pyrephox

I'm considering, yet again, making a NWN module. I want to do something that has a strong Lawful Neutral/Evil bent, but with a potential for Good characters to have things to do...although in a slightly different context from usual, namely, the choices a Good character must make when serving under an Evil nation's rule.

EDITED

1st Module, "Bordermarch"

The PC is a young Guard in the service of Merandir, an ancient, powerful, and largely peaceful Kingdom. He (using male neutral just for convenience) has just been assigned to a border keep, belonging to Baron Pierce Mellis and under the command of General Janya Soltham. The PC would start out with a Merandir helm, starting weapons/armor as appropriate to class, and The Soldier's Code, a book on what is expected from Guards under the laws of Merandir. There will be three main quests within the module, several subquests (based largely on class and/or relavent skills), and many brief encounters that still have relevance.

Two additional variables, aside from Alignment and faction like/dislikes, will be tracked on the PC: Rank and Fame. Rank starts out at as Guard, and can go through Lance Corporeal, Corporeal, Squad Leader, and Sub-Commander in the course of the module. Rank gives you the option to command NPCs of a lesser rank, and talk to members of the same rank as peers. Rank can only be bestowed by an NPC of a higher rank, and only a few of those (Guard Captain, the Baron, General Soltham, and the Baron's Lady Martial). Fame marks how well known you are to the general populace, and can be raised by doing various public tasks, and taking credit for them. Factions in the first module are essentially the lines of favortism among officers and guards. Insult a soldier that one of the commanding officers is fond of, and that officer will look more poorly upon you. Humiliate an officer who is popular, and all of his followers will be inclined to dislike you. In addition, of course, there is the Traitor faction, of underground rebels. Choices the PC makes will change alignment both on Law/Chaos and Good/Evil scales. Default alignment is Lawful Neutral.

Main Quests

Each quest is a mission, gained from the Guard Captain for the first two, and the General for the third and final mission. Note that you do not have to do /all/ of the mentioned 'route' tasks to qualify as evil, good, or neutral. Mostly, I'm just pointing out those things that will flag you one way or another strongly.

Mission 1: Tax Protection

This is scut-work. Nobody else in the keep wants to do it, so the new guy gets it. It's essentially an escort mission, where the PC has to accompany the local tax collector to the nearby village of Marchfield, help him collect the taxes, and then get him back to the keep without incident. Complications include people cheating on their taxes and an attack by bandits (who are actually just farmers trying to get back some of their hard won gold) on the way back to the Keep.

The Good Route: Persuade the tax collector to adjust a few of the levies to take people's situations into account. Discover the malicious tax cheats and see that they give their full share. Recognize the leader of the bandits (Int check) and talk him into getting everyone to put down their weapons, then persuade the tax collector to forgive the attempted attack, and consider adjusting the rates for the region.
Results: Fame goes up slightly, one faction goes down, rebel faction goes up, duty pay of 100 gp.

The Neutral Route: Persuade the people to arrange to pay, without using force or violence, and taking into account their situations. Have the malicious tax cheats arrested. Recognize the leader of the bandits and persuade them all to surrender, persuading the tax collector to speak on their behalf and let their sentence take into consideration their surrender. Alternatively, offer the bandits a chance to surrender, before battle commences, and accept surrenders that are offered during the battle.
Results: Fame goes up slightly, two factions go up, duty pay of 100 gp, and promotion to Lance Corporeal.

The Evil Route: Persuade the tax collector to allow you to extort more than is owed and split the profits. Accept bribes to conceal tax cheating, either of money or of favors. Slaughter the bandits without mercy, or persuade the bandits to lower their weapons before killing them. Turn in the tax collector for extorting more than is owed, and recieve reward money for stamping out corruption.
Results: Fame goes up, one faction goes up, one faction goes down, rebel faction goes down, duty pay of 100 gp, possible reward money of 100 gp, and promotion to Lance Corporeal.

Mission 2: Rogue Necromancer

Just beyond the village of Marchfield, visited in the last mission, a threat to country and citizen has arisen. A rogue necromancer, from the neighboring country of Darshell, has been sent to this area to terrorize the citizens and weaken the border's defenses. He's been quietly gathering a group of undead animals and livestock, and has now just started to raid local farms, slaughtering the inhabitants and turning them into undead.

The Good Route: Do what you can to avery needless bloodshed. Go directly to the stronghold, not dwandling in the village inn. Don't kill innocents who haven't fully completed the change, and offer the necromancer an opportunity to surrender before attacking. Deal fairly with the villagers and other NPCs.
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Results: All factions (including Rebel), up, duty pay 200gp, Fame up.

The Neutral Route: Proceed directly to the stronghold, stopping any events along the way, but not going out of the way to clean up. Offer henchman as a sacrifice in the Midnight Ritual to distract necromancer, killing the mage before the sacrifice is complete, or persuading the necromancer to defect and turn himself in, or fighting and accepting a surrender if offered.
Results: All factions up, Baron's faction way up, rebel faction neutral, duty pay 200gp, Fame up, possible reward (for bringing in necromancer) of 100gp.

The Evil Route: Hang out at village inn, extort payment from citizens for help, slaughter questionable characters without offering them a chance, accept bribe to allow necromancer to go free, or offer henchman as sacrifice and only move after the sacrifice is complete, or refuse to accept an offered surrender.
Results: (Release necromancer: hardcore faction down, righteous faction down, evil faction down, Baron's faction down) (offer henchman as sacrifice: hardcore faction neutral, righteous faction down, evil faction up, Baron's faction up) (refuse surrender: hardcore faction up, righteous faction neutral, evil faction up, Baron's faction neutral), rebel faction down, Fame up, duty pay 200, possible bribes, possible Artifact: Chain of the Slaughtered Lamb (+1 regeneration, +2).

Mission 3: Rebel Cell

It has recently come to the attention of the Baron and the General that there is a cell of a nation-wide rebel organization hiding out in the caves in the nearby hills. They seem to be using their camp as a way to smuggle bonded servants, information, and criminals out of the country, and weapons and mercenaries into the country. The recent attempt to clear out the vermin was half successful, with the rebel leader captured and about half the cell killed or arrested. However, half escaped, and is currently hiding in the hills. It's rumored that they're gaining supplies and information on troop movements from supporters in the village and the keep itself. Also, the rebel second-in-command has captured the Baron's daughter and killed her guards. She's threatening to kill her unless the rebels in custody are released. The PC is ordered to find and rescue the Baron's daughter, with killing or arresting the second being a bonus but not necessary.

Good Route: Gather information from the imprisoned rebels through ethical menas, offer chances to surrender, kill as few people as possible, release sympathetic rebels and, as you come to understand the extent of your country's corruption, you may be offered a place as an undercover rebel operative within the army. Accept, or refuse for reasons of honor. Rescue daughter, and keep her secret (return or destroy the love letters she's written to the rebel's leader, and conceal her sympathies to their cause).
Results: Rebel faction goes up, Baron's faction goes way up, hardcore faction goes down, righteous faction goes up, evil faction goes down, duty pay 200gp, possible daughter's favor (Noble Girdle), possible Baron's favor (choice of promotion, artifact, or gold), promotion to Corporal, Fame up.

Netural Route: Rescue the Baron's daughter, convince the rebel second-in-command to surrender OR defeat her in honorable combat, accept surrenders and turn survivors over to magistrate for justice, turn over daughter's love letters, also investigate any sympathizers in the keep or the village and turn them in. If offered rebel position, refuse, and report offer to magistrate.
Results: Rebel faction remains neutral, Baron's faction goes up, hardcore faction goes up, righteous faction goes up, evil faction remains neutral, duty pay 200gp, possible Baron's favor, promotion to Corporal, and Fame goes up.

Evil Route: Torture rebels for information, blackmail or torture rebel sympathizers, refuse to accept offered surrenders, blackmail Baron's daughter with her love letters, blame assault on daughter on rebels and turn love letters in to the General to discredit and disgrace daughter (especially if previously agreed not to). If offered position in rebels, agree, and tell the General about it to become a double agent within the rebel ranks.
Results: Fame up, Baron's faction down, hardcore faction up, evil faction up, righteous faction down, rebel faction down (possible), duty pay 200gp, promotion to Corporeal, King's distinction (if all rebel sympathizers and rebels found and punished, including Baron's daughter), possible Double Agent subquest set.

Next: Factions, subquests, incidents.