Heath G's page

I want to echo others thanks, but I thought that the PDF was also going to include the Realms and Ebberon conversion notes for 'There is no Honor', and those seem to be lacking. Was I wrong in assuming that was to be part of the download, or are they still to be posted?

I'd like to emphasize that I am not at all complaining about the PDF at all, I am just very curious about the official conversion notes, as I am running the path.

Well, I've run the first adventure with a party of five at the suggested levels.

The Blue Nixie was hard for them. They were down a person to start, and the ninja was taken down by a lucky shot before he could do anything, and everyone's favorite spider like critter got onto deck, and nearly TPKed them.

But, they had no issues with the rest of the adventure. The adapted quickly to the Parrot Island zombies - with the swashbuckler even eventually luring them to the group with offers of 'tasty brains'

And they did a good job in the Lotus base as well.

So, I don't think the path is so hard - it is challenging, yes, and it will punish impulsive play. As, IMO, it should.

As to how to apply this to your game? I wish I could help with that. But, I think the path is very nicely blanced between challenge and playability.

Fake Healer wrote:

Too many skill checks. Even someone with decent ranks in a skill will fail what should be easy tasks if you keep making them roll checks every time they breathe wrong. You changed the game from Role-playing to Roll-playing.

Just an opinion.

FH

I can see that. What should I have done for someone standing up in a rowboat out in the middle of the harbor to fire a bow? Should I have let them do it with no problem?

I think they were all pretty reasonable, except the getting into the boat check.

How about getting into a boat that is tied by a single rope to the docks? One that is moving in the water and, in real life, a person would have to check their balance once they got in or fall overboard?

To me, the rolls simulated people using the skills they have to achieve a goal. It may seem like a lot of rolls, but here's what they rolled.

A single check by each character to get into the rowboat. (DC 5)

A single check by each character to climb the ropes to get onboard the Blue Nixie. (DC 10 per the adventure)

A check by a single character who stood up in a moving boat. (DC 5)

A Move Silently check by two characters to disable to rudder of the boat quietly when there are 3 guards on top. (Opposed Listen checks)

A Hide check by each character hiding in, and on, the rowboat.

Is that to much? Considering all of this happened over the span of 6 hours (real time), the 19 checks I listed above don't seem like a lot. The combats lasted about 2 hours of that. The rest of the time was spent roleplaying.

If you had the six rogues from the training room in the dining room, how did your party not alert them when they entered the training room?

It's only 30 feet away, down a worked stone hallway. That adds just +3 to the listen check, which would be DC 8 for them to hear someone in medium armor trying to move silently (without the move silently) skill, and just an 18 for anyone in no armor (per the PH).

So, if you have anyone in anything over a chain shirt, all 6 (or even 14, if they were all eating), would have had a 60 percent chance to hear the PCs in the hall.

Also, how did they not run into the heuceva, and most of the zombies at pirate island when you, as the DM, determine when and where they are met?

Another thing you can do is start a gradual alignment shift - or a radical one if any PCs are Lawful Good - and, if they keep acting in ways you find to be non good, over time, they might find themselves N or worse.

I gave her a passive listen when my group hit her tonight, and she did, indeed, to the preemptive bardic music that was suggested in this thread.

Some of the party were consider her offer when the ninja - who is infatuated with Lavinia - moved to attack her. No party members went down, and 2 were hurt badly.

Rowyn would have gone down as well, but I had tweaked her feats, dumping weapon finesse for delay potion from the new Complete Mage. So, when she got to 10 hp, she activated her already drunk Potion of Gaseous Form to escape.

Her rapier had been disarmed, though, so she lost that.

I'm a little worried about having a paladin in STAP

At the end of the campaign , if I understand well , the group will have to deal with demons to stop Demogorgon. I don't see a paladin accept this

First adventure ! "so an official says you didn't pay your dues and you don't have any proof , milady ? I'm sorry , I do believe you but I can't allow breaking and entering the ship giving the situation " . Ok , what you could do is having the paladin actually view the exchange of money some days before then he would know soller lies and it would help him take the law in his own hands in this particular case .

This resolves the first module but what about the end of STAP

Actually, the Paladin would likely not have many, if any, qualms, when the whole situtation from the ship is looked at.

First, a large part of Lavinia's story could be verfied elsewhere - her parents have died, her brother does seem to not be around, and, if the paladin has any sort of connections with the nobility, he could likely find out that many organizations owe Lavinia's family money - as she will find out in the vault.

In addition, a well connected paladin would likely know about the vaults.

Next, the paladin could fairly easily confirm that the Nixie is indeed the Vanderboren's family ship.

Third, it's fairly well known in Sasserine that the Harbormaster is not exactly paying much attention to the harbor, and that leaves the possibility of corruption on the docks.

But, here is the kicker for any LG PC.

Vark moves the ship.

A ship, under harbormaster impounding, is not to be moved. Not only does he move it, but he has people, and cargo, on board. While the Paladin would not know about the cargo initially, he can see the men on guard from the dock.

So, as soon as he gets to the dock, and sees the ship moved, he has to investigate, if he is playing the law and order type of Paladin.

Also, note that Paladin does not mean 'rigid, unthinking, can't use deception' knight in armor.

A paladin can sneak in a back door.

A paladin can use traps.

A paladin can snipe a badguy mage from 250 yards with a bow.

What a paladin can't do is evil acts - so your paladin is can't support a 'kill them first, sort it out later' approach to the Nixie. But, then, he doesn't have to.

Paladins' can be as flexible as any other class, if the DM allows it. Too often, it's the DM, not the Paladin, that limits the Paladins creativity.

TPK -- twice. There is NO WAY through the sea tunnels under Parrot Island for non-aquatic races: DC 15 Swim (at -1/round for being underwater) for at least 5 rounds (70 ft, of tunnels at 15 ft./rd for Spd 30 characters). Characters with 15 Str and max cross-class ranks in swim have a 1% chance of making it, if I calculate correctly (remember, if you fail by >5 you immediately start to drown). I finally had to stop, take a deep breath, and declare that the Darfellan could tow the others (one at a time) on a rope. Good thing the Darfellan player hadn't opted for a half-orc, or they'd all be dead again!

I think you are misintepreting the rules a little. The DC 15 check would allow your PCs to move at 15 feet per round, or 30 feet if they take a full round action. So, they could clear the tunnel in as few as 3 checks. This does not get a -1 per round modifier. It is always 15.

However, the swim check has nothing to do with holding thier breath. They can hold thier breath for Conx2 rounds. A full round swim action takes 2 rounds, not one, off of this duration.
Once that duration runs out, the PC has to make a DC 10 con check, which takes the -1 modifier per round. If they fail that, then they start to drown, and, at that point, you move to the drowing rules in the DMG.

My group will be like this - we start STAP in Ebberon on Tuesday

Illumian Warmage (will multi into Favored Soul)
Shifter Swashbuckler
Elven Ninja (will multi into Swordsage)
Half Elf Psion, scion of House Lyrandar
Vanara Shaman (from Oriental adventures)