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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 04:27:00
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I thought id keep a campaign diary on the forum, get some feed back and maybe some hints from some of you more experianced scribes on what may be a good course of action for the future of it...
First alittle back ground. Ive run a couple campaigns in my own settings before. i was creative at a time, but in the end i sucame to the Brilliance of FR (which i only learnt abotu through the underdark book). Since then i have begun my Players as Races of the underdark in the city of menzoberranzan.
The players number only a mere 3, but that could soon increase to 5 in the coming months. they are a Grimlock Barbarian, aptly named "Stoneface of the Runners". A Drow Cleric of Selvetarm named "Malakor" - A Survivor from the disaster at Ched'nasad. And lastly a Kuo-Toan Sorcerer named "Ploop Dropinabigpond".
I think i started the campaign off well enough in the Eastmyr District of Menzoberranzan where they went to a tavern called the star under dark and spoke to a broken drow merchant who's buisness was ransaked after a failure to deliver on merchandise to a powerful house. Ploop also ran into a Kuo-toan preistess and tried to chat up some info out of her. All the while Stone Face was having a meal of local Sausage (he didnt ask what it was made of) and a half a dozen Mugs of Kulg at the bar. Malakor Tried to get in good with the Male drow Gaurds. But was Aptly Snubbed for being an out-of-towner. in general, They left the tavern rather intoxicated but well fed, but accidently wondered into the Brayern where they got split up. Ploop wondered off on his own and ended up in Dongarten, while Malk and Stony Ended up being assailed by 3 desperate bugbears.
Now heres where i think i messed up. Monsterous Levels from the Grimlock player made a CR encounter Far to easy for even 2 of the groups members. Combined with High armor classes. My level one party mauled 2 of the bugbears while the third ran for his life. getting 300 experiance a peice, while ploop got non because he willingly wanted to nick off elsewhere (he wanted an encounter for himself so he could benefit from great experiance gain).
After all this they retired to the Shadow of Narbondell ( an inn in eastmyr ) and rested in "Royal" Lodging (Recovering most of the lost hp from the brawl in the brayern)
The next day they went to the market and sold an amythist that Stoneface had found. Then they went to investigate why the merchandise didnt arive. They followed the lead all the way to a missing shipment of Nails supposed to arive from, Dodgilly enough, a Tribe of Kobolds who lived in the volcanic region to the east of Menzoberranzan. Traveling one day outside town before taking a concealed portal to the Gorge where the kobolds lived went without encounter. And pretty soon they were lifting porticulouses, being shot at and falling down pit traps. The Kobolds were all infact Dead and most had been transmuted into Ghouls Via a hideous Disease called Gravrot (i borrowed this mission from a website, but had to convert it from Second editition to third using the FR help site)
Anyway, After that mission i realised i have several Gaps in my knowledge i would emplore you great Scribes to fill for me with your two cents.
- I would Greatly Apreciate maybe hearing alittle of anyone elses campaign stories so maybe i could learn a thing or two 
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Edited by - Alaundo on 04 Jan 2005 08:53:47
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 05:30:42
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First off I have to say that Ive alway said that Telstra where run by a pack of Chaotic evil Humanoid toads! The Kuo Toas name made me laugh
Regarding further info
The Old 2ed Menzoberrazan boxtset is the definitive source of Menzo info, you may also wish to get your hands on the War of the Spider queen series of novels as they cover stuff involving the fall of Menzo.
As for your players characters
You need to factor in the ECL when planing your encounters, Drow, Grimlocks and Kuo Toa are effectively 3rd, 3rd and 4th level respectively they are going to chew through Kobolds (unless you beef the Kobolds up by givng them character levels) Give them encounters that will challenge a 3-4th level party, also dont forget Higher ECL characters they dont level up as fast as a party of the base races (ie elves, humans, Halflings etc.)
PS: Where in Australia are you?
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“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
Edited by - Dargoth on 04 Jan 2005 05:31:18 |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 10:01:41
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Im from South australia
yeah, the Reason i was playing it safe, letting them deal with kobolds is because i didnt want them to die. my players are really irrasponsible. In the Bazzar in Menzo, The Grimlock wouldnt get off the road when the "Stand in" Matron from House Banear Was shopping. i panicked and didnt know what to do. he was only first level, i didnt want to kill him or Go into Terriotory i hadnt Prepared for (an out of the blue combat with a level 12 important NPC and her Handmaidens, body gaurds AND all the drow gaurds in the bazzar) How do i Put Fear into my PC's Without Wrecking the campaign?
PS - Kuo-Toans are To hard for me to Say on end and End again so i just call them fishmen. :P but i refer to them as kuo-toans.
One other thing i just thought up - Ive given my characters Freedom to buy whatever they want up to a limit of 100 000 Gold (Per item) in the Bazzar. now im not worried about them buying items out of the blue just yet - but how should i handle this properly? Should i just simply alow them to build their Character the way they wish? or should i splice in an Element of Percentile Chance - I already added a 15% Percent chance that the illithids would come into town to buy supplies (Thus Making it impossible to visit the bazzar for the day).
any thoughts? |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 11:10:30
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Ouch you gave your Pcs a 100,000 gp? to start with
No no no
1st level PCs should start with the money generation system described on the first page of the Equipment chapter in the Players Handbook, this figure can then be modified with starting equipment found for their region (see The Players guide to Faerun)
As your Players arent really ECl 0 characters then they can start with more money.
Check out Table 5-1 in the 3.5 DMs Guide it tells you how much wealth a character should have at levels 2-20 (A character should not have anywhere near 100,000 Gp until there around 13th level.
Regarding the PCs
The Drow and the Grimlock are both Character level 3 ( ECL 2 + 1 class level) and the Kuo Tuo is level 4 (Ecl 3 +1 Class level)
This means the Drow and Grimlock start with 2,700 gp worth of money and equipment and the Kuo Toa starts with 5,400 (remeber the Kuo toa is going to advance slower than the other 2 characters.
Ok first thing you need to do is educate the Pcs about the region their playing in Drow society views the males of the species as inferior and other species regardless of sex as loathsum scum fit only to be enslaved or killed. If you want to give your players a Primer for Drow society I suggest you them a copy of Homeland the first Drizzt novel by RA Salvatore. One way you might be able to go is lead the Cleric of Selvaterm into the Church of Vhaerun (they oppose the Matrichial Drow society. Also if the PCs are going to be doing jobs for the drow its unlikely that any drow female (The leaders of Drow society) will address the Grimlock or the Kuo Toa (They are beneath their notice) infact its likely that only the Drow Male will be allowed an auidience.
If after youve told them all this they still insist on "not getting out of the way Drow Matron" than you should feel free to lay the smack down on the characters ie the Matron and her crownies lay into the 1st level Pcs, you have a couple of options, you can have the drow matron kill them, enslave them or beat them within an inh of there lives (think each character being hit with a snake whip until there Con drops to 1)
Quick question
Have you DM'd before? If not I suggest you put your evil underdark campaign on hold and run a more "Heroic campaign" and then try and run an "evil campaign" later as they are more difficult to run |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 12:26:25
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Yes i have Dm'd before. weve been through plenty of campaigns. the problem is, despite my efforts to encourage the players i have never "played" before. this gives me a hard time challanging them or even having a half decent perspective on the feeling of being a player.
but enough of that - I didnt give them 100,000 i only gave them 300 + a Level 1 Dice roll of Starting gold. My interpretation of ECL was that "a Level 1 character, who is playing a grimlock counts as level 3 for experiance purposes (due too his 2 monsterous levels), but other wise needs 1000 experiance to acheive second level, like any other character" I didnt think id have to give him a few thousand starting gold  - :) thanks ive learnt somthing.
Um... Also, my Heroic surface campaigns have been ... rather... well they never went anywhere. For instance ill give you a long example -
My Last Campaign was set in my own Realm of Valimnar. The players had a world map with a Hex / Mapped System and each hex was 8 miles. they could travel 3 hexes a day and would consume up to d3 rations on any one day trip and a half a skin of water. I made a map of the towns, delicately Wrote a "intro" for each and every major establishment. then i Set a mission gathering DC for Gather information at the Tavern on a Scale of DC10 or Less to DC 21+. this ofcourse would determin just how epic the mission they will be told about would be. And they would only be able to gather missions if they had aquired a "talkativity" only acheivable via the Excessive consumption of Tavern Bevrages (my groups favorite seemed to be a drink of my own creation called Shadowmalt ale).
thats just an idea of the system i set up. and, well i hadnt talked to any Dm's before all this, I think this Forum is a blessing because now i can converce and learn from the other Dm's who dwell in this hallowed court.
anyway, In my old campaign the players were a human monk, an elven Cleric of Correlan and an Elven Theif. They were chaotic good, i started things off with a "Hook" to Escort a wagon of trade goods to the forest community of Timberdell. There they found Striken Travelers along the way who led them off the path to a section of Forest known to be home to some Orc bandits. They aptly Slew the Bandits, a giant spider, some fire beatles and were Trodden on while crossing a stream by a massive Stag beetle (it was just passing through). Rather a good mission. They got to the next town, Found the locals were rather burly and lumberjacky but the streets were empty and the inn was cheap. they got a mission about a dungeon somewhere off to the north in the hills. the ruins of a Dwarven Stronghold called the Dwimber'Dull. It took them a whole session of wilderness campaigning to actually find the hex it was in. then 2 or more sessions between that exploring the dungeon and fighting its bugbears. but heres where things got kinda stuffy. The Players werent challanged, so i through in a Dragon to early. an adult red named Gauth (yep. originality +). Only thing was, i didnt realise what the concequences of putting a deck of many things in its loot pile and giving it 160 000 in a hoard of Gold was going to do to my game. Pretty soon, heroic became... well. out of control. the theif Drew the throne card and became a lord of a 5 hex Radius around the lair with a keep and everything. The cleric Drew the Void Card and well... that was the end of him. and the Monk got Decidedly annoyed and had is Character commit suicide because he Had Skipped This mission to go to a lan party, thus he missed out on the loot. subsiquently the theif went evil and corrupt and the Cleric made a mage character instead and wanted to find the soul of the cleric. This stuffed me up because i didnt know how to work the planes properly, and it was to advanced for me. anyway, the Theif Reluctantly gave the mage the clerics old inventory of cash and with that he bought a house and servants.
Ok i think you get the point. I lost Track of the campaign to suddenly, and my players seem to prefer being... well, diabolicly "kill all that stand in our way" evil. I dno how to convinve them otherwise. As With the matron, they wouldnt get out of the way for her. but im thinking of giving them another run in with her next mission and letting her beat the living Crumbs out of the grimlock player on site as retribution for disrespecting her. All else fails i can have him exiled from town... im not a mean dm, i dont like killing people off. (even though the drow would :P)
Anyway - How do i keep a campaign running fluid - and at the same time not lapse into boring repeditive cycles? Should i make my Own Quests or relly on Online ones until i get a better hang of things?
(note - i was thrown into DnD at the deep end) |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 13:20:47
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In my case I started with modules from Dungeon magazine and linked it together with some online stuff and published modules.
I ploted out the campaign using these sources from 1st to 20th. I also found that the best way to deal with players going off Tangent is to ask them what there going to do next at the end of every "Module/Mission" that way youve got the time between session to replot your campaign if nessary
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“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 14:13:13
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quote:
Now heres where i think i messed up. Monsterous Levels from the Grimlock player made a CR encounter Far to easy for even 2 of the groups members. Combined with High armor classes. My level one party mauled 2 of the bugbears while the third ran for his life. getting 300 experiance a peice, while ploop got non because he willingly wanted to nick off elsewhere (he wanted an encounter for himself so he could benefit from great experiance gain).
I had a horrible time with my players doing really stupid, selfish or otherwise bonehead things just for XP gain. As a result of thatI don't hand out XP in game, or at all matter of fact. I keep a private tally and let my players know when the level up. This way (it works at least for me) it encourages rp'ing rather than killing for XP. |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 14:21:31
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wow. thats good advice! - I just spent the night working on my Menzoberranzan Detailing some more and i came up with an -
Ale Listing (Courtesy of FG) and The intoxication DC's
Random Treasure to be found just incase my players Decide to go looting one of the major houses.
The Stats for the Matrons of the major houses and the gaurds they have.
A couple of tweaks here and there to a few inns i didnt like.
my prollem is that im doing the underdark. but the good part is i picked a nice Upper Dark spot with some nice adventuring locals, such as Dolblunde (maybe later... cause i just read it), Ammarindar, Araumycos (though i cant find anythign on it) And Blingdenstone.
How do you let your players explore? do you feed them the missions? ie - A hooded man aproaches you with a scroll. He outreaches a clammy pale hand and drops a letter at your feet, grins and then dissolves into windblown ash. the letter reads "bring a Star agate gem to the graveyard at night".  hey... i might use that one...
Well.. i guess it is essential to feed the players missions time and again, but how do you handle things when your pc's go completely and utterly Spontanious? like - thats it, We all decided to go to moonwood. How would you handle that? does there always have to be a mission upon destination? or could you handle it with a series of random encounters and tresure rewards? |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 20:06:46
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| I try to keep my encounters/events as open ended as I can so that I can move them if I absolutley have to. Easier said than done however. |
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EvilKnight
Learned Scribe
USA
162 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2005 : 22:12:47
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Get them involved with and NPC they can respect, admire or care about. Maybe their actions can adversely affect that NPCs life, or embarrass that NPC. Maybe an old ex-adventurer that can feed the hooks. Have a friendly training session where he shows that he can easily beat them then have him show respect/fear to the things you want them to respect/fear because they should.
Let the NPC feed them wisdom in pointing out the follies of their actions in accomplishing things.
EvilKnight |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2005 : 01:12:48
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hrmm. I know its a good idea, but some how i dont think i can fit a freindly NPC into my mission, unless ofcourse Malakor Gets Freindly with some handmaidens and gets missions from one of the matrons.
I may actually do that. but i was going to use the tavern and gather information checks to determin where they may be headed next...here are a couple ideas -
Dolblunde is abit to uber for them, i may make it a spot they might wanna come back and loot when they are tough enough to take down the dracoliche who dwells there.
Blingdenstone puzzels me. yeah, i know its easy enough to put in Wererats, A Drow Scavanging opperation for Spell gems and a hoard of Terran Creatures in the rear tunnels (access to blingdenstone probably discovered exploring the worm writhings or should it be a known location requiring travel "through" the worm writhings?). the thing about Blingdenstone is id rather be safe than sorry. so im always on the look out for information on that place. (another thing i love about the net is the harder you look the more you find).
Ammarindar... Hrmm. Well, Elf freind, i been checking out your site and i must say i am impressed with some of the information on ammarindar and hellgate keep (I aint got a credit card yet so i cant buy from the net :S). thanks for your help btw, i appreciate it :). Tannarukks are in the underdark book, so thats all good. and Kahnyr Vhok is a half fiend fighter 7/Rouge 2/Wizard 6. But im having trouble figureing out a reason to go to here. yeah, Exploration for the lost tresure of the dwarves is one thing. but my players may be thrown by the threat of a few thousand Orcs, Demonic Fell Orcs, an evil overlord and god knows how many powerful undead :|. thus, i may make it a place to visit at a later date for my intrepid adventurers. BTW - Is Ammarindarian Plate just Dwarven Fullplate? And What is Roaring Armor :/
Araumycos - ... ok. Ive been whineing about this for some time on many forums, and i still cant figure it out. So ... to my Own dismay, ive simply Decided to make The Great Fungus ... just that. a Great Tunneled area inhabited by a single organism who partially fills, and fully blocks in places, the tunnels Required to get through. ive limited encounters to Fungal randoms, and Maybe even some undead or Creatures that Feed on Fungi. (What would feed on a giant Psonic Fungi??). Inside maybe ill Scatter a couple of ruined settlments (Forgotten Realmzs coulda made it alot easier by telling us just what Ammarindar is smothering). Intriguing bits of this about Ammarindar being the oldest being on Faerun and the gods keeping a secret, lead me to belive ancient Civilisation? maybe Early Dwarves who lived underground? or the burried ruins of an even older elven, or human civilisation?? I dno much about Netheril but i heard that the Ruins from That place were Much much MUCH deeper in the underdark. down in the lower dark to be precise.
Well, if you wanna add to this please be my guest. My Parties up for another session today, im gonna try to kill one off So they realise they arenot all immortal. yeah i know... killing the PC's is Bad. Maybe ill Get them to attempt an Assault on a lesser drow house and realise just how well defended the city really is... |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2005 : 17:08:55
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quote:
BTW - Is Ammarindarian Plate just Dwarven Fullplate? And What is Roaring Armor :/
Roaring Armor of Ammarindar are 12 magical breastplates that (among other things) roar when danger is near. They are currently in possession of Vhok's honor guard of Tanarruk. They're (I think, if I remember correctly) detailed in the Races of Faerun book. :)
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Elrond Half Elven
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
322 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jan 2005 : 17:18:32
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Hail Fend
Just a quick point, something that it took myself a while to realise- most settlements, places of interest, ruins etc get just a few paragraphs in 'generalised source books' and if your luck are expanded on more in regional sourcebooks. If the information is not there then it’s down to you to expand on it.
You have done this with Araumycos and I’d pretty think the same. However (IIRC) the underdark states that travelling through Araumycos is extremely difficult may I suggest a hook:
A certain section of Araumycos has shrunk to reveal a set of ancient ruins there is talk of much unearthed treasure. They players are contracted by a mercantile house to act as guards for an expedition they are sending to investigate the ruins. The PCs shouldn't be the only guards, but rather just part of a guard mostly made up of mercenaries and house guards. A few days after the expedition has reached Araumycos have them ambushed by a rival mercantile house. The battle can go as you want but if they PCs patrons are wiped out then on their return to Mezo they'll have some explaining to do! Of course you could replace the rival house with another underdark (or even surface dweller) group. The latter option would probably remove the RP element from the hook, but its viable if your group are mainly Hack'n'slashers.
Hope this helps
Hanx
Elrond
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Once upon a midnight dreary, while i pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-
While i nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
-The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2005 : 02:48:33
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Thanks elrond :) I may just do that. Pity that i couldnt use Araumycos more though. oh well. it will just have to be a huge natural Obstacle for now then :P
My Party Are Trying to RP more, but i find myself lacking in ability to reherse and activly play a Character. For instance -
Last night My Party just finished the title fight in the kobold gorge (Slaying a Young Deep Dragon and Looting its lair for a +1 flametongue Longsword and some meager wealth and magic arcana). On the Way out though Ploop let Curiosity Take the better of him and he went in to attack some Giant Earth boring beetles that were lurking in the west of the cavern grazing on Mushies. the Beetles Promptly Tore him Limb from limb and he made a new character. Ok Back on topic -
Ok, When they got back to town i had them be approached by one of the captains from a lesser house called Agameer. When they came to the house and spoke to the matron i discovered that i couldnt RP a matron myself. The Slaves however were promptly Not allowed inside. I used the Reffusal to get out of Matron Baerne's Way as the reason why they were aproached (The eventual drive to kill off some Matrons). Anyway, So Stone Face and Their new Companion - a Gloamling rouge named Weisel - Went to a place in the Brayern called the Drunken Dwarf and Indulged in a bar fight with several level 2 Fighters and a Barbarian.
when Malakor came to meet them they were infront of Dylchanta's Furfeathers (a Massage parlor) where they all went to rest for a while (recovering 2d10 hp an hour for only 10gp per hour, per person). then they went to attack their new Victum, The Matron of House Odesame'el. My Characters were getting to uber for little fair, so i put them up against first level fighters and Oger Slave Gaurds in the first room. (Thanks to Drow Sleep poison knocking out the ogers, The Fighters didnt stand a chance and they Coup'DeGraced the Ogers after) In the next room i decided to sneakily use my Level 6 Matron of Lolth by Buffing up her 2 oger body gaurds and the remainder of her house's Soldiers (only 4 guys). The Resulting combat was more fun than the entire campaign so far!
- Which leads me to think this ... Should i go into each and every mission hopeing to kill off one of my Pc's? Should i use no mercy while planning a mission? What do you guys think?
PS - Elrond :) i "might" use another underdark group - possibly Illithids? it could show the players just how dangerous they are. maybe have the thralls (quaggoths) do all the fighting while the illithids devour the brain of the group's Leader (he knows all about the ruins). hehe. could lead into somthing bigger maybe
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"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
Edited by - Fend Of Greathold on 06 Jan 2005 02:56:30 |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2005 : 03:42:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Fend Of Greathold
My Party Are Trying to RP more, but i find myself lacking in ability to reherse and activly play a Character. For instance -
...
- Which leads me to think this ... Should i go into each and every mission hopeing to kill off one of my Pc's? Should i use no mercy while planning a mission? What do you guys think?
Deleted your quotes saving what I consider key points.
Do not try to play a character that you can not play, you should not have used a Matron if you were not ready to have her say "You pitiful males, tell me why I should not kill you" Being Matron or for the most part being Drow is gaining and keeping power. If you can not play that you should use minions instead of the Matron herself.
You might be used to combat , however trying to kill the PCs will most likely suceed and there will be no party left soon. Depending on the challemges you present 12 or less battles will kill the party off. You can not keep importing new characters to replace the fallen and maintain a sense of an adventure.
Unless you can at least somewhat play the mindset of the NPCs and quickly, IMO you should give up on this adventure. Offer the surviors a safer way at least. Oh the reward should be lessor as well, however a little gold and alive is better then a lot of gold and dead (with no one to raise you).
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2005 : 06:12:07
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| thanks kentinal - your advice is taken, but they are still gonna be adventuring in Menzo. maybe ill Exile them from Menzo. send them to some other town instead. |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
Edited by - Fend Of Greathold on 06 Jan 2005 06:19:53 |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2005 : 15:13:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Fend Of Greathold
thanks kentinal - your advice is taken, but they are still gonna be adventuring in Menzo. maybe ill Exile them from Menzo. send them to some other town instead.
Oh you can still play Menzo as you are ready, just it appears you are not ready to play a Matron.
Exile is possible, though with the need of sacrifices running into most Priestesses that option might be considered better.
Perhaps have the adventures meet up with Drow merchants whom from time to time find it useful to use other races to conduct some transactions.
When playing Drow there are two very important things to remember.
Drow "know* they are a superior race, that all other races are inferior to them.
Drow always look to gain rank and power, willing to betray, kill if they believe they will gain advantage from doing so. The party needs to useful to whomever they associate with. The party should always try to be aware of the risk of betrayal.
As for directing them away from the original target, starts rumors of a larger band (perhaps much larger) being captured in the attempt to do what they party was hoping to do. On how easy they were defeated "The battle was short and not one of the Matron's guards killed." Of course some could be publicly executed, sacrificed to Lolth as a warning. Then perhaps heads posted in various sections of the city as a warning to others lessor races the result of foolish endeavors.
You of course need to get your players to take hints as to what is too dangerious for them. While I also do tend to allow a party to go in what dirrection they want to go, I also place warnings if they are headed toward something they have little chance of surviving. Sometimes bodies, sometimes guards, sometimes a bad feeling a sense of doom, sometimes an NPC. In part it depends on the party of how warnings are given. A dream works for some characters, but does not work well for others. For this you need to find out what works. You might need to be very direct.
*As you move toward the House Baenre you see the bodies of 20 humans, all look like they died recently. Their bodies are stripped clean and spiders are eating their bodies" an NPC if with the party might remark something about fools, to attack so weak in numbers. After a time hopeflly the warnings need not be as so large. Of course if a party fail to take any warnings, they might have to die. It is perferred not to kill a party by repeated foolish choices sometimes require it.
In time you should become more comfortable with playing Priesteses, however to do so start with lower level ones first, each in time hoping to gain rank.
Oh yes remember the male Drow in general are thought to be a litle better then the other races by most females. Males are tolerated only when they do not anger a female Drow.. Good luck. |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2005 : 15:54:55
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:) Thanks Kentinal! good advice
But on the Topic of NPC's. I dappled in NPC's in my Last ... Self made campaign. Made the party Meet a Necromancer and a Theif. but the thing was they just became annoying to play for me. the players hated them cause they drained XP and Took loot, and i hated then because I couldnt throw on their characters because i hadnt rehersed them and they werent important for the mission. they simply just found them for no apparent reason in a dungeon.
Ok . HEres my question - When your players buy henchmen mercinaris - Attain them with leadership OR just find some in general - How do you handle it? |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2005 : 16:33:28
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Oh one more peice of Advice -
Im sending my party into some ancient ruins found beneath araumycos.
heres my rough notes -
a Large portion of Araumycos suddenly dissapeared. And Matron Agameer suddenly had a vision of great power. Now, seeing as she had the PC's kill of her Arch Rival Matron Odeseemil already, She now wants them to go get this item of power for her. Sending her most powerful male warrior with them to make sure they do not betray her.
- NOW heres my first question - should i gease them? i know if i gease them they die if they come back and take a break. i wanna keep pushing them... but i dont wanna make it to hard.
Ok now the reason Araumycos suddenly died off is because a servant of that Vhok' Fellow down in Ammarindar took a small band of Orcs and a powerful sorceror with him to cast a spell to Reveal the ruins and temporarily hold the Great fungus from Regenerating around them while they retrive the item from the ruins -
- NOW heres my Second - im thinking of making this item a Netherscroll ... I dont know much about it. but no one in the party is a mage and they wouldnt be able to use it - Also, it is a fabled and most legendary item from the surface. and it would ... maybe... have a reason to be lost within araumycos... i dno. suggestions anyone?
anyway, This Servant of Vhok's is called Mortae'gar. a level 8 half fiend/half dragon (i havent decided) Cleric of Erythnull. He knew a Secret way into the Temple of these ruins, a way to one sided gaurded by a "fake" puzzel. which i plan to use as an impassable barrier to the players because there is no answer they can give (its a floor puzzel, using the dwarven alphabet of runes that makes no sense). I did this because i didnt want them sneaking up on Morta'gar the easy way... that and non of them speak dwarvish ;)
(yes i know... bad thinking)
I plan to Get the players to head into the Catacombs of the ruins to the north, fight the Sorcerer who is facinated with death - take the ward key from him to get into the main complex ... but not the temple. that requires another ward of some kind from a second room within the complex, which i plan to gaurd with yet another feind of some kind... but it has to make sence, so im thinking, maybe a couple of shambling mounds sent by araumycos as a display of annoyance? im not sure. ;) hehe... maybe a room full of grey ooze - now that would suck.
anyway - I plan to get them to title fight mortae'gar in the temple, he would have cast a few spells ahead of time. and make extencive use of Hold person, and summoned minions. - I dont wanna put the body gaurds in here - just incase it prooves way to tough for the players, i put them in a next room for his escape plan. a ring of lesser invisibility that he would use to nick off through a secret door on the wall of the temple, and meet up with his gaurds before escapeing (if somewhat suicidally) into the bowels of araumycos itself in a bid to cut his distance between there and ammarindar.
- Question 3 - What would a matron want - Trust Expendible mercinaries to retrive (not personally) to furthur herself AND at the same time would interest the denizens of ammarindar ? (I want to hook them up to a plot for there for later)
My following thoughts are -
- It cannot be somthing terribly useful to the players (or they will keep it)
- It has to be Valuable, but arcane beyond wealth's measure.
- It cannot be a weapon... Or armor of some kind.
- It cannot be an Artifact because they would be to powerful to throw in this early. I plan to make the major bad guys do alot of moving and shaking in future carrying this around. I also plan to have the other houses get in on this either hiring the players to back stab their house, or having assasins sent after them to stop them, or envoys to pursuade them to come work for a more powerful house (like one of the matron council houses).
The End of the mission should leave the characters with some minor salvaged magic items (possibly mostly arcane stuff - No real weaponry) And a Relitivly average sum of wealth - depending on what they consider as valuable.
Any thoughts ? (btw - the party is ECL 5 atm and i wanna give them a challange) |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jan 2005 : 16:47:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Fend Of Greathold
:)
But on the Topic of NPC's. I dappled in NPC's in my Last ... Self made campaign. Made the party Meet a Necromancer and a Theif. but the thing was they just became annoying to play for me. the players hated them cause they drained XP and Took loot, and i hated then because I couldnt throw on their characters because i hadnt rehersed them and they werent important for the mission. they simply just found them for no apparent reason in a dungeon.
Ok . HEres my question - When your players buy henchmen mercinaris - Attain them with leadership OR just find some in general - How do you handle it?
Henchman can be difficult because they become part player controled and part DM controled.
As to how to obtain them, I would not just look to the leadership feat, though that does become important part of the process. The PCs need to meet a candidate, this could be during an adventure or perhaps a hiring process before starting out on a task. In general a henchman is more loyal to at least one PC, it might be because of saving the NPC's life or it could be just because of the PC's reputation (Rolf the Dragon slayer for example).
The DM has to design a basic background for the NPC, at least a brief history, but more important goals and likes and dislikes.
A Drow hating NPC for example is not a good NPC to join a party if going to visit Menzoberranzan, such an NPC will quickly get the entire party killed. The NPC must have at least a common goal it might be a simple one to become rich, an henchman needs to have a greater interest then this (actually becoming concerned about helping and protecting/learning from one PC). There are many reasons that an NPC will join a party, a joint rescue party "The Elven Princess was kidnapped", a few Elves will join the party because of joint goal. The PCs might be doing this just because of the reward where the Elves are doing so because of didication to the Princess however both seek to acomplish the same end result. Depending on how an adventure goes one of the NPCs might seek to be closer involved with the party or party might want to retain one or more as a henchman. This is when leadership feat should be used after there is a desire based on friendship, respect, perhaps a continued shared goal. The NPC and P that seeks to lead must have interacted well with the NPC. You do not try leadership on an NPC that you argued with all during the adventure in most cases (In an evil campaign one might in effect use fear to create an henchman, though there is the risk of betrayal in doing this at some point in time).
Try to provide NPCs that will compliment the party instead of the Necromancer and a Theif that became more a distraction (from what you describe) then a help. It appears there was no common goal, these two appeared to serve their own interest far more then the parties interest. This does not mean that a henchman or NPC should not have a personal goal a little more important then party goal, each Character has a personal goal above party goal. There though must be a goal that the entire party seeks to accomplish. A henchman personal goal could be to learn from a PC in order to become more like the PC, it could be based on seeking to learn skills or feats, it could be respect, it could even in part be recognising strenght in numbers (however just this can not be enough to make a henchman).
Some NPCs are hired just as guards and all they expect is to be paid. Sometimes this guards can become friends and become henchmen, this depends on how the play goes.
Of course others can play in different ways, I certainly am not saying my advice is always the best and it might not work well in some campaigns as it works in others. It depends on play style of the DM and the players. Each DM needs to balance any advice given with what works with the players. |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 01:34:06
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nah :P dont be so down on yourself - your advice is great
Ok - Im gonna put the Drow Captain "Shendrizz" With them for the Araumycos mission, but i dont intend him to stay with them - Maybe ill give him back to them for the mission into Ammarindar... maybe not for his matron's Reasons, but the fact he might be a secret worshiper of The same Selvetarm and would have vested interest in the parties goal - Get that scroll back for the matron.
Speaking of which. anyone wanna commment on a possible good reasoning for an item of power within araumycos that could be sought after? |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 01:45:47
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| OMG BLING! - How about one of the Tomb's Of Imaskar? one of the 7 books? it would Bring in an element of Travel, and it would attract attention and lead them to imaskar? - should this come to pass? or is imaskar just way to ... tricky to get into and out of for fluid gameing? |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 02:18:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Fend Of Greathold
a Large portion of Araumycos suddenly dissapeared. And Matron Agameer suddenly had a vision of great power. Now, seeing as she had the PC's kill of her Arch Rival Matron Odeseemil already, She now wants them to go get this item of power for her. Sending her most powerful male warrior with them to make sure they do not betray her.
Indeed a wise idea to send a keeper. Just make sure the keeper hiself will not take item of power for himself.
quote:
- NOW heres my first question - should i gease them? i know if i gease them they die if they come back and take a break. i wanna keep pushing them... but i dont wanna make it to hard.
You certainly can, however they do not need die if giving up the queat. A penality can be imposed of -2 to all stats if deciding not to continue on the mission. Retreating to rest and/or heal up does not mean they stoped seeking the complete the quest. Such penalities only should be imposed when the party or even one party member says "I am not going to do this anymore", the penality applied to whomever choses not to do the quest. Oh saving throw does apply as well, only some might be compelled and as such subject to punishment if not seeking to complete quest imposed.
quote:
- Question 3 - What would a matron want - Trust Expendible mercinaries to retrive (not personally) to furthur herself AND at the same time would interest the denizens of ammarindar ? (I want to hook them up to a plot for there for later)
My following thoughts are -
- It cannot be somthing terribly useful to the players (or they will keep it)
- It has to be Valuable, but arcane beyond wealth's measure.
- It cannot be a weapon... Or armor of some kind.
- It cannot be an Artifact because they would be to powerful to throw in this early. I plan to make the major bad guys do alot of moving and shaking in future carrying this around. I also plan to have the other houses get in on this either hiring the players to back stab their house, or having assasins sent after them to stop them, or envoys to pursuade them to come work for a more powerful house (like one of the matron council houses).
OK I skipped number 2 question.
The Item of power could be keyed useable only by a female Drow. If you take this option the only benefit that the party and the male Drow get out of it is being rewarded for successful return with the item. It certainly should be worth the pay scale/risk they face. It might be an artifat. Though just a powerful item might be worth it. The other Houses getting involved certainly an interesting idea. The Ddrow keeper might even get bought off. Are you ready to play the other Houses buy or kill? It certainly should be a reason that none of the other Houses make a direct attempt to enter the dangerious area.
I propose that in some many Drow themselves are endangered in the region. Not sure what it might be. Perhaps temporary level drain while in the area, perhaps some kind of spore that kills most Drow, there certainly needs to be a reason that other Houses do not make a direct try. Dealing with non-Drow generally is because we do not care if they die. Dealing with non-Drow and paying them means we do not want Drow to die. Bluild in some kind of increased risk for Drow in the area is my thought. Of course after the party returns they still might be killed, but that is for later ;-)
quote:
The End of the mission should leave the characters with some minor salvaged magic items (possibly mostly arcane stuff - No real weaponry) And a Relitivly average sum of wealth - depending on what they consider as valuable.
Any thoughts ? (btw - the party is ECL 5 atm and i wanna give them a challange)
Oh I am sure that some trinkets can be picked up along the wy of others that sought the item of power, daggers +1 , sleep poison, Drow cloaks, House Symbols and the like. It should not be hard to find minor items along the way.
*blink* ECL5 one should not being doing much with Drow, certainly not in large numbers. 4 Drow are ECL 2, 8 ECL 4, 16 ECL 6 (If they have no class levels, IIRC). |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 05:29:34
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:D thanks Kentinal - I might use the Betrayal part
i didnt really put in many other houses in the area as yet to avoid saturation. but i did throw in a Real interesting twist
:) Mortae'gar didnt use a death spell. he opened a Portal witin araumycos to the plane of fire, inside the temple of Kossuth (domain fire and he allows lawful good for a Paladin mummy up in the crypt).
from the portal came 2 miagmins, followed by a small elemental and then a fire salamander. (I was thinking of making it a party led by a Fire genasi fighter as the leader, but i dont have the book that makes genasi's) the intense heat killed off araumycos in this area. At the same time however, Brown mold in the next room stoped the fire creatures running amok in the temple complex. thus leaving everything ok for Mortae'gar to do his reserch.
:) Thus i have solved my Mystery building - It is a Temple of Kossuth, that was posted in the underdark in ancient times after a near surface portal to the plane of flame was found. this Portal leads strait into a lava lake so its not crossable for my PC's yet. Im thinking they were from Netheril so they also took one of the netherscrolls down into the saftey of the earth. The Leader of this Group was a paladin. also there was a preist, 4 knights, a high preist and a lore master. Eventually they Came under infection from a bubonic desease called burning Rot from the plane of Fire and as a result all slowly died off. the last one alive, the lore master and the preist Mummified the bodies so that if they ever walked once more, the righteous flame would put an end to their taint with haste. only the lore master was not mummified, instead he donned a ring of fire resistance and passed into the portal, closing it from the other side and allowing the great fungus to engulf them. and that was that. the temple fell silent.
Now, coming upon the notes of this Loremaster of Kossuth, Mortae'gar - an evil Cleric of Kossuth (as opposed to these lawful good worshipers) - Realised where the portal was, and tied 2 and 2 together he would find the netherscroll there aswell.
Hence he now is in the ruins studing it with an escort of Tanarukk and Orc Body gaurds. The Sorcerer he took with him wanted to find the high preists grave in order to learn to learn the secret to mummification, but to his annoyance found the bodies were spoiled by the fungus (though still essentially mummys).
:D hows this sounding for the villans perspective? |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 14:31:24
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Lol just a side though id share with you guys :P prolly know more what im a on about than the poor guy i explained this too on msn :)
well heres the story in short - We were talking about a Fire proof mummy. and he thought it was a joke. then i pulled this out of existance - This made no sence to him, but made all the sence in the world to me. does this make sence to you ? :)
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
Ya see - there was this order of a god called kossuth (god of fire) and there was an order of monastic paladins in his service, ever searching for elemental gates of fire, and building temples atop them. now... this one was underground And when a desease, brought over by a fire genasi threatend to wipe the whole clergy out, the preists had the whole lot mummified and locked away in the catacombs.
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
the last person left, the one who mummified the preist was the Loremaster. who then, Strikken with the desease himself, Cast himself through the portal (subsiquently into a lake of Lava) with a ring of fire resistance to close the gate on the other side (thus making sure the desease is ... well... gone)
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
He did that. temple goes silent
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
Then, To top of the irony, the now cold temple of fire is swallowed up by Araumycos, the Great fungus
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
So there it Stays. in the fleshy Folds of Araumycos for a thousand years
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
until one day... An expedition from hellgate keep (Atop Ammarindar) Arives, Activates the portal from outside, and Frankly Burns the hell out of a whole flank of this giant fungus (were talking massive destruction of the Great forest above in the meanwhile)
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
They are looking for a Nether scroll. as this order was an order "of" netherese origin anyway. So they go in, find the scroll, and start looking through it
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
now heres where the heroes come in, Seeing so much of the fungus die, attracts the attention of the drow, who send the human mercinaries in to Look for them because theyre to ... "wussy" to do it themselves
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
so the heroes go in, realise the door is locked and subsiquently venture into the adjucent crypt to find the key Rod for the door
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
and heres where the fire resistant mummy comes in...
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
the Captain of the Gaurd was a Paladin of the order, ususally immune to desease, he caught the supernatural virus and was very much surprised when he did. he asked to be mummified with his armor placed around the outside. - his sheild was Fire Resistant.
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
So there you go. Fire proof mummy
[NXG] [Fend] - Chris - Do not break the Gease or shendrizz will break your face says:
good story huh |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
Edited by - Fend Of Greathold on 07 Jan 2005 14:36:21 |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 14:43:28
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From web can offer this:
"Fire Genasi Racial Traits
* +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
* Medium: As Medium creatures, fire genesi have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Fire genasi base land speed is 30 feet.
* Darkvision: Fire genasi can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
* Control Flame (Sp): Fire genasi can cause a nonmagical fire within 10 feet of them to diminish to the level of coals or flare to the brightness of daylight and double the normal radius of its illumination. This ability does not change the heat output or fuel consumption of the fire source, lasts 5 minutes, and nay be done once per day. They use this ability as 5th-level sorcerers.
* +1 racial bonus on saving throws against fire spells and effects. This bonus increases by +1 for every five class levels the genasi attains.
* +4 racial bonus on Planar Survival checks made on the elemental plane of fire and its neighboring paraelemental planes (magma, smoke, radiance, and ash).
* Automatic Languages: Planar Trade and Ignan. Bonus Lanugages: Any (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
* Favored Class: Fighter. A multiclass fire genasi’s fighter class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty (see XP for Multiclass Characters, PHB p.60).
* Level Adjustment: +1.
"
Should you want to use.
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 15:57:32
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My thanks once again Kentinal :) If you ever come to adelaide, i ow you a drink. haha.
Ive decided yes to put in the Genasi - and im also removing a Miagmin from a fire room encounter (i had 2) and replacing it with a Fire mephit.
Another thing - This is the encounter i wish the Genasi to go in
Miagmin (unchanged) Fire mephit (to Tackle the Parties Gloamling) Fire Salamander +2 Levels as a fighter (to deal with the Grimlock) and the Genasi, to counter the magic of the cleric. this and the party will have an NPC with it in the form of shendrizz, the Male Drow Fighter level 5.
I dno if that is abit to strong for them. but then again.
If they survive this mission, ill just send them either next to blingdenstone or over into ammarindar. i hope to get them to level 10 maybe by the time i send them deeper into the underdark. |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2005 : 16:59:13
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| If I did the calculations correctly this encounter will be very hard, but doable if the party hits hard and fast. |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2005 : 03:07:27
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hrmmmm. Ok. well ill sum up all the encounters, an things in the mission - and you tell me if its way to much -
Grey ooze, crystal ooze
Yellow Mould , Gelatinous Cube
Mummy Cleric - 2 (Fire , Wrath Domains)
Mummy Paladin - 2 (Ex-Paladin - Breastplate, +1 Bastard sword, Shield
6 lesser mummies (medium skeletons with physical damage resistance)
1 Mummy Fighter 1( Scimitar, Wooden sheild)
Grey Ooze (thinking on scrapping for another yellow mould)
4 Skeleton Warriors (Level 3 fighter Skeletons - Greatswords,Breastplate)
Maim (Level 6 Blind Teifling Sorcerer with blindsight)
-- (Crypt done) --
Trapped Door (inflict serious wounds)
Trapped Roof (Falling Block Trap)
Shambling Mound
Carrion Crawler
Brown Mold
Fire salamander, Miagmin sorcerer 2 (yep i changed it), Fire Mephit, Fire Genasi Fighter 2, Small Fire Elemental
(the next 2 could be in either order depending on if the players found the secret door in area 9)
Mortae'gar (level 6 Half Dragon Cleric of Kessoth - Fire, Renewal Domains, Flaming Spiked Chain +1, Breast plate +1, Potion of Fire Breath, Potion of Fly, - Domains' on offence spells, more dissabling spells, more healing spells)
2 Small Fire elementals , 2 medium fire elementals
1 Tanarukk, 4 Orc warrior 1, 2 Orc Archers with Poison arrows.
Trap Fire Ball (Preist's Ceremonial Closet)
-- Temple done --
There is plenty of loot in the crypt and the temple itself, and i did Drop alot of healing potions in a secret passage where the lore master used to keep supplies.
The Temple is the only other place with loot, mostly Gems and Scrolls at the end of the title fight with mortae'gar (who will run away when badly injured with a minor ring of invisibility)
Reading over that now - and considering the Party's Drow player will be Geased (and so will shindrizz the NPC with them) (only Stat Drain -2 to all states if the mission is not done in 3 days activated at the ruins) AND given the places's Distance from Menzo (about 2 1/2 days)this mission seems to be more than an overbearing challange.
If the players Die, like all of them die, Early in... Should i reset the adventure and give them a second chance at it? Or should i Press Giving them the hint this will be Tough as Nails to Crack and they should Stock up on survival Gear... and Soon!
The other thing, If Shindrizz survives the mission, Is that when the party should make their diplomacy check to convince him to come with? - cause im unsure if anyone in my group is getting leadership (they all get Jack all Charisma anyway) -
I want you all to look over these encounters, and tell me what to change - or what should change either for a fun factor or an excitement factor -
The Ruins are situated Still semi-within araumycos (hence so many slimes and plant monsters and moulds) - yet the temple it only just warming up again from the portal of fire being reopene in area 19 (should i post the map?)
:) thanks again all of you. |
"Wisdom is the gift of patience" |
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Fend Of Greathold
Acolyte
Australia
40 Posts |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2005 : 04:13:55
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quote:
Originally posted by Fend Of Greathold
hrmmmm. Ok. well ill sum up all the encounters, an things in the mission - and you tell me if its way to much -
You did say party level was 5 ? Without serious rest between
enconters or prehaps 1,000 healing poitions. This room appears deadly.
If they are spaced out enough the party might survive, but I think the
6 lesser mummies, if transmitting disease would take out the party by
themselves.
quote:
-- (Crypt done) --
-- Temple done --
Not sure if Crypt can be dome, let alone the temple unless the party is
heavy on magical items. Healing will be critical, improved turning
might help with the undead. I would not send 5 level 5 Drow any class
mix on this mission and expect them to return. The dice might be
kinder, but I rate this along the lines of kill the DM (unless I miss
read power level of the party).
quote:
There is plenty of loot in the crypt and the temple itself, and i did Drop alot of healing potions in a secret passage where the lore master used to keep supplies.
Well healing potions certainly indicated as needed, but what happens if
no one finds it? The Drow though certainly has an increased chance to
find, if he lives, but will he share?
quote:
The Temple is the only other place with loot, mostly Gems and Scrolls at the end of the title fight with mortae'gar (who will run away when badly injured with a minor ring of invisibility)
Reading over that now - and considering the Party's Drow player will be Geased (and so will shindrizz the NPC with them) (only Stat Drain -2 to all states if the mission is not done in 3 days activated at the ruins) AND given the places's Distance from Menzo (about 2 1/2 days)this mission seems to be more than an overbearing challange.
I would say deadly. I would not used a time limit on Geased, I would
have that kick in only when party members decide they rather live then
die by abandoning the mission.
quote:
If the players Die, like all of them die, Early in... Should i reset the adventure and give them a second chance at it? Or should i Press Giving them the hint this will be Tough as Nails to Crack and they should Stock up on survival Gear... and Soon!
At times reply is indicated, however my "feel" of this encounter/adventure will not be successful with current level party. In
general teplys break the RP aspect, so should be avoided. It is much
better to omen them in one way or another that they will die. Them if
the players do not kill you, you can start a new adventure with new
charcters.
quote:
The other thing, If Shindrizz survives the mission, Is that when the party should make their diplomacy check to convince him to come with? - cause im unsure if anyone in my group is getting leadership (they all get Jack all Charisma anyway) -
If surviving, it still depends on the interaction as to if Shindrizz is
a candidate to become a henchman (betraying his House). There needs to
be a good reason for him to change alegence. On the other hand if the
party can survive what you have mapped out, odds are good that there
might be the saving of him at least once, that might translate into
graditude (though might more be linked to attaching to power/rank).
quote:
I want you all to look over these encounters, and tell me what to change - or what should change either for a fun factor or an excitement factor -
The Ruins are situated Still semi-within araumycos (hence so many slimes and plant monsters and moulds) - yet the temple it only just warming up again from the portal of fire being reopene in area 19 (should i post the map?)
Not sure you should post the map, I tend not to look at images anyway.
As for the encounters, that I can review, I just need a better sense of
how powerful the party is and how quick the battles will be. From the
list posted the spell casters almost certainly will need a few days
rest to regain spells. At best I would guess the party needs a week to
take out your monster list if they are a mere level 5, that with good
dice rolls.
I might have missed something that makes the party effective level
higher then their class level that makes this project survirible.
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Edited by - Kentinal on 08 Jan 2005 04:29:39 |
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Campaign Diary - I Want your Two Cents
