(based on a campaign scenario by Peter Maranci)
Having run a version of the Grey Company in the AD&D setting ‘Forgotten Realms’ for several years, I have some further plot suggestions for DMs running this campaign. As with Pete’s original material, this can be adapted for use in any setting.
The Crimson Order
One or all of the PCs accompany a Grey Company member to a
temple that has been desecrated and the monks slain. The
perpetrator is a member of a rival fraternity The Crimson Order,
who can be used as a long-running nemesis to the Grey Company.
The Grey Company champion confronts his Crimson Order rival and
is slain. The PC apprentices must try to avenge the death of
their master against this powerful adversary (think shades of Obi
Wan vs. Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace).
The Festival of Flowers
I recommend running Pete’s Three
Flowers adventure while the PCs are apprentices, or at least
to have them attend an annual festival of this kind. A Grey
Company member competes with a member of the Crimson Order in a
contest of arms, which may result in the death of either to
dramatic effect.
A New Duty
The PCs are informed that part of their obligations include
protecting the divine kingship of a nearby city. In ancient times
the King of this line sponsored the Grey Company and even
provided the Grey House as a base of operations. In return the
Order swore to protect the sovereignty of his bloodline from
generation to generation.
Now It’s Your Turn
The Festival of Flowers comes round again and the PCs must
compete and perform well to maintain the reputation of the Grey
Company. An old grudge with the powerful Crimson Order champion
will be re-addressed in the combat of arms.
Of Gods and Goddesses
The PCs gradually discover that the Grey Company has the
patronage of a particular Deity, who organised the fraternity and
appointed the very first members. This Deity may provide favours
from time to time and may also have a rival God who has a long
running enmity with the Company.
False Identity
An unknown faction are committing crimes, whilst wearing the
insignia of the Grey Company and trying to slur their respected
name.
Corrupt Rulers
The PCs discover that the current King they are sworn to protect
is corrupt and must make hard choices as to whether to become his
enemy or to respect their vows. There may be another legitimate
heir to the throne that they can work to bring to power. This
provided a lot of scope for adventure in our D&D campaign.
Tough Choices
The Company are approached by several different people at
once, requesting help with equally dire situations. Each scenario
sounds like it would require the combined power of all the
members. The PCs must decide whether to divide their power or to
choose one cause over another.
Create a battle to be remembered
The Company must face a climatic battle–either against the
rival God of their Patron, the Crimson Order, or a combination of
other power groups they have made trouble for. Whoever it is,
they are intent on eradicating the Grey Company once and for all
and are coming to storm Grey House with an army of
soldiers/cultists/champions/monsters/whatever.
A member of the Crimson Order decides to leave that corrupt establishment and petitions the Grey Company for membership.
The home town of a PC is in danger from a brotherhood of merciless bandits, but their duties prevent them from providing immediate aid.
One of the PCs receives romantic attention, and with it a conflict of interests between with the duties of the Company and their admirers own situation.
The actions of a Grey Company member earn a death contract from an unscrupulous assassins guild.
1000 Years Later
The Grey Company has been destroyed and the PCs play ancestors or
admirers of the heroes they played in earlier adventures. They
seek to restore the Company as a symbol of light in a world now
rife with evil. However, inversely to having a reputation to
maintain, this time they must make themselves feared and
respected from scratch.
2000 Years Later
The Order has become a huge and politically powerful
organisation and its membership is in the hundreds. It controls
everything and rules with a fist of iron. It is also utterly
corrupt. The players might be freelance adventurers fighting
against the tyranny of what the Grey Company has become.
Being a member of the Grey Company is a long hard road. Encourage the players to develop their characters in response to what they experience. In D&D alignments should be re-assessed over time and any system using personality traits should be open to revision. In running the Grey Company campaign I saw ‘happy go lucky’ PCs develop into cynical battle-hardened warriors, and reckless PCs grow into formidable strategic commanders. Make it tough, make it glorious…and make it personal!
[email protected] Copyright 2002 by Alexander Wallis. Posted January 24, 2002. v.1.0
