So, I started reading the second insallment- and I think I may need to use a side trek to get some more xps into my party. the fisrt section just seems NASTY! I was thinking that the Jade Ravens are captured by XXX the money they have is taken and they are being ransomed- I figured that Fiddlers Cave would fit nicely. how tough and long should i make it? I figured a mini dungeon with like 6 rooms- a few lizard men, some humans, kobalds, and a troll sorcerer. as far as treasure- i figured the troll has an ion stone that absorbs spell levels- with 3-4 spell levels left and a potion of fire breath, and maybe a +1 weapon or a wand
Creative Director
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Check out Dragon #349 for lots of cool adventure ideas, but yeah, the start of Bullywug is pretty rough. In fact, it's kind of assuming that they hit 4th level fairly quickly, since a group of four PCs probably hits third level by the end of "There Is No Honor and then some...
There's certainly time for a side trek or two between the two adventures though.
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So, I started reading the second insallment- and I think I may need to use a side trek to get some more xps into my party. the fisrt section just seems NASTY! I was thinking that the Jade Ravens are captured by XXX the money they have is taken and they are being ransomed- I figured that Fiddlers Cave would fit nicely. how tough and long should i make it? I figured a mini dungeon with like 6 rooms- a few lizard men, some humans, kobalds, and a troll sorcerer. as far as treasure- i figured the troll has an ion stone that absorbs spell levels- with 3-4 spell levels left and a potion of fire breath, and maybe a +1 weapon or a wand
I don't know what will work for your campaign, but I did a few things for my players in There is No Honor to boost XP. I had them do some stuff in the arena, they were ambushed by some thugs after they made their first foray into the Lotus Dragon Guildhall, and then I gave them some hefty role playing XP for dealing with some of the challenges without just fighting them. Overall, the entire group just hit 4th level by the end of There is No Honor, and after getting the Bullywug's Gambit today, I am glad I did that. I really think the group should be 4th level at the start of the second adventure or at the least really close to it. If they aren't, and they hit 4th when they get there I would let them level mid game even at Kracken's Cove so that they are 4th level very quickly. If having the group leave Sasserine for a side trek isn't a good option for you, then I think having some stuff in Sasserine is a good option as well.
My group won't actually be starting Bullywug's Gambit this week. They are going to roleplay the banquet with the dawn council and I am letting them shop and liquidate treasure etc. I am also going to drop some things to get them affiliated with various groups listed in Dragon 348, specifically Zelkharune's Horns, the Church of the Whirling Fury, and the Seekers. Regardless, best of luck.
I dont have the second part yet, so forgive me if this suggestion for a small adventure idea dosent fit:
How about a side trek involving the arena hiring the characters to capture some escaped dangerous beast? This could allow for a chase/detective adventure in which the players must capture and return the creature before it causes any deaths etc. (This can also lead them into places of the city they havent explored or been interested in yet.)
You could even put a further spin on things by dropping subtle clues that the creature is really a shape-shifter or perhaps a polymorphed NPC that some faction of Sasserine wants to punish or ‘keep quiet’ and is 'trapped' in beast form. The party could try to solve the mystery and may bring justice to the wrong doers by helping the NPC become humanoid again?
The beast could be anyone: a noble, a child, a rogue (who saw something he shouldn’t have), a heretical cleric, a loved one or even a new rival for the party.
So THIS is where I insert the massive swordfight on Teraknian's Arch. Also, I bet some hadozee squatters live up there.
You can bet on it! ;)
The ''massive swordfight on Teraknian's Arch.'' sounds cool, very cinematic; I can almost hear the breath taking orchestral music pounding away as the PCs precariously balance on the edge, trying not to slip. (Looking all windswept and dashing with rapier in hand!) :)
It is a good place for a sword fight. I once had a climactic battle between the heroes and BBG on the top of a light house- the actual roof area- with the slopes and everything.the light was still going- blinding those on the railing- some of whom were hanging on for dear life- while rapiers crossed over their heads.
it ended with hero and knocking the BBG off- but he grabbed the heros leg- the final wound was struck while hero and villain fought 1 handed- hanging onto the rail-
a little girl who had been held hostage bit the BBG's finger.causing him to fall.
awesome fight- and perfect end.
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I gotta...get home...check if the arch is too high to jump into the crow's nest of a ship from.
Oh, and that is awesome with the little girl biting the guy's finger. Two things I might've added:
1) she pulls his ring out of her mouth
2) he falls on a wagon full of pitchforks.
Anybody asks, "WTF a wagon full of pitchforks is there for," say it's a long story.
I gotta...get home...check if the arch is too high to jump into the crow's nest of a ship from.
My work-in-progress NCP Purple Poniard: ‘Terror of the Shining Sea’ (Swashbuckling hadozee) could do it no sweat! They have arm-flaps so they can glide! ;)
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I gotta...get home...check if the arch is too high to jump into the crow's nest of a ship from.My work-in-progress NCP Purple Poniard: ‘Terror of the Shining Sea’ (Swashbuckling hadozee) could do it no sweat! They have arm-flaps so they can glide! ;)
That'd be a good scam to jack a ship up. A crapload of hadozee jump onto a ship like that, and take it totally unawares in like 3 melee rounds. Nobody would be expecting anything, so there wouldn't be much of a fight.
I bet you could catapult hadozee at another ships' riggings too, and he could get up there and demolish their sails.