Hey all. Hope someone can help with this. I'm going to start running the STAP for the third time (previous two times were stalled out). Of the players in the group, one has played through to Here There Be Monsters, and two have played through to the Vandorboren vault. The player who's played through to HTBM is going to have to deal (she's my wife and she knows what she's in for), but I'd like to rearrange things a bit at the start for the other two players (the fourth has no experience with STAP).
I'm thinking of starting off with the meenlock adventure that was in one of the last two Dungeons, and make Lavinia someone who was imprissoned. Essentially, I'll make it so that Vanthus had her thrown into jail instead of having her killed off like the rest of the Jade Ravens wanted (lavinia doesn't realize this -- she thinks she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time). In order to clear her name, Lavinia will ask the PCs to seek out some legal documents that lead to the ambush under Parrot island.
Does anybody see any problems here? If there are problems, does anybody have a any suggestions?
Thanks,
El Skootro
That sounds like a pretty sweet idea to me and it even adds something to Vanthus' character that he isn't willing to kill his sister outright (like he had no problem doing to his parents).
The only problem I see from this move is that this would create back-to-back adventures where Lavinia needs to be rescued by the PCs. If you can run them without them seeming too similar, go for it.
Your players also won't get an early hate on with Vanthus since they won't have the first-hand experience of being burried alive by him. If you're looking for a little work, it might be worth skipping the second half of 'Bullywug Gambit' and instead filling the space with another low-level adventure that features a quick confrontation with Vanthus.
If you have Dungeon 113, you could try 'Queen with the Burning Eyes' which could feature Vanthus as the noble who betrays the PCs to the cult, this could lead to 'Meenlock Prison' to rescue the sister the party learns is held there and then off to the first half of 'Bullywug'.
Come to think of it, without 'No Honor', your PCs won't have earned the emnity of the Lotus Dragon chick (Rowyn?), but she can be left out of 'Wyvern's Wake' entirely without denting that adventure.
Thanks for the input.
If you have Dungeon 113, you could try 'Queen with the Burning Eyes' which could feature Vanthus as the noble who betrays the PCs to the cult, this could lead to 'Meenlock Prison' to rescue the sister the party learns is held there and then off to the first half of 'Bullywug'.
I don't have 113 (I only re-subscribed to Dungeon when the Savage Tide was announced). I'd be willing to buy the magazine (as a pdf) if the adventure is worth it. Anyone else run this one?
Come to think of it, without 'No Honor', your PCs won't have earned the emnity of the Lotus Dragon chick (Rowyn?), but she can be left out of 'Wyvern's Wake' entirely without denting that adventure.
Yeah, the first time I ran Sea Wyvern's Wake, I substituted the illusionist from the taxidermy guildhall b/c my PCs killed Rowyn.
El Skootro
Yeah, the first time I ran Sea Wyvern's Wake, I substituted the illusionist from the taxidermy guildhall b/c my PCs killed Rowyn.
That's some pretty quick thinking.
As for Issue 113, I wouldn't suggest buying it just for 'Everburning Eyes'. I personally like the way the adventure is written in two tier with the party going to explore the dungeon and then having storyline elements happen for their second pass, but it's not show-stopping brilliant and actually has a pretty annoying map of the dungeon that designed so you can make it entirely out of the map tiles for the D&D minis line.
Perhaps the easiest solution is to have Vanthus being the one leading the Bullywugs back to Vanderboren manor to finish off his sister once and for all. That way they free her from the prison, try to track down Vanthus at Kraken's Cove and then learn that he'd set off to finish the business with his sister. Like I said, it's the easiest solution, but it could easily turn into a recurring joke of having to save Vinia from her brother.
...and it even adds something to Vanthus' character that he isn't willing to kill his sister outright (like he had no problem doing to his parents).
Actually, he'd still be as devious and underhanded as before. When discussing Lavinia in his note found in the Lotus Dragon guildhall, he notes that "a second Vanderboren tragedy might get too many people curious."
Actually, he'd still be as devious and underhanded as before. When discussing Lavinia in his note found in the Lotus Dragon guildhall, he notes that "a second Vanderboren tragedy might get too many people curious."
There's some room to read into that. Our Vanthus, of course, is a patricidal swine who would already have killed his sister if he thought he could get away with it. With an adventure that has him imprisoning her, though, there's a chance to re-interpret his love for his sister, especially since he goes to such lengths to kidnap her later on. If that's the route you want to take, the note in the guildhall could just be his public excuse for why he allowed her to live. I actually like the extra creepiness this adds to the character.