Campaign Framework- Help!

[Evard's Small Tentacle]

I am working on a new campaign based on a vague premise:

- The PCs are children of the former Emperor/Retinue/Allies who royally fked up and semi destroyed the world. He and his retinue fled into a safe location where the next generation has grown up, ignorant of the broader world and goings on.

- I want the main focus to be the PCs setting off to explore the devastated world, with the opportunity to "set things right," if they so choose to.

Some open considerations:

- How the Emperor fked shit up and some "keys" to potentially fixing it that could be part of the larger objective
- How long and how many generations it has been since the Emperor fked shit up
- Why the players would even consider leaving the safe haven
- The Potential Safe Location (is it a hidden town? living in plain sight? underground cavern location?)
- Some mentors and such within the Location (how the society might have evolved, and including enough breadth for races and classes)
- Any modules and adventures out there I can steal from, I mean be inspired by

 

[squeen]

Cool idea!

Off the top of my head.

a) At least 2 generations --- that's enough time for some strange stuff to have come into existence
b) unleashed a plague that "devolves" lifeforms
c) something stumbles into the Safe Haven revealing the lie that the Outside is unlivable (Logan's Run)
d) I instantly saw the Safe Haven as a (domed?) valley encirced by mountains with only one (known) tunnel/passage to the Outside.


Hope that sparks something.

 

[squeen]

I always played elvish magic-users when I had the rolls --- but over time I have really come to dislike "races" for PCs.

My elf acted exactly like a human anyway. The NPC elves had way more "class" than either I or my cohorts.

It's serious takes away from the magical wonder of ANY imagined world when the players get to "own" it.

Me thinks: PCs should be human (full stop).

 

[Two orcs]

I thought of a similar campaign framework, the royal dynasty is driven out by invaders and taken in by a neighboring kingdom. After a generation the scions are hungry for revenge and to liberate their former subjects so they build their military experience and wealth by raiding, plant agents and the seeds of the reconquest before finally assembling their army and going for it.