SimianNym's page

So I just started running this campaign last night, and my players have already really gotten into character! I began with some prologue roleplaying scenes to introduce the city, and one of them (a halfling merchant) was hasseled by Order of the Rack Hellknights.

Their response is to dive into researching Chelish legal code so that the next time a Hellknight gives them a hard time, they can beat them at their own game. I love this approach, but I'm trying to figure out the mechanics for it. I want it to possible (because it sounds like fun), but I imagine it should be really difficult.

I'm leaning towards giving the halfling a bonus to checks on debating legal code if they spend significant downtime researching it. If they want to go for something really specific, I might use a stripped down version of the Infernal Contracts in Book 5. Has anyone ran into something similar and/or does anyone have advice on how to run this?

Oh, I love the idea of setting Volluk up early! He's so spooky in a way that could really draw the players in (and make the payoff for Lasda better).

I do really enjoy the Harrow/astrology angle from Wrin though-- she just seems like a fun character. I'm a little intimidated to run a Harrow reading online, but maybe I can use that to foreshadow Volluk instead, and then the characters can see him snooping around somewhere looking for a back-up in case Lasda wears out as an anchor.

I'm running a session zero (on Foundry) for some old high school friends this Friday, and I've been playing around with a better hook than the one given in the AP to get them to care about Otari.

I've seen lots of suggestions about starting with the beginner box or a Founder's Day Festival, which both sound really fun. My concern is that we will probably only get to play a couple of times per month, and both of those options feel like they will take a couple of sessions to even start the AP. (I may incorporate the festival later between chapter 1 and chapter 2.)

Instead, I was thinking about stealing from Carrion Crown and having them find Wrin Sivinxi's body somewhere (or having it found by an NPC). I'm thinking that Wrin saw the Gauntlight and went to investigate and got killed in the ruins. That would give players a clear hook to Gauntlight and maybe a reason to ask around town and get to know some of the NPCs.

Can you think of any big consequences to not having Wrin around for the rest of the adventure? (I could also have another NPC like Oeseph die). Also, any ideas on what it is that killed her? I was thinking that the Flickerwisp might make sense, but I also love the idea of making her more knowledgeable about Gauntlight and Nhimbaloth (again, riffing on Professor Lorrimor)-- so maybe she got to the chapel and was killed on the way out?

I also appreciate any other thoughts or suggestions you have on how to start out the campaign!