Because my players have goblin characters, I started the events of the AP a week or so earlier than suggested. It seemed only fair that the characters could witness their band being recruited to Ripnugget and Tsuto's service rather than just starting with the raid. The way things are going though the raid might not happen at all. First, the PCs have come up with a plan to retrieve the bones of Father Ezakien without the need of a distraction. Second, they've warned Mayor Deverin about the possibility for an attack, and she's putting the militia (62 warriors) on alert during the festival.
This has two implications for the plot. First, the runewell under Sandpoint won't be recharged (unless the attack goes ahead and the goblins are slaughtered by the militia). Second (and more importantly), Aldern Foxglove won't start obsessing over one of the PCs.
If this is the case, I think that I'll have Aldern out on his boar hunt, trying to a) distract himself from memories of his wife's murder and b) psych himself up for his return home. The PCs will hear his screams as a dire boar is about to take him out, and after they rescue him things can proceed as scripted.
Are there any other problems with missing the raid that I'm missing? If the raid doesn't happen at all then there will be more goblins alive later on, but that doesn't seem to be too much of a problem.
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I think it's worth remembering that both Tsuto and Nualia know (roughly) how the runewell works and thus understand the "need" for a goblin slaughter. They might well order the attack anyway, just for that purpose.
Foxglove's gonna get obssessed with a goblin? Man, I thought he was twisted before...
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At least, you will have to look for another explanation of the events at the Glassworks. If there's no assault and even no need for an distraction, then there's no need for Tsuto to blackmail and, as a result, to kill his father. I don't think Nualia would allow Tsuto the chance to mess her plan up without any need, so there has to be a good reason for him to come to Sandpoint.
Naturally you could easily skip those events, since the SC get their chance to learn about the catacombs of Wrath later on. But if you plan to run them through the catacombs before traveling to Thistletop, you'll need another trigger event. Maybe an investigation for Kendra Deverin or Belor Hemlock which are already suspicious about Lonjiku Kaijitsu's collaboration with the Sczarni.
P.S. oh, and Shisumo has a good point, too. :)
Your players have goblin characters? Sorry, that just sounds... eh... complicated! It's not that I can't see a few cool things with playing goblins, especially in the Pathfinder universe. But don't you think you are making "life" very complicated for yourself?
I mean, how are you gonna handle all the encounters where they are supposed to talk to this or that person... people will scream if goblins turn up at their doorstep, and propably whack them over the head.
I just can't see how this works without you basicly rewriting the entire campaign. Wouldn't it be easier to just make some homebrewed goblin adventures for your wacky players? :-)
I think it's worth remembering that both Tsuto and Nualia know (roughly) how the runewell works and thus understand the "need" for a goblin slaughter. They might well order the attack anyway, just for that purpose.
Good point! The militia will mop them up, and the well will be fueled.
Foxglove's gonna get obssessed with a goblin? Man, I thought he was twisted before...
Yes indeed. Of the three options though, I don't think I'll be choosing lust.
Have a look at tbug's journal :)
Oh! It does sound like a lot of fun, but then I could easily see how it might be. It still seems to me though, that they are not really experiencing the campaign... but hey, as long as they are enjoying themselves!
The rich goblin background lends itself well to the idea.
If there's no assault and even no need for an distraction, then there's no need for Tsuto to blackmail and, as a result, to kill his father.
Tsuto is currently in Sandpoint, and it's two days before the Swallowtail festival. He's there getting some information, and this is when he'd be getting the final details of his blackmail together. His buddy, Jorvak Deverin, doesn't know about his goblin affiliations and thinks he's just another local noble kid and is thus in communication with him. Tsuto has heard about the PCs from Ripnugget and is keeping an eye on things.
Of course, if I go ahead with the assault just to fuel the runewell then the blackmail goes ahead as scripted.
Naturally you could easily skip those events, since the SC get their chance to learn about the catacombs of Wrath later on. But if you plan to run them through the catacombs before traveling to Thistletop, you'll need another trigger event. Maybe an investigation for Kendra Deverin or Belor Hemlock which are already suspicious about Lonjiku Kaijitsu's collaboration with the Sczarni.
I thought I'd wait and see about the catacombs. There's a shadow party, full of kids with connections to the local noble houses, and they might wander in there and get into trouble. Maybe they investigate the Glassworks for the mayor (possibly after receiving hints from Tsuto).
If Lonjiku somehow survives Burnt Offerings then he'll be on Aldern's list of greedy people.
It still seems to me though, that they are not really experiencing the campaign... but hey, as long as they are enjoying themselves!
We're having a great time. :)
As to whether we're experiencing the campaign, we're just doing it in reverse. The campaign provides me with a setting and a timeline of events. The events take place as scripted unless the PCs interfere with things. Right now it's two days before the Swallowtail Festival, and certain things (such as the temple dedication and Aldern Foxglove's visit to Sandpoint) will happen then no matter what the PCs do. One week after the Swallowtail Festival, Aldern goes back to Foxglove Manor and things proceed from there.
Anything else going as scripted is frankly gravy. The PCs have met Ripnugget already, and are trying to convince him to go with a different plan. They know about the longshank sorceress trying to free the goblin god, and they don't trust her. The PC warchanter has just requested more information about the nasty priest whose bones are required, and I'm trying to put together an appropriate handout.
As to whether or not this is more work than just creating a campaign from scratch, I'm not sure that's relevant. :) My goofy players wanted to play Pathfinder, but they wanted it reversed. I have no problem with that, so we're going with it and having a great time.
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I thought that you'd considered those things already so I mentioned them just in case.
If Lonjiku somehow survives Burnt Offerings then he'll be on Aldern's list of greedy people.
And thank you very much, this sentence just made me look in my account where I found the second part of RotRLAP for me to download. So you're my official savior from just another night of boring sleep :)
I thought that you'd considered those things already so I mentioned them just in case.
It's not so much that I'd considered every point individually so much as that I'm only adapting stuff if the PCs look like they're going to run into it. You really made me think about the Glassworks in a new light; I'd considered how the encounter would run but I hadn't thought about whether it would run. Now I'm thinking that it doesn't need to happen at all, or if it does then it will be with a different stimulus.
If Lonjiku somehow survives Burnt Offerings then he'll be on Aldern's list of greedy people.And thank you very much, this sentence just made me look in my account where I found the second part of RotRLAP for me to download. So you're my official savior from just another night of boring sleep :)
Nice! Okay, if you come up with an easy way to slip Longiku's death at Aldern's hands into Part Two then let me know, eh?
I thought that you'd considered those things already so I mentioned them just in case.
If Lonjiku somehow survives Burnt Offerings then he'll be on Aldern's list of greedy people.And thank you very much, this sentence just made me look in my account where I found the second part of RotRLAP for me to download. So you're my official savior from just another night of boring sleep :)
Actually, I'd think it'd be more appropriate that Lonjiku remains as someone associated with wrath. I felt the background involving his wife and son made that clear to me.
As for killing him in Part II, I wouldn't envision him earmarked then for the ritual, but then that would leave him to raise again as an undead.
Actually, I'd think it'd be more appropriate that Lonjiku remains as someone associated with wrath. I felt the background involving his wife and son made that clear to me.
As for killing him in Part II, I wouldn't envision him earmarked then for the ritual, but then that would leave him to raise again as an undead.
It's true that his actions five years ago were very wrath-based, but all we really know about him since then is that he's involved with the Sczarni. This makes him seem like a possible greed-based target to me.
Of course, it could be interesting to bring him back undead, too. Maybe Aldern had a negative encounter with him in the days leading up to the Swallowtail Festival and kills him for fun (something that the Skinsaw Men are supposed to do but Aldern doesn't seem to do much of). The dread ghast template would make him into a significant challenge, and would be a nice red herring for the various murders.
Thanks for the idea.
If Lonjiku comes back as an Undead, I see a horrible family get together for the Fall/Winter holidays with Tsuto and Ameiko. Tsuto gets drunk and complains that his dad smells worse than Ameiko's curry. Lonjiku would rather eat what he brought, ignoring the main dishes altogether and calling all female adventurers "prostitutes" and "tavern-keepers" while giving Ameiko sour, undead looks. Ameiko eventually throws plates at both Tsuto and Lonjiku, trying to get them to work it out. The maggots craw out of Lonjiku's side dish of green-meat casserole and start eating Ameiko's main dish. Lonjiku laughs and mentions how that will improve the taste. Tsuto gets up to brawl with dad. Ameiko, desperate in trying to get them to behave blurts out, "Don't hit our dad unless you want me to tell him about the pictures of the winged girl I saw in your journal."
Okay, it looks like the militia will be dealing with the goblin attack during the Swallowtail festival. Tsuto is going to blackmail Lonjiku just as before, but he's not going to be in town during the festival since with everyone on alert the goblin attack is useless as a diversion.
Each of the five remaining tribes will send five goblins to attack. Lieutenant Brunkel won't be along this time, since there's no sense in wasting a perfectly decent combatant just to fuel the runewell.
Since the blackmail is taking place the murder of Lonjiku can go ahead as scheduled. Tsuto will use some other stealthy method of retrieving the bones of Father Ezakien. The PCs may try to thwart this, in which case I guess Nualia won't have experienced the first stage of her transformation yet.
Aldern will meet the PCs out on his boar hunt, and become obsessed with one of them there. The PCs won't quite be the heroes of Sandpoint in the minds of the citizens that they would have been had things gone according to schedule, but they'll be in the good books of the mayor at least.
Anything else I need to consider?
The PCs met with "The Company of the Old Light", a newly-formed hero group. After the PCs had told Ripnugget that they'd get the bones, he cheerfully told Nualia, who told Tsuto, who figured (correctly) that goblins would just screw this up. He contacted a couple of childhood friends in Sandpoint and they formed the adventuring company.
One of them, Jorvak Deverin, was in a position to find out that the PCs had told the mayor of the goblin attack. He (being sincere, if a little dim) saw this as a great opportunity for his group and brought both parties together for some drinks. The PCs discussed their plans in front of the group, doing so in Goblin so that they wouldn't be understood. (Tsuto, of course, speaks Goblin.)
So Tsuto and a minion got Father Ezakian's bones out two days before the Swallowtail festival. Ripnugget and Nualia know that the PCs are going to betray them, and they're arranging for an ambush when the PCs show up for the attack. They're also doubling the number of goblins attacking, though with 80 or so Sandpoint guards and militiamen on alert this won't make a big difference.
This means that Encounter One is going to happen, but only so that a lot of goblins can die to fuel the runewell. If possible I'll still have the PCs save Aldern during the attack. Lieutenant Brunkel won't be sent along this time, since it's known to be a suicide mission. Nualia has already transformed using the bones of Father Ezakian.
Other than that, I think I'm back on track. Am I missing anything?
They did it. My PCs missed encounter one.