Chapter Three: THE CAMPAIGN Types of Campaigns

The Campaign

This chapter addresses the many topics related to running a campaign involving angels and the Great War between Heaven and Hell. Chapters Two,Seven,Eight,Nine,and Ten of Anger ofAngels contain a lot ofrules material.This chapter gives suggestions and advice for incorporating that material into a campaign and running angel player characters,nonplayer characters,benefactors, nemeses,and leaders.

Acampaign involving angels usually falls into one offour loose categories.These categories,like creature alignments, are best used as guides for the campaign rather than as restrictions.It is possible for a campaign to have elements from more than one ofthese campaigns or even all ofthem.

Types of Campaigns

These categories serve as shorthand descriptions ofcampaign archetypes that make it easier to explain how you can use the material in this book.The four categories are the angelic campaign,mentors campaign,standard campaign,and adversaries campaign. Anger ofAngels assumes you will use this book to run an angelic campaign or a mentors campaign,though the book can add much to a standard or adversaries campaign as well.

Angelic Campaign: In this campaign,one or more ofthe player characters is an angel,and in many cases all characters are angels. The characters spend a lot oftime on the Material Plane dealing with mortals,but they also likely spend as much time in Heaven dealing with other angels,angelic superiors,and even deities.A mixed party ofmortals and angels might split into two groups from time to time,with the mortals handling problems on the Material Plane while the angels rally support in Heaven.Typical adversaries in this campaign are nonangelic outsiders,particularly demons and devils,but possibly including creatures such as efreet.Typical adventures involve eliminating fiendish rivals,protecting important mortals,advancing the cause ofgood,and celestial politics.

An angelic campaign can easily use all ofthe material in this book.

Mentors Campaign: In this campaign,angels are supernatural advisors to the PCs,making frequent contact with them.Angels take the place ofthe stereotypical cloaked figure in the corner,lord with bandit trouble,or wizard in need ofan exotic ingredient.Most adventures start with information from the angel.The PCs may have multiple angels directing them or only one,and their guidance may be clear or vague.Some campaigns might result in the intentional death ofthe PCs,elevating them to the status ofmartyrs for later adventurers to admire.Player characters probably spend most oftheir time on the Material Plane,but they might be taken to Heaven for a special blessing or sent to Hell on a special quest. Typical adversaries in a mentors campaign are enemies ofgood,or ifthe mentor is a bound angel,enemies ofa faith.Typical adventures involve eliminating evil beings,destroying corrupt members ofgood faiths,finding lost religious artifacts,or working for a great good cause,such as the liberation ofan oppressed people.

A mentors campaign can easily use most ofthe material in this book,though some parts ofit require special dispensation for mortal PCs to use.For example,some ofthe feats and prestige classes in this book are normally only usable by angels,but mortals who undergo a special quest or a ritual ofpurification might be allowed to choose them or be granted them through a magic item or temporarily as a boon.Some PCs might aspire to gain the celestial or half-celestial template (see “Becoming Angelic” on page 49) as a means oftranscending mortal form in service to Heaven,which also unlocks the door to these angels-only abilities.

Standard Campaign: A standard campaign is a typical fantasy campaign in which angels are no more prevalent than any other kind ofoutsider.Many PCs may not encounter angels at all,though the spells and magic items presented in this book may find their way into mortal hands.Ifangels do appear,it is usually through the use of planar ally, summon monster, and similar spells.

A standard campaign can easily use the spells and magic items from this book,as well as the feats that are not restricted to angels only.The monsters ofChapter Ten:Creatures have a place in a standard campaign,and even the new types ofangels presented in Chapter Two:Angels are useful—especially once they have turned into evil creatures with the fallen angel template (see Chapter Ten: Creatures).Prestige classes and feats that require a character to be an angel probably remain out ofthe hands ofthe characters, though they can still be available for NPC angels that the PCs encounter.(It’s cool to summon a hound archon with summon monster V, but it’s even cooler to summon a hound archon Ftr4/angel of destruction† 3 with a more powerful spell.)

Adversaries Campaign: An adversaries campaign has a more evil bent.The PCs are villains (whether mortal or fiend) and angels are their enemies.The PCs spend as much time in Hell as those in an angelic campaign spend in Heaven,and they have much more interaction with fiends and evil deities than in other sorts ofcampaigns.Typical adversaries in this campaign are good mortals,angels,and other good beings or members ofrival evil organizations or religions.Typical adventures involve destroying foundations ofgood,locating profane artifacts,corrupting fallible mortals (particularly ifall PCs are fiends),expanding the grasp of evil,and infernal politics.The PCs might work for one particular fiend or serve different evil masters,each trying to get the group to perform tasks in his own best interests.Fiendish PCs might have their eyes on promotions,acquiring titles or territory in Hell,or eventually ousting a demonic prince or archdevil and assuming the vacant throne.