So I'm about to start running Strange Aeons in two weeks and I alredy hit a problem:
I only have 3 players, and they're playing a grim crusader paladin, a sword and board fighter, and a (most likely) archer based slayer. My consern is that the group has no real way to heal up when they get wounded (the paladin's archetype only lets him heal himself). I know I could just add more cure potions around, but I feel like that takes away from the overall dread of the AP, especially the first book. I was thinking that the wounds and vigor system might help, but I'm not sure. Dose anyone have any advice?
My two suggestions would either be make healing a weakened Corruption (Check out Ragnorra in Elder Evils) or have scars remain despite healing.
Its very easy to forget just how much damage heroes get through in games, but describing the gristling mass that is the shoulder of a fighter after being chewed over by a Gug now and then can keep things fairly horrific without hurting the PCs survival chances.
I don't know what archetype you're paladin is using, but if he still has spells then the gold standard is as always the wand of cure light wounds.
Besides, there is plenty of horror to be had beyond HP damage. HP damage is usually the least scary thing.
Things that happen when you fail saves (fort and will) are the scary things.
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Please read the below spoiler.
They will eventually meet Winter, the Cleric of Pharasma who is willing to go with them.
Id say just adapt the fifth edition hit dice healing rule. That could help.
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I'm using the Strain/Injury variant rules in my game. It lets the players take quite a beating in any one fight, but recover most of those wounds with a short rest.
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I bailed my players out, giving them a fair chance.
The party was a Living Grimoire [Inquisitor], Gravedigger [Investigator], a (Kellid) Warpriest, and a GMPC "craft-aholic" Wizard.
After the fight with Dr Scaen, they found a stash of Scrolls of Cure Light Wounds to heal up before spending an hour prepping their spells, afterwards. Only tp climb up the incinerator shoot and fighting the Rats and Zoog.
I also had York follow the PC's "to keep an eye on them" with a nearly depleted Wand of CLW (from Winter), because both the Investigator and Wizard went down during the Dr. Latchke.
The Warpriest killed Oathsday, before going under himself.
My consern is that the group has no real way to heal up when they get wounded (the paladin's archetype only lets him heal himself). I know I could just add more cure potions around, but I feel like that takes away from the overall dread of the AP, especially the first book. I was thinking that the wounds and vigor system might help, but I'm not sure. Dose anyone have any advice?
Advice, yeah, wipe the characters out. The players will quickly learn to select a character class that can glue their tails back together again, rather than choosing the useless oddball character class that doesn't lend itself to character survival. Strange Aeons is supposed to be Pathfinder meets Call of Cthulhu. This should mean that characters are getting greased or going insane on a regular basis. If you're already planning how to bail your players out for poor class selection, then you can expect more of the same, and your not grasping the spirit of the actual CoC game, which is that characters don't survive very long, and often go insane at inopportune moments. -KGM
My consern is that the group has no real way to heal up when they get wounded (the paladin's archetype only lets him heal himself). I know I could just add more cure potions around, but I feel like that takes away from the overall dread of the AP, especially the first book. I was thinking that the wounds and vigor system might help, but I'm not sure. Dose anyone have any advice?Advice, yeah, wipe the characters out. The players will quickly learn to select a character class that can glue their tails back together again, rather than choosing the useless oddball character class that doesn't lend itself to character survival. Strange Aeons is supposed to be Pathfinder meets Call of Cthulhu. This should mean that characters are getting greased or going insane on a regular basis. If you're already planning how to bail your players out for poor class selection, then you can expect more of the same, and your not grasping the spirit of the actual CoC game, which is that characters don't survive very long, and often go insane at inopportune moments. -KGM
You misunderstand the intent of Strange Aeons. The PCs should barely survive until the end with the tattered remnants of their sanity, only then to [redacted]. ;)