Sean McDaniel's page

I had a similar issue as the OP, only one for my 5 PC's were 10th at the beginning.

But, like you said, adding Kaurophon as an NPC Sorc for most encounters, with Displacement, Blur, Cone of Cone, Greater Invis, etc, can really aid or beef up the party.

Also, I too the liberty to add an extra few traveling Random Encounters into the parties open travel time to the Citidale of Feathers. About 4 or 5, including some Ambush Drakes, a Lava Ooze, and a couple of Arrow Demons in the forest of bones. I lessened the number of enc participants to make is a doable challenge, as many one enc randoms per day are, but by the time they reached the Citidale of Feathers to begin the trial, I let them camp and train/gain exp and that was enough to boost several of them to 10th to continue the meat of the Adventure.

My party avoided 2 total Party Kills in this adventure, both I thought were excellently done.

First, they frontal assaulted the place, making noise and clatter as they went, the guard arrived and easily smacked em down in force.

But, they showed intelligence and surrendered. I tossed them in prison with the two NPC's in there, whom they befriended and planned an escape with their help.

Then, in the Main Temple Area, I was in the same boat as the OP, my party was spent against the Whips and such, with Aushanna and the High Priest possibly entering the fray any round now.

But again, intelligence saved them. They fought a quick defensive withdrawl back to the secret passage in the back wall of the courtyard area, and the Wizard used "Rope Trick" to hide them all for a bit in an extra dimensional space. This took care of Aushanna as she was only there, summoned or called, for a short time, and the guards searched of course, but assumed the PC's escaped during the hour or so they hid up in the space.

When the heat was off, they moved about quietly until they found a hold up area to rest, then resumed with full spells the next morning.

Very cool ideas I has thought, made for some tense, but very rewarding (for players and DM alike) gaming sessions!

Thinking of starting a SCAP campagin in Greyhawk. So far the buzz I have read on the series is very positive-which has made me very exicited to give it a try.

How long does it take to complete a SCAP campagin from level 1 to 20? How long for each module (hrs).

The reason I ask is that our group is notorious for having 100 different games at the same time. The longer the games, the less likely my group will finish it. The DM usually gets burnt out after 10+ sessions and we try something new. We probably do get back to the adventure, but at a later date.

We do have 2 new players to the group, so I am willing to start a new. But I am curious what is the average length of play.

My group of 5 players, averages about 4 to 5 game sessions per Adventure (we've completed Lifes Bazaar and Flood Season to date, beginning Zenith now). Each of our sessions is once a week, on Friday nights, lasting about 6 hours a session. We are a good mix between role playing and battle fury hehe.

So I would guess we are averaging about 25-35 hours of playing per adventure at this point.

I find that the source material is so rich, from the towns, to the thieves guilds, to the churches, to the lords and nobels, to the surrounding countryside, that there is alot players can get into and get interested in with this adventure series. You could probably stream line it some, but why cut you or your players short. Enjoy every moment of this rich series for what its worth.

Just curious, what FR deities did you use to replace the ones in Shackled City AP. Pelor/Lathander is pretty much a given, but when it comes to Wee-Jas, Kelemvor or Jurgal could be used. Even St. Cuthburt has multiple options. But what about Kord, who doesn't seem to have a FR deity counterpart that suits his position (unless you moved the AP to the Northern regions where Uthgard would suffice).

I went with Lathandar as the main temple of the Cauldron, with the other temple being to Tempus. So the people appreciate the good of Lathandar while the soldiers, mercs, and watch prefer the battle halls.

The other minor temples I included were a newer temple to Azuth, where sages and nobles seem to begin to flock. A minor temple that the newest to Khelemvor, with just one lone priest who runs the small place.

And the Riders, are the Riders of Shaundakal, the Traveler. Do gooders in the vein of the Harpers.

I had 3 PC deaths in Life's Bazaar, 2 deaths in Flood Season, 5 deaths in Zenith Trajectory, and 2 deaths in the Demonskar Legacy. Of all those deaths, I had 2 PC's die twice. I've only had 4 players up until now too. We're about 1/4 of the way into the Smoking Eye and nobody has died yet...

That doesn't count the time Ruphus was adventuring with them and died or the time the NPC rogue got bullrushed into the magical forge by the fire giant in the Demonskar.

One the of party has had the lone surviving character since the beginning...so far...

Great post!

In Life's Bazaar - No party members died for me.

In Flood Season - TPW (Total Party Wipe) in Triel's Room in the Fortress. The party was on fumes from prior encounters and said, "Lets try one more door, then rest". A few fumbles on natural ones later and TPW.

They lost Sensen the NPC, an NPC Cleric that joined them due to one player being out of town that week on vacation in RL, then their party, which had a 4th Paladin, 5th Monk, 5th Dwarven Samurai, 4th Earth Genassi Cleric, and a 4th Bard.

We put that campaign to the side over the Summer and now have another group 5th-6th level I have introduced to the Campaign and intend on picking up with the next adventure, Zenith Trajectory.