Preparing for SCAP

[Tysdaddy]

Greetings one and all!

First, let me say how impressed I am with this book. I got back into playing D&D a couple of years ago when my boy hit the right age and I got tired of buying Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Wow, how things have changed! I hadn't rolled the bones in more than fifteen years, it's good to be back, and Dungeon magazine has been a big help in getting me back into DMing and enjoying the game again. This will be the first MAJOR campaign I've DMed and I'm lookig for some advice.

I probably won't start running the campaign until sometime in May, so I have some time. I've downloaded the stuff from this site, I'm in the process of reading through the book, and I'm taking some notes to keep my mind on track. I've also perused this forum and have found some excellent information. It's especially cool to see some of the guys who worked on this campaign chiming in. Shows they care, and I appreciate it.

Have any of you come up with some house rules that have worked for you? How about specific limits regarding character creation? How did you introduce the campaign, and what were your first moments like? These are the kinds of things I'm interested in reading about. Any cool websites devoted to this campaign? Any helpful documentation regarding this city full of NPCs? Whatever. Throw it my way, and you may help someone else in the process as well.

I appreciate all your thougths in advance.

[christian mazel]

Here:
http://therpgenius.com/

[Tom Qadim]

christian mazel wrote:

Here:

http://therpgenius.com/

I've got a little site as well. Plunder at will.

www.scarlet-blades.com

[Tysdaddy]

Thanks for the websites, guys. I'll check them out in a bit.

I should have clarified that I have been DMing since I've started playing again. I ran a Friday night gaming group at my FLGS. We wandered in and around Saltmarsh for over a year and caused all kinds of mayhem and madness. I also have been leading a beginner's group for the store, teaching young and old alike to play D&D. So, this won't be my first time behind the screen.

What I'm looking for are your experiences in leading players down this adventure path. I know that is very general, but any and all comments will be generous food for thought. So, keep your comments coming, and know they are appreciated.

B

[evilash]

The most important thing to understand when running SCAP is that it's Cauldron that's the main character of the campaign. To make the campaign work for your players you must make Cauldron into a living breathing city that they really care about.

[Tysdaddy]

Yeah, that has been one of my main goals in running my group on Friday nights. I have been using Saltmarsh, as presented in the DMGII, as their base of operations, and my players all have a sense that they belong there and care about what goes on in and around the city. I enjoy "roleplaying" way more than "rollplaying" and that's what I'm trying to teach the kids in my group. They used to get bummed when a session went by with few rolls of the dice, but now they are starting to warm up to the idea of interacting with NPCs who are now trusted friends or bitter rivals. Cauldron is every bit as rich as Saltmarsh, and that's why I love this path so much.

I appreciate the information I found on the first website mentioned above. Apparently others feel the same way, and have gone to great lengths to make Cauldron a living part of this campaign.

Thanks again, and keep the thoughts coming!

B

[Gabor]

I started last Sunday with SCAP... a very mixed group, some totally new players, who gave ablility scores to their characters "just because they want to play a smart character" and some hardcore gamers who spend days of min-maxing on their build, looking for prestige classes and walking the edges of what they thougt i'd allow as DM :) I wonder how it works out...

In the end, I ended up with the next 7 players (7 because the hardcover advised 6, I like to DM big groups and cause it's not unusual 1 person can't make it for a session): HE druid, HE rogue, dwarf monk, dwarf ranger, human paladin, gray elf wiz (evoker) and gnome cleric.

I gave the characters the following info to start with: they had to play all young folks, for their race. All of them are natives of Cauldron. Last winter, they participated in the games on the flood festivals, and each won one of the games played there (archery, grappling, or some skill) in the 'youth contest'. They all won something, got to know each other in that way and got befriended, as a group. In the past 3/4 of a year, they hanged out, and recently got the idea to start adventuring together; cause of the general lack of adventurers in Cauldron, cause their abilities stack pretty well and cause they are all pretty "above average" in their fields (next to the very generous character creation system that SCAP recommends, they rolled bloody good!).

With this info, it's up to them to create now a character background, family history etc. They can decide whether they want to have family, live all their lives in the city, are brother/sister/having an afair with a party member, etc.

The first session I had started in the "tipped tankard", 'the tavern they usually hang out'. I told them about the recent dissapearences and that they figured out it would be a nice start for ther adventuring carreer... and that was the beginning.

Advantages of this start: all of the players have to play natives, they are already familiar with some of the locations and events that are bound to return (flood festival, tipped tankard, the lack of advanturers in Cauldron although they don't know why). Also, the barman of the tipped tankard is one of the missing persons, which is and extra drive (and I asked my players if one of them occasionally visits prostitutes... when one confirmed, I told him that his favorite prossy dissapeard about three months ago, but I can imagine this is not an adventurehook to use in every game).

First session was about 6 hours playing time, ended just after getting info out of Keyghan and just before entering Jzadirune. What cost my players the most time was not solving the riddle, but what to do with Keygan, since they strongly suspected him pretty early in the session but couldn't really figure out and agree on what the best way was to get more info out of him.

[Orcwart]

Starting this on the 2nd April. Going to have 4 players who are all human: Fighter, Ranger, Rogue and Cleric and each one has taken a trait from the hardcover.

They are all very experienced players so I'm not altering the encounters until I see they are having problems.

Each player is presenting me with a background. The only stipulation I have made is that they must end up in Cauldron.

The player with the Fighter has done an awesome background. He has the Child of Jzadirune trait and, although he is human, has worked this in beautifully. He was kidnapped as a boy from a village in the north near Blackmoor by slavers. He was adopted by them to do their bidding and as they travelled the lands they told terrible tales. The one that haunted the young boy the most is one that told of a terrible disease that made people vanish. The slavers used this one a lot to scare him and that led to his phobia of disease. After many years he escaped to Cauldron after the slaver had conducted some business near to the Demonskar. He was adopted by a town guard and learnt the trade of a soldier. He is currently in the town guard and has been awarded their standard equipment from start.

The player of the Ranger is Touched in the Head. His village made him a pariah when he was found talking to himself in the forest and fighting imaginary creatures with odd weapons (Gnome Hooked Hammer). Eventually they got fed up with him and chased him away. He was befriended by a hermit (Crazy Jared) and sent to Cauldron for supplies. When there he forgot why he was there and ended up propping up the bar in the Tipped Tankard.

I haven't got anything for the other two yet but they should be similar in that they tie in to Cauldron. The rogue may be a low member of the Last Laugh.

The PCs will be brought together by the sounds of the fight between street thugs and Laro. They will be close but minding their own business. After the encounter starts, I will have the Fighter recognise the thugs as comrades from his barracks. This should cause difficulties for him from the off. Also, I will have Jil give the rogue a very telling stare, as if to say stay out of this.

I'm getting a buzz just writing this. Any ideas people can offer to add to my own? Not hijacking thread I hope, just joining in. :)

[water prophet]

Orc, that's a really cool start. Thanks for sharing. :)
I'm going to start the SCAP this weekend with a bunch of new people, and one person I've been gaming off and on with for years. The only character background I have so far is from my friend. I'll detail it below for you reading enjoyment.

Manix is a crazy guy. He's a human sorcerer who just isn't playing with a full deck. I'm definitely going to have him take the Touched in the Head trait from the hardcover. That'll fit in incredibly well with his character concept. Instead of being a portable nuke like a lot of sorcerers, he's going with the charm/enchantment end of things. He usually plays the character as someone who wings life in general, and ends up doing the opposite of what I think he is going to do. Overall he'll be a difficult character to handle, but most likely very enjoyable.

I'm looking forward to the other characters. Not sure how many I'll get, but I'll just bump up their treasure to make them survive. I may also experiment with Gestalt Characters if I don't get at least 4 PCs. Has anyone done this yet with the SCAP campaign?

[Clint Freeman]

water prophet wrote:

Orc, that's a really cool start.

I concur. My startup was not as well tied together, I wish I'd thought of the junior heroes / flood festival angle (especially for a gestalt campaign, where they are the best of the best).

water prophet wrote:

I may also experiment with Gestalt Characters if I don't get at least 4 PCs. Has anyone done this yet with the SCAP campaign?

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but yes. We are entering the Malachite Fortress now, and they are level 3. (I started them at level 2 with zero xp, just because of the sheer deadliness of Jzadirune). For Chapter 1 and 2, I am not gestalting any villains, to get a feel for how balanced and challenging it is. I have already begun work on gestalt versions of the storm blades (there is a thread around on it) and have not decided about doing it to later major villains until after I see the results of chapter 1 & 2.

Happy gaming to all!

[Tysdaddy]

Very cool info, everyone. And no, no one is hijacking the thread, so no worries there.

I like the idea of giving the players a trait to start off with, and then requiring an interesting backstory. The guys in my group often don't think about backstory, and I want to introduce that in this campaign. Make them think a bit and perhaps earn some bonus XP.

Keep it coming!

B

[Clark Peterson]

I'm getting ready to run this for a brand new group and I am really looking forward to it.

I am contemplating a "prelude" adventure. I was thinking of hitting a few key themes and trying to set up some more foreshadowing.

--"protect cauldron": I want the PCs to feel they have to protect this city and be its champions.
--"rivalry with the Stormblades": Jealousy is a great motivator, so I want the PCs to feel that they should be the heros of Cauldron
--"external threat": I want the PCs to understand the new "police force" when it happens more visibly in Zenith Trajectory.
--"Foreshadow dark forces and the beholder"

So to this end I came up with the outline of a prologue.

I like to start the first session with a combat right away and get to the talking afterwards. Players have premade their characters with Cauldron backgrounds. They show up and we start with a fight just outside the walls.

Seems V has been encouraging various humanoids to attack the city to help him fabricate the need for the police state he so desires to achieve.

Various persons trying to make a name for themselves volunteer to do patrols with the watch on the outside of the wall (since clearly a city like this needs some external plantations and other residences to provide food for the city, though not marked on the map). The PCs have formed a loose band and are on just one such patrol. Kobolds make an appearance. A nice, safe low level threat. The PCs get a chance to kill some kobolds just outside the city walls. Also there are the Stormblades. The PCs dispatch a few kobolds while the Stormblades struggle. In fact the PCs have to help save the Stormblades' butts.

The pCs then spot a shadowy figure (its either V or some agent of his) in the distance. No PC party has ever been able to resist "chasing down the big guy". They give chase. V leaves or goes invisible, so the PCs find nothing tangible. Just a vague feeling that "something funny is going on here." Who knows, maybe I have them glimpse a shadowy, spherical shape.

They return to the site of the kobold battle to find the city guard has arrived in number and are all hailing the Stormblades (who have taken credit for the PCs' killed kobolds) as the Champions of Cauldron!

The church of St. Cuthbert or some other facility in town (I havent decided yet) is paying a small stipend to the "volunteer adventurers" who help with external patrols. The PCs are on their way to collect that small fee when the alley mugging that starts Life's Bazaar takes place.

I'd love thoughts a feed back. I think this gets them in the mindset of protecting Cauldron, it makes the increased external threat apparent, it ties into a major NPC and it starts a rivalry with the Stormblades.

And it is a better start than "you are walking down the street at night and hear yelling, you just happen to all be adventurers and are all together for some unknown reason. and you have your gear on and spells ready. what do you do?"

By the way, kudos to the various support sites, like rpgenius. I intend to grab a ton of that content. And I will definately be doing a Herald or some other flyer for the PCs.

Clark

[Clark Peterson]

Oh and it also ties into the info on the Stormblades that they go on to wipe out a tribe of kobolds.

I intend for the PCs to be forced to hear ever-growing tales of how the stormblades killed the kobolds:

"I heard there were 20 kobolds!"

Then the next tavern: "Did you hear that they defeated 30 kobolds!"

Then maybe a few days later at another inn: "They truly are the Protectors of Cauldron! Killing a whole tribe of kobolds is one thing, but to kill the wargs and their ogre leader too--now that is heroism!"

Talk about a motivated bunch of PC heroes... :) he he.

Nothing like creating a false emotional need to make the players really vest themselves in the adventure. They will WANT to be the protectors of the city. And that clearly seems to be a key drive to the whole story line.

Obviously I will be "powering down" the 4th level versions of the stormblades as they exist in the Flood Season web enhancement, since like the PCs they too are just starting out. Perhaps [Aristocrat 1/ Other class 1] for each of them.

Clark

[Sean C. Macdonald]

Orcus wrote:

Oh and it also ties into the info on the Stormblades that they go on to wipe out a tribe of kobolds.

Yeah I plan to have a lot of fun rubbing their noses in the fact that the Stormblades killed some kobolds, heh. My players had to rest before they went down into the Malachite Hold. Two of them were unconcious and they had no more healing. So the half-orc hoisted the spell-thief over his shoulder and the Wizard, Favored Soul and Scout each grabbed the edge of a cloak and carried the Monk in it. And they started making their way from Keygan's to the Temple of St. Cuthbert.

It was hilarious, they were all bloody and toting bodies around and walking down the city street. People started walking away from them and then running. Then the city guard showed up and gave them a hard time for not having the proper tokens for being an Adventuring party as they led them to the Temple of St. Cuthbert. Then the guards were saying "You adventuring types sure like to make a big show of yourselves don't you? Why the Stormblades marched a whole tribe of kobolds through town today. It was like a little kobold parade!"

They laughed, but I'm betting their going to get tired of hearing how the Stormblades succeeded, while the party failed. I mean they'll only find about eight of the kidnap victims out of the thirty or so that disappeared. So they're really going to end up resenting the Stormblades. The monk in my game was hired to teach Cora Lanthenmire unarmed combat, but after her failure and the Stormblades success she's going to be "let go" from service.

[Sean C. Macdonald]

Orcus wrote:

Seems V has been encouraging various humanoids to attack the city to help him fabricate the need for the police state he so desires to achieve.

The pCs then spot a shadowy figure (its either V or some agent of his) in the distance. No PC party has ever been able to resist "chasing down the big guy". They give chase. V leaves or goes invisible, so the PCs find nothing tangible. Just a vague feeling that "something funny is going on here." Who knows, maybe I have them glimpse a shadowy, spherical shape.
...

Instead of making Vhalantru an enemy from the begining I'm making him the patron of the party. He's going to be sponsoring their Adventuring party in an effort to show that he is deeply concernced about the threats Cauldron is facing. He'll be watching over them and taking care of them and steering them in the direction he wants until they become a threat to his own plans. I hope that this will come as a bigger surprise down the line when his real motives are revealed and the betrayal will make it much more personal to the players.

[Clark Peterson]

Great idea. Maybe I'll have him do both. V in beholder form stirring up trouble, V in noble form being the patron of the party. :) Now that is evil... Good idea.