needed. weakens him, the spirit of growth in the Furniture: Dress up encounter locations kingdom) if they don’t go on a quest to with martial elements, present black knights obtain the relics that are the key to defeating to challenge the white ones, share dark elemental evil, a quest that can only be visions of what will befall the kingdom if the completed with acts of contrition and PCs fail or those that include clues to each sacrifice. character’s individual sacrifice during the PC types: Knights and other key figures course of the campaign. As the adventure of a king’s court, but heroes who have not yet progresses, spring turns to winter, light into been truly tested and are unprepared to have dark, all becomes more foreboding and their sense of supremacy and importance ominous. knocked down a peg or two. Blackened Staff Boarding School for Aspiring Wizards and the Chalice of Fire

Theme: A castle that serves as a magical a sense of mystery, or an ability or power academy could be the last bulwark against not mentioned in a rulebook. In this world, the forces of elemental evil. everything has been touched by some kind PC types: Mostly student wizards, of magic, distorting, enhancing or cursing it. though anyone who could also be an Furniture: The castle itself should be a instructor or staff member at the academy treasure trove of magical items that could might be apart of the adventure, too. be used to combat the elemental evil, if the Monsters - adversaries: Everything is PCs can find them. The castle is so old and new. So even “common” fantasy monsters, large that these small quests are scavenger orcs and goblins, should be presented with hunts in themselves.

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