My group of 4 players cleaned up in the lotus dragon den, though I did get the monk to take a dirt nap with Cruncher, he managed to get healed before death occured. In another instance I had a lotus dragon in perfect position to coup-de-gras a player character and he failed his save vs sleep. I played the dragons as well coordinated, with a system of codes telling them where the intruders were at. The group had excellent intel garnered from a captured lotus dragon earlier in the adventure, so they knew about certain areas to be cautious.
The party, after cleaning out the den of all the regulars, chickened out when it came to the rhagodessa, probably because of what happened with them on the ship. They decided to exit the dungeon and head back and rest and heal up. This was going to make the fight with Rowyn much easier for them to handle, so I had her animate a number of the dead lotus dragon thieves and stage a ambush with them if they didn't accept the terms of her offer. She waited for them in the training hall, where there would be room to fight and she wouldn't be cramped for space.
The group heard her monologue, and decided to turn her down so gut tugger attacked and we went into rounds. Some really poor saves on my part and the fight was going to be a cake walk, so I had her take her gaseous form potion and escape, but tugger and the zombies all went down with ease to the party. Overall, an anticlimactic fight due to the failed saves... but they will encounter her again.
My group of 4 players cleaned up in the lotus dragon den, ... Overall, an anticlimactic fight due to the failed saves... but they will encounter her again.
I have been wondering for a while now what would happen if the group decides to turn left instead of right. When entering from the taxidermist hall (and they have Penku's note) they could reach Rowyn before encountering more than a few LDs. That (and missing the crucible altogether) seems a little anticlimactic. Especially since this party is likely to take her offer. That will be sad with all the successful turnings the cleric made under the Parrot Isle-entirely anticlimactic.
My party skipped the rhagodessa pen and ixiticha...ixitchaki...shark guys altogether. Just comes with the territory of a (fairly) open dungeon.
My party skipped the rhagodessa pen and ixiticha...ixitchaki...shark guys altogether. Just comes with the territory of a (fairly) open dungeon.
Yeah mine skipped those as well. They entered through one of the abandoned buildings and used stealth to take them out. In fact, the kobold spellthief rigged a alchemist fire over the door of the barracks so that when they made noise attacking the folks in the dining hall the reinforments had a good suprise.
When entering from the taxidermist hall (and they have Penku's note) they could reach Rowyn before encountering more than a few LDs. That (and missing the crucible altogether) seems a little anticlimactic. Especially since this party is likely to take her offer.
It may seem anticlimactic, but if your group does wind up taking Rowyn's offer, it's probably better that they're not getting messed up in a big fight that more or less cripples the guild they wind up joining. It's a climactic fight if your group stays on Lavinia's side. The really great thing about the STAP is how flexibile it is toward parties of various philisophical bents. The downside is that (most likely for space reasons) it's still written from a prefered vantage point, and at more than a few points, the plot drivers and climactic beats are designed to work for that thread (working for Lavinia), while the secondary threads (joining the Lotus Dragons) leave the GM needing to craft his or her own plot drivers and climax beats.