OK--so I'm suggesting to my players that they construct backup PC's prior to departure from Sasserine. These backup PC's will be crew on the Blue Nixie, and if needed will transfer over to the SW.
My question: How will this affect things further down the path? I do not want to open the door to a combat in which I'm separately running all the backups and the regular PC's. I know I can just surmise the results of any battle (between the Nixie and whomever)
I'm just loooking to avoid any pitfalls having PC level characters onboard the Nixie may create. Anyone further down the path have any reason to pooh-pooh the backup PC idea?
Your idea sounds pretty darn good to me. I don't see too many pitfalls as long as you treat these backup PCs as NPCs like any other during the path. They may interact with the PCs while at dinner or sharing shore leave, or later in Farshore, but beyond that they should be on the sidelines. It makes some sense to keep crews even on the two ships so that neither stays behind, so it's understandable to swap adventurous crew members as necessary.
Thanks. I liked this Idea better than:
As the chips crew inters the body of fallen fighter X below the now placid waters, a cry from the crows nest lifts the downturned heads of the assembled crew.
HARK-- a body desperately clinging to a scrap of driftwood waves from off the port side....could it be....It must be...... your new PC!!
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Thanks. I liked this Idea better than:
As the chips crew inters the body of fallen fighter X below the now placid waters, a cry from the crows nest lifts the downturned heads of the assembled crew.
HARK-- a body desperately clinging to a scrap of driftwood waves from off the port side....could it be....It must be...... your new PC!!
Yep, I've had this dilemma - "you round the next corner and walking towards you is your new party member" vs "several days and four encounters later you meet your new party member". Your idea seems to neatly sidestep this issue, although I must admit I'm usually against creating backup characters.
One question, do you intend the backup characters to be available as replacement PCsfor Sea Wyvern's Wake, or for the next several adventures down the track?
** minor spoilers follow **
As you would no doubt be aware, Here There Be Monsters offers little (or no) chance for crew from the Blue Nixie to realistically join the party.
Also, Tides of Dread allows the Jade Ravens to make some impact on the adventure in the form of victory points, as they can be "off camera" doing some of the minor sidequests and helping out in the final battle. If you have another group of PC potential characters as well, it makes sense for them to be doing the same sort of thing, which might give your players a bit of an advantage they would not otherwise have in that adventure. Its also potentially more NPCs for you to keep track of, in an already fairly NPC heavy environment.
Having said that, by this stage the replacement characters could make good cohorts instead?
Hope that ramble was of some help...
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Thanks. I liked this Idea better than:
As the chips crew inters the body of fallen fighter X below the now placid waters, a cry from the crows nest lifts the downturned heads of the assembled crew.
HARK-- a body desperately clinging to a scrap of driftwood waves from off the port side....could it be....It must be...... your new PC!!
Yep, I've had this dilemma - "you round the next corner and walking towards you is your new party member" vs "several days and four encounters later you meet your new party member". Your idea seems to neatly sidestep this issue, although I must admit I'm usually against creating backup characters.
One question, do you intend the backup characters to be available as replacement PCsfor Sea Wyvern's Wake, or for the next several adventures down the track?
** minor spoilers follow **
As you would no doubt be aware, Here There Be Monsters offers little (or no) chance for crew from the Blue Nixie to realistically join the party.
Also, Tides of Dread allows the Jade Ravens to make some impact on the adventure in the form of victory points, as they can be "off camera" doing some of the minor sidequests and helping out in the final battle. If you have another group of PC potential characters as well, it makes sense for them to be doing the same sort of thing, which might give your players a bit of an advantage they would not otherwise have in that adventure. Its also potentially more NPCs for you to keep track of, in an already fairly NPC heavy environment.
Having said that, by this stage the replacement characters could make good cohorts instead?
Hope that ramble was of some help...
During the trek across the Isle, if any of the PCs died, I would probably have them find an unlikely ally like an injured dino that when nursed back to health adopts the group during the trek, or a semi-intelligent golem that the pcs stumble upon in one of the ruins that has been trapped for centuries beneath the collapsed ruin, and have the player play these until they reach farshore and their replacement PC. The dino would not want to go anywhere near the civilized areas and the golem could have a spell that once a certain objective or prophesy is completed he becomes a statue. Something like "Guide the saviors to the city by the shore, The Isle's cancer shall be no more." *never was good at prophesy dialogs so feel free to inscribe the golem with a verse that is actually good*
Pretty cool thought that once they get back to town the Golem turns into a statue in the middle of town, look really good in 20 or so years when the town is a city and a park is dedicated to the party's heroics at the site of the golem.Just a few random thoughts.
Edit***** I also allow the replacements to level up when the group levels up if I allow replacements. Maybe they are fighting off sea creatures or taking care of the Lizardfolk that are menacing the town or whatever.
FH
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During the trek across the Isle, if any of the PCs died, I would probably have them find an unlikely ally like an injured dino that when nursed back to health adopts the group during the trek, or a semi-intelligent golem that the pcs stumble upon in one of the ruins that has been trapped for centuries beneath the collapsed ruin, and have the player play these until they reach their replacement PC.
Now that's a great suggestion! We're finally going to start the STAP in a few weeks, and the group are working on backgrounds and the rest for their 'main' characters. Given the lethality of some of the fights I'm thinking of letting them roll up backups in advance. In Sasserine that's easily workable. Later not so. Mind if I pinch your idea? :)
I was thinking of keeping the backups at half the xp of the PCs to begin with. It's still going to be tricky wondering about how much time to ask them to invest in secondary characters as far as background goes. Any suggestions?
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Pinch away. On the level of the backups: I would make them 1 level lower than their respective party member and have the player level both their regular PC and the backup PC at the same time. Half XP will make the backup a couple levels lower which is just asking for the backup to only last a session or 2. STAP is deadly from what I have heard and the party will need a functional replacement to continue on without a TPK. Just keep the Backup 1 level lower and if the Player needs to use the backup start at lowest XP for that level. Starting equipment may be a bit more difficult to figure but assume all Masterwork items (armor and weapons, skill kits, etc.) once the ocean journey begins, and if the PC who died has any good magic items you may want the group to loot the body (usually a no-no).
thoughts that I randomly throw out there.
FH