OK at the end of chapter 1 the heroes should have the four children. Then the Boholder shows up to take one of the kids back to the same place that the PCs plan on taking him...or at least should be taking him. Also, the PCs don't get the full reward if they don't return all four kids, but all four kids eventually end up back at the orphanage. So, do the PCs get credit for that?
Can the PC convince the Beholder that they are going to return all four kids to the orphanage?
Also, why make his presence known, and hint at the value of the boy, when he could have his minion check in on the auction invisibily, and then track the kids to a place more appropriate of a "rescue" without leaving witnesses?
If he discovered that the PCs were returning the kids to the orphanage, he would not have to act at all.
ASEO out
OK at the end of chapter 1 the heroes should have the four children. Then the Boholder shows up to take one of the kids back to the same place that the PCs plan on taking him...or at least should be taking him. Also, the PCs don't get the full reward if they don't return all four kids, but all four kids eventually end up back at the orphanage. So, do the PCs get credit for that?
In my game they will. I mean all four are back safe. The fact that they didn't escort one of them back doesn't mean they shouldn't get the reward.
Can the PC convince the Beholder that they are going to return all four kids to the orphanage?
At this point I don't think so. Lord Vhalantru has already made the effort to come and get him. He will make sure that the players don't mess it up somehow and return the one kid he wants back safely.
Also, why make his presence known, and hint at the value of the boy, when he could have his minion check in on the auction invisibily, and then track the kids to a place more appropriate of a "rescue" without leaving witnesses?If he discovered that the PCs were returning the kids to the orphanage, he would not have to act at all.
ASEO out
Well I think a lot of this has to do with the storyline in order to give the players a foreshadowing that there is more to this encounter than a simple slave trade incedent. Lord Vhalantru could have gotten the kids secretly at any time, but it's just better storywise to freak out the players with a beholder at such a low level and give them the knowledge that something larger looms on the horizon. :)
Vhlantru can't teleport or scry, Thifirane Rhiavadi has to do it. They are watching Terrem waiting for him to be sold so that they can take him back and keep the gold. At this point, they probably don't know about the PCs.
So the way I see this is, Thifirane is scrying Terrem/Kaz and sees that the sale is about to occur. She drops the scry, gets Vhlantru, and they teleport him. In the meantime, the PCs have burst in as well. Those 2 should be surprised at the PCs presence.
Depending on how things go, I think the PCs could talk Vhlantru into letting them take Terrem back.I see Vhlantru saying something ambiguouis like "I'm sorry, but this little one is mine." If the PCs answer that they want him, then a fight ensues. If the PCs answer and mention the orphanage, then Vhlantru might relent.
The Vhalantru encounter railroads the PC's as written in the magazine. I'm not sure how the HC deals with it. I hear there are some improvements, though.
The purpose of the encounter is not for the PC's achieve certain goals (such as rescuing the orphans or killing the evil slaver. Rather it introduces part of the story arch and one of the main villains of the AP.
From that perspective, the outcome of the encounter is not that important. As long as the PC's figure out a beholder is active in cauldron and needs these orphans for some reason.
Still, that's not a very good in-game explenation of why the events transpire as they do.
In my campaign, Kazmojen is a member of the Last Laugh (and sort of a big-wig at that). Vhalantru is the Last Lagh Guildmaster. The way I figured the encounter is that someone bungled on protecting Terrem. Vhalantru, has to set an example. Not only towards his minions within the Last Laugh, but also towards his partners the Cagewrights. So he decides to do a flashy appearance and the disintegrate Kazmojen. He leaves everyone else alive, as witnesses. As a matter of fact, He times his appearance so that the greatest number of witnesses are available; right at the time the party shows up.
After taking Terrem, Vhalantru immediately leaves, without listening to the party or explaining his actions. As a matter of fact, it could come as a complete surprise when the party sees Terrem back at the orphanage instead of dead, enslaved or worse. Of course, the pcs have a choice: say nothing and claim their reward, or mention Vhalantru and risk getting to reward at all.
As for the Last Laugh: If they hear of the execution of a high-up in their organisation they be worried. Either because a group of low-level adventurers defeated one of their high-ups, or because it was not the adventurers but their own guildmaster that did the killing.
Actually I figured Vhalantru really didn't know where the kids were (otherwise, show up, disintegrate, take Terrem, problem solved) so he's been keeping tabs on the players via Thifirane Rhiavadi scrying.
Since Vhalantru shows up x rounds (3?) into the start of the final battle/negotiation in Life's Bazaar, I figured that was enough time for Thifirane to get Vhalantru, say, "My lord, the fools have found the boy," and teleport the two of them in. When Vhalantru showed up the battle was far from decided, the PC's could have lost, the kid could have gone off into slavery and that would have been a bigger pain in the ass than grabbing him as soon as he was found.
The HC does say that the Beholder knows where the kid is, and that he waits until the auction is completed because he gets some of the cash from it as a kickback. So he wants the kid sold, and counts on his ability to take the kid from the buyer...Only to send the kid back to the orphanage, which _should_ be what the PCs are also trying to do. I do like the thoufght of the PCs losing the kid to the Beholder, only to find the kid back at the orphanage.
How about a DUNGEON limited edition Beholder mini available through this site so that DMs running this adventure won't have to spend $50 to buy a beholder mini, or use fruit to represent the Beholder.
Miniatures as Game aids. What a concept.
ASEO out
CEO
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How about a DUNGEON limited edition Beholder mini available through this site so that DMs running this adventure won't have to spend $50 to buy a beholder mini, or use fruit to represent the Beholder.
I wish we could do that. But our contract with Wizards of the Coast doesn't allow us to do limited edition miniatures, and since Beholders aren't in the SRD, we can't use them in our encounter packs either.
Lisa Stevens
CEO
I wish we could do that. But our contract with Wizards of the Coast doesn't allow us to do limited edition miniatures, and since Beholders aren't in the SRD, we can't use them in our encounter packs either.Lisa Stevens
CEO
Drat. Well thank you very much for looking into that.
ASEO out
Reaper puts out a fig called the Eye Tyrant (search their site for it) that's basically a Beholder.
I bought it and painted it months before we started running the AP. It was sitting on my shelf (too nice to get stuck in the figs case) and when I plunked it down at the end of Life's Bazaar there was an awful lot of swearing and "You've got to be kidding me!"
Then one of my players said, "You've been waiting to do that since last June, haven't you?"
And I just smiled.
Reaper puts out a fig called the Eye Tyrant (search their site for it) that's basically a Beholder.
Yeah, I have their old discontinued Evil Eye Lord which fits the bill, but it is a bout the size of a golf ball. ::sigh::
I'm guessing it and the hook hooror like thing that they used to have gor discontinued because of the close resembelance to non SRD critters. Still Behir is SRD, yet Reaper Calls theirs Dungeon Crawler or something like that...If I cant find the required D&D monster minis cheap and as singles. I always go to Reaper for the alternative. I just can't buy a random pack that I know will leave me with minis I don't want...
ASEO out
Golf Ball = beholder....cool idea...I have a bunch of those.
"I thought Vhalantru was an NXT, not a Dunlop LoCo?"
Golf Ball = beholder....cool idea...I have a bunch of those.
"I thought Vhalantru was an NXT, not a Dunlop LoCo?"
Add a couple of pipe cleaners tiped with black eye peas and some paint and there you go...Although I much prefer to have actual minis, but when the bullets are flying you adapt and overcome.
ASEO out