I am DMing a campaign set during the Thirty Years War. We are playing in the Pathfinder system, and I have made some custom rules for gunpowder.
With this post, I would like to invite your comments on how to proceed with the campaign and how to hook my quests up in a way that makes some kind of sense.
I next need my players to save a holy relic from a cathedral on the route of an advancing enemy army led by a general who intends to melt the precious metal from the relic's shrine into coins bearing anti-catholic slogans and distribute them among his soldiers as loot.
I'm not sure how the quest will look, but I was planning to have a face-off between the players and an advance party of the army, led by the tallest man in his time, der Lange Anton, who is a mercenary sergeant in the protestant army.
The question that I'm pondering is whether the protestant troops will already have conquered the city, which I assume must have at least a rampart defense, or whether the players (and the enemy advance party) will be sneaking into a city under siege.
In our next session, the players will arrive at Karlsbad and bring the news to general Holck.
Because they looted silver coins from general Christians sack of Paderborn and the destruction of the holy relics kept there, clergymen in the staff will connect the dots and identify the advancing general.
The next side-quest will be to save the holy relics held at the Marienkirche in Plan, south of Eger. Plan is a mint city, and so it is likely that Christian will mark his succesful campaign into Bohemia by destroying the relics held there and generating commemorative propaganda tokens.
Two new players will be attached to the party. An exiled paladin inquisitor from the catholic city of Ellwangen, which is currently held by the Swedish army and the treacherous count of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein. The second addition to the party is a rogue who hails from Plan and will know a way to get into the city undetected. He may be joining in Karlsbad, or they may come across him on their way to Plan.
That's the plan so far. I hope you will give me some ideas on how to bring it all together in a way that makes narrative sense and offers the players a chance to play the game.
Later, the protestants will take Plan and the imperial army will march south to Wolfersdorf, in order to stop the enemy army from reaching Pilsen, the home of general Wallenstein.
In the valley of the river Thein, a major battle will ensue with sieges, trench warfare, artillery bombardments, scouting missions and an actual battle employing linear tactics of the era.
The players' mission will be to drive the army of Saxony out of Bohemia and to settle any personal scores that may have resulted from their side quests. This will also introduce commanders from both sides which will play significant roles in events to come.
With this post, I would like to invite your comments on how to proceed with the campaign and how to hook my quests up in a way that makes some kind of sense.
I next need my players to save a holy relic from a cathedral on the route of an advancing enemy army led by a general who intends to melt the precious metal from the relic's shrine into coins bearing anti-catholic slogans and distribute them among his soldiers as loot.
I'm not sure how the quest will look, but I was planning to have a face-off between the players and an advance party of the army, led by the tallest man in his time, der Lange Anton, who is a mercenary sergeant in the protestant army.
The question that I'm pondering is whether the protestant troops will already have conquered the city, which I assume must have at least a rampart defense, or whether the players (and the enemy advance party) will be sneaking into a city under siege.
In our next session, the players will arrive at Karlsbad and bring the news to general Holck.
Because they looted silver coins from general Christians sack of Paderborn and the destruction of the holy relics kept there, clergymen in the staff will connect the dots and identify the advancing general.
The next side-quest will be to save the holy relics held at the Marienkirche in Plan, south of Eger. Plan is a mint city, and so it is likely that Christian will mark his succesful campaign into Bohemia by destroying the relics held there and generating commemorative propaganda tokens.
Two new players will be attached to the party. An exiled paladin inquisitor from the catholic city of Ellwangen, which is currently held by the Swedish army and the treacherous count of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein. The second addition to the party is a rogue who hails from Plan and will know a way to get into the city undetected. He may be joining in Karlsbad, or they may come across him on their way to Plan.
That's the plan so far. I hope you will give me some ideas on how to bring it all together in a way that makes narrative sense and offers the players a chance to play the game.
Later, the protestants will take Plan and the imperial army will march south to Wolfersdorf, in order to stop the enemy army from reaching Pilsen, the home of general Wallenstein.
In the valley of the river Thein, a major battle will ensue with sieges, trench warfare, artillery bombardments, scouting missions and an actual battle employing linear tactics of the era.
The players' mission will be to drive the army of Saxony out of Bohemia and to settle any personal scores that may have resulted from their side quests. This will also introduce commanders from both sides which will play significant roles in events to come.