If anyone is interested I have placed a few articles on theRPGenius.com offering ideas to further foreshadow Adimarchus, Nidrama and Vhalantru.
My aim is to come up with new potential methods to foreshadow the important SCAP NPCs weekly.
If you have any ideas for an article yourself about anything pertaining to the SCAP(perhaps even more foreshadowing ideas :)) or would like to add to what I have done, please feel free.
Let me know what you think - positive criticism is always welcome.
Delvesdeep
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If anyone is interested I have placed a few articles on theRPGenius.com offering ideas to further foreshadow Adimarchus, Nidrama and Vhalantru.
My aim is to come up with new potential methods to foreshadow the important SCAP NPCs weekly.
If you have any ideas for an article yourself about anything pertaining to the SCAP(perhaps even more foreshadowing ideas :)) or would like to add to what I have done, please feel free.
Let me know what you think - positive criticism is always welcome.
Delvesdeep
Good idea DD. I actually have decided on using your dreams and the re-worked 13. What I am having trouble doing is finding creative ways to introduce alot of the other 13.
Theres just so many NPCs in this monstrous campaign.....
Robert
Good idea DD. I actually have decided on using your dreams and the re-worked 13. What I am having trouble doing is finding creative ways to introduce alot of the other 13.Theres just so many NPCs in this monstrous campaign.....
That was my problem and concern also. That is why I came up with an abbreviated version of the Cagewrights, to get rid of the more nameless/faceless villians and just keep the important ones.
I also tries to insert other memorable villians into the Cagewrights such as Vhalantru, Blue Duke, Kyron etc rather than just add them to the villian pile.
Which other Cagewrights do you intend on using and need help foreshadowing?
Delvesdeep
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That was my problem and concern also. That is why I came up with an abbreviated version of the Cagewrights, to get rid of the more nameless/faceless villians and just keep the important ones.
I also tries to insert other memorable villians into the Cagewrights such as Vhalantru, Blue Duke, Kyron etc rather than just add them to the villian pile.
Which other Cagewrights do you intend on using and need help foreshadowing?
Delvesdeep
Well as I said, I intend to use your proposed rewrites of the 13; so those that are included in your document will be the ones I'm using.
Robert
Sorry Robert. I wasn't trying to offend you.
I thought you said you were having a lot of trouble finding creative ways to foreshadow the other Cagewrights.
I noticed you are including one of the Cagewrights I hadn't included in my list to be a professor at the Blue Crator Acedemy and just assumed you were using the other as well.
By the way I think the time you are investing in preparing the game for your group months before you begin will make your game very successful. I wish I had have done similiar.
Delvesdeep
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Sorry Robert. I wasn't trying to offend you.
I thought you said you were having a lot of trouble finding creative ways to foreshadow the other Cagewrights.
I noticed you are including one of the Cagewrights I hadn't included in my list to be a professor at the Blue Crator Acedemy and just assumed you were using the other as well.
By the way I think the time you are investing in preparing the game for your group months before you begin will make your game very successful. I wish I had have done similiar.
Delvesdeep
Dude, you didnt offend me at all! I didnt mean for anything I posted to sound the contrary. Sometimes it is difficult to "hear" font. :-) Seriously, you have never done anything to offend me.
You're right, I am using Thearynn Louvel; not as a cagewright, but as a hired hand much like Drathkar or the Blue Duke. I needed a tie-in for the character who is part of the Academy, and saw the opportunity to tie in the goings on of the cagewright with the use of Louvel.
That being said, I am utilizing your awesome write up for the other cagewrights. I'm going to re-read that entire article again because it provided ideas as to when to introduce the antagonists; then i can get a better idea just how to do so.
Please dont hesitate to provide further info - I welcome the directions, suggestions, and advice.
Robert
Has anyone had a chance to read any of the articles?
I want to know if it is worth my time writing them.
Delvesdeep
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Has anyone had a chance to read any of the articles?
I want to know if it is worth my time writing them.
Delvesdeep
Sorry Delvesdeep, I haven't had a chance to look at your most recent articles yet. However, given that just about everything you've written on Cauldron I've either been able to use directly, mine ideas from, or just generally be inspired by, I'd say its worth your time writing them!
I'll try to check them out soon.
Oh, and a little off topic, but the final dream you posted in the other thread - when you see the angel's six fingered hand pick up the dropped flower - absolutley priceless.
Thanks Mothman.
Let me know when you get a chance to read them and tell me how I could improve them.
The flower will play a symbolic part in Adimarchus' redemption in the Alternative version. I know you were never fond of the whole Nidrama love angle and either was I initially when Ridolfin first brought it up. When I thought it through I realised that it had a lot of potential and the final dream shows the trajety of Adimarchus crime.
Thanks, as always, for your support
Delvesdeep
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Actually, I kind of came round on the love for Nidrama thing ... to the extent that I'm planning to use it myself at least to some extent! Not quite sure how prominant it will be ... Ive got a long way to go before I make that decision.
No, my main concern was that an NPC may end up "taking the glory" from the PCs ... but as long as the PCs set everything up, I'm happy with it.
I managed to read your first two articles, and left some comments / suggestions on the Foreshadowing Adimarchus article.
Thanks as always for the work you put into these things.
That was quick reply Mothman!
I have another question for you and everyone in general -
Rank of Importance
If Adimarchus is most important, Nidrama next and Vhalantru following that...
Who would be the next most important NPC in the SCAP and why?
Delvesdeep
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That was quick reply Mothman!
I have another question for you and everyone in general -
Rank of Importance
If Adimarchus is most important, Nidrama next and Vhalantru following that...
Who would be the next most important NPC in the SCAP and why?
Delvesdeep
Thats a tough one - I would say after reading (only) the first five chapters, either Jenya or Thifirane.
Jenya
afterwards Jil, Skylar Krewis, Maavu and Meerthan
While Jenya is clearly important, she is also the main proponent of the PCs from the start so from a forshadowing stand point she is covered.
For Forshadowing, even with Delvesdeep's mod, most of the 13 keep a low profile. Many can be incorporated into town life so the players can meet them before they kill them save Dry'yrd.
So I would say either Dry'yrd or Occipidus
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Oh, and Alek Tercival.
He is basically the impetus for the Demonskar Legacy adventure, and yet he features very little (if at all) in the path prior to that. This adventure would have a lot more meaning if the PCs had a closer attachment to him.
You are right on both accounts: Embril and Alek. Since one of the PCs is a cleric of St Cuthbert and I am having him replace Ruphus' role in the arc, I am writing it in that Alek was sort of a mentor/teacher to the young cleric as he grew up in the church.
Embril on the other hand I am at a loss, and I agree some foreshadowing on her part should be somewhere we delve(deep) into.
I have a elven wizard PC who is a graduate of the academy - and a supporter of the church where Embril is - so it's possible we can link him to her; but nonetheless IMO there needs to be more foreshadowing that is DM-generic so that anyone can use the info - not just a tie-in for a PC in my game or anothers....
Robert
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As an aside, the first time I started running SCAP my group was very suspious of Jenya (and that group even included a cleric of St Cuthbert). They were half convinced that she was behind the kidnappings in Life's Bazaar, and behind Sarcem's death in Flood Season.
Anyway, Delvesdeep, I've just read your Vhalantru foreshadowing article and I'm very impressed - especially by the inclusion of those mini-adventures! Well done.
If other readers of these boards havent been over to RPGenius yet to check out Delvesdeep's work there I urge you to do so.
As an aside, the first time I started running SCAP my group was very suspious of Jenya (and that group even included a cleric of St Cuthbert). They were half convinced that she was behind the kidnappings in Life's Bazaar, and behind Sarcem's death in Flood Season.
Anyway, Delvesdeep, I've just read your Vhalantru foreshadowing article and I'm very impressed - especially by the inclusion of those mini-adventures! Well done.
If other readers of these boards havent been over to RPGenius yet to check out Delvesdeep's work there I urge you to do so.
I've heard of a few games where the players are initially suspicious of Jenya. Maybe its because she seems 'too' helpful and good.
Thanks for your support Mothman.
I recently updated a new article Foreshadowing Celeste.
She always seemed to have so much untapped potential which faded into nothing so I thought I would attempt to come up with something on her.
Hope people get chance to read the article and give me some feedback.
Its on theRPGenius.com site for those readers who are new to the boards.
Thanks
Delvesdeep
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Hope people get chance to read the article and give me some feedback.
Its on theRPGenius.com site for those readers who are new to the boards.
Thanks
Delvesdeep
Wonderful DD. I just read it and I loved it.
How about when the Haunted Dream character has the dream that show Haloen confronting big A and sacrifices herself, that the character wakes and has a strange feeling that she looks familiar....something.....striking, but he can't put a finger on it.
later when they see her again, the light goes off that the woman in the dream looks like her; "he's sure of it!"
(if they are mother and daughter they probalby would look alike).
Robert
Good idea Robert.
So just to add to your idea, perhaps the second time (assuming there is a second time) they have the dream just before Haloen sacrafices herself her image is replaced by Celeste.
This could provide the clue you are hinting at.
Delvesdeep
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Good idea Robert.
So just to add to your idea, perhaps the second time (assuming there is a second time) they have the dream just before Haloen sacrafices herself her image is replaced by Celeste.
This could provide the clue you are hinting at.
Delvesdeep
Yeah something like that is what I was thinking.
Robert
To those people who have been kind enough to read through the articles on theRPGenius.com site, I'm sorry I'm running a little late with the next installment. Part 6 is my attempt to foreshadow the often under used NPC - Skylar Krewis.
I've been busy trying to write up the Invasion of Redgorge adventure (in between family and work of course :))
Thanks
Delvesdeep
Thanks for the hard work, I've read your articles and I will defenitely be using your suggestions and ideas for my upcoming Shackled City campaign - due to start in two weeks.
Streamlining those Cagewrights defenitely needed to be done and I really like the love angle with Nidrama.
Keep up the good work!
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To those people who have been kind enough to read through the articles on theRPGenius.com site, I'm sorry I'm running a little late with the next installment. Part 6 is my attempt to foreshadow the often under used NPC - Skylar Krewis.
I've been busy trying to write up the Invasion of Redgorge adventure (in between family and work of course :))
Thanks
Delvesdeep
DD, I finished reading all your articles on RPGenius; Great stuff; I really liked the forshadowing ideas for the NPCs.
I look forward to see your Redgorge adventure you were talking about.
Robert
Here's some foreshadowing that paid off for me. After the first adventure, the PCs were riled up because the Stormblades cleared out the Malachite Fortress after they left with the kidnapped townsfolk. The players get the good idea to find and ally with the other adventurers in town against the Stormblades. But I informed them that although Cauldron has a rich history of adventuring groups, there are currently only the Stormblades and the PCs active at this time. So, the players were probably thinking that I was using my DM hammer to squash their good idea.
Now, at 13th level they are going through Vhalatru's residence, and they find out why there are no other adventuring groups in town. Awesome payoff of foreshadowing.
I've recently posted up another foreshadowing article on Skylar Krewis on theRPGenius.com site if people are interested.
Let me know what ypu think either way
Delvesdeep
delvesdeep:
1. Thank you so much for all of your work. It is fantastic and I think will help me greatly as we begin play in the next couple of weeks.
2. I have seen the alternate cagewright etc article. Where are the ones for the other npcs you have referenced above like skyler and alek? thanks.
I just found them in the News Archive for February - April, Shamgar.
Delvesdeep - I'm using Celeste heavily (since the party seems to be responding to her) and was wondering - since she doesn't have a "master up north" to teleport back to once she's rescued from Oblivion, what excuse did you use for her not helping the party fight the evil in Cauldron? It seems to be why she is there, but she disappears until Chapter 12. Why wouldn't she join them?
We're just beginning Zenith Trajectory, but I'm planning ahead so as not to get caught short.
I'm also using the rest of your work except for Skylar's foreshadowing. I introduced him as the squad captian the PC's found guarding Orek's when they emerged from the dungeon, and they have been meeting him during the Flood Festival and around town, but he's not really heavily needed in the plot. It is about the only one of you foreshadowing mods I skipped. I didn't like something about the Triel connection but couldn't honestly tell you why... sorry!
Thanks so much for all the good work. You've really managed to bind the chapters together so it feels like a coherent campaign rather than serial adventures. Paizo should pay you!
Thank you Treppa! I have found, read, and pasted them into a new document for review and use.
Thank you once again to Delvesdeep as well!
Delvesdeep: I just had to express my deepest appreciation for all the work and creativity you've so generously shared with all of us. I am preparing to run this campaign for the first time, and I had many of the same issues re: too many villians, not enough foreshadowing, etc. I came to these boards hoping to find a solution, and your posts both here and on rpgenius are...well, RPG genius!
Your ideas for thinning down the Cagewrights are excellent. Once I digest everything, I'll have more constructive comments. Meanwhile: how and/or when would you recommend letting the characters know that they've knocked off their first Cagewright? (you know, fun with the old "1 down, only 12 to go" routine) Is that what the necklaces they all wear are for? If so, is there an opportunity to plant the number 13 somewhere? I think it might give a bit of structure to the overall arc. Maybe the PC's don't even know what they're killing, they just know that there's 13 of them, and it's really important they do...
Also, it appears to me that you've left the villians of the first 3 modules the way they are (other than adding in the dreams). Did I miss anything? Those first 3 are what I'm focused on preparing right now, so if you have tweaked them, I'd appreciate a point in the right direction. (I did find the Delving Deeper articles mentioned above) Thanks again!
Thankyou everyone for all your praise. I'm sorry I haven't had as much time as I had in the past to write up more of these Foreshadowing Articles and finish some more adventure/side treks I have been promising for months now.
I'm STILL working on the Seige of Redgorge document and am ALMOST finished but am reluctant to post anything up here until I at least have the basics in place.
Similiarly I have to write a few more chapters for Skies Treasury before get to that stage (they are just about to go to Occiptus after a little side trek in Sasserine) and then write up the Orbius/Lord Mayor side trek so I have a lot in the pipe line.
My new role at work doesn't give me the same time to slip in an sneaky hour here or there to work on the documents and with a 4 yr old & a 7 mth old girl time at home is also fairly hectic but I'll get there.
Once again thanks for your appreciation for my work. It is really flattering.
Delvesdeep
Truer words were never spoken... Indeed, I will be running the Demonskar Ball this weekend. I only hope that my players rise to the challenge.
Olodrin
I've recently posted up another foreshadowing article on Skylar Krewis on theRPGenius.com site if people are interested.
Let me know what ypu think either way
Delvesdeep
Hi DD, I found the foreshadowing for the cagewrights (excellent!) - but where is the Skylar krewis one?
Thanks, you are a valuable resource and have a seat at my table anytime (provided you can make it to Australia).
I think DD IS in Australia, actually. I'm not sure why I think that, but I am definitely under that impression.
Olodrin
I think DD IS in Australia, actually. I'm not sure why I think that, but I am definitely under that impression.
Olodrin
I live in Melbourne. Good pick up Olodrin!
AmbassadorShade - the Skylar Krewis Article should be with the other articles. Have a look in the Delving Deeper section on the home page.
Delvesdeep
My group just finished Chapter 1, and were selling off their loot. They decided to sell the artsy pieces to Tygot. While there, Tygot took them into his basement and showed them his more expensive pieces. One was of a painting of Surabar wielding Alakast in his climatic battle with Nabthatoron. The Urban Ranger with the "Scion of Surabar" trait immediately bought the (overpriced) painting.
As the group hasn't experienced (yet) the amazing Delvesdeep Demonskar Ball, this is the first time these events are being foreshadowed in my campaign. I was able to find an appropriate Glabrezu picture (from a Drizzt battle). Does anyone have a picture that I could use as Spellmason and Alakast? I would love to be able to photoshop the actual painting.
I live in Melbourne. Good pick up Olodrin!
Snap! Small world, eh?
AmbassadorShade - the Skylar Krewis Article should be with the other articles. Have a look in the Delving Deeper section on the home page.
Found it eventually, but I had to resort to using the search facility. I was looking in the downloads sections under the SCAP area.
Thanks DD, I echo the comments of all those that have gone before: your stuff is really very useful, and I applaud you for sharing your work with us.
Cheers
And finally Tyro,
Here is some articles (or reference to at least) about foreshadowing certain main NPC's in the SCAP.
Hope all these threads can be of use
Delvesdeep