DCC Known World 'Adventure Threads'

bobrunnicles · Post by **bobrunnicles** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:21 am

Guys,

I'm probably going to be starting a side-campaign of sorts with one of the players from my regular group that lives down my street (he's going to play two characters at once, both at a slightly higher then recommended level for any given module) and I was wondering - while I'm waiting for the Known World to be made available to the general public, can anyone let me know any of the 'adventure threads' (ie series of linked DCCs) starting at level 1 from the box? I'd just like to know where to think about kicking off module-wise and what other modules are in the campaign so I can plan ahead and set this campaign firmly in DCC World. Don't need specifics, just a list of module numbers would be great.

Thanks!

Post by **Harley Stroh** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:37 am

Bob,

There's a handful of paths. Here's the most fundamental one. If it doesn't fit your needs ("I wanted to play DCC #XX!") let me know and I'll see if the others fit.

Path One: West to Empire
Lvl DCC #
0 DCC #35A:Halls of the Minotaur Lord.

1-2 DCC #29: Lair of the White Salamander

1-3 DCC #1: Idylls of the Rat King

4-6 DCC #27: Revenge of the Rat King

7-8 DCC #5: Aerie of the Crow God

7-9 DCC #19: The Volcano Caves

10 DCC #30: Vault of the Dragon Kings

9-10 DCC #12: The Blackguard’s Revenge

11-13 DCC #12.5: Iron Crypt of the Heretics

15 DCC #13: Crypt of the Devil Lich

Post by **Harley Stroh** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:39 am

'course that doesn't help much given that the starting adventure is in the boxed set.

Feel free to sub in Legends Are Made.

//H

bobrunnicles · Post by **bobrunnicles** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:51 am

Thanks for the update, Harley. Only problem being (apart from the module in the boxed set as you point out LOL) that he's going to be playing two 2nd level characters from the get-go (so as to have a chance in a four-party-member 1st level adventure) so I'd prefer to start from a first level module and go from there.....except for Idylls, which I already ran for the main group

Got any paths kicking off with other mods from The Adventure Begins, or other first level modules (Lost Vault, Into The Wilds, Legend Of The Ripper, Transmuter's Last Touch)?

Post by **Harley Stroh** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:25 am

How about this. It is a little heavy on my adventures, but that's the only drawback I see:

Lvl DCC
1-3 DCC #28: Into the Wilds

3-5 DCC #3: Mysterious Tower

4-6 DCC #17: Legacy of the Savage Kings

7-9 DCC #17.5: War of the Witch Queen

7-9 DCC #19: The Volcano Caves

10 DCC #30: Vault of the Dragon Kings

9-11 DCC #25: Dread Crypt of Srihoz

9-11 DCC #12: The Blackguard’s Revenge

11-13 DCC #12.5: Iron Crypt of the Heretics

15 DCC #13: Crypt of the Devil Lich

Ozric · Post by **Ozric** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:18 pm

Are the adventure threads grouped together based on geographical promixity? Or are they simply strung together in a way that seems cool and fun?

Mike_Ferguson · Post by **Mike_Ferguson** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:34 pm

Ozric wrote:Are the adventure threads grouped together based on geographical promixity? Or are they simply strung together in a way that seems cool and fun?

Little of both, for most of them.

The adventure threads presented in the DCC World Campaign setting loosely link the existing modules together with a rough "theme". They also tend to be adventures that are *relatively* close together geographically - they may not be right next door to each other, but odds are your hardy band of adventurers won't be sailing across vast oceans between adventures, either.

For example, another of the "Paths of Adventure" that's provided is called "Legends of the North". It takes several northern-based DCCs (Into the Wilds, The Mysterious Tower, The Volcano Caves, and several others) and provides some linkage between the adventures, showing how player characters would go from the events of one DCC to the next.

Are the fits perfect? No, but they're pretty reasonable, considering that most of the adventures were written well before the idea of a "DCC World" campaign setting ever existed, and were created independently of one another without any sort of metaplot.

Ozric · Post by **Ozric** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:35 pm

That philosophy sounds pretty cool and very helpful to newcomers like myself, who really aren't familiar with DCC's and want to use them in conjunction with the Known World. And because it seems like the modules in each path and connected pretty loosely, I would guess that the DM gets some wiggle room to do stuff in between if he/she is so inclined.

jfrenia · Post by **jfrenia** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:42 pm

Yeah, that's how I incorporate modules into my campaign. I either work the characters into the plot of the module or sometimes I find a module that works for where the PCs were already headed and use the module instead.

Post by **Harley Stroh** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:46 pm

Ozric wrote:And because it seems like the modules in each path and connected pretty loosely, I would guess that the DM gets some wiggle room to do stuff in between if he/she is so inclined.

This is exactly the idea. Our hope is that a GM can use the threads to augment a campaign, with the GM throwing in their own material during the interludes.

//H

Ozric · Post by **Ozric** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:48 pm

Harley Stroh wrote:This is exactly the idea. Our hope is that a GM can use the threads to augment a campaign, with the GM throwing in their own material during the interludes.

Cool, I'm looking forward to messing around with stuff.

bobrunnicles · Post by **bobrunnicles** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:23 pm

Harley Stroh wrote:How about this. It is a little heavy on my adventures, but that's the only drawback I see:

Lvl DCC
1-3 DCC #28: Into the Wilds

3-5 DCC #3: Mysterious Tower

4-6 DCC #17: Legacy of the Savage Kings

7-9 DCC #17.5: War of the Witch Queen

7-9 DCC #19: The Volcano Caves

10 DCC #30: Vault of the Dragon Kings

9-11 DCC #25: Dread Crypt of Srihoz

9-11 DCC #12: The Blackguard’s Revenge

11-13 DCC #12.5: Iron Crypt of the Heretics

15 DCC #13: Crypt of the Devil Lich

That's no drawback, Harley - it's a feature

Actually this looks good but I will have to find an alternative for DCC17 and 17.5 as they are next in line for my main group.....no worries, I'll figure something out. Would be a lot easier if I had the boxed set to hand

JediOre · Post by **JediOre** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:12 am

Here's a slightly different approach. This is one I've used for years back in the '80s and '90s.

Place all the DCCs you have of the correct levels before your players. Let them decide which one they wish to begin with based upon the cover and write-up. Then as one adventure ends, repeat the process.

Let me assure you, this campaign will go in directions you would have never guessed. You'll also be amazed as to how well a "story" will begin to form as the PCs adventure through the modules they choose.

Renshai · Post by **Renshai** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:43 pm

That is a very interesting approach.

JediOre · Post by **JediOre** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:09 pm

It is and it's fun.

You do need to be familiar with the modules you own, since you don't want to spend a lot of time re-reading the adventure while the guys are on the other side of the table waiting for the green light to game.

The last series we did before everyone went seperate ways (careers/kids/etc.) and D&D become more difficult to do on a regular basis was, if I recall, as follows:

B3
B5
B2
X1
X2
I1
I3
I4
S4
I13 -- one of the mini adventures
S2
G1
EX1
G2
G3
S3
S1 (uncompleted, drat!)

By this point all the PCs were on average 12th level. Of course we took breaks from the main group of PCs and played other modules with other PCs, but this was the main group of characters with my two best buds. We had such a great time. The G-series still has the best memories!

It worked well for us.

Renshai · Post by **Renshai** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:21 pm

I really like that. And considering that these are DCCs, I've read them front to back a few times.

I'm a hopeless fanboy.

I bet those were fun times!

Rick Maffei · Post by **Rick Maffei** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:39 am

I like JediOre's concept here.
This method of adventure selection has the added bonus -- the players are already interested in the concept.

Years ago while doing public radio work, I used to tell students "Play what the audience wants to hear first, what you like second (or third)." It's important that a GM play to his/her audience. When GMing I routinely ask my regular players what they are in the mood for, regarding environment (if they want wilderness adventures, urban, exploring ruins, etc.) and adventure type (exploration, rescue, etc.) and so on.

Akrasia · Post by **Akrasia** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:29 pm

Harley Stroh wrote:How about this. It is a little heavy on my adventures, but that's the only drawback I see:

Lvl DCC
1-3 DCC #28: Into the Wilds

3-5 DCC #3: Mysterious Tower

4-6 DCC #17: Legacy of the Savage Kings

7-9 DCC #17.5: War of the Witch Queen

7-9 DCC #19: The Volcano Caves

10 DCC #30: Vault of the Dragon Kings

9-11 DCC #25: Dread Crypt of Srihoz

Hmmm. I rather like this sequence, although I would probably add DCC 0 at the beginning (and perhaps a few short adventures from DCC29 as well).

Given the layout of the Known Realms, how hard would it be to insert DCC 5 (and 5.5) into the sequence (between 19 and 30), and adding DCC 18 after 25 (instead DCC 12, 15)?

Thanks!