I'm starting AoW and setting it in Forgotten Realms, my players are 7th level and I'm trying to think of the best way to do it. I'm considering skipping Whispering Cairn, having its plot details explained in the "preamble" and letting them run through 3FoE with the adversaries upgraded to 5/6 EL levels, just to get them into it without too much difficulty. My gut told me to start with 3FoE so that there were at least two scenarios before they have to go to Waterdeep (Free City).
Sounds reasonable.
So, anyone had issues with the translation to Forgotten Realms? I'm still a little confused about the whole origin story -- does the FR version still use Kyuss or does Jergal (Lord of the End of Everything) replace him?
Jergal is in addition to Kyuss. Jergal does replace Kyuss. In effect, Kyuss is Jergal's puppet, manipulated by a plot set in motion aeons ago.
Also, has anyone noticed that in the Web Enhancement for AoW's "Forgotten Realms" translation article they mention that the WoTC Web Enhancements for "Waterdeep -- City of Splendors" details the areas around Daggerford (Diamond Lake) when it actualiy it does not (it merely details noble houses)?
There's a long-delayed, second web enhancement planned. It's release has slipped to March '06 I'm told. After all this time, I'm worried folks have built it up to be more than it is. It's simply a geographic overview for the environs of Waterdeep. Hopefully it gives good ideas for DM's needing a sidetrek in the Waterdeep area.
Any suggestions around FR translation and starting AoW with higher level characters appreciated.
One thing some folks have done is break 3 Faces of Evil up into 3 separate dungeons. If you're starting from Waterdeep, skipping Diamond Lake, you could mix and match between 3 Faces of Evil and Blackwell Keep. Perhaps one of the 3 temples is in Waterdeep. The second might be in the Lizard Marsh and the third might be under Mount Illefarn (see the old module N5 - Under Illefarn.) The PCs could end up exploring Blackwell Keep while they're still figuring out the Ebon Triad.
Just an idea that needs some work.
--Eric
So Erik I don't want to sound picky but I'm not sure I'm less confused here you saySo, anyone had issues with the translation to Forgotten Realms? I'm still a little confused about the whole origin story -- does the FR version still use Kyuss or does Jergal (Lord of the End of Everything) replace him?Jergal is in addition to Kyuss. Jergal does replace Kyuss. In effect, Kyuss is Jergal's puppet, manipulated by a plot set in motion aeons ago.
Jergal is in addition to Kyuss. Jergal does replace Kyuss.
I those two phrase you say he's in addition but actually replaces Kyuss so which is it. I'm a but confused on the plotline as well. My players are currently in 3FoE and I'm getting them all pump up on Kyuss and him coming with the age of worm and all that, but I remember reading in the various supplements and AOW overload about Jergal being the one pulling the strings so is Kyuss the one coming back or will it be actually Jergal... In the Overload it states Kyuss comes out of the monolith in Alhaster I think so will we replace all this with Jergal? Thanks for lurking and answering all these pesky questions Erik.
Cheers,
ET
So Erik I don't want to sound picky but I'm not sure I'm less confused here you say
Jergal is in addition to Kyuss. Jergal does replace Kyuss.I those two phrase you say he's in addition but actually replaces Kyuss so which is it.
Yikes! I meant to say "Jergal does NOT replace Kyuss."
I'm a but confused on the plotline as well. My players are currently in 3FoE and I'm getting them all pump up on Kyuss and him coming with the age of worm and all that, but I remember reading in the various supplements and AOW overload about Jergal being the one pulling the strings so is Kyuss the one coming back or will it be actually Jergal... In the Overload it states Kyuss comes out of the monolith in Alhaster I think so will we replace all this with Jergal? Thanks for lurking and answering all these pesky questions Erik.
Cheers,
ET
Nope. Nothing in the Age of Worms changes when set in the Realms. It's all about Kyuss.
The secret backstory is that if Kyuss succeeds, then Jergal will take over the world. This is revealed to only the PCs (and possibly only one PC) in the Spire of Long Shadows in a series of secondary visions unknown even to Ao or the "nice" Jergal. It's up to your PCs what they do with that information.
I haven't read any farther than you, so I don't know if I'll get a chance to work a reference to Jergal in the backstory in the adventure's after the city of giants adventure.
So Ian, I'm with you, I made Diamond lake a little off the map town just south-est Daggerford that way I didn't have to change much, specifically the names and all that. The Lizard Marsh is still the focus of EBK and most of the change Erik suggest are all good. I didn't even change the Aaqa and all and the Rod and queen of chaos although these are Greyhawk mythos we aren't supper Realms freak that we need to not have those. So I don't mind using the Greyhawk stuff in FR.
Thanks Erik for clearing up the Jergal/Kuyss conondrum ;-). My NPC's have been praising and claiming high the return of Kyuss and his worms so i'll just keep doing this. I really like your note and secondary vision in for the SOLS supplement. So Jergal is there but as a possible uber god once the PCs defeat Kyuss in the last AOW adventure, could spawn some cool Epic stuff. So question does Jergal even remember doing what he did or will it all come together to him in the last adventure? or not at all?
Cheers,
ET
I don't beleive Jergal remembers any of this. He went all "Total Recall" and erased his own memory, because if he knew of his own plot, then Ao would know about his plot, and well, it wouldn't get very far at that point.
I don't beleive Jergal remembers any of this. He went all "Total Recall" and erased his own memory, because if he knew of his own plot, then Ao would know about his plot, and well, it wouldn't get very far at that point.
Correct. Jergal deliberately does not remember this. This puts a Jergal-worshipping PC who figures it out in a very odd position. Do they help the Jergal they know or the Jergal they don't?
--Eric
Ian:
Curious as to why you started them at 7th level? Were they established characters?
I think, in your shoes, I'd get out of the 3FoE asap. Have them clean out one of them temples and, just as they're heading back out to the elevator, have a mass exodus by all the other cultists as the Aspect arises. A huge battle to control the elevator, while the EA is crunching grimlocks left and right. This would limit the amount of xp from the combat, while giving the chance to loot the temples, to some extent.
|
My players have grumbled about starting again at 1st level now and then, but by the time they reach 5th-7th level, they are far more fond of their characters, the campaign, et al.
To get them out of the "1st level sucks" mode, I've run a one-off with them at a higher level (and then proceed to be ... um ... firm but fair ... and less than charitable about what they encounter). It seems to relieve their need for higher level adventures.
Yeah, we play a lot, though (the one-off doesn't hold much appeal then), and they are all veteran players (25+years; i.e. set in their ways and "firm but fair" is how I have to run EVERYTHING) so it's just something everyone's decided, they want to play nothing less than 7th level... but that's fine, it just becomes our "1st level" for all intents and purposes! What is nice, though, is that all my players really use the advanced levels to make detailed characters -- so they have reasons why multiclassing has gone on or why a character is going into a prestige class, etc. It's actually pretty fun to take these lower level modules and make them tougher -- I get to add the usual "spicing up" I do to a pre-written Dungeon anyway while I"m doing it.
Hello all.
First off, since this is my first post I just want to thank Eric Mona and everyone else at Paizo for doing such a great job on the magazine and everything else from Paizo.
Now that my gushing is out of the way, I'll put my two cents in on this topic.
This subject has actually been addressed at least once before, in a slightly different way. IMHO, I don't think the overload really takes in the full scope of the FR setting, particularly the strong effect the Pantheon has on the settings inhabitants and subsequently the PC's.
After reading all the adventures thoroughly up to CB, and after reading the discussions on threads related to this subject, I came up with solutions to most of the issues of cross over.
1. As it was mentioned in this thread, I also made "Diamond Lake" (Daggerfall in my game) an off the map mining town, run nominally by the nearby town of Daggerford. It kind of becomes their across the river scumb-bag dumping ground, where they send all the people they don't want in their city.
Regarding other local's in the AP, I'm fine with Waterdeep being the Freecity, all other local's will be dealt with later.
2. I've run a few pre-adventures in which I worked a few clues as to what was going on into them, as well as leveled up my PC's so they can have a chance of better handling the challenges faced in the AP.
3. I found the "dead three" idea for the Ebon Triad intriguing, but ultimately not very accessable (not a whole lot of info on them), and mostly because I just couldn't see the Faceless One being a Murkul worshiper.
I decided to use a triumverate that used gods who were in decline, or who were up and coming, and one of which that isn't entirely evil. I'll post the ones I decided upon later, as I can't recall all of them off the top of my head.
That about covers everything. I look forward to any feedback.
-ToA
This is way over due and i don't want to sound like the fanboy but this Jergal subtext is brilliant. I have always kinda wondered why a god would claim to be bored with divinity and give his powers to 3 mortals...isn't that tantamount to suicide? Sorta like the Q in voyager who wanted to be mortal so he could die..
Anyway, it makes much more sense now, Jergal becomes a bit player so that even Ao doesn't realize what he has got cooked up.
Makes the age of worms even more ominous..I mean seriously, Kyuss is a bad ass and all but how is he any worse than Bane...Jergal becoming the new Ao..now that is frightening..