BlubSeabass's page

It may end up being overkill, but my current idea is to let them play out the final siege themselves, simultaneously to the PCs storming Grimgorge. The players would be able to swap between scaled up versions of all of their available lieutenants to defend Hillcross from waves of Burning Mammoths and frost giants while their main characters are off taking down Ivarsa...then, when both are concluded, wrap the campaign with...

Oh wow, that sounds interesting but also very intense! My players are pretty "hero centric" so I don't think they would enjoy the world turning too much without their characters. ;)

It also scratches something else that I find slightly odd about Grimgorge; Ivarsa just sitting there waiting. And given Pakano, quite visibly. I haven't found a reason for the PC's to go get Ivarsa first. And then lifting the curse would be a bit of an afterthought...

It's a bit of a shame, the only thing holding this finale back IMO. The first book does a really nice job of keeping the stakes high, but after the siege the stakes seem a bit off. The more a reason for Ivarsa to maintain an existential threat for the Broken Tusk by leading the siege! It also puts some pressure on the hexploration, which I personally enjoy. Exploring too freely gives the sessions a video game vibe where the world is waiting on you I personally don't enjoy in my TTRPGs. :)

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But what if the players take the spear first? The adventure describes that Pakano will also challenge them to a wrestling duel in that case, but there really does not seem to be any reason for players to agree to that.

I would make him forcefully wrestle the finder anyway. Like a real bully, just shove the finder, and start the wrestling. The outcome, then, is not so important.

If he loses, the players get to shove it to the bully.
If he wins, the party probably stops him from yoinking the spear, but he did humiliate a player, serving his emotional goal.
If he wins and the party doesn't stop him, they lose out on the magical spear and grow a grudge.

It becomes a bit more of an RP encounter, which I think fits nice here.