Mission Creep
Speaking of Q1 . . . G1-3, D1-3, and Q1 is possibly the most amazing mission creep you can find in Dungeon & Dragons adventures.
G1 - go deal with these raiding hill giants. Hey, they have frost giant allies.
G2 - go deal with the frost giants. Hey, they have fire giant allies.
G3 - go deal with the fire giants. Hey, look, they have evil elf allies (introducing the Drow).
D1-3 - deal with the drow, and hey, they worship a demon queen and here's a magic egg that can get you to the Abyss.
Q1 - Go kill the drow's demon-goddess.
I've read that Q1 doesn't quite fit at the end. After all, the Lolth-worshipping drow aren't the ones stirring up trouble on the surface. That's true, although, there are some things that make Q1 fit:
- the mission creep I mentioned. The forces of good aren't much better off if the PCs whack the one drow clan causing trouble and remove part of the balance of power. But they're really well off if the PCs whack the entire drow power structure and slay their demon-god once and for all.
- the EGG. No surprises here, it's cursed, and essentially you're forced to go to the Demonweb. Oops.
- It's a good chance to strike at the heart of an enemy of law and order.
Plus, you know, after the previous six adventurers you're going to do what now? Go home and rest? Nah, just keep pressing on. Still, I'm amused how big the mission gets.
I ran all of the with the overarching premise that the Drow & Lolth are in a cycle of "Try to dominate the world...curses! Foiled again!". Beating her in the Web? Never an option for my group. They broke into other worlds the Lolth was interested in and played insurgents. Libertated Dwarf-World before returning home.
ReplyDeleteWell, if the PCs would rather fight on the fringes than dare Lloth's spider ship and take on a god, well, where's the fun in that?
DeleteWhen I asked Gary he said that Lolth and the Elder Eye were counterbalancing each other. Lolth was using Eclavdra's gains and that was why the different houses were rivals but not genocidal. Lolth kept the Elder Eye shunted in his dimension so if the PCs defeated Lolth they would be in real trouble because the Elder Eye would be released. If Eclavdra was defeated then Lolth would take over her gains.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I meant about the logic of the first point. To the forces of good, the loss of both Lolth and the Elder Elemental Whatever believers is good and useful. Leaving one to pick up the pieces, not so good . . .
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