I'm getting ready to run Chapter Three, Flood Season, and I'd like to incorporate Delvesdeep's Demonskar Ball in there, plus some of my own ideas for games and competitions for Cauldron's Flood Festival.
I'm wondering how other DMs have handled the sequence of events. Did you run the Demonskar Ball before the party went out to the Lucky Monkey? Or in between Lucky Monkey and the Kopru Ruins? Or right at the end? What would work best, do you think? I want to give the party time to prepare for the ball, but I don't want to bog down the adventure, either...
--Fang
I ran the PCs through Flood Season first, before the Demonskar Ball. The Flood Festival was just getting rolling as the PCs were sent after Sarcem at the Lucky Monkey and the hard rains that began to fall as they returned with the bad news put a damper on things. Heavy rains are not good for street fairs and festivities, not to mention the threat of flooding.
So, after the PCs returned from the Kopru Ruins with 7 of the 8 wands of water control recovered, they helped ward off the flooding and the rains subsided, thankfully. This allowed the Flood Festival to get back underway with renewed excitement. The Demonskar Ball was the finale of the Flood Festival, the main social event concluding the festivities.
I gave the PCs roughly 2 weeks from the time the flood was averted to the Ball. During that time, they were able to participate in Flood Festival activities and run their errands in preparation for the Ball, with dance and ettiquete lessons and all. My players loved the whole thing. We sat around for 8 (maybe it was 10) hours of zero combat fun!
Then following the Demonskar Ball, the PCs were enjoying their recently earned celebrity when, all of a sudden, their charmed life was interrupted by the umber hulk attack at the start of Demonskar Legacy. In the "Starting the Chapter" section of Demonskar Legacy, it says that many weeks have passed since the flooding and Winter has turned to Spring. I allowed 8 weeks of time to pass between the Demonskar Ball and the umber hulk attack. Plenty of time for the PCs to do just about anything they might want between adventures.
Regards,
Koramado
Thanks, Koramado! That makes a lot of sense.
--Fang
I did it exactly the same way as Koramado placing the Ball directly after the Kopru Ruins but before Zeniths Trajectory. It seemed to be the best fit with a little bit of downtime for the party to prepare for the event.
You could fit it in before the trek into the Kopru Ruins but I think the party would be too distracted hunting down Triel and locating the wands as the water increases in the city to give the Ball any justice.
You could even fit the Ball in after Zeniths Tajectory if required just as long as it is run before the Demonskar Legacy it should lose none of its focus and fun.
Hope it works out well
Delvesdeep
Hey, Delvesdeep, nice work with the Demonskar Ball and Skie's Treasury and all the other stuff you've posted on RPGenius. You've really helped make our game a lot more alive--and inspired me to do even more. Thanks for sharing!
--Fang
Hey, Delvesdeep, nice work with the Demonskar Ball and Skie's Treasury and all the other stuff you've posted on RPGenius. You've really helped make our game a lot more alive--and inspired me to do even more. Thanks for sharing!
--Fang
Thanks Fang! I'm currently writing up the Haunted Dreams and a few side treks specifically for my game. Following this though I then plan on writing up the Battle of Redgorge and another side trek about retrieving the Chisel's Earth Weird before the disaster. Both of these I will post up on the RPGenius site if you are interested.
I'm glad you have enjoyed my work. It's always nice to hear what you have done is appreciated and not a waste of time.
Thanks
Delvesdeep
I would definitely be interested in the Battle of Redgorge. I have Red Hand of Doom, and I love the idea of incorporating it in there somehow.
The Explorers' and Acquirers' Guild was yours, too, wasn't it? The rogue in my group really appreciated an alternative to the Last Laugh and the Alleybashers.
Your work is definitely appreciated, and if I'm able to come up with anything of my own of that calibre, I'll be sure to post it on RPGenius.
--Fang
......Heavy rains are not good for street fairs and festivities, not to mention the threat of flooding...
That's one of the things I had in mind when I decided to run the Demonskar Ball before Jenya even gets the sending. In other words, I'm going to squeeze a good weeks worth of festivities in before the adventure really starts.
I've got players chomping at the bit, ever since their PCs heard that there was a ball coming - they've been scheming up ways to procure invitations, they've been buying outfits, etc. As slow as dunegeon crawls are online - it would be heartless for me to force them to deal with Kopru Ruins first.
Here's how I see it - the first substantial rain of winter launches the festival, but that doesn't mean all week is going to be torrential, in fact I didnt see any reason why the flooding can't happen two, even three weeks after the festival. As for the wands, I realize Jenya is going to be nervous about them if she hasn't heard from Sarcem by the time the festival is coming to a close, but its a long trip from Sasserine, and if he tells her to be patient, what choice does she have?
The siege on the Lucky Monkey will happen on the very night of the Demonskar Ball - and Sarcem's sending will come just as the Ball is coming to a close. As the PCs step out onto the streets after a night of partying, Ruphus or maybe even Jenya herself will be waiting.
Do any of you see any major flaws/holes in my running it this way?
I would think you could do it either way....It does say in the book that Flood Festival has been starting earlier and earlier every year, and that some merchants are even setting up booths before the rains come. You could start the festivities before the rains even begin, maybe have some grouchy people trying to fight their way through the crowds and complaining loudly about how Flood Festival starts earlier and earlier every year and what's the world coming to (much like I do when I see xmas stuff on sale in September!).
Upon reflection, I'm still not sure which order I'm going to use. My crew could probably use a break from all the heavy dungeon crawling we've done lately.
--Fang
The siege on the Lucky Monkey will happen on the very night of the Demonskar Ball - and Sarcem's sending will come just as the Ball is coming to a close. As the PCs step out onto the streets after a night of partying, Ruphus or maybe even Jenya herself will be waiting.
Do any of you see any major flaws/holes in my running it this way?
I'd only suggest that you have Jenya in attendance at the Demonskar Ball. She is representing her temple in Sarcem's absence at a major civic event. If I remember the writeup correctly, even Ruphus made it to the Ball.
So, that could make for a dramatic moment when Jenya receives the sending from Sarcem while he is holding out in the basement of the Lucky Monkey. You could make a show of Jenya frantically seeking out something to write with at the party. You might even consider having the Stormblades step in to offer their assistance to the overwrought priestess. Why would Jenya pick the PCs over the Stormblades for the rescue? Rescuing Sarcem would be more important than playing favorites.
Sounds fun!
Koramado
Having the Ball at the start of the festival would work just as well. You may have to slightly alter some of the accolades the players recieve because saving the city from the floods is one of them.
Rufus never made it to the Ball im my write up but Koramado is correct having Jenya there may prove a dramatic end to the night. You would have to figure out how she interacts with the other nobles, where she is seated, if she plays a roll in the festivities etc.
I would most likely use Foundation of Fire as a guide and more specifically the election of the new Mayor. She is described as being overwealmed by the event, quite and unsure of herself. If you do include Jenya have her as a background figure who approaches the party initially when they arrive and then once again when they recieve their prizes. You could then use Koramados advice and have her recieve the sending in their presence.
Alternatively she could be waiting outside as you suggested or gatecrash the events during the final dance (after the awards) to inform them.
I'm not sure whether Jenya would approach the Stormblades over the party given her assumed relationship with the group. What may happen though is that a Stormblade may overhear and offer their services as an alternative. This will motivate the party to get moving even if the sending does not.
The Stormblades may even arrive to save the day during the battle with Tongueeater and take great pleasure in telling the city then how they rescued the party and defeated the villians.
When the party returns they may hear how the Stormblades are seeking the wands as well and the adventure may become a bit of a race.
Anyhow just a few random ideas
Ultimately when and how you run the Ball is up to you. As long as you and your players have fun.
Delvesdeep