Hi all,
In addition to wanting to see how a professionally designed adventure path plays, one of the reasons that I've chosen to run the SCAP is that I am not the most imaginative DM when it comes to story. I've found the ideas on this board most helpful for foreshadowing events and fleshing out NPCs.
My campaign is about to start officially, with the first regular session scheduled for Jan 15th. I have 7 players (though one is part-time).
I was able to gather 5 of them for a prologue session to introduce their characters. One or two of the PCs hail from Sasserine, so I had them join up with the others on the road to Cauldron's East Gate. They had to help get a coach with a broken axle going again. The coach happened to be carrying Ike Iverson back to Cauldron from an errand. The party later defeated a group of kobolds evacuating wounded down the side of the volcano (fleeing from the Stormblades' sacking of their lair).
I have two players left to introduce, and their prologue session is scheduled for Monday night (Jan 1). One is an aasimar cleric of pelor (just arrived in Cauldron), and the other is a human illusionist (Cauldron native) with the Nobility campaign trait.
I'm fresh out of ideas, and I can't for the life of me seem to come up with an idea that I like for a prologue session introducing these two PCs. I'd love to hear ideas on how to introduce them to the story, along with who or what would be good to foreshadow. Some action will need to be involved, since the player of the cleric loves combat. The illusionist should also have the opportunity to shine, as that player has been frustrated, feeling his character in our group's other game is ineffectual.
Any help will be most appreciated!
Many thanks and best wishes for the New Year,
Ully
The board was pretty quiet this weekend, what with the holiday and all, so I wasn't surprised at the lack of replies.
The wizard has merchant dealings in Cauldron, so I started the adventure with him just concluding a successful business transaction with Adrick Garthûn. Since the wiz is also a playboy, I had Garthûn mention that a company of players had just arrived in Cauldron from Sasserine, including several lovely ladies, and that they were staying around the corner at the Drunken Morkoth Inn.
I started the cleric at the Church of Pelor, where a very overworked acolyte welcomed him to Cauldron and apologized (over tea, of course) that Jurgen Kristof had been called away on church business, but that he would be back tomorrow. He suggested the Drunken Morkoth as the best place to stay the night.
After meeting at the inn and successfully chatting up a couple of young, pretty dancers from Sasserine, our soon-to-be heroes happened upon a shop keeper's scream. Seems that when she accosted the two boys painting graffiti over her storefront window, she realized they were goblins (as mentioned in the opening to Drakthar's Way). They ran when she screamed. The wizard and cleric gave chase, eventually cornering the goblins in a warehouse nearby. Both PCs were wounded but managed to kill one goblin and capture the other, which they turned over to the town guard.
There was some great NPC interaction and I pulled in a few things from the wizard's background for fun. It was a worthwhile session to be sure. I'm looking forward to getting started with the adventure path proper in a couple of weeks.
Excellent ideas. I'm starting the SCAP soon myself and I really like the Ike in the carriage idea. I plan on starting my campaign with the PC's journey to Cauldron and I am defenitely going to use this idea.
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I had my players meet Sarcem Delasharn on his way out of Cauldron, accompanied by Alek Tercival and a big part of the church acolytes, on important church business. Sarcem used the "Star" some days ago, which foretold his doom or the doom of Cauldron.
That way it takes at least one day before Jenya can give the players the hints via the "prophecy" giving them some free room to explore Cauldron, run across the two half-elves and follow some of their own leads. Basically visiting the orphanage, perhaps a first visit to Ghelve's Locks, where he hushes them away due to important business, a visit to the town guard to get the list of missing persons and so on...
After they receive the poem of hints they will soon discover the way to Jzadirune...
Perhaps the Cleric of Pelor was sent to Cauldron to start an inquiry about what happened to the two dead priests of Pelor in Cauldron.