Down Time?


Savage Tide Adventure Path


Hey there,

I'm wondering how you all are dealing with downtime between or within chapters. Our group is has just arrived at Tanaroa (or however that's spelled) and we're about to start Chapter 5 but we are desperate for downtime. We haven't gotten a single day of downtime since we finished Chapter 2 and we're talking about basically staging a mutiny by refusing to proceed to Farshore until we've taken a couple months to Teleport back to Sasserine, sell loot, craft items, research spells, etc.

Has anyone else run into this same issue with their groups? How have you handled it?

NO SPOILERS PLEASE!


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I think at the beginning of Chapter 5, your character should at most be level 9, so teleporting to Sasserine should be out of the question, as the maximum distance for teleport is 100 miles per level. You'll need greater teleport to get back, which usually won't be available until level 13.


Zaister wrote:
I think at the beginning of Chapter 5, your character should at most be level 9, so teleporting to Sasserine should be out of the question, as the maximum distance for teleport is 100 miles per level. You'll need greater teleport to get back, which usually won't be available until level 13.

Thanks, but you're kind of missing the point of what I'm asking. Teleport is available at level 9 and it only takes two castings of it to get to Sasserine. Our group can do that without a problem. That's not the issue.


What I am doing so far, is making the scheduled stops longer. So in SWW my players e.g. stayed longer in Fort Blackwell. I have also introduced an NPC who works for an international trading company and has special connections so that she can get hold of magic items (within limits).

I also accommodate the players in other ways. If they want something special for their characters which is not unreasonable, I add something to the adventure so that they can get it. E.g. when they want to join a prestige class, I introduce an NPC somewhere who is a member of the relevant organization.

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32

I let the wizard buy a portable alchemy lab and work on scrolls & potions on board. Apart from that I got lucky - before they left they'd paid for a friendly NPC wizard to keep in touch by sending and be available to visit them (via clairvoyance, traded heirlooms etc - they invested thousands in gold when I explicitly said "long time away from shops"). They dumped all their gold up to level 4 or 5 with him, and got in touch at Renkrue. He teleported in and sorted them out.

He may do the same at Farshore, though by then it's two invisible flying teleports for the party wizard.

If they really really need it, you could have a teleporting merchant with a ridiculous markup (buy for 40%, sell for 110%) as an adventurous alternative. Make him cool - with sunglasses and a guitar, and they'll be okay with his prices!


Sounds a bit like your DM doesn't want you to have down time, for some reason. It's certainly possible to build some slack time in between adventures and during adventures--all that time at sea in Sea Wyvern's Wake, for example. Tides of Dread (chapter 4) is the only place where it's hard to do that.

As far as getting to someplace where you can do business, that's harder, but with teleport certainly possible.

So, you should talk to your DM about down-time needs. However, he may have perfectly good reasons why he doesn't want to accommodate your desire for a trip home. Among other things, it does rob the challenge and drama of being two or three thousand miles away from home and having to fend for yourselves.


Peruhain of Brithondy wrote:
So, you should talk to your DM about down-time needs. However, he may have perfectly good reasons why he doesn't want to accommodate your desire for a trip home. Among other things, it does rob the challenge and drama of being two or three thousand miles away from home and having to fend for yourselves.

Wanting to enforce the lost-world feel does not mean the DM should deny the players needed resources - quite the opposite actually. The only way to keep the players on the Sea Wyvern/Isle of Dread is to give them the resources they need there.

I fibbed quite a lot to keep the feeling of isolation when in Farshore. Isolation is a big part of the "lost world" feel. But to make that work, I had lots of resources available in Farshore, I let my players craft to their heart's desire on the Sea Wyvern, let the players use Alchemy to break down unwanted magic items into components they could make into other items instead of selling them for money, and generally did everything in my power to make the players not want to go back to Sasserine.

<anecdote mode>
Only now, at 15th level and about to play Serpents of Scuttlecove, has the world opened up to the players. By way of "compensation", I had a two-year break in the action just before Serpents of Scuttlecove. People travelled the world and visited loved ones. We had a 1-year RL break due to illness, so a long in-game break seemed plausible as well).

The setup from City of Broken Idols puts you on a schedule for Serpent's of Scuttlecove, but I got my players away from Farshore to attend Rowyn's official inauguration as a princess of Ahlissa (long story), which of course served as a lovely distraction for Serpents of Scuttlecove.
</anecdote mode>


Carl Cramér wrote:

I got my players away from Farshore to attend Rowyn's official inauguration as a princess of Ahlissa (long story), which of course served as a lovely distraction for Serpents of Scuttlecove.

</anecdote mode>

Rowyn Kellani as princess of Ahlissa . . . wow. At the risk of inciting a threadjack, how'd that happen? I take it your players sold out Lavinia?


Don't know if your group is much on role playing, but that's a great thing to focus on between scenarios. I mean, it's an RPG, right? Not a miniatures combat game.

Anyway, check out our blog. Here are three, consecutive entries from the start of SWW which, I think, are great examples.

First

Second

Third

There is a subplot that two of the PCs are brothers, but the younger doesn't beleive it (The oldest ran away before the younger was born). Both bothers were persuing Lavina romatically. Plus, Dianmondback was converted and joined the group, becoming a sidekick to the younger brother - she's in love with him, but he doesn't realize (he's pretty thick, obviously). I only give these three links because, if you enjoy it, you can explore on your own.

PS, if you do enjoy the read, please comment. The players love to hear when people "drop by."

Liberty's Edge

Your DM sounds like a real jerk, ArchAnjel.


ArchAnjel wrote:

We haven't gotten a single day of downtime since we finished Chapter 2 and we're talking about basically staging a mutiny by refusing to proceed to Farshore until we've taken a couple months to Teleport back to Sasserine, sell loot, craft items, research spells, etc.

Has anyone else run into this same issue with their groups? How have you handled it?

Being on the Isle of Dread unfortunately implies being away from decent magi-marts for awhile... it's not so much your DM being cruel as it being part of the whole Lost/castaway setting.

Teleporting back the mainland seems difficult (i.e. memorizing a midway location... in the ocean... seems unlikely). My players eventually managed this by sending out a ship to a midway point, but it still took several weeks to get the ship into position.

It was more expedient for them to travel long distances by using two castings of planeshift, then teleport. This made things interesting since the party's cleric could only cast planeshift once a day, so shopping trips usually looked like this:
1) Cleric planeshifts party from the Island to the Astral plane
2) Party rests on the astral plane and gets attacked by wandering monsters (Githyanki).
3) Cleric planeshifts the party from the Astral plane to within a few hundreds miles of Greyhawk (rolled randomly and secretly placed the party on the Greyhawk map)
4) Party's Wizard tries to teleport the party to Greyhawk, but rolls a mishap and can't cast teleport again until next day. Party is forced to explore the local area.
5) Eventually make it Greyhawk, go shopping, then planeshift to some plane.
6) Planeshift to within a few hundred miles of the Isle of Dread
7) Wizard (maybe while swimming, falling through the air, on inflatable raft, etc.) teleports party back to the Isle.

The Exchange

I think part of the appeal of this adventure path is that it forces PCs to work on their own without a constant tether to civilization and all the neat little toys they'd like to buy.

I warned my players when we started the adventure path that there would be long stretches where they'd be at sea for months, and where many of the ports they stopped in would be very small, thereby limiting buying opportunities. I specifically mentioned therefore that crafting feats might be even more useful than usual.

Also, we play in the Forgotten Realms, so there is the island of Nimbral partway between the IoD and Sasserine, which is known for its magical influences. Once our shugenja was able to teleport far enough, he would make occasional forays there to do some business, but it was limited.

People sometimes get too accustomed to playing D&D the way they usually do, sometimes it's beneficial to all involved if they are forced to "think outside to box", to use the cliche. There aren't always handy little magic shops where ever you are, with the +3 flaming burst dwarven waraxe you wanted to buy. Sometimes you have to make due with your basic +1 battle axe until you get off this wild island thousands of miles from civilization.


Nerak the Numb wrote:
Your DM sounds like a real jerk, ArchAnjel.

He totally is! Oh, wait... hey, you tricked me! YOU'RE my DM!

DOH!


Jerk DM here. Runnig STAP on Lands of Mystery (swapped Camlin's Delta with Sasserine). Since its a new world, I get to make the rules.

Teleport? Greater Teleport? Dimension Door? Plane shift? Gate? Those spells haven't been developed on that world . . . yet. And since none of the PC's are playing spellcasters, it doesn't look likely.

"Lost World" feel is now intact. Downtime is built in.

But for the OP, I definitely recommend the heretofore aforementioned mutiny that you suggested originally. DM's always have these plans to destroy the world. And the PC's have to save it.

RIGHT NOW!!!!

[belegeared player]: "But I need to --"
[frothing-at-the-mouth-DM]: "NO, YOU DON'T! YOU NEED TO GET THE DINGUS OR THE WORLD WILL EXPLODE . . . RIGHT NOW!!!"
[weary player]: "If I don't --"
[spittle-flying-from-the-mouth-DM]: "WEREN'T YOU LISTENING TO MY LONGER THAN WAGNER'S 'THE RING' OPERATIC MONOLOGUE FROM MY SUPER IMPORTANT (AND, INCIDENTALLY, BETTER THAN YOU'LL EVER HOPE TO BE IN YOUR DREAMS) NPC?!? YOU HAVE TO RESCUE 'THE DUDE' OR THE WORLD WILL IMPLODE . . . RIGHT NOW!!!"

*yawn*

Gets old. Fast. You're the players. You want a break? Take a break. No one will give it to you. That's why its called TAKING a break. And the next time the DM comes at you with the GOTTA GET IT DONE RIGHT NOW speech, just remember Star Trek: Generations when Picard was badgering Kirk, "Besides, I think the galaxy owes me one."
Just don't do it.

Or you could talk to your DM OOG and submit a request.


I'm confused about why the PCs in the campaign haven't had downtime. I just finished running Sea Wyvern's Wake and the sea voyage provides for tons of downtime, which my PCs used to create magic items.

Then there's very little downtime in Here There Be Monsters, but after they get to Farshore there should be quite a bit again. I think this is really good pacing, actually.

Ken


I read a Dragon mag recently, don't recall the issue, that described an item that was designed to teleport objects to and from a specific location specified by the devices owner, sort like Fed-Ex. I plan on having my own version of this device in Lavinia's hands, to continue to support the relationship between the party and Lavinia (in case they needs some encouragement to do so), and to allow them to purchase items or crafting materials, etc. that they want. It could also be in the hands of some other personage of Farshore, like Manthalay for instance, depending on how much conflict a DM may want in those early days on the Isle.

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