I've recently abandoned my current AoW campaign, due to an intense interest to run another that I've been brewing over for some time, but I hope to return to the AP sometime in the future, possibly with a new group. My interest in it is still high, and I think I actually enjoy taking a brake from it, so I can make all the changes I need to, to all the adventures, before hand.
One thing that gets me seems to be a pretty common complaint. What's with all the research? I'm fine with some secrets being near unknowable, or taking years of looking through musty tomes. However, I don't think it works well as presented in the AP so far. We're up to the point where the party has seen Kyuss' face itself, but, it seems to me, very little of what they know has come from any of the people they went to see (Allustand, Eligos, etc.).
I keep having to mull over the AP so far, rehearsing things in my head, "Okay, what does the party know at this point, and what do I know? What exactly are the clues that led them here? What questions are they asking, what ones have they answered, and what ones are they currently working on?" It can seem a bit disjointed at times.
So, what have other people done about it? I think I'd like to rework things so that one very clear question is posed at a time, then answered, only to open up one or two more very clear questions, which are then answered again fairly quickly. This seems to mainly be a matter of going back and working over some of the basic plot lines and role playing sections in each adventure, nothing too difficult. I'd also like there to be a bigger separation between the Ebon Triad and Kyuss. The party can learn in WC, from Filge, that the Ebon Triad has connections to a being called Kyuss. I'd like the two to be presented in seemingly totally unrelated plots that only later become interwoven, culminating in the party's realization that Kyuss is the force behind the Ebon Triad.
None of this will be too hard, at least I don't think it will be. But, I just thought I'd throw it out here on the boards to see what other people have done, or what suggestions they might have. I'm running a pretty generic D&D homebrew, just as a side note. Thanks to everyone in advance!
True, the let's go visit this mage to see if they know anything hook is a bit overused.
Personally I see no need to use it to get the group to Blackwall Keep. Filge mentions unkillable zombies sited in the swamps and Theldrick's journals mention the lizardfolk in the swamps, so you could have Allustan recomend a trip simply to check that situation out.
The link to Marzena then shifts from someone who has seen the worms and may have more info, to someone who can put the group up for a bit while they explore the region. By this point, with the green worms cropping up in multiple areas, a research trip to the Free City makes a bit more sense.
True, the let's go visit this mage to see if they know anything hook is a bit overused.
Personally I see no need to use it to get the group to Blackwall Keep. Filge mentions unkillable zombies sited in the swamps and Theldrick's journals mention the lizardfolk in the swamps, so you could have Allustan recomend a trip simply to check that situation out.The link to Marzena then shifts from someone who has seen the worms and may have more info, to someone who can put the group up for a bit while they explore the region. By this point, with the green worms cropping up in multiple areas, a research trip to the Free City makes a bit more sense.
That is exactly what I am planning to do.
Peace and smiles :)
j.
Thanks for the idea. I love the marsh adventure, but didn't like the hook.
I've been doing a lot of politicking in Diamond Lake--the players currently owe a favor to Smenk, and I believe they will be owing one to Filge before long. Both of these persons would be very interested in the marsh, so I was thinking of having them call in a favor of the players by sending them to Blackwall.
The hook to get to Blackwall was pretty bad. Especially taken into context that they had plans to use at least 2 if not more "lets go see the wizard" type hooks. My party hasn't reached that point yet, but its definatly going to be changed in my campaign.
My group is currently taking out the Ebon Triad after they made a "deal with the Devil" in the form of a bargain with an Evil Cleric of Bane in forgotten Realms. The Banites are upset that a splinter group fractured off to join the Ebon Triad, and are a bit worried about the rumblings in the pantheon caused by the coming AoW. In exchange he has information and an item they seek. Once they leave the temple, they will be instructed to travel to Blackwall in order to meet his underling who is a spy in the army of Hillsfar (my Free city). The underling will of course be the one missing from the keep forcing the party to give chase or meet a deadend.
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The hook to get to Blackwall was pretty bad. Especially taken into context that they had plans to use at least 2 if not more "lets go see the wizard" type hooks. My party hasn't reached that point yet, but its definatly going to be changed in my campaign.
My group is currently taking out the Ebon Triad after they made a "deal with the Devil" in the form of a bargain with an Evil Cleric of Bane in forgotten Realms. The Banites are upset that a splinter group fractured off to join the Ebon Triad, and are a bit worried about the rumblings in the pantheon caused by the coming AoW.
Now that Dungeon#130 is out by now, will you replace Manzorian with Manshoon? He's way better than the dull Allustan and Eligos.
In exchange he has information and an item they seek. Once they leave the temple, they will be instructed to travel to Blackwall in order to meet his underling who is a spy in the army of Hillsfar (my Free city). The underling will of course be the one missing from the keep forcing the party to give chase or meet a deadend.
Now that Dungeon#130 is out by now, will you replace Manzorian with Manshoon? He's way better than the dull Allustan and Eligos.
Nope. I don't want them entirely working with evil folks. Just it tied into their campaign plotline that led into the Age of Worms. I skipped whispering Cairn, as they were already 3rd and 4th level, so I needed a hook to get them to Haptooth (Diamond Lake). Once they recover the spy, he will arrange for them to meet with the bad guy they are working for in Hillsfar (my Free City). They are really looking forward to smashing him, and I will probably make him turn doppleganger when he dies tying completely into Harsh Reflections. When they confronted him at level 3, He had a Death Tyrant under his control that scared them terribly. Once they get a chance to level the scores it will have been a long time coming.
It will tie up the loose ends and dovetail back into the AoW plotline nicely. Manzorian will be an associate of their deceased mentor that got them working together in the first place. Since he's no longer around for advice (the mentor that is) they will have to turn to his friend.
It ends up being a lot less "go see wizard A, then go see wizard B, then go see wizard C" plotline.
The wizard trapped in the whispering Cairn will be Filge, who they turned over to the authorities at the beginning of 3 Faces. They felt like he had information that he was hiding, which will be confirmed when they find that the black dragon was looking for him to silence him. He agreed to work with the city to stop the undead plague for a reduced sentance.
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next adventure, i'm encourgeing my players to do at least a little research on their own for a change. i mean rogues and bards have gather information and Knowledge(history) to comb the taverns and streets, Wizards have knowledge(arcana) and Spellcraft, and clerics sholud have contacts at the temple.They will only go to a sage to confirm what they(the party) already know. If Gandalf could learn about the One Ring
in the fellowship of the ring by showing him actually going to Minas trinth and studying some musty scrolls instead of going to Elrond. Then the players can do some of the sage's work for them.
next adventure, i'm encourgeing my players to do at least a little research on their own for a change.
Yeah, that was what I wanted to do until:
a) My players didn't succeed their knowledge, gather information and diplomacy checks.
b) The players didn't write anything down when talking to the sage.
I'm down to preparing crib sheets....
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I added a little more continuity between AoW #1, #2 and #3.
The note in Filge's pointing to the Ebon Triad and the worm found by the party were the main clues.
I had Allustan advise the party he was sending letters to former associates of his who were involved in the Circle of Eight. Eligos in in Greyhawk and Marzena, currently in the Swamps to the south near Blackwall Keep.
Eligos has information on the language and symbols that are part of some code in the Auran language to open the silver box the party revcovered from the Cairn. I have put one of the pieces of the Rod of Seven Parts in this box. The party has found it - but cannot yet open it. That comes later.
The information on the worms was sought by Allustan from Marzena. Marzena is a warmage, known to the warmage in my current party as well. Her involvement in the Circle of Eight will come as a surprise to him.
Eligos will reply - but Marzena has been silent.
The clue found in the Faceless One's quarters in the 3 Faces of Evil has been modified. The story is that the Ebon Triad believes that the being they mean to summon from the pool must be infected by the worms. They sought the worms from their source in the swamps, but on the way back from the swamp, the Ebon Triad's messangers appear to have suffered an "accident" with the worms. The shipment was lost.
The inference to be drawn is that the messengers, now infected spawn - are the unkillable zombies said to be recently seen in the Cairn Hils.
The Triad has recovered only one dead worm - and that was ultimately stolen by Smenk. Unknown to the Triad - but known to Smenk and the PCs, Filge managed to capture one of the unkillable zombies and was experimenting upon it in his laboratory. The PCs have seen the worms but not yet encountered a living Spawn of Kyuss.
The Triad has sent more messengers to the swamp recover more worms. The The trail of clues will lead the PCs to the swamp to intercept the messengers of the Triad and Allustan will insist that he accompanies the PCs to see what has become of Marzena.
I love the F.O. as a villain, so, when I start the campaign again, I think I'm going to have the party run into his minions around town during WC: strange men with dark, violent ways (Hextorites getting supplies), strange shadows from the corner of the eye (kenku). As they progress, I'll tie that back in (with some behind the scenes plot) to the F.O., who himself will eventually be appearing in the corner of their eyes as they make themselves known to him through their deeds, and because Vecna will be sending him visions.
The evidence from Filge will indicate the presence of a cult (Ebon Triad), and the par will move into 3FoE. As they go through the Labyrinth, I'll have the F.O. speak to them through a form of magical PA sytstem, taunting them and telling them of the futility of their efforts and such. NO MENTIONS of the AoW yet.
The F.O. will (hopefully) escape using some Potions of Gaseous Form. The party will find the worm in his lab. They then hear about strange undead in the marshes, and Allustan has reports from his friend, Marzena, about strange happenings concerning the lizardfolk tribes in a way indicative of the Ebon Triad's involvement. As they go through EaBK, searching for the F.O., they will hear about Kyuss for the first time, and see his handiwork with the worms and the spawn.
The F.O. isn't there, however. Marzena did see someone matching his (rather unique) description before she was beaten into unconsciousness, though. He mentioned going to (insert one's own name for Free City here). The party follows him, learns a bit about this "Kyuss" from Allustan's chum Eligos, and finally finds and kills the bugger with Zyrxog. They then find references incriminating Loris Raknian of involvement with the Ebon Triad. On to Champion's Belt!
It is in CB that the party learns for the first time that there is any connection between Kyuss and the Ebon Triad. However, the lead's temporarily run dry, when suddenly the party hear's from their old pal Allustan, who has finished excavating the WC. Now to GoW.
The PCs find Diamond Lake ravaged and Allustan missing. They head to the tomb and find the dragon. Illthane mentions Kyuss, but the party goes into GoW first. After that, Allustan recommends that the party goes to meet Manzorian (or whatever big wig you have in your campaign). He only knows a smidegon, and needs more. Enter SoLS.
From this point on, from everything that's happened thus far, it's pretty clear that the Kyuss threat is BIG, and needs to be dealt with.
The party should be doing most of the investigation themselves, with only small nudges and support from the various NPCs, and will be asking different questions to each one (if they have any at all, that is), rather than the same one over and over. There's also more of a development of the plot. Plus, you get a recurring villain (F.O.), which I love, and a more streamlined, intuitive plotline that is largely driven by the party's own motives and actions.