I am currently running the SCAP over at rpol.net. I have set in the Forgotten Realms in the Chultan Penninsula. We are currently in the character creation stage.
I want to give the characters more reason to save their home, so I am using an Idea I saw in another thread about having the PC's each know an NPC in the city. (I would give proper credit where it's due, but I can't seem to find where I saw the post, sorry). But for some of the characters, it seems a little difficult. I am looking for personal friends or mentors, or family.
Here are the Characters:
Ellywick Mispas: Female Rock Gnome Sorceror 1
Ankar Drakborn: Male Tiefling Rogue 1
Erithias Aravis: Male Human Urban Ranger 1
Denon: Male Human Bard 1
???: Monk
???: Cleric
Ellywick has the Wyrmblooded trait and I have made her Tygot's rebelious daughter.
Ankar has the Scarred Soul trait, and has it in his background that his parents were killed because of his fathers heritage. So know he has been stealing what he can to live in the Redgorge area. I am looking for an NPC that he would know or something of the sort in Cauldron.
Erithias has taken the Scion of Sundabar trait, and has chosen the Last Laugh as is Favored Enemy. Now I have suggested a reason why he would have the organization as his FE, one of the ranking member killed a loved one, maybe it was Velior Thazo that killed the person. Again, looking for someone he would know in Cauldron.
Denon has also taken Scion of Sundabar trait. He is looking to take the Seeker of the Song PrC later on. Not sure who he would know in the city.
I am waiting on the Monk's sheet, but I do know that the player was interested in the Tattooed Monk PrC.
I am also waiting on the Cleric's sheet. He may be interested in the Shuandukal(sp?) as his diety, so maybe he wants to get in with the Striders.
Thats basically all I can think of for info. Any help would be appreciated. If there are any questions, I will answer them to the best of my ability.
Thanks.
Ellywick has the Wyrmblooded trait and I have made her Tygot's rebelious daughter.
This should work pretty well.
Ankar has the Scarred Soul trait, and has it in his background that his parents were killed because of his fathers heritage. So know he has been stealing what he can to live in the Redgorge area. I am looking for an NPC that he would know or something of the sort in Cauldron.
I had tremendous success with substituting the rogue in my group (also a tiefling orphan) with Patch, the rogue at the Lantern Street Orphanage. The pressure put on the character by an angry Jil from the Last Laugh worked great to push her into the adventure.
Erithias has taken the Scion of Sundabar trait, and has chosen the Last Laugh as is Favored Enemy. Now I have suggested a reason why he would have the organization as his FE, one of the ranking member killed a loved one, maybe it was Velior Thazo that killed the person. Again, looking for someone he would know in Cauldron.
First, Let me say that I am very pleased to see someone else using Sundabar as their "Cauldron," I thought it was an excellent choice in the Forgotten Realms.
That said, I would probably do a couple of things with this character. First I would have them familiar with the personalities at the Lucky Monkey (I called it the Wolves' Den in my game as Lucky Monkey didn't make much sense up by Sundabar). Friends with a few of the staff, the inkeeper, and perhaps already knowing Shensen Tesseril. This way when Flood Season hits, it will be personal.
As for his ties to Cauldron, how about either already knowing or being related to a kidnap victim or one of his associates at the Lucky Monkey being a friend or relative of kidnap victim and asking for his aid in tracking them down.
Denon has also taken Scion of Sundabar trait. He is looking to take the Seeker of the Song PrC later on. Not sure who he would know in the city.
For this one I would let the PC know many of the personalities who frequent the bars and taverns of Cauldron. The Tipped Tankard would be a great choice as they had a bartender who was kidnapped and later the cook turns out to be a Last Laugh informant. Might be fun to have this character be the brother (or whatever) of someone like Skyler Krewis as well.
I am waiting on the Monk's sheet, but I do know that the player was interested in the Tattooed Monk PrC.
Tough to say where to go with this one with out more info on what the PC wants. My monk decided to be a worshiper of Kelemvor and that fit nicely into the story with having him a member of that church (subbed for Wee Jas). However the player quit so it won't be as fun for him, but I will have the character turned to evil and come back in later chapters. Find out what god or order he would like to be associated with and let us know... I will try and give more ideas then.
I am also waiting on the Cleric's sheet. He may be interested in the Shuandukal(sp?) as his diety, so maybe he wants to get in with the Striders.
I had a player (in this case an elven cleric) who came in as a Harper (replaced Striders in my game) agent. Meerthan was using her to keep tabs inside the group to get information as well as test and groom her for full membership.
Thats basically all I can think of for info. Any help would be appreciated. If there are any questions, I will answer them to the best of my ability.
I would also recommend searching back in the archives for things like character background... there were some pretty lengthy suggestions and examples of what others have already done.
Sean Mahoney
I had tremendous success with substituting the rogue in my group (also a tiefling orphan) with Patch, the rogue at the Lantern Street Orphanage. The pressure put on the character by an angry Jil from the Last Laugh worked great to push her into the adventure.
That could work. Although, I may want to try and bring Jil up as an ally fo sorts. Like helping to find out who in the Last Laugh harmed the Rangers loved one.
First, Let me say that I am very pleased to see someone else using Sundabar as their "Cauldron," I thought it was an excellent choice in the Forgotten Realms.
That said, I would probably do a couple of things with this character. First I would have them familiar with the personalities at the Lucky Monkey (I called it the Wolves' Den in my game as Lucky Monkey didn't make much sense up by Sundabar). Friends with a few of the staff, the inkeeper, and perhaps already knowing Shensen Tesseril. This way when Flood Season hits, it will be personal.
As for his ties to Cauldron, how about either already knowing or being related to a kidnap victim or one of his associates at the Lucky Monkey being a friend or relative of kidnap victim and asking for his aid in tracking them down.
My bad, I meant the Scion of Surabar. Don't know how I confused the two words. Like I mentioned before, I am placing Cauldron in the Chultan Penninsula, in the mountains east of the Jungles.
But, otherwise, that sounds good. I hadn't thought of the Lucky Monkey.
For this one I would let the PC know many of the personalities who frequent the bars and taverns of Cauldron. The Tipped Tankard would be a great choice as they had a bartender who was kidnapped and later the cook turns out to be a Last Laugh informant. Might be fun to have this character be the brother (or whatever) of someone like Skyler Krewis as well.
I like this one, I had thought about making someone friends or brother of Skyler Krewis.
Anyways, thanks for the help. When I get them, I will post the info for the other two characters if I have trouble figuring something else.
Well I just got info from the Cleric
Larien Telrúnya: Female Moon Elf Cleric of Sehanine Moonbow 1
She has the Nobility trait. What background she has is that her family has a plantation near Cauldron. She spent a year in Waterdeep where she became a cleric so she can help her brother who is Dream Haunted. She is trying to help him either get rid of his dreams of help him understand what is being revealed to him in his dreams.
Any suggestions on who she would know in Cualdron. I'm guessing something to do with the Coy Nixie.
Well I just got info from the Cleric
Larien Telrúnya: Female Moon Elf Cleric of Sehanine Moonbow 1
She has the Nobility trait. What background she has is that her family has a plantation near Cauldron. She spent a year in Waterdeep where she became a cleric so she can help her brother who is Dream Haunted. She is trying to help him either get rid of his dreams of help him understand what is being revealed to him in his dreams.
Any suggestions on who she would know in Cualdron. I'm guessing something to do with the Coy Nixie.
****BIG SPOILER WARNING IN MY REPLY BELOW*********
* Do not read if you are a player in the AP*
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I'd provide a list and description of the nobles in Cauldron and let the player come up with a few different attachments/ties/relationships both friendly and unfriendly with some of them. A little noble rivalry is great in a setting like this, especially when later in the campaign, the character finds out that those she chose as her "allies" are among the very people she's trying to stop.
The player who took the Nobility trait in my game made life very difficult for me when, after reading the background material on Cauldron, decided she wanted to be the illegitimate daughter of Lord Vhalantru's sister and a wood elf druid. To make matters even stickier, her mother had been engaged to the Lord Mayor prior to this occuring, and the two remained secret lovers, though propriety forbid they should ever wed after the scandal.
I almost fainted when she told me this, but quickly composed myself and figured out a way to make it work.
There really was a human lord Vhalantru in the Cauldron region in my game, and he did have a sister (who lives on a separate manor outside of the city). The beholder slay him (actually, he's now one of the stone statues in Vhalantru's estate) and assumed his identity, charming and conditioning the girl's mother to believe he is truly her brother. As the two live apart, and the mother is rather cloistered, it works out. The daughter, the PC was just a baby when all this occurred, and is none-the-wiser, thinking her uncle is simply a busy man who works as a close advisor to the Lord Mayor.
I kind of role-played a momentary stutter in the beholder's voice when he broke into the Malachite Hold in Life's Bazaar, and saw his "niece" leading the party of adventurers facing Kazmojen. None of the players noticed it. It should be very interesting when later on, she finds out that not only is her "dear uncle Severen" missing, but her "dear uncle Vhalantru" is behind it, and is not her "dear uncle" at all!
Yeah, thats mostly what I did. I gave her a list of Noble families, from one of the documents at the rpgenious site.
I made it where her familiy has membership at the Cusp of Sunrise, and where she was good friends with many of the people at the Temple of Tyr(St. Cuthbert).
Its all worked out. But still waiting on the Monk character.
Ok, Now I have the Monk.
Mai Silvertail: Female Wood Elf Monk 1
She has the Mark of the Beast(tiger) trait.
Has goofy personality.
What would be a good FR diety for her to have and who would she know in the City?
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Two things:
One - If someone knows the seedier side of Cauldron he should know of Artus Shemwick. In my campaign he works as a broker for hired work (and information) in another very seedy tavern ("Bittere Neige" - translated as "Bitter Remains", but that doesn't give the title enough credit, you cannot translate really good sounding titles - "Tipped Tankard" - "Drunken Morkoth" - "Lucky Monkey", there is always more than one meaning in it, or a translation does not have the alliteration in it or conveys only the main meaning, but not the nuances... rant off).
Two - The House of Tercival was a noble house some years ago. In my campaign the reason for the absence of Alek is that (s)he (in my campaign the paladin is female) seraches for the long lost brother (of course killed by Velio Thazo), because (s)he had vision in his/her dreams (sent by Adimarchus of course, weakening the mental state of him/her). So if you need a person who a) needs a connection to a noble house and b) seeks vengeance against the Last Laugh and c) is also a childhood friend or brother of Jenya Urekas...
Ok, here we go agian. I am going to be running this at the table this weekend, again in the Forgotten Realms. And again I am having trouble with trying to give the PC's someone to know in the city. I got 6 PC's, 4 I know about for sure.
Sun Elf Wizard - Originally from Silverymoon, interested in knowing about monsters and war. I can't think of what to do about this one.
Gold Dwarf Fighter - Can't remember where he is supposed to be from, but he is also a weaponsmith. I was thinking of either with local smithy, Gurnezarn or one of the dwarfs that were kidnapped.
Human Ranger - Also not a local, he is looking for a Gnome friend of his, which will probably be one of the gnomes that was kidnapped.
Human Fighter - Local guy who has an interest in big weapons who sees himself as a kind of merc. Maybe a friend of Sergent Krewis.
THe others I don't have much info about them yet. One sounds like he is going to be a Fighter focusing on a polearm weapon, and the other will most likely be rogue or bard.
Any suggestions for the four mentioned above?
Try this site, it has the best backstory to introduce the party to Cauldron i've seen:
http://scap.teknohippy.com/default.aspx/theShackledCity/sessionone.html
I want to check this out but it requires a login. Can you get permission to copy and paste?
Ok, here we go agian. I am going to be running this at the table this weekend, again in the Forgotten Realms. And again I am having trouble with trying to give the PC's someone to know in the city. I got 6 PC's, 4 I know about for sure.
Sun Elf Wizard - Originally from Silverymoon, interested in knowing about monsters and war. I can't think of what to do about this one.
If interested from a historical perspective, I might try to tie this into the Demon Wars of Surabar Spellmason and the fiends of the Demonskar. Considering this area is historically (and in some cases, currently) populated with yuan-ti, dragons, giants, and demons, I'd say the monster angle is fairly easy to exploit. Finally, you could always introduce a professor at the Bluecrater Academy to satisfy this character's curiosity.
Gold Dwarf Fighter - Can't remember where he is supposed to be from, but he is also a weaponsmith. I was thinking of either with local smithy, Gurnezarn or one of the dwarfs that were kidnapped.
Good angle. Perhaps if with the former, he (and his compatriots) can avoid the markup at Gurnezarn's. If with the latter, I'd recommend him not being able to find the dwarf as Kaz had already sold him a few weeks prior.
Human Ranger - Also not a local, he is looking for a Gnome friend of his, which will probably be one of the gnomes that was kidnapped.
Maybe this friend of his isn't found until the PCs come upon the Tree of Shackled Souls . . .
Human Fighter - Local guy who has an interest in big weapons who sees himself as a kind of merc. Maybe a friend of Sergent Krewis.
You might also consider a passing/casual acquaintance of Zarn Kyass (in guise of Blue Duke).
THe others I don't have much info about them yet. One sounds like he is going to be a Fighter focusing on a polearm weapon, and the other will most likely be rogue or bard.
Any suggestions for the four mentioned above?
Try this site, it has the best backstory to introduce the party to Cauldron i've seen:
http://scap.teknohippy.com/default.aspx/theShackledCity/sessionone.html
Thanks CS. Ironically though they do meet in an Inn!
I want to check this out but it requires a login. Can you get permission to copy and paste?
Try this link here, you only need to login to edit.
I am currently running the SCAP over at rpol.net. I have set in the Forgotten Realms in the Chultan Penninsula. We are currently in the character creation stage.
I want to give the characters more reason to save their home, so I am using an Idea I saw in another thread about having the PC's each know an NPC in the city. (I would give proper credit where it's due, but I can't seem to find where I saw the post, sorry). But for some of the characters, it seems a little difficult. I am looking for personal friends or mentors, or family.
If you are starting using the Aid Rufus encounter, the PC's dont need any connection to the city. You can allow them to be swept into life's bazzar, then gradually as they get to know and care for its citizens, they begin to think of Cauldron as home.