Mists of Mwangi - Overall Scenario Mechanics


GM Discussion

Sovereign Court 1/5

The scenario says that Adril suggest that the Pathfinders should explore the offices first - but why should the PCs not take a peek in each hall at first and instantly see Nigel? Then they fight Da'Tunga and destroy the Tik Taan - and all the spook (including the adventure) is gone...

Isn't that a cheap scenario mechanic? How do you prevent your players to do that? Or do I get something wrong?

The Exchange 4/5 5/5

This is a possibility in any scenario that doesn't have a strictly linear path (must defeat A to get to B, etc). In fact the 3.5 version of this scenario didn't even have the suggestion by Adril for the PCs to go to the office first (or a handout map).

If you want to increase the chances of the players going in the "right" order, playing up the potential danger of the first two doors does wonders. If they walk straight down the corridor have the first person by the doors make a perception check to "hear a faint noise, maybe a scratching sound?" behind at least one of the doors. Together with a request to know exactly where everyone is on the map it usually leads to someone saying "maybe we'd better not leave something behind us."

If they actually do "peek" into the rooms, it might be enough to actually start the room encounter (use your judgement). Play up the "mistiness" of the rooms where they can see everything big but fine detail isn't possible at range.

But despite everything they may just walk straight to the end.


Don't forget there are also clues in the faction missions that give characters reasons to go the other halls. I know I definitely wanted to check the "Hall of the Honored Dead" first.

Edit: I was thinking of when I played it and not realizing that removing the faction missions would change that.

5/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Captain, Germany—Hamburg

Basically, nothing will prevent them from doing that. In fact, before season 5, the faction missions forced the characters to look around a little bit more.

What you can do, however, is describe the scenery very spookily, like strange noises that can be heard from the smaller rooms. The characters (and hopefully the players as well) don't know they can end most of the dangers by defeating the idols, so it should be more intelligent to first investigate the rooms closer to the exit.
Also, a Venture-Captain is a person who has experienced a lot more than the PCs, so it could be a good idea to follow his advice.
Lastly, the PCs don't know where the source of the curse is. While it is quite obvious to an experienced roleplayer that the boss fight will take place in the large room at the end, the characters have no reason to expect that.

If they still go right into the last room, defeat the idols, and leave, feel free to substract the gold for the missed encounters from their chronicle sheets.
(If you want to be really mean, you can even deny them the XP because they didn't finish 3 encounters.)

If, on the other hand, they go straight into the last room because they really made that choice randomly, then defeat the idols, but go to the other rooms afterwards to check if everything is ok, they'll still get most of the encounters, so no need to substract anything then. They'll just have to deal with the fact that they defeated the boss before anything else.

Grand Lodge 4/5 **** Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento

Since the idols tactics call for them to avoid combat, you could have 2 of the idols flee to the other rooms (as long as the PC's don't leave someone barricading the door.)

Dark Archive 4/5 5/5 ****

That is one of the reasons that I will often hand out faction missions for a scenario. I will also tell them that since they do not know the secondary success criteria, they ought to do their best on the faction missions, since there are missions (ok, maybe only one ), that completing the faction missions is the secondary success criteria.

If I do not think that the faction missions add anything I'll leave them out, but in this cause they definitely do. At least for storytelling and adventure flow.

Also, you could play up the mists, and suggest that what they cannot see (like the end of a long hallway) may not match the map. While the scenario does not state the mists block vision, you could play that up some?

Sovereign Court 1/5

Hey :) Thanks for your answers!

I'm pretty new to PFS, but I got the impression that everyone (me included) likes the faction missions. So - why they aren't valid anymore? But that's another discussion, I guess...

I like the idea to let the Tik Taan flee into the other halls, if the PCs enter the Great Hall first.

But even more I like the idea to have the Tik Taan in different rooms in the first place (maybe one in the Great Hall, one in the offices and one in the restroom). This would provide the feeling of meaningful exploration in the "post faction mission times".

But I'm not allowed to do this in a PFS game, right?

Grand Lodge 4/5 **** Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento

Among other things, that might throw off the lethality of those encounters :) That

Spoiler:
crocodile
is bad enough with out a Tik Taan ready to cast
Spoiler:
animate dead to bring it back as a swift zombie crocodile

5/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Captain, Germany—Hamburg

Dotou wrote:
but I got the impression that everyone (me included) likes the faction missions. So - why they aren't valid anymore?

There are a lot of faction missions that are just plain stupid. Like the ones when you had to steal a random object just because you needed a mission like everybody else, or the ones when your faction head seemed to know exactly what you'll encounter although there was no way to know that...

Of cause, there were really great ones. In "Rise of the Goblin Guild", I had lots of fun cuddling with a goblin because my faction wanted me to be friendly and forgiving.
And in some scenarios, many faction mission give the PCs a good reason to go into some of the rooms in the first place. ^^
But as you said, the topic of faction missions is a complicated one and everybody has a different opinion on it.

Dotou wrote:

But even more I like the idea to have the Tik Taan in different rooms in the first place (maybe one in the Great Hall, one in the offices and one in the restroom). This would provide the feeling of meaningful exploration in the "post faction mission times".

But I'm not allowed to do this in a PFS game, right?

That's true. But you are allowed to have them move into other parts of the museum once the encounter is triggered, which can be especially effective if the PCs haven't spotted them yet. In that case, leave one of the idols in the main room, so the players know what they have to look for later. When the Ape and the one idol are dead, the fight seems to be over, but of course, the mists won't disappear, forcing the PCs to investigate further. Then, to their surpise, they will see the two other doors have somehow been opened, adding to the spooky athmosphere (and hopefully causing a little bit of paranoia in the players).

5/5 ** RPG Superstar 2008 Top 16

This is a scenario that benefits from issuing the faction missions.

5/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Captain, Germany—Hamburg

Especially if characters of those missions are present that will find their mission objective in the office or the bathroom :)

Dark Archive 2/5

I like the idea of the idols running to other rooms if they go to the end encounter early, but what about on the low tier where there is only one idol?

5/5 5/55/5 ** Venture-Captain, Germany—Hamburg

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Have the idol leave the room while they fight Da'Tunga, but be sure to describe that they think they have seen "something" leave the room, obscured by the mists.
When they investigate (which they should do, because the mists won't disappear. Also the room will still be full of mad monkeys.), you'll have to lead them by choosing which room the idol fled to (either do that randomly or choose on of the remaining rooms. The office would be a nice idea because there'll be some dialogue that's supposed to happen before the curse is lifted.).
Shortly before they finish the encounters in that room, have them see "that shadowy something" leave again, so you'll be able to lead them into the last room they haven't searched yet. There, you should let them fight the idol.

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