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I'm just beginning Chapter 10 this week, and was wondering if there are any stat blocks available for the later chapters. RPG Genius is great for the lower levels, but doesn't have any available for the higher end game, when they could really be useful. The stat blocks in the back are ok, but can be difficult to read in a hurry. I'm also currently lacking access to a copier, so much page flipping is entailed.
I'm just starting chapter 10 with my characters. They amassed tons of magic items, worth a small fortune, but I was having problems justifying them being able to sell all that in Cauldron, as it's not that big a town. The players ended up using a Greater Teleport spell to travel to the nearest Large city, where they were able to sell/buy/swap there goods.
I'm wondering how people have handled the Oblivian Doors in Chapter 8. It seems like the puzzle is a bit difficult, and not really clear. There's no real clues to tell the characters what the trick is. Even if they do figure it out, the main caster in the party is a sorc who won't be able to duplicate most of the effects. He's also distinctly lacking in transport, teleport, or really most utility type spells. We have a rogue, but he can't make the 45 necessary to pick it. There's no chance anybody could make the 50 strength to force it. All I can figure to do is lower the difficulty to pick it down to 40. Then our rogue can make the roll. If anybody else has any good ideas please let me know.
Wow, perfect timing, I'm starting chapter 5 in about 4 hours. I think I will definetly thug this speech.
The Cagewrights were willing to have Terrem raised. If the PCs bring Zenith's body back, there is no reason why they wouldn't do the same for him. The only problem I can see with this is that the dead person has to be willing. I'm not so sure Zenith is going to want to come back.
Well my characters just met Zenith, and unfortunately he didn't survive the encounter. He got low enough, that when he dropped his defensive stance, and lost his hit point bonus, he pretty well just died. I played him up as pretty insanely unrelenting, and my characters are pretty low on subdual skills or magic. It's pretty well massive damage or nothing. I'm just looking for suggestions on how to handle it from here. Do the Cagewrites now need another person? Do they have another person lined up. Completely coincidentally I have not one, but two Scarred Soul/Shackleborn players in my game. I'm pondering having the Cagewrites look around for a replacement and stumble upon the heritage of our heroes. I can then have some encounters, or other side wackiness, trying to get a hold of one of the PC's. Once a few attempts (presumably) fail they eventually find some easier pickings. It might make some interesting side encounters and give the chance for the characters to learn a bit more about the Shackleborn.
Well we added the new character in just fine. He chose to play a dwarf, and actually is playing a Splintershield. We had him going down to investigate what has become of his lost kin. It's all tied into a great crime his clan did a generation ago that we created. It's a ctually pretty cool. Unfortunately 3 rooms later somebody else died. I'm actually a bit bummed, and had I to do it over again I might have fudged it a bit. Our rogue entered the room with the Assassin on the roof, and was searching for traps when the Assassin dropped down and took him out with a death strike. Rolling a 3 on his save, he had no chance. It brought the session to a screeching hault, and the characters decided after 2 deaths to high tail it back to Cauldron to Regroup. They will at least go back in. They want to find Zenith. I also had them independantly make a deal with a Gauth they met on the way down. He offered them a magical item to take out the dragon, as it was causing a shift in the local balance of power that he found problematic. It sounds like the new character will be an Artificer. So my party will be Elven Duskblade
We've lost a druid and a rogue/Thief Acrobat
Had our first death last session. Our druid was killed by Aushanna. One of our casters did an Obscuring Mist, and everybody else was able to hide in there, leaving the poor guy as target number 1. This player doesn't like using raise dead spells or the like, so he's rerolling a new character. I'm trying to figure out if it's possible ton introduce a new character here in the middle of the temple, or if he'll have to wait until they get back upstairs.
My groups name changes almost every session at the whim of the rogue. None of the other characters really care, so he always comes up with what his charcter thinks is "cool" at the moment. Usually something cliche like Billy's Nighthawks, or Shadows of Billy. (His name is obviously Billy)
Actually I have a related question. I'm just starting Chapter 4,Zenith Tragectory, and I keep forgetting to involve Fario and Co. I've had them spot them at a distance before a couple times, but they've never directly encountered them. How directly important are the characters to the future. Do I need to make a concerted effort to force them into the story? Thanks
Just about to start chapter 4, no deaths yet. I'm crossing my fingers, as several of the encounters coming up look pretty tough.
It's funny how different groups work. I've also had to buff up several parts to keep it challenging for the characters. We've just finished chapter 3 without a single death (though several near things.) I will note that I use the wound system, and action points. These add some fun, and balance the module out in my opinion.
We are in the Kopru Ruins of Chapter 3 at the moment, and are yet to have a death. There have been several near things though. Triel nearly took down our Duskblade. We do use the Wound System in our game, which gives them a real boost. I like the balance of it though. It makes beginning characters much more suvivable, but the advantage lessons as you get up in level.
I have a great game going on going through the Shackled City. We're currently in the Kopru Ruins in Chapter 3. We've actually managed to get this far without a single death, though a lot of close calls. It's been a great game, and everybody seems to be having a good time. Myself included. Recently they encountered Triel, and though she beat them up pretty good with a couple hard hits the characters eventually brought her down. Annoyingly enough though they didn't kiill her. They capturered her. They have offered to let her go, and spare her life, in exchange for information about what is going on. I'm trying to decide how much she knows, and will tell. I can't think of any reason she wouldn't spill everything she might know about The Cages and the Cagerights. After all, they screwed her. Any thoughts or opinions? It's a careful balance, as I don't want to give out to much info and spoil things for the future, but I don't want to be unfair to the players. Thanks
Well, understanding that I only just finished Chapter 2 with them last night, here goes. The party captured several goblins at the start of Drakthars Way, and "convinced" them to lead them through the dungeon with minimal conflict. (Well...after the 20 goblin brawl at the beginning.) Drakthar was aware of there presence, but thought he had more time. He called in the Tiefling Fighter, and Human Sorc who's name I've forgotten to give them some instructions. The party arrived in the room with Drakthar, the two lietenants. I also positioned 2 Goblin Adepts, and 2 Silent Wolf Goblins in the room. (I increased the size of the room a bit) Of course there was also the chair. 2 More sneaks were nearby outside, and came in for some attempted backstabs midway through the combat. It was a 2 hour brawl, with nearly everybody hovering in the hitpoint basement. We have a feral druid, or whatever it is called, that raged early on, so wasn't healing. Luckily we have a lot of DPS in the group, with the druid, the duskblade, a soon to be Eldrich Knight, and 2 rogues. They smoked everything down, then the Druid's rage ended, dropping his hit points below zero, and having him collapse. It was a great fight. I thought I may have made it a bit to much for them, but they pulled it through (if barely) just at the end, with no actual deaths. By the end of it, the Eldrich Knight had one Cantrip left, and the duskblade was completely spelless.
I feel your pain. I'm running this through the first time, just about to hit chapter 3, and I know I'm not doing quite all the foreshadowing / NPC interactions I should. I have GM'd a lot in the past, and a complex module like this is very hard to get everything in on the first time through. If you run it more then once it'll just get better and better. For now, you do what you can and just keep things moving, and intro people where you can fit them in and it feels "right". I also recommend keeping notes of how you develop NPC's. There are so many of them, just a sentence or two will help you keep it straight. For the Captain of the Guard I just have "curmudgeonly, throaty cough, and constantly drinking from flask of "medicine" on his desk." Little personality traints that stay consistent make it all more real. With the Demonscar Ball coming up in my game I'm truly hoping to get a bit of hobnobbing with future NPC's into the game. I've printed out some of the resources from RPG Genius, and want to make a real go of it. I definetely endorse that site, just for the pretty handouts if nothing else.
We are in chapter 2 currently, just about to have a final showdown with the Vampbear. The party is very light melee/magic intensive. -Human Rogue (eventually going Thief Acrobat)
This has been a surprisingly effective bunch. They are low on defences, but extremely high offense and damage with a lot of magical firepower. I actually had to add more badguys to the Kazmojen encounter in order to make it a challenge. Because of their high magical damage output they blew through the wererats in chapter two like nobodies business. They just survived a big 20 goblin brawl at the start of Drakthars Way. Poor Duskblade got backstabbed by 4 goblin sneaks in the same round. Luckily due to some poor rolling on their part he survived. Went we left off they had just captured a couple goblins, and forced them to show em how to get to Drakthars throne room. They got them past most of the dungeon without a fight. |
