I'm starting chapter 5 this weekend, and I'm wondering when we're going to be seeing the important NPCs (Stormblades, Striders, Jenya) again? I've been afraid to use them too much in the campaign because I don't know if they're going to show up later or not. Then I read at the end of chapter 5 that the PCs are supposed to get stuck in a desert, and one thing it mentions is that they might already be members of the Striders of Fharlanghn, so they can just send a message to Meerthan for help. I didn't know I was supposed to be building up that relationship already! The PCs never encountered Fario and Fellian, and Shensen disappeared at the end of chapter 3. The PCs never fought the Stormblades either, resisting their taunts and just staying inside the tavern when the Stormblades tried to get them to duel.
So I guess my question is... can I get some sort of guide as to how I should be managing the PCs' relationships with these people, chapter by chapter?
So I guess my question is... can I get some sort of guide as to how I should be managing the PCs' relationships with these people, chapter by chapter?
This is the hardest thing to manage in the SCAP. Since the adventures were created piecemeal, sometimes people don't show up until later chapters and then you, as the DM, realize they could have been brought in much, much earlier.
My advice is to not worry about it if you've missed those opportunities and run with it from this point on. I try to incorporate as many of the NPCs as possible, as quickly as possible, in my SCAP; it makes it feel more alive.
Let's see...you are about to run Zenith Trajectory. There's lots of opportunities for RP (Cusp of Sunrise, Umber Hulk Smash!, etc.) in the early part of the adventure. Take your time and throw in a few NPCs. My suggestions would be Maavu (he figures more heavily later on, and it works better if the party knows him), the Stormblades (have them try to start a fight - or just brag about all their accomplishments - while at the Cusp of Sunrise), and Alek Tercival (if the party doesn't have a rapport with him, then his death later on won't affect them as much).
The trick is to use the NPCs as frequently as possible, even if it's just gossip that the Stormblades cleared out an abandoned dwarfhold, or that Maavu is secretly a spy for an evil network. When the PCs go into stores, mention items or stories from other NPCs.
This late in the game... Definitely Alek Tercival.
Actually, I just finished Zenith Trajectory. I'm about to start the Demonskar Legacy.