Daedaelus's page

I think the reason you're getting advice that doesn't directly respond to the question you've asked is that (at least in my case) I thought you had chosen a really bizarre solution (jumping things 7 years in the future) to a relatively commonplace problem (a TPK).

Exactly right, which is why I wish I hadn't framed it so much. And you lay out the questions well, so I thank you. That's what I was looking for

I've got an unusual group of players, which is why it's an unusual solution. There's almost a 20 year span in ages, and almost no gaming experience. I've had little trouble getting them to connect to Sandpoint, so much so that it's been 4 sessions and we're only just now getting to the Catacombs. If there is no TPK between now and the end of BURNT OFFERINGS, the kids are going to become McGuffins in the next three chapters, so hopefully this is all a mute conversation. And I may not pursue this course, I just wanted to game out what the work is and whether it's worth it.

Thanks, Cat, for the suggestion about Goblins invading the Glassworks. That's probably what I will do if Ameiko isn't a strong enough reason for them to go.

I'm actually not worried about a TPK, assuming I can make my solution work. It might even be better (I have some buyers remorse among the players over some character choices). My only worry, and the only reason I posted at all in the first place, was to have some other brains help me game out what might happen in Sandpoint over 7 years from the Swallowtail Festival to the elimination of the Thistletop threat.

Everyone is giving me great answers to questions I'm not asking, like how to direct the PCs and other ways to handle a TPK. I spent the week since my last session searching the boards for solutions to both of those issues, and while I'm grateful to all of you for your advice on these subjects, it's not answering the question I'm asking, which is about the passage of time.

Sheriff Hemlock also asks the party to stick around town while he's gone. Haring off to a goblin-infested island on a whim doesn't really count as sticking around town.

Something you could do, which is kind of heavy-handed, but much easier than trying to re-write the whole AP, is to have them ambushed by Bruthazmus and some Thistletop goblins on the way there. Make it clear they're out of their league and if it gets too bad have Shalelu ride to the rescue to drive the bugbear off and then ask them why they left Sandpoint unguarded.

So far Sheriff Hemlock's request has kept them in town, but only because Shalelu also keeps reminding them of it. She also keeps telling them that they aren't ready, but I'm not the railroading type, so I can't just keep saying no forever or they will stop looking for their own solutions, and only for the ones I give them.

I wish I hadn't given the details of the situation. I don't mind if they get TPKed, I'm just planning out the solution that works for my game (the kids). The question is about implications of a 7 year gap of time between the initial goblin assault and dealing with Nualia.

My other option is to build a party out of various townsfolk that they've met, which is something I'd prefer not to do since they have established personalities. And yes, I know they can just roll fresh characters or I can deus ex machina to save them - trust me when I say that neither suits the story I want to tell nor the players in my game.

Cat,

If I had time to rewrite the AP, I definitely would do that. And I know there's justification for new adventurers showing up, but I want a connection to the game, as all are first time players who might give up if they don't feel like their initial characters mattered.

Hi All,

My group is entirely new players, though some are in multiple games right now and are learning faster than others.

The PCs are about to go to the Catacombs or to Thistletop. They're going to wake up in the morning to The Missing Bartender, but they've been hell-bent for the last session and a half on going to Thistletop, so they may well do that, despite strong hints that they should not yet. So, to the question:

I think it's quite likely that there will be a TPK in the near future, especially if they go to Thistletop now. We're early enough in the game where a mass party resurrection doesn't make sense in-game, and it's a new enough group of players that I don't want to get them used to deus ex machina. I also don't love the idea of "Oh, all of your siblings who have similar abilities to you/another party of adventurers/etc show up in town the day after you die." So while a TPK may well not happen, I want to be ready with something that they'll all enjoy.

What I've settled on (at least for now) is this:

Anything I'm not thinking to ask?

I will note that I haven't completed reading the entire Anniversary Edition - I'm just now to the Runeforge - so if there are other implications that I'm not considering by adding a gap of time to the beginning of the adventure, I'd appreciate knowing.