Something from a different system, if you don’t mind: White Wolf’s “Promethean: the Created” offers several interesting ideas. I’ve always thought that it would be a fascinating horror campaign in which the Prometheans have made an uneasy truce with the mortals in order to fight off the undead, since it seems logical that the Prometheans can’t be affected by the zombie infection (or parasite or curse or what-have-you).

Perhaps instead of the undead pouring out from the rift and sowing chaos as fast as possible, maybe they’re actually interested in setting up a home base in the material plane so that they can keep the rift safe for future use. The entire immediate area could become a necrotic, rotting, dead zone that’s dangerous to go into. Their impact outside of this zone would be minimal for a long time, to “play it safe” but also to provide bigger contrast between the rift area and everything else.

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Maybe the effort to fix the problem (if that is your intent) brings in powerful beings well above their current pay grade and they are tasked with some small time job (that of course becomes pivotal, since PC’s are the center of the world). Perhaps they are the only hope of the world, and need to research and implement a solution themselves.

If you are not concerned with ‘fixing’ it, maybe the region can reach stability, with nations on the border of the event establishing a NATO-like relationship and keeping the undead beat back. PC’s can take part, or go on quests into the zone to retrieve valuables and the like.

I think this sort of thing sounds awesome, and is a great hook to get players involved, if they are into that sort of thing.

Jay

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I’d also play this a bit like a “twist” in Mouse Guard: instead of being a simple failure, now their next opportunity to end it (or reverse it) is all the tougher, but still do-able. Since it’s a rift in the Shadowfell, what if the PCs had to scour the Feywild for an artifact type of item that could be used to stop it? Reversing it… well, the penalty for failure is dealing with (or living with) the aftermath that the undead hordes have caused; viz., disease and possible fatalities of those they know; the rise of cults; the faithful of Pelor and other good gods becoming detached from those churches, weakening them; the PCs being treated unfavourably by most people; etc.

I don’t think I’d allow it to be reversed and the damage they’ve caused to be absolved. I’d have reminders of their failure exist in the world for quite a few months after they stop it (if they find a way to). That’s called a consequence. :)

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This could involve a race to specific artifacts or long-lost rituals that may hold the power to help. You could involve the PCs by requiring their presence at the ritual—alive or dead—to fuel the process that may wipe out the rift or defeat huge numbers of the undead.

I’d also expect any extraplanar creatures, or other NPCs of great means, to flee the material plane and treat it as a giant quarantine zone. In your campaign this could mean the disappearance of many a king, queen, princess, or duke, leaving whole regions scrambling in political turmoil…

Jeeze… your PCs really pooched this one. I’d probably retire to Mechanus and open a pie shop. ;)

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