A Gathering of Cults

The GM: Claus

The Characters:

Game System: 4th Edition

Game Type: Campaign

Synopsis:

Good evening.  You have all come highly recommended for your proficiency, attention to detail, and ability to keep your mouth shut.   I have been charged with putting together a team of troubleshooters to take care of a rising problem - but various elements of the operation  are highly sensitive, so I cannot give you details until you agree to join up.    I understand it is a bit unorthodox to get your commitment before understanding what you're committing to - but unfortunately in accepting this mission, you will be privy to some very sensitive information; information that in the wrong hands would doom the mission.  Please believe that the fate of several nations and kingdoms hang in the balance - perhaps even all of Faerun.

Alright, you're all still here.  Hadn't expected differently, but it's still a relief.  Okay, let me break down the situation.  I work for a group of scholars and priests that keep their eyes on what's coming down the road, so that when something big and life-changing is on the rise, the right folks can get ahead of it.  Sure, some see it as meddling, and they're probably right, but the consortium has averted more cataclysms and disasters than you'd ever believe.

This mission on one such cataclysm - what's worse is that it's not just one but four possible crisis's at the same time.  Some old cults have gotten new blood and they are on the move.  The consortium has foreseen that in the next half year, one or more of the cults will have infiltrated and corrupted areas to a critical level - where they can no longer be stopped.  Some of you might have had dealings with the cults or organizations - The Red Wizards, the Zhentirum, the People of the Black Blood and finally the Drow. 

Each of these groups has put events in motion that if unchecked will spell certain disaster.  You're that check.  To help address this threat, we'll provide you with a mobile fortress which should be get you and the research staff to any location you need to get to within a day or so.  Yes, research staff.  We've got 2 dedicated teams of researchers ready to process any clues you recover from your missions - because while we know it's coming, we're unable to determine the actual source/objective of the threats long thought quelled.  We'll be able to provide you a current view of the ever changing situation, and the possible threats - then it'll be up to you to determine where to strike.

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OOC:

Alright, as I said earlier, to start out this might feel more like a combat sim until we get a handle for the rules.  But one where you'll have choices of where to go.

Everyone will start at level 6.   I'll lay out the situation/map, and you guys will determine which threat you want to go address.  The threats will range from Rank 1 (light), Rank 2 (moderate), or Rank 3 (heavy) threats, and you'll be able to choose what rank you want to fight (they'll translate to CR 7, CR 14 and CR 21 respectively), and assuming you succeed, you'll downgrade the rank appropriately - IE: if it's a Rank 3 threat, and you choose to only engage Rank 1, afterwards it'll downgrade to Rank 2.  If instead you choose to engage it as a Rank 2, it will then be downgraded to Rank 1.   If you downgrade the threat all the way to 0, then you'll have eliminated the threat in that city - for now.  After engaging the threat (succeed or fail) you'll receive some information about the various Cults that will be turned over to your researchers (not necessarily the cult you're fighting at that time). Once they have enough information, they'll be able to tell you where you can face the source of one of the cults. 

Once you have the location of the first source, you'll level up to 11th.  Which you'll have until you get the location of the 2nd source, then you'll level up to level 16.  You'll have that until you find the location of the 3rd source, where you'll level up to level 21.  Finally, when you have the location of the 4th and final source, you'll level up to 26.

When you find the source of the threat, you can go on a special mission to fight that threat source - which will make it easier to put down the rest of that cult. 

The troubleshooting team can be as large as needed, but everyone will only run 1 character at a time… but if you want to try out a Warden this fight, and then realize you don't like it and play an Avenger next fight, that's cool.  I want everyone to have fun.  I think as everyone gets more comfortable with the rules/mechanics/etc, we'll be able to put away the crunch and get into some RP (as everyone settles in on the character they like etc)… and I trust folks to inject RP into things - y'all are good roleplayers.  But then again, the biggest critique that 4e has it's that it's mostly a combat sim anyway… so might as well lean into that, right?

I imagine the whole things is probably going to be about 16 fights (12 normal fights against the cults, and 4 fights against the cult leaders)… but I don't know how long each fight will take, so I think on the long end, it'll take 16 session, but it could take a lot less, depending on your luck/efficiency.