Time to poke the players[Spoilers]


Rise of the Runelords


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So my group has gone into the runeforge and completed 4 wings. They found the component to plane shift back and they plan to do so at the start of next session. I what to make the game feel less static and have things going on in the back ground. Now the timeline in RotRL is fairly fast paced so doing so is kinda hard. I've decided that time flows drastically different in the runeforge. Something to the tune of 1 day in runeforge equals 2 months outside. So off the top of my head heres what I'm springing on my players

One player has a townhouse in Magnimar which is their main base there. It's going to be looted and a locale frequented by transients

A player will have a parent die

Two players in the Magnimar city guard will be dishonorably discharged from the watch for dereliction of duty

One PC had a fling with Tillia Henkensen after the Black Maga incident, She became pregnant and moved to Sandpoint and is awaiting his return to marry him.

ANNNNNNND I'll take any suggestion to mess with my players. I think of this as more of a RP possibility than a punishment so anything fun would be awesome


you could have a bunch of cliche british Bores hunting them thru the streets of Magnimar, that would certainly mess with them*

or have different allies disappear with strange gold fish swimming around in the chamber pot or something less icky like a mysterious fish bowl on a table with a note next to it

*i can't help myself, i might have a problem:)

Grand Lodge

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Matthew Bellizzi wrote:
I've decided that time flows drastically different in the runeforge. Something to the tune of 1 day in runeforge equals 2 months outside.

I wouldn't do this. It disincentivizes the players from exploring Runeforge and punishes them for doing the things that are necessary to advance the plot. The players are supposed to want to explore Runeforge because there's a bunch of story-related lore for them to learn there.

-Skeld

Scarab Sages

I like the idea as a concept, but isn't that against the whole idea of why they set up the Runeforge? What is the purpose of a time dilated research facility if you come back after your study and someone else has already solved the problem/everyone you know is dead/the answer is no longer relevant?

Dark Archive

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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Yeah, if time dilation was going to exist in Runeforge, wouldn't it benefit Thassilon if it were the other way around?

"It took us a century to figure this problem out, Lord Karzoug. The grandchildren of the original researchers are proud to present this solution to you."

"You're six months over. Next time, get this done in under a year, or I'll wipe your entire genetic code free from humanity."


Whoa ok lots of negative feedback. I'm not sure that time warpage necessarily benefits the bad guys as they've been playing a long game as it is already. Also the runforge is for crafting rune weapons not really research so much. Mostly I wanted to make the game feel less like a video game and have events external to the players immediate scope continue to happen in the back ground. Personally I think it would focus the players more at the task at hand and avoid having to deal with a bunch of crap. I'm gonna do it I'll let ya all know how it works out.

Grand Lodge

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Matthew Bellizzi wrote:
Whoa ok lots of negative feedback.

Sorry. I didn't want to be negative (I never enjoy dissing someone's idea of what might make a good game).

Matthew Bellizzi wrote:
I'm not sure that time warpage necessarily benefits the bad guys as they've been playing a long game as it is already.

What you're proposing has the potential to hurt the PCs in a way they have no control over and cannot compensate for (other than to try and minimize their time in Runeforge, which could lead to their missing clues and story elements). The punishment is handed out to them for doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing. I could understand the punishments better if it was because they decided to camp on the front porch of Rimeskull for 2 months while they crafted a bunch of items, but that's not the case. They're supposed to enter Runeforge, explore it, and ferret out clues. Introducing time dilation doesn't serve a purpose.

Matthew Bellizzi wrote:
Also the runforge is for crafting rune weapons not really research so much.

Runeforge's original purpose was for research (specifically to find a way for the Runelords to escape Earthfall). It's purpose now, in the AP, is twofold: 1) to serve as a means of obtaining Runeforged weapons, and 2) to uncover some story elements (and gain experience and loot they can use later on).

Matthew Bellizzi wrote:
Mostly I wanted to make the game feel less like a video game and have events external to the players immediate scope continue to happen in the back ground.

This can happen without the inclusion of time dilation. It's just a matter of roleplay.

Matthew Bellizzi wrote:
Personally I think it would focus the players more at the task at hand and avoid having to deal with a bunch of crap. I'm gonna do it I'll let ya all know how it works out.

Let us know how it works out.

-Skeld

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