I'm no game designer, but I've run a short (about 12-15 session long) homebrew DCC campaign including a 5-6 session long funnel. Here are some thoughts.
AQuebman wrote:So I decided to try my hand at DM'ing outside of a module for the first time in DCC. I am trying to start with a funnel and my first idea was to base it around a huge fire breaking out in the parties home town. The fire is being caused by a small fire elemental that got loose from a visiting wizard and has gone on a rampage.
Nice intro!
Now my idea is that the party will be split between trying to do something about the elemental and saving the poor townspeople. My thoughts were to run the Elemental as is but if somebody douses it with water to basically stun it for a few rounds and reduce it's HP/defenses to a 1/4 of what they are normally thus making it killable by 0 levels.
I think you overestimate funnel characters. Firstly, I believe you assume that they will think about throwing galons of water at it. That seems logical, but they might well have no idea that the creature's mechanics will be so significantly affected. Secondly, if they see that throwing so much water weakens it so much, it's likely that they'll think they can kill it that way, and they'll simply continue the same strategy. However, even if they were to indeed catch on that throwing water, and then attacking it, is the way to go, IMO many will die to the fire elemental, even if he's much weaker. If you're serene with an early PC purge, then it's fine of course.
I would approach this scene with one, or more, of the following suggestions:
1) design your own fire elemental, perhaps inspired from the DCC book, but much weaker. You don't have to call it "an elemental" if you don't want to. The players wont know what it is anyway. Remember that 3 HP damage is enough, on average, to kill a funnel character. And that funnel characters have +0 attack bonus and 10 AC, on average. You can hit them easily and if the elemental survives a few rounds, it's likely he'll kill a PC every other round.
2) decide what water does. If it damages the elemental, so be it. Let it die to the water then if enough is poured on it.
3) give the elemental a weakness. For example, perhaps it can be controlled if someone goes back to the magic circle where it was conjured? (Is the wizard dead?) Or perhaps #1 (water) is the weakness? Or perhaps it can be un-summoned in some way? Solution #3 allows you to have the elemental be stronger, forcing the PCs to look for other solutions than direct confrontation. Especially at the funnel level, this is a fun solution IMO.
4) Keep an open mind to a player solution you had not anticipated during the game. Perhaps they'll lure it over a wooden bridge that spans a river, and you can then describe that the bridge catches on fire and will break, if only the elemental might stay on it another minute at most... Maybe some heroic PC will sacrifice himself to gain the time.
I think for the fire i'll do the traditional roll a D8 and the fires all spread in that direction one square. To jump through a flaming square without damage will be a DC 16 reflex and after 2 rounds in the smoke someone must make a DC 16 fort save or take 1d6 nonlethal.
My issue is that I am a little worried this won't be very threatening. I'm also thinking i'll have to do more then just this to really fill out a funnel but being my first time setting this up I wanted to do something memorable. My players are all PF fuddie duddies and i'm trying to convert them to the dark side.
Personally I think your overthinking the mechanics and should look into the story to catch your players' attention.
For the mechanics, I assume you wish to play with a battle map since you're talking about squares and all. Have you considered no battle map? Anyway, I wont press this.
I would consider a more organic feel to the scene. For example, describe how the fire spreads generally, the threats that result (e.g. a house about to collapse, some PCs cornered by the flames, etc...) and see where that leads.
For the story, you haven't discussed it much, so perhaps you simply have more foundation. But I'd look into: who is this wizard who conjured the elemental? What is he doing in town? Who are the NPCs in town that might interact with the PCs? Are there enemies there, or thieves that might want to take advantage of the situation? What happens when the fire is doused and the elemental is killed?
I find the rogue elemental to be a great idea, full of possibilities. But it seems more like one encounter or scene, not an adventure in itself.
Quick idea to build on the elemental scene: perhaps the wizard was hired to conjure an elemental, but was not told the truth on its purpose. The story is that local thieves, a small group of 4-5 invididuals (if its a small town), want vengeance against the burgomaster because he plans on sending for the constable, in a nearby bigger city, to have them put to justice (which might mean that they hang in the end). They want to set an example, to continue to bully the townspeaple, and thus they hired the wizard to to set the elemental against the burgomaster, lying to him and telling him that they operate a forge and wanted to build some special weapons. When told where he was to send the elemental, the wizard refused, and was killed by the thieves. The elemental indeed put the mayor's house on fire, but the thieves then lost control over it, and it went beyond its initial target, and the thieves don't know how to stop it. They hide until it's gone, hoping no one will find out about them.
After the elemental is taken care of and the fire is doused, the town realises that the burgomaster is dead. They vote to have a ad hoc militia formed, and the PCs, due to their actions agaisnt the elemental and fire, are elected/forced into that position. The citizens want to know where the elemental comes from, scared that others might follow.
The PCs should then find clues to lead them to the thieves. Presumably the elemental's traces can be found back to where the wizard lived. The wizard might have notes mentioning how he got hired and for what purpose ("but there is no forge in this town?!"). Perhaps the thieves left clues behind that might incriminate them, a weapon in the dead wizard's body, or something equally obvious: hey, things got out of hand, and these lowly thieves are not so bright, they panicked and fled!
There could also be, in the burgomaster's house, a chest that survived the fire, with noted in it, mentioning that he would send for the constable, to put the thieves to justice.
In the end, the PCs could have a confrontation with the thieves, to try to arrest them - or kill them? Up to them I guess. The thieves could have one level 1 or level 2 leader, and the rest could simply be level 0's like the PCs.
The thieve's hideout can be a cool place, an abandonned temple in the forest - perhaps some relics of old can be found there. Or perhaps the thieves fled there when the heat increases, and they end up in a placer still haunted. Or trapped. Or where a demonic cult used to hide - and a patron book happens to be there, an old leather bound book, but with its pages in surprisingly good condition. But anyone approaching it feels it skin tingle, and thinks he sees shadows move just outside of his vision...
It's also going to be a rather small set of people 8 PC's total because I only have 2 players but I wanted to make it suitable for a bigger group in case somebody else joins and tweak things as needed. I figured if it got really out of hand I could offer saved townspeople as replacement PC's.
Any thoughts suggestions or assistance is certainly appreciated. Help me indoctrinate a new collection of Goodman Cultists
I think that 8 PCs is plenty, just avoid strong opposition. One enemy is enough if he manages to kill one PC. Simple things will be very challenging for level 0's.