Necron99's page

Hi all,

For those DMs who have run their party through all or most of Shackled City, I would love to tap in to your wisdom. I have only finished the first chapter, with everything going according to plan. However, I felt like I needed to bring the story a bit more to life somehow, to get players really engaged with the story. I have also read numerous logs of other campaigns where DMs have noted that playing straight from the book creates some poor linkages between the chapters, specifically in reference to recurring NPCs and references to plots/subplots.

So...any suggestions or examples of what has worked for you? Perhaps with the benefit of hindsight you might have done something differently (e.g. having NPCs recur more frequently, put in more 'foreshadowing' etc.).

Not sure how many people still read this particular messageboard since SCAP has been out for a while, but I'll keep my fingers crossed ;)

To make the setting more alive (and therefore make the players care more about it), I have tried to link as many NPCs into the party network as possible.

Jzadirune is a bonanza. It is a brilliant introductory adventure because it gives the players access to Bluecrater (through the Mathmatician), Maple is a link to the Alleybashers, and in general it gives the DM some interesting bit-players to work with. For instance, Sondor is now the party's housekeeper, Krylscar Endercott is the security guard and man-in-charge, the Mimic watches the basement, and Jeneer Everdawn is the cook. Maple I had great fun with - She still maintains various underworld contacts while going legit as a "security consultant." Whenever the party is flunking those Gather Info rolls, she straightens them right out.

Foreshadowing is sooo key to this AP. There is so much going on that it is easy for the players to miss the big picture while they are busy getting owned by Goblins. I am trying to introduce the bad guys earlier as well. I particularly like Delvesdeep's (Or chef?) idea of Shebbeleth as a mad street preacher in Cauldron, keeping an eye on things and preparing a small army for Adimarchus. Velior Thazo, Garthun, and even Fetor could be great bad guys that the party could have met before.

Aww heck - Just look at the campaign journal if you want to see what we have been doing.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhfrkz22_2g9chdp

We took a break in early summer, but I'm next in the DM rotation. We should be doing 3 more chapters starting in January.

Feel free to steal anything you want, lord knows I've done the same. I'd give credit to everyone involved, but I have stolen so much that I'm not sure who they all are :)

It's my understanding that a grapple check is only needed if you do something that requires it - like attack, cast a spell, or break the grapple. If you don't try to break the grapple on your turn, you are still in it automatically. After all, both parties might WANT to grapple.

I don't know if it is something specific to the Knifefighter feat, but IIRC your dex bonus still applies to the person you are grappling with - it is denied for anyone outside the grapple...Like a guy standing over you, poking you with a sword.

I also seem to remember that unless someone is deliberately thrown to the ground (which requires a check), a grapple is done standing, even a pin. A standing pin would be like having your opponent in a half-nelson with your other hand over their mouth.

The campaign notes suggest it would be best for your player's characters to be from the Cauldron area or city itself.

Any suggestions on handling where the characters -live-? I've never DMed before.

Also, I suspect one person is taking Touched in the Head AND Scarred Soul, two of the traits with "secret" effects, at the same time. Any suggestions on handling this particular character?

Well, the Vanderborens own a lot of property in town, one assumes that you could rent an apartment somewhere - perhaps from their property management company?

Likewise, if you don't want to pay for an apartment or are not sure where you will be in a few months, a Boarding House would be a good choice.

My bunch is flopping on Keygan's floor right now, which he is not too happy about - but then, he deserves it :)

As far as the Traits go, just put your foot down (gently) and tell the player to save something for someone else :)

If you choose to use the Sasserine angle presented in the Savage Tide Player's Guide (which I did), the PC's should know that the Vanderborens, Knowlerns, and especially the Taskerhills, are old-money, landed gentry with presences on the Dawn Council in Sasserine. Irritating them is one thing, killing them off is another altogether.

While the Sasserine nobility probably wouldn't shed a tear for a Cauldronite cousin or nephew to get slapped around publicly, murdering a niece or cousin would bring consequences.

If the PC's have ANY designs on eventually ruling Cauldron, they will have to deal with these people, like it or not. Remember that Sasserine is both Cauldron's main trading partner and transhipment point. The Dawn Council could make things quite unpleasant for a crippled, vassal city-state under new management. The PCs will need Sasserine's help in rebuilding.

I'd let them have their fun - But if blood is spilled, someone must pay. If it comes down to it, let one PC take the fall for the rest so that the campaign doesn't completely derail.

That type of critter is called a "Human Bot Fly" and they are truly disgusting.

Food(?!) for thought: There is a type of wasp, I believe, that incubates its larvae inside a caterpiller. The larvae supress some kind of hormone that causes the caterpillar to know when it is time to metamorphisize, so that the poor thing just keeps eating, getting bigger and bigger - all the while infested with the wasp larvae, who are feasting on the bloated caterpillar's innards. Eventually, of course, it comes to a nasty end for the cursed caterpillar.

Eyew.
Again I say, eeeyew.

I hate Paladins.

Well, you could play up Tercival's dying words, and make them swear to "seek the smoking eye" or somesuch.

Make sure someone in the party recognizes the "fiendish heritage," or whatever the trait is that causes a critter to detect as evil no matter what their real alignment is.

Like someone else said, he is putting on quite a show to trick the PCs into coming with him - I would think a alignment-hiding buff from a scroll would be a no-brainer.

Just a bump for the weekday crowd...

There is a map exactly like you describe over at RPGenius, but it is color.

Converting should be a snap - Change the color to grayscale, adjust the brightness and contrast in your favorite editor (I use Gimp), save, and print.

Hope this helps.

Well, some day soon the D&D publishing world will catch on that a lot of campaigns are being conducted via virtual tabletop programs these days, and offer appropriate resources. As the programs become more capable, many people will opt for adventuring online as well as the traditional beer-and-pretzels weekender.

Its inevitable. "Paizo of the Coast" can get out in front of it, offering the kind of quality you would LIKE to see out there, or the Photoshop hacks will have their way with your art and offer it up anyways.

I am preparing for a Fantasy Grounds SCAP campaign myself, and have spent *countless* hours scanning, cropping, sizing, and editing maps and art. Would I pay an extra ten bucks for a CD of usable digital media in the back of the book or for download? YES - Gawd, yes. And honestly, of what use is the art without the adventure? I really don't see a case for objection to making the stuff freely availible - as long as someone doesn't scan the whole freakin' book, text and all.

What's more, the maps availible as WE and in the booklet are largely unsuitable for virtual play. Ask us what we would LIKE to have availible, such as non-marked player maps large enough not to pixilate at ~1/4' scale, grids in 5' squares rather than something bizarre like 15' (?!), transparent backgrounds, portraits suitible for tokens, .png files, etc.

Sorry for the rant...I just finished cleaning up the Lucky Monkey, so this rant just kind of flew out of my fingers :)

And my neck hurts. Ow.