Module: The Harrowing. PFS GM help / idea. Warning!!! Spoiler inside!!


GM Discussion

3/5

Spoiler warning!!!

PFS Gm's.

I know that any module is ment to be run as written.

As such I still would like to run a specific character in there a bit different, to make it more flavourable for my players.

Biyo, the cook is the players first and foremost informant on everything that's going on in the Harrowing realm.

What if I'd 'replace' or roleplay him as follows:

I find it hard to believe that the main villain, the blue patchwork dragon, doesn't know the players have arrived. After all, it's all he does the last centuries: luring people into his realm. He has the looking glass to watch what's going on when the players enter the realm.

As such, I'd like to run Biyo like he is an informant for both the players as the dragon himself as well.

The players would have to deal with Biyo to get information on the realm. In order to do this, they have to trade information about themselves as well. As such, the dragon would get to know the players very well, and would be very much prepared when he has to face them.

This makes certain encounters more challenging for my players (of which some are super powerfull), since the monsters come prepared for the players powers and weaknesses.

In my eyes it would also be more logical for the dragon to do this: He'll have a bigger fighting chance to take on the players then if they would just appear at his feet, catching him flat footed...

Would a certain idea be reasonable within pfs play?

(I am comparing this idea like the players ending up in 'The Enchanted forest', from the TV series 'Once Upon a Time'...and will roleplay Biyo a bit like Rumplestiltskin...they have to make deals with him.)

5/5 5/55/5

Run as written means what it says. If you make it harder and players die or use up unreasonable resources you have wronged them as a GM.

Also, if players find out you changed the module and they don't like the results they can appeal the module.

3/5

roysier wrote:

Run as written means what it says. If you make it harder and players die or use up unreasonable resources you have wronged them as a GM.

Also, if players find out you changed the module and they don't like the results they can appeal the module.

Crystal clear! :)

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

For further advice I would consult the PFS GM Forum. No need for spoiler tags over there =)

(this thread will probably be moved over there anyways eventually)

2/5 5/5 Venture-Agent, Indiana—Lafayette

Yeah, don't change things. It happened to me and spoiled what I am told should be a really fun module.

Sovereign Court 5/5

I'm going to offer some advice that is provisionally counter to what's been said above about "not changing things".

First of all, "not changing things" is a fuzzy concept in PFS scenarios. You can't change stats/numbers/equipment/feat selections, but you can change basically everything else. It's a well known "exception" to not changing things that you certainly can (and may) alter specified tactics should the players' actions render them ineffective/moot. From the mouth of Mike Brock, you can invent entire encounters such as town guards to deal with players' actions that sensibly require their presence (the party rogue insisted on stealing from a shop keeper, and then got caught..). So, the "don't change things" rule should more accurately be summarized as "don't change things*" with a big ole asterisk.

Continuing on that topic, sanctioned modules are not written for PFS's assumptions about GMs "not changing things*". For example, when I run Master of the Fallen Fortress I include an entirely self-made-up VC briefing stage where the players are told that Balenar has gone missing while exploring the Fallen Fortress and their mission is to rescue him or recover his body, and finish his chronicling of the site. If I don't make such a "change" to the module, the PCs are simple non-pathfinder explorers who by the end of the module are invited to consider joining the society. Nonsense for PFS play where you are mandated to play Pathfinder Field Agents. I'll tell anyone, up to and including PFS brass, that this kind of change fits fairly within the asterisk and is therefore not only fair game, but expected of us to do as a GM meeting our obligation to strive to provide the best play experience for the players.

With regards to The Harrowing, I was also troubled by Biyo's timeline when I prepped the module. I also had to wrap my mind around what would happen if the players simply made him accompany them everywhere... the module seemed to be written with the assumption that the players would just go "thanks info spigot NPC, go along your merry way now!"

I will go ahead and concur with the advice given upthread that making him actively but secretly work against the players isn't a good idea.. but perhaps I'd say so for a different reason. In my view, the module already has a written-in mechanic for the tyrant becoming aware of the PCs' presence via their cumulative successes over several scenes so for THAT reason it's difficult to fit such a change within the asterisk.

As for the ultimate goal of making the dragon more of a challenge... you probably won't need to do anything to "plus him up". Unless the PCs can somehow enter the keep and make it all the way to his observatory without raising any kind of ruckus (about impossible, in my view) his called-out tactics, iirc, are already to be invisible and just roflstomp the party after they enter. With his mage armor buff, SR, immunities, and good saves, the party will be sufficiently challenged to defeat him as-is. The written-in card mechanic is meant to give them the fighting chance.. if they blew it early, then they blew it.

Scarab Sages 4/5

Off-topic, but when I played the Harrowing, I managed to land a Slow spell on the dragon. Slowed dragons are funny.

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