I know that the adventure assumes that only the 4 NPCs survive, but what if we want to keep more? Is there some unobjective way (i.e. Fortitude roll, Swim check, Con check, etc.) to determine if an NPC survives the wreck? Any ideas would be appreciated.
Just do a rough approximation from the profession sailor checks made to avoid getting screwed on the reef. Thats probably the worst point in the crash.
My group's sorceror rolled 1 shy of actually avoiding it entirely, and made the next check to get off of it 1 minute later. So they avoided the mashers, and I figured the impact was bad enough to open the hull, but not a hard "knock you overboard" impact, more of a glancing tear. As a result, many more survived.
Seriously, if a player wants to drop points into profession sailor, and rolls well, reward him for that. Make a point of the fact that if he hadn't handled the ship as well as he did, there would be less people standing before him now.
Seriously, as a gm, if you want some NPC's to survive you can have them wash up elsewhere on the beach, or have them grab onto a piece of drift wood, that sort of thing. Its up to you, you can have them roll a swim check, to survive also. Even Survival might work, if another character attempts to rescue NPC's. (like our paladin did) than give them the benifit of the doubt, it is all about how you want to play it.
But what about the various passengers? Shouldn't they need a check?
But what about the various passengers? Shouldn't they need a check?
Only if you really want to. The named passengers that survive should be the ones your players formed relationships with; the others can live or die in any way. If only the named NPCs live and the nameless colonists and passengers all die, there's a suspension of disbelief. Whatever you think makes a better story should be your ultimate decision. I would prefer the adventure as written, just because the fewer tag-alongs the better, and there's enough tension between everyone to make it interesting.
Provide checks for the PCs and describe what happens to them and the NPCs they can see. If they specifically take action to prevent NPC deaths, have them make swim, strength, reflex etc. checks, however you feel is appropriate. Should they succeed, definitely reward them with XP as a nod towards heroism.
I've decided that (when we get there) I will do some random rolling with my players at the table to see who survives. However, the 4 main NPCs will automatically survive, but hopefully the player's will just think I randomly rolled their survival as well as any others that may make it.
I believe James Jacobs answered this in another thread. The listed NPCs were the only ones mentioned in the adventure to avoid having a gaggle of survivors causing undo pressure on the party. He said, if you have any favorite NPCs, you can considered them to have survived. The listed ones survive at the start of the adventure due to plot considerations throughout the adventure.
But what about the various passengers? Shouldn't they need a check?
As has been said, that is up to you, when we got to this point, we had a secondary problem of the alchemist messing up an alchemical fire check, also so the group was a mess,however I was extremely proud of my players, they went the distance, and wanted to save everyone they could, they were split into two groups pretty much, because they got as many other's as they could to rescue, they were adament about it, the Paladin started it, and the rest of the group felt it would be good.
Our Warforged went back for the lost, to at least give them last rights, and our healer exsausted all her cleric spells for others, our eldarin, also exsausted her abilities, on the others to make sure they lived, though the party had also taken some damage.
So depending on how your party is, that is a great roll play potentiual.
I know that the adventure assumes that only the 4 NPCs survive, but what if we want to keep more?
It does? I've not read that far myself as my players are one on the first adventure. I've already planned some additional NPCs that are likely to travel with them and actually imagined HTBM like LOST with several survivors that are there but off camera most of the time. With the PC's being the main characters, leading a rag-tag bunch of survivors through the jungle, then I've got more NPCs to kill off along the route to impress the danger of the Isle of Dread.
Besides I like giving players more responsibility that just their own hides to look after.
If I did have say 12 NPC's surviving on top of the ones required, what sort of problems is that likely to throw up?
If I did have say 12 NPC's surviving on top of the ones required, what sort of problems is that likely to throw up?
The chief problem will be keeping them alive. First issue is one for food, which is detailed in the adventure (it mentions how much food and water a person uses). Foraging for food and water will expose the party to additional risk from terror birds and dinosaurs. Unclean water will expose the group to diseases.
The part of the adventure where the group must move along the cliffs and run the gargoyle gauntlet will be harrowing with 20+ people strung out in single file for about three days travel.
Of course, trying to move a group that large could be exciting and interesting in its own right. The reaction of the four principal NPCs at various points in the adventure is listed so add 12 other NPCs into the mix who will have their own reactions at points in the adventure and it could get real interesting.
Really, the four NPCs are there to make the journey interesting and with the exception of the ship captain and the noble, they play no further role in the next adventure. If you want to take interesting to a new level, then by all means, have another 12 people along.
Considering how long Farshore has gone without reinforcements a party arriving with a few more people might be granted a bonus in the next part of the adventure, or simply for good role-playing and nobly standing by the crewmen and colonists in need.
As already noted, it WILL take an added effort to get everyone there and could be very interesting for the party or very frustrating. As to the other named NPCs, no reason not to save one if he/she is important to your game.
Better yet, let the PCs' actions and choices make the difference. If they seem rather disinterested in planning ahead, few survive. Otherwise many do.
My own group was planning ahead, to the point of convincing the lovely captain to set up floating packages, just in case, while the rogue turned his bag of holding(50 pounds) into a survival kit. Between a long trip at sea and my own record they somehow convinced themselves that a shipwreck was inevitable...
|
Has anyone run through HTBM with a significant number of additional surviving NPCs yet (more than just one or two)? Did you find it slowed down game play or took a lot of extra book keeping or game time?
I had considered making more survive (including some more of the named NPCs and some extras) but then have the dangers on the journey (in particular the Bar-Lgura) pick them off one by one... thought that might be cool to add an extra element of horror (and paronia) to the game.
Of course if your PCs went to a lot of effort to rescue extra survivors they may feel somewhat frustrated (or heartbroken) at this tactic...
I think I will have a few extras survive just so the dino's and other monsters have something to chew on! I find that really building up an NPC into a very likable and important character (a young charismatic, maybe somewhat ditzy and cute tomboy with a level of healer and her little brother for instance) then brutally killing them off in a horrific fashion is a great way to mess with the players. Don't do it all the time of course or they may get wise to it. Also it's best not to do it if it would upset the players too much, like if they invest a lot of roleplaying into the character and have palns with his or her future etc.