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I'm currently playing the EaBK adventure. Let me start of by saying that I really like the adventure, so kudos to Sean K. Reynolds for writing it.
However, having read various threads about the adventure in the past, I learnt that with some twinking, it could be made even better. Let me try to make an inventory of the changes I've made or am still making. Any suggestions are welcome.
Some of the questions raised by various people concerning the adventure were:
- why does Allustan flee the scene at the first sign of trouble, while he would be a great help in the fight?
- isn't the attacking force of lizardfolk too weak (apparently many people who played the adventure thought so)?
- why have the soldiers of Blackwall Keep kept their transformed mage a locked up secret for so long?
- isn't it a bit useless to have the lizardfolk shaman negotiate a peace with the PCs at a moment in the adventure when the PCs have most likely destroyed just about the whole lizardfolk tribe anyway? The shaman won't have a tribe left anyway.
- what motivation do the PCs have to continue on to the egg chamber? Once they've defeated the lizardfolk king and located Marzena, there really is no reason for them to go on.
Add to that some of the questions I've had myself:
- why didn't the lizardfolk attack the keep a long time ago? Why did they wait until now?
- why would the lizardfolk allow 8 (relatively weak) draconic kobold rogues to watch their eggs?
So here are some of the changes I'm using:
- the link to Blackwall Keep is not Allustan, but captain Tollivar. Obviously he knows that some of his colleagues man a keep in the swamp and he refers the PCs to a personal friend of his, Marzena. He does not accompany the PCs. So there will not be a fleeing Allustan either ...
- I made the attacking lizardfolk and the defending soldiers stronger (lizardfolk got one level fighter and better stats; soldiers got better stats and full hp at lvl 1). We actually played the fight last session and it was a blast.
- As someone suggested on the boards, I'm going to try to have the PCs strike a truce with the shaman before they enter the Twisted Branch lair and blindly start killing everyone. I'll have the PCs come across a lizardfolk hunting party in which one of the opponents is shying out of the fight and tries to talk to the PCs on behalf of the faction of lizardfolk that don't agree with the king. He'll arrange a secret meeting with the shaman. I'll let it flow from there ...
- The lizardfolk shaman does not only disagree with the aggressive king, but (s)he also suspects that Ilthane is doing something to the eggs, after all (s)he is the shaman of the tribe, with a good knowledge of healing and (s)he is denied access to the egg chamber. So Hishka asks the PCs to investigate the egg chamber as well.
- I'm replacing the kobold guardians with one of Ilthane's dragon offspring, a juvenile black dragon - which is also a better way of foreshadowing Ilthane herself.
- I'm not using the locked up spawn of Kyuss, but I'm changing that to the following. A couple of days ago scouts from Blackwall Keep noticed a black dragon visiting the Twisted Branch lair (something Ilthane does once every couple of months).
After the dragon left, the leader of the scouting party decided to investigate, using the same entrance the dragon used (with a potion of water breathing). The juvenile dragon guard of the eggs, Velmane, spotted the intruder, who quickly fled the scene. Unsure of what the scout might have discovered, Velmane raised the alarm and had the lizardfolk king send out a hunting party to destroy the intruder(s).
The scouts were set upon by a ferocious party of lizardfolk and when the fight was finally over, only the leader of the Blackwall scouts was alive, but barely. He found a potion of cure light wounds on one of the lizardfolk and drank it, not realizing it was contaminated with a slow worm.
When the lizardfolk found out that their hunting party had been killed and as a consequence not all the enemies had been destroyed, Velmane considered what to do. If the humans had found out anything about Ilthane's plans they could not be allowed to tell the outside world, not when the eggs were about to hatch. Knowing that his mother does not forgive mistakes, Velmane decided to play safe and convinced the lizardfolk king to attack Blackwall Keep. The king readily agreed, for this was something he had wanted to do for a long time, but had been forbidden by his black dragon masters until now (the dragons had not wanted to draw any unnecessary attention to the lizardfolk lair). At the same time Velmane ordered more hunting parties around the lair to keep any new intruders out.
The Blackwall scout leader, who was still badly wounded, spent the next couple of days hiding (trying to gain some strength) and dodging patrols. When he realized he was getting sick, and thus not getting any better, he tried making his way back home in his feverish condition.
He does not know what is wrong with him, and supposed that his wounds from the fight got infected with some kind of filth fever. He reaches Blackwall Keep after the PCs have left.
- I'm using one of the fantastic suggestions from these boards to have my players play some Blackwall soldiers for a short intermezzo adventure. The scout reaches the keep, obviously in very bad shape. While most of the soldiers are outside, cleaning up the mess from the fight and burying their fallen comrades, my players play the soldiers inside the keep, who witness the terrible transformation of the scout into a spawn of Kyuss. Then the creature attacks them ...
This way I avoid the implausible plotline of a transformed mage who has been locked up for months without anybody doing anything about it.
Anyway, this is how I'm adapting the adventure. Of course I would like to thank Sean K. Reynolds for writing the adventure in the first place, as well as all the people who've given me some of these ideas on the boards. Any reactions of suggestions are welcome.
It sounds like you've put considerable thought and planning into your adaptations for the module.
All your modifications sound good. Only two make me a little nervous. The first is the exclusion of Allustan. While your Captain Tolliver explanation is logical and well thought out, Allustan's involvement is kinda "necessary" in that the campaign designers want the PCs to have a real friendship with this mentor/patron fellow. Establishing a relationship with Capt Tolliver instead, while fine for role-playing purposes, usurps a "bonding moment" that is supposed to happen between Allustan and the PCs. In the first several installments of this adventure path, Allustan is kinda in the background, giving aid and advice to the PCs and spurring them on to the right track. The adventure hooks provided through Allustan are weak but a deceptively important part of the whole plotline. Allustan is responsible for prompting the PCs on toward the Free City, needs rescue in Gathering of Winds, and points them toward future NPCs/locations. The weaker the bond between PCs and Allustan, the weaker the plot flow will be.
Second suggestion that makes me wince is the replacement of the kobolds with Ilthane's offspring. The situation in the Twisted Branch Lair is supposed to be foreshadowing, not a neon sign. I think fighting the offspring might make the egg chamber slightly more logical and certainly more interesting/exciting but it steals that excitement and impact from the future encounters with Ilthane herself and her later offspring.
Just my thoughts.
I would suggest not making ALL the lizardfolk more powerful, just as I would suggest not making all the Soldiers more powerful. Make a Sergent who leads the soldiers, create the elite corps of lizardfolk fighters. Perhaps make them Fighter 1/Rogue 1. Have them scale the walls and attack the soldiers from behind.
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Allustan told our party that he needed to head back and tell the proper officials that the lizardfolk tribes were active in the region again, instead of heading back to gather more forces. Allustan also stressed to the group that he knew we could handle the situation, and that his apprentice(the mage in the party) should prove himself by using all of the things that Allustan had taught him. This worked well and led Allustan away from the "coward" angle that others have used. I think you are wise to beef up the lizardfolk though. I also like the idea of a secret meeting with Hishka. That way the party might only have to kill a few "elite" troops before facing the king, instead of wiping out the whole tribe and handing over what is left to Hishka. I wish I could run that part of the adventure over again now :)
The first is the exclusion of Allustan. While your Captain Tolliver explanation is logical and well thought out, Allustan's involvement is kinda "necessary" in that the campaign designers want the PCs to have a real friendship with this mentor/patron fellow.
Our campaign uses Character Backgrounds from GRR's Advanced Gamemaster's Guide. I created four custom backgrounds for folks from Daggerford (the Realms conversion for Diamond Lake). One of them is for arcane casters, which makes them an apprentice of Yellowknife (the FR conversion of Allustan). We ended up having a player who took warmage as his class and chose this background, so while "Allustan" did not go with the party in EaBWK, they were already close.
I've posted the backgrounds below. Although they are FR, they would be easy to convert to Greyhawk.
Daggerford Acolyte
You received early divine training with the temple of Chauntea, Lathander, Tempus or Tymora in Daggerford. You have an understanding of divine teaching as well as ministry to local needs, such as combat healing and agriculture.
* Gain +1 to starting Charisma or Wisdom.
* Gain +1 racial bonus to Concentration, Heal and Knowledge (religion) skills.
* Pick any one of the following as a bonus language: Draconic, Sylvan, or Thorass.
* Take Knowledge (local-Daggerford) and Knowledge (religion) as permanent class skills.
Daggerford Militia
You have grown up or lived in Daggerford long enough to begin the required service in the militia the town demands of all residents. The ability to ride and fight is vital in this frontier town.
* Familiarity the four following weapons: longspear, shortbow, shortspear, and throwing dagger. Or gain a +1 attack bonus with one weapon from the same list.
* Gain +1 racial bonus to attack against humanoid (reptilian).
* Gain +1 racial bonus to Listen, Ride, Search and Spot skills.
* Start with 4 skill points in Ride.
* Take Knowledge (local-Daggerford) and Ride as permanent class skills.
Daggerford Rogue
Whether you grew up in Daggerford or arrived to hide from your past, you've apprenticed under the local rogue's guild known as the Thieves' Brotherhood. It is hard to hide larcenous actions in a town so small, so only the best and brightest make it through training without spending time in the stockades.
* Familiarity the four following weapons: crown dagger, handaxe, light pick, and throwing dagger. Or gain a +1 attack bonus with one weapon from the same list.
* Gain +2 racial bonus to Open Lock, Sleight of Hand and Sneak skills.
* Start with 4 skill points (4 ranks if class skill, 2 ranks if cross-class) in any one of the following skills: Bluff, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Search, or Sense Motive.
* Take Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Knowledge (local-Daggerford) as permanent class skills.
Yellowknife Apprentice
You received early arcane training with Delfen "Yellowknife" Ondabar of Daggerford. In addition to a solid base in the arcane arts, old Yellowknife makes sure each of his apprentices have thorough instruction in knife fighting.
* Choose any three 0-level arcane spells. You may cast each 1/day as a 1st-level bard or sorcerer (player's choice).
* Familiarity the four following weapons: dagger, punching dagger, throwing dagger and throwing knife. Or gain a +1 attack bonus with one weapon from the same list.
* Gain +1 racial bonus to three of the following skills: Concentration, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Spellcraft, or Use Magic Device.
* Pick any one of the following as a bonus language: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, or Thorass.
* Take Knowledge (local-Daggerford) as a permanent class skill.
All your modifications sound good. Only two make me a little nervous. The first is the exclusion of Allustan. While your Captain Tolliver explanation is logical and well thought out, Allustan's involvement is kinda "necessary" in that the campaign designers want the PCs to have a real friendship with this mentor/patron fellow.
Second suggestion that makes me wince is the replacement of the kobolds with Ilthane's offspring. The situation in the Twisted Branch Lair is supposed to be foreshadowing, not a neon sign. I think fighting the offspring might make the egg chamber slightly more logical and certainly more interesting/exciting but it steals that excitement and impact from the future encounters with Ilthane herself and her later offspring.
Just my thoughts.As far as the bond with Allustan is concerned, I've got that covered. The mage is already trusted by the PCs, he's in on almost everything they know and he is the 'mentor' of the caster in the group.
As far as the foreshadowing of Ilthane is concerned, I'm still going with the dragon offspring idea. It fits in better with the background idea I have for the story - which I'm going to try to disclose to the PCs through the shaman. The PCs will end up knowing that there is a black dragon behind the scenes, though they won't meet her and they won't know her agenda.
I would suggest not making ALL the lizardfolk more powerful, just as I would suggest not making all the Soldiers more powerful. Make a Sergent who leads the soldiers, create the elite corps of lizardfolk fighters. Perhaps make them Fighter 1/Rogue 1. Have them scale the walls and attack the soldiers from behind.
I gave all the lizardfolk 1 fighter level. It made the fight really exciting, so in hindsight it seemed to have been a good choice.
The fighter level also fits in with my background story, which I'll publish in the next thread.
Here's a write-up I did for my next sessions. The PCs have just helped break the siege of Blackwall Keep and should leave for the lizardfolk lair next.
Swamp encounters:
· Lizardfolk warriors from the siege (ten lizardfolk fled after it became clear they were losing the fight):
Five normal lizardfolk fighters stay behind to cover the retreat of the other five lizardmen to the lair. They try to ambush the PCs.
· The swamp get soggier and wetter, more water and some mist. The PCs have to meander through the wet spots and advance a lot slower. Tracking becomes harder at some points.
· Body of water: PCs come across a larger body of water. The lizardfolk obviously swam across. There are crocodiles (MM p. 271) …
· Campsite: the PCs will have to spend the night in the swamp. During the night one of the sleeping characters is surprised by a giant constrictor snake (MM p. 280).
· When nearing the lizardfolk lair, the PCs encounter one of the hunting parties (six lizardfolk). One of these creatures does not attack and shies away from the fight. Afterwards he tries talking to the PCs (in Draconic).
· Other possible encounters include: Shambling mound (p. 222), Shocker lizard (p. 224), Stirges (p. 237), Troll (p. 248).
· On the way back, during the night, there is a will-o’-wisp who tries to lure the guard away.
A truce?
The lizardman from the hunting party who tries to start a conversation with the PCs is called Sharrath. He tells the PCs he does not want to fight them. He does not agree with king Shukak’s aggressive approach to things and there are more lizardfolk like him. He proposes to set up a secret meeting between the PCs and Hishka, the shaman.
If the PCs agree, they can meet Hishka, a stooped lizardfolk hung with jewels made of animal teeth. The shaman is accompanied by her medium viper snake companion, Seskitar.
Hishka tells the PCs about Ilthane and Shukak.
Ilthane (the Black Mother) is a black dragon who arrived about three quarters of a year ago, after the lizardfolk hatchlings in all tribes in the neighborhood had been killed by a blight of ravenous green worms. Ilthane seemed to know more about the green worm plague and told the lizardfolk that arcanists from Waterdeep were responsible. The lizardfolk grew very angry. Ilthane offered to send one of her sons to personally guard over the tribe’s clutch of eggs. The eggs were gathered in a special chamber, connected to the lair and the Ilthane’s son Velmane was set up as its guardian. To completely gain the tribe’s confidence, Ilthane even placed one of her own eggs in the chamber. Other lizardfolk tribes joined the Twisted Branch after the news of the Black Mother was spread. In those days, even Hishka believed Ilthane’s stories.
That started to change when Shukak arrived. Shukak is a hulking brute of a lizardman, who used to fight as a slave in the Waterdeep arena. About six months ago he escaped the city and joined the Twisted Branch after being introduced to the tribe by Ilthane. Shukak spent a lot of time with Velmane and soon started talking about the need to train their warriors to protect the tribe from the evil humans from Waterdeep. Nushuk, the former chief of the Twisted Branch and a good friend of Hishka, did not agree with Shukak, so the newcomer challenged and killed the leader in a duel. Next Shukak declared himself king of the tribe and started training the lizardfolk in the skills of the fighter.
Shortly after that Hishka was denied access to the egg chamber, as was any other lizardman but Shukak. The reasoning behind this was that the fewer folk got to the eggs, the fewer harm would come to them.
A few days ago Ilthane paid the tribe another visit (she visits once every three months). Shukak had a private meeting with her in the egg chamber. Shortly after she had left, news came that the evil humans had invaded the egg chamber. A hunting party was organized and found the intruders. All lizardfolk were killed in the ensuing fight, although they managed to take four of the humans with them.
Shukak swore revenge and sent out a war party to Blackwall Keep. Hishka strongly opposed this course of action, since an open war with the city of Waterdeep can only end in disaster for the lizardfolk. Moreover, (s)he strongly suspects that Velmane and Shukak are up to no good. Why else wouldn’t (s)he be allowed to see the eggs? Two days ago, a first small group if lizardfolk came back with four prisoners. They reported that the fight was going well. Yesterday however, five more lizardmen came home, claiming to be the only survivors of the siege. Apparently the humans had sent a big army to help the survivors in the Keep. The lizardmen took down many enemies before they were forced to flee into the marshes.
Now Shukak is contemplating what to do. Most of the lizardfolk have a blind confidence in their king, only a handful stand with Hishka. The shaman asks the PCs to help her rid the tribe of Shukak and Velmane, to help her secure the clutch of eggs and to help smooth over things with Waterdeep afterwards.
The shaman will only accompany the PCs if they guarantee him/her that they will not kill any other lizardmen but Shukak and his lieutenant Kotabas. The shaman also knows that the prisoners are still alive, although Shukak is planning to sacrifice them tomorrow, so time is of the essence.
There are two entrances into the lair, the regular entrance and the entrance to the egg chamber. The latter can only be reached through a very long underwater passage though.
Blackwall Keep Intermezzo
At this point in the story, we’ll play the Blackwall intermezzo in which the players shortly take the role of one of the Blackwall soldiers.
A couple of days ago scouts from Blackwall Keep noticed a black dragon visiting the Twisted Branch lair (something Ilthane does once every three months).
After the dragon left, the leader of the scouting party, Brad, decided to investigate, using the same entrance the dragon used (with a potion of water breathing). The juvenile dragon guard of the eggs, Velmane, spotted the intruder, who quickly fled the scene. Unsure of what the scout might have discovered, Velmane raised the alarm and had the lizardfolk king send out a hunting party to destroy the intruder(s).
The scouts were set upon by a ferocious party of lizardfolk and when the fight was finally over, only the leader of the Blackwall scouts was alive, but barely. He found a potion of cure light wounds on one of the lizardfolk and drank it, not realizing it was contaminated with a slow worm.
When the lizardfolk found out that their hunting party had been killed and as a consequence not all the enemies had been destroyed, Velmane considered what to do. If the humans had found out anything about Ilthane's plans they could not be allowed to tell the outside world, not when the eggs were about to hatch. Knowing that his mother does not forgive mistakes, Velmane decided to play safe and convinced the lizardfolk king to attack Blackwall Keep. The king readily agreed, for this was something he had wanted to do for a long time, but had been forbidden by his black dragon masters until now (the dragons had not wanted to draw any unnecessary attention to the lizardfolk lair). At the same time Velmane ordered more hunting parties around the lair to keep any new intruders out.
Brad, who was still badly wounded, spent the next couple of days hiding (trying to gain some strength) and dodging patrols. When he realized he was getting sick, and thus not getting any better, he tried making his way back home in his feverish condition.
Brad does not know what is wrong with him, and supposes that his wounds from the fight got infected with some kind of filth fever. He reaches Blackwall Keep after the PCs have left, in very bad shape (1 con left).
He is taken to the basement for treatment, while most of the other soldiers are out cleaning up the mess from the fight and burying the dead. The four soldiers (played by the players) who are still inside the keep witness Brad’s horrifying transformation to a spawn of Kyuss. Then the undead abomination attacks them …
After Blackwall Keep the adventure arc turns sharply away from the Mistmarsh and all of the clues found there. My player didn't really like this, so I ended up running a second lizardfolk-lair adventure with one of Ilthane's very young offspring and a kobold priest of Kyuss. They were supplying worm-ridden potions to the Free City, and the PCs ended up in the next module by following the chain of ownership of those potions. I thought it worked well. I don't think that this gives too much forshadowing of Ilthane's appearance later on: I'd rather the PCs didn't respond "Ilthane? Who's that?" (I also had the "Draconic Brood" team in the Champion's Games be a half-dragon and seven draconic kobolds, so there are additional connections available if the PCs choose to pursue them. They are Ilthane's people, but their reason for being in the Games is unrelated to the main plot.)
As for Allustan, yes, it's important that he have a relationship with the PCs: but the events as described in Blackwall have a significant chance to utterly destroy that relationship. I think it's better to do something else--almost anything is better than playing the module straight, unless your game has specific support ("my apprentice needs to prove himself") for a different and more palatable motive for Allustan.
I just let the PCs persuade Allustan to stay; my player was okay with this, and the Blackwall fight was already so easy, it hardly mattered. (Allustan didn't contribute that much anyway; his spell choices are questionable.) In retrospect, it would have been even better to give the lizardfolk a level of fighter, as the original poster suggests, and have it be a real fight.
My player's getting mighty tired of high-level "good guy" NPCs who won't do much to help: first Allustan (and Amaris, and the heads of Bronzewood Lodge), and now Eligos. I think I am going to have to make Manzorian much less of a good guy. I've been laying foreshadowing for that all game: Allustan is frankly afraid of him and Eligos has some visible ambivalence (especially when the PCs asked him to deliver the Apostolic Scrolls to Manzorian). I just don't think my player is going to swallow another round of "I know the world's about to end, but hey, I'm a busy man. Don't expect much from me."
Mary
I opted to keep Alustan home also, and everything went fine without him. It is important (for later adventures) that the PCs bond with him. In my game, the wizard player is his apprentice, so that relationship is already established.
I played out the side adventure, giving pre-generated characters for the soldiers, and letting them investigate the Spawn of Kyuss in the basement - it was a real blast!
I would suggest NOT introducing a young dragon too early. The whole time we played this, the PCs were expecting a dragon... the tension really had them on their toes. I think this will make the eventual encounter with Ilthane that much more significant.
Just my $0.02... have fun!
I opted to keep Alustan home also, and everything went fine without him. It is important (for later adventures) that the PCs bond with him. In my game, the wizard player is his apprentice, so that relationship is already established.
I would suggest NOT introducing a young dragon too early. The whole time we played this, the PCs were expecting a dragon... the tension really had them on their toes. I think this will make the eventual encounter with Ilthane that much more significant.
Same here. I think the previous adventures and Diamond Lake setting present plenty of opportunities to buddy up with Allustan. In my game, he provided an evacuation at the end of TFoE after Smenk collapsed the elevator shaft behind them. Their motivation for going to Mistmarsh was tracking down the Apostolic Scrolls (Vecnan disinformation :)). I was going to throw in just a little dragon, but it was more fun to watch them sweat waiting for that big encounter which is coming soon enough.
I would suggest NOT introducing a young dragon too early. The whole time we played this, the PCs were expecting a dragon... the tension really had them on their toes. I think this will make the eventual encounter with Ilthane that much more significant.
While I can totally understand your tension building absence of the dragon, I'm still going to use my idea. In my campaign I like using two techniques: foreshadowing and feeding the information to my PCs bit by bit.
I think foreshadowing is an excellent way of giving your campaign more cohesion and credibility. Using the dragon offspring in EaBWK allows me to draw the PCs further into the plot without giving away anything too crucial. The PCs will realize that a powerful black dragon is involved, but they won't know her plans. My approach will also be a much more believable justification for Ilthane's revenge attack in 'A Gathering of Winds'.
By letting more (non-vital) information slip to the PCs, I also keep my players much more motivated. Their actions make much more sense when they understand at least part of their enemies' goals and ambitions.
From the very beginning of the campaign, one of the PCs got an ancestral quest to fight the ancient enemy of his tribe: Kyuss. It's this quest that has kept the party motivated to find out more about this man made god whose name has all but disappeared from history. I've been feeding the PCs bits and pieces of information about Kyuss, without really revealing the true storyline. I find it creates much more tension in the campaign and thus greatly improves everyone's enjoyment of the story.
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I included not one but two offspring of Ilthane in that adventure. Suspense is good, but I find that my players need incremental payoffs to that suspense to keep it fresh, or they lose interest. But I went even further, and included a cameo appearance of Ilthane herself, who made eye contact with one of the party members before they fled the cave down a tunnel that was too small for her.
My players understand the concept of Challenge Rating and Encounter Level, and never imagined that I would actually have a dragon of Ilthane's size and age show up at their level, so when they fought the younger dragons and the larger of the two nearly killed a PC, I think they imagined that they had found the payoff for all of the black dragon hints. When I described a surge in the water level leading from the large submerged tunnel and reached into a bag I had brought with me, one of my players (who knew I had purchased the Colossal Black Dragon but didn't know I had carried it with me to the game) said, incredulously, "You wouldn't!?!"
It was a very memorable moment for the campaign, and it forged a visceral connection--a sense of recognition--between Ilthane and the PCs that will (I think) pay off in spades when they finally get the chance to confront her later. I also like to think that the moment of gutwrenching fear their characters experienced when the players first saw that miniature hit the table will come back to them when they meet her again.
My players respond very keenly to any sense of personal history between their characters and the villains, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to introduce Ilthane early. Now they know her, but more importantly, she knows them. I've already dropped rumors of a dragon attacking towns in the region, so the players know that she's hunting them. The anticipation that someday they may have to face her will only build until they do so, and I plan to make that fight as memorable as possible.
(I aplogize if this double-posts...I didn't see it after the first try, so I'm giving it another shot.)
My players respond very keenly to any sense of personal history between their characters and the villains.
I totally agree there. If possible I try to include some links or history between PCs and NPCs as well. So I really like your idea of using Ilthane; I can only imagine your players' reaction :-))
I'll be playing the "Murder in Oakbridge" adventure soon as a sort of sidetrek. I've set things up from the very beginning of the campaign to have a personal link between one of the PCs and the victims (through his mother).
Another great storyline that has developped in my campaign is the fact that Balabar Smenk will soon be marrying one of the PCs' sister. This character has a noble background and his father used to be the former lord of Leilon (which I'm using for Diamond Lake). His family has lost its fortune however, and when the character died in TFoE, his mother made a deal with Smenk to have the mine manager pay for the ressurection in exchange for a chance to join the ranks of nobility by marrying the daughter of the family.
Another example of PC involvement in the plot is the fact that the druid PC is a descedant of Sayren-Lei, one of the Wild Watchers in The Library of Last Resort.
Excellent ideas in this thread!
I would have really liked to have used the idea of having Tolliver be the link to Marzena instead of Allustan, unfortunately we're past that point.
The trouble I have with the Allustan link is that the hook of needing to visit one of Allustan's friends is used at least three times in the AP(Marzena, Eligos and Manzorian) and my players will start to raise some eyebrows - mumbling something about "going to visit another one of Allustan's friends, again."
Instead, I'll probably switch it up and have Marzena ask the players to visit Eligos in the Free City to get more info on the worms and undead. The players already have a great bond with Allustan and trust him implicitly now (they sure didn't when they first met him.)
Also, I really like the idea of having Hishka meet the PCs outside the lair in order to make a bid to save the tribe (otherwise, as pointed out, the Twisted Branch will probably end up just being a tribe of one.) For those who have not read the corresponding Dragon issue with the AoW article on the ecology of lizardfolk, its a good place to get info on Semuanya at what would motivate Hishka to seek peace among the many tribes in the swamp and with the softskins in the Free City.
If this works, I'll end up doubling the harpies, assassin vines(s), kobolds and maybe even put in another pet otyugh in one of the area 6 lizard rooms to help balance xp., as presumably, the party will be battling 21 less lizardfolk. I might try to work it out so that the infected lizardfolk in 6c succumbs to the slow worm and dies while negotiations are underway between the PCs and Hishka. That way they will have another encounter with the spawn of kyuss. If done right, the surviving lizardfolk should link the emergent spawn with the past egg infestation and their suspicion should fall more on Shukak and Illthane rather than the party (the infected lizardfolk was quite sick long before the PCs arrived, afterall.) This should help Hishka to convince his tribe that the PCs are friends and not dinner.
I think I'll leave the Illthane broodlings out though. It's a good idea , but I think I can create more suspense with just the egg and an unseen threat of a dragon out there.
In my campaign, Allustan stayed with the party until they had recovered his friend from the Lizardfolk. He kept out of battle (only readying actions in case things went awry), which seemed to work well.
Of course, the encounters still were cakewalks for the party, as the Beguiler was able to cause everyone to sleep, and then the rest of the (silenced) party went in to coup-de-grace those who slept, and the few who didn't.
The players have since come to consider the EaBK as a sort of "resting" adventure, since it went so easily due to this strategy.
The changes I made to the adventure turned it into quite a ride. We had the encounter with Shukak last week. I also changed his stats around a bit and used a suggestion I found on these boards somewhere.
When the PCs walk into his room, Marzena runs towards them, only to be staked by Shukak's trident. Her final words before she dies are something about "Eligos", so I won't be using the Alustan link here either.
The party was feeling pretty confident at this point, only ONE opponent facing the four PCs (level 5), Melinde (also level 5 by now) and Hishka. But then the lizardking furiously attacked them, chopping around with his trident (I gave him whirlwind attack, which was causing serious damage) and funnily enough making every saving throw versus the spells the PCs used against him. Later in the fight he even drank a potion of enlarge, making his whirlwind even more threatening. Anyway, the fight was great.
I'll include his modified stats here, if you want to use them. I also gave him some of Marzena's equipment, since we use the rule that 'normal' magical items are self-identifying, so he'd be stupid not to use them.
Shukak, CE Male Lizardfolk, Humanoid2 Fighter7
Hit Points: 103
Initiative: +2
AC: 24 (flatfooted 22, touch 13)
Attacks: (Bite +8; 1d4+3; Claw +14/+14; 1d4+6)
+1 Returning Trident +16/+11; 1d8+9
+1 Returning Trident Thrown +12/+7; 1d8+3
Saves: Fortitude: +9, Reflex: +8, Will: +5
Abilities: STR 22 (+6), DEX 14 (+2), CON 16 (+3), INT 13 (+1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 12 (+1)
Skills: Balance 7; Climb 9; Intimidate 10; Jump 12; Listen 2; Spot 2; Swim 21;
Feats: Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (Trident), Weapon Specialization (Trident), Whirlwind Attack
Possessions: Amulet of Natural Armor +1; Buckler+1; Bracers of Strength +2; Cloak of Resistance +1 (Marzena's); Potion of Cure Serious Wounds; Ring of Protection +1 (Marzena's); Studded Leather +1; +1 Returning Trident
Buff Potion: Potion of Enlarge (1 min, +2 Str, -2 Dex, -1 on atk and AC due to size)
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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I'll do some modifications to EABK, in order to smoothen over some of the "rough edges" of the adventure:
a) I will not go the "teleports away, insulted" route with Allustan, when the group insists on him participating in the battle. Instead he'll fight, and afterwards break down in tears. Nice way to add a bit of a human touch to him, and an excellent way to introduce some of his backstory (he left Manzorian because he could not stomach the adventuring and bloodshed IMC).
b) The infected soldier that turns into the Spawn will arrive at Blackwall keep after the group has left for the Twisted Branch lair (sole surivor of a patrol thought lost days ago), not some years back. It neatly sidesteps the "how stupid are these soldiers, anyway?" problem without making major changes necessary.
c) The shaman has an apprentice, who contacts the party outside the lair, proposing negotiations - if they can make it through the lair without a massacre, and without giving away this "invitation". The shaman is close to rebelling against the Lizard King, and these outsiders might just be the ticket.
d) The Lizard King threatens that Illthane will "kill all the eggs" if the Shaman does not submit to his rule, which means the Shaman pleads with the characters to save her tribes young
e) I'll forget the puny kobolds, and go all the way. Two young Blacks have a very similar EL to the kobold rogues, but make for a much more memorable fight. :)
Things i will not change on purpose:
a) Allustans Cowardice. Its a good thing that some NPCs have visible flaws, and reasons to send the PCs out to do their work other than "i can't be assed"
b) The siege. Without the aid of out-of-depth adventurers, Blackwall Keep will fall pretty soon. The Attack Force is adequate to wipe out the defending soldiers, and i want to give my players a moment in the sun.
c) The Lizard King. With the climactic fight against two dragons, spicing up the lizard king puts undue pressure on the party, and also probably costs them too much in the way of spells and consumables.
In my campaign, Marzena was the older sister (and former apprentice) to the *current* PC apprentice of Allustan. Allustan was indeed cowardly and abandoned the PCs to face the siege alone. This did not affect their previously established bond with Allustan (they were still anxious to rescue him in GoW). The implied cowardice of Allustan's actions at Blackwall didn't exactly come as a shock to the PCs anyway. They were already suspecting his cowardice when he asked them to accompany them in the first place (although the PC brother of Marzena obviously had other motivations to go to Blackwall).
I had Marzena die a climatic death by the hand of the LizardmanKing, gasping out that she needed to contact Eligos. Part of my motivation for removing Allustan from the HoHR hook/connection to Eligos was because the PCs had failed in TFoE to fully kill the Ebon Aspect, which then rampaged the town, the fall-out of which caused the PCs to be persona-non-grata in Diamond Lake. I didn't want them to have to return to Diamond Lake from EaBK and wait for further instruction from Allustan (especially after he "abandoned" them earlier). Eligos still had a history with Allustan & Tensor which becomes apparent later in the AP. I've really liked how the heroes' patron and only "outside" friend gradually progressed to be minorly burdensome and repugnant. The way I revealed it, the PCs were given little glimpses in each module of NPCs who had strained relationships (to say the least) with Allustan. It was fun to see their own attitudes toward their mentor/patron evolve. It's a little bit like growing up and realizing your parents aren't as smart & perfect as you thought they were when you were a little kid. Besides, I didn't like the adventure hooks as written. To me, they seemed like a constant string of "go here, meet with this old friend of Allustan's, gather information on what is going on and what the Age of Worms is really all about", only to get virtually NO answers to any of their questions from any of these scattered friends of a friend. Overcome obstacles, lather, rinse, repeat. The whole thing was too railroady and I'm usually all for a little conducting to keep a campaign plot progressing. Anyway, it all worked for me. YMMV.
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Just a thought: I was thinking of changing Marzena's name to Lashonna, and vice versa. Since a couple of my players read the Paizo messageboards (except the Age of Worms threads I hope), I'm thinking one of them probably saw Lashonna mentioned on the Best Dragons or Best Villains threads. Is so, he might be surprised to see Lashonna mentioned this early in the campaign, especially if she dies at the hands of the lizard king.
Just a thought: I was thinking of changing Marzena's name to Lashonna, and vice versa. Since a couple of my players read the Paizo messageboards (except the Age of Worms threads I hope), I'm thinking one of them probably saw Lashonna mentioned on the Best Dragons or Best Villains threads. Is so, he might be surprised to see Lashonna mentioned this early in the campaign, especially if she dies at the hands of the lizard king.
Lol, luckily my players steer clear of these boards. If not; they'd know half the story before we played it.
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Lol, luckily my players steer clear of these boards. If not; they'd know half the story before we played it.
Not so easy in my case since one of my players is currently DMing Shackled City and another plans to DM Savage Tides. I'm confident that they don't read any Age of Worms threads, but there are plenty of spoilers elsewhere that I'll have to make a few modifications if I want to surprise them.