So what I'm thinking for the next game is a mid level campaign. Players will be about level 8-9 roughly by the time we finish the Noble Beast Wars campaign. The culmination of that campaign will result in the heroes being transported or reincarnated back in their home world of Aterra (The Age of Ascension setting), slowly regaining memories of their first life, and having near-full recall of their second animal life. This would make them the Thrice-born, so I'll probably go with Journey of the Thriceborn Souls, or something cheesy like that for a campaign title. They are reborn in the world about 10 years after they first died, so some things have changed, but enough has stayed the same so as not to be too much of an adjustment.
The players will play something influenced by their past lives. They could be reclaiming their original bodies, with some minor adjustments, or inhabiting all new ones influenced by their well-travelled soul. For instance the bear-monk may become a werebear monk, or just a super strong monk who has the spell-like ability to gain bearish qualities. The Rogue-Raccoon has already decided to return to his original halfling body, but keep the raccoon tail mario-style. Whatever their form, or resultant class, they can gain an appropriate bonus based on their past life. This will be done on a case by case basis, as it really depends on what the player wants their character to become.
Possible Character Options
- John - Moose Druid - (1) Minotaur, or Moose Centaur Fighter or Druid (2) Half-orc Paladin, Knight or Fight specializing in mounted combat, free ride skills and mounted combat feat or two. Improved mounted speed.
- Bert - Bear Monk - (1) Werebear Monk (2) Shifter Monk with Supernatural weaker Dire Form ability
- Jean - Raccoon Rogue - (1) Halfling Rogue with Raccoon tail. Bonus to disable device, open lock, sleight of hand and stealth. Climb speed 20.
- Haley - Wolf Cleric - (1) Shifter Cleric, improved Bite with DR qualities, lock-jaw feat
- Caleb - Crow Wizard - (1) Kenku Wizard, has a cannibalistic streak, Fly Speed 20 ft, gain sacrificial mastery feat from BoVD, does not have to be to an evil god, or human lives.
Also, players will keep their deeds, althought they will not be able to advance in any which they must remain as an animal. Also they can not advance in any deeds unless they have the prerequisite ones in the tree, so you will not be able to take any more 1st level deeds once you are humanoid again.
Now what I'm stuck on is a quest arc. I know already that the high level quest, around lvl 15, will be one involving high magic of some sort. This story arc I'm thinking should involve the Giants of the southern continent of Gigantes. The giants will have just been getting into the whole Soul-Sacrifice, Old-One Worship, Sanity Loss and Soul-Corruption kinda bag at about this time. It hasn't really spread throughout the nation except among the way higher-ups, and the occasional village here and there that the giants are practicing Blood Sacrifice and Old-One magic on. Maybe they have to root out a conspiracy to trick the king into sacrificing large portions of the kingdom in one big swoop.
Enemies would be- Mind Flayers, Beholders, Giants, Aberrations, Enslaved Monstrous Humanoids (Minotaurs, Kenku, Kalashtar), Devils and perhaps a Worm that Walks as the big boss. It would be impossible to take down at full strength so they would have to weaken it with a couple plot devices.
