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So I did what the adventure suggested, and downplayed Sheriff Hemlock.
He had his agent put them onto Tsuto, and they completely fell for it. Then they missed the secret where Tsuto kept his Pathfinder stuff, and now they're completely convinced that he's the evil mastermind behind the whole Sandpoint plot.
If I follow the timeline as written, Hemlock's going to have no problem getting the entire council infected with lycanthropy while the party continues (even though I've been clear that they've found all there is to find) seaerching the 3rd level of the Old Light because they're convinced that Tsuto's hiding there, and if they can find him, they'll be able to nip the whole plot in the bud.
Is anyone else having this problem? If so what are you doing to fix it? Also, do you think it'll hurt the story too much if I extend the takeover timeline a couple of days? Two days after the fight at the galssworks just seems really short for the characters to put all the pieces together.
They haven't even explored Chopper's Island yet.
Lycnanthrope Hemlock??
Hell Yes. But uh, I haven't read anything on that at all from the Modules.
You could pull in Big Gugmut the Mosswood wereboar to balance things. If you want to slow things down a bit you could throw in some sort of wild goose chase until the players catch up. For example, one of the maps contains a spot marked as "Foxglove Manor"--you could make up some sort of Haunted House map and stick it there.
Once the characters have a bit of experience under their belts they'll be ready to tackle Cyrdak and the rest of the theatre spirits.
Anyone confused? Try here.
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I all but threw Tsuto's stash at my PCs (via Ameiko, bless her clueless little heart) to make sure this didn't happen, since it seemed like a possibility right from the get-go.
I guess the question of the timeline would be answered by whether you've mentioned the moon phase yet or not. The two days thing is really determined by the fact that that's how long before the full moon - if you haven't said anything, then you can quietly shift things back a bit with none the wiser. Otherwise, you're going to be in a bit of a pickle, since waiting a whole month seems destined to screw up the dramatic tension.
My suggestion would be to drop a flat-out deus ex machina in. If you can get your players out of the Light for even one night, have one of Hemlock's hooker goons (and is anyone else a little weirded out by having to call them that? It seems so sexist!) flip out early, basically giving in to the transformation ahead of schedule - technically, you can attempt Control Shape checks untrained, so it's legit. After the PCs deal with the rampaging werewolf, they should be able to trace the problem back to the Pixie and then to Hemlock, and get back on track. Time's short, though, so you might want to move the vrocks off Chopper's Isle and put them somewhere else, maybe the Basement Cellar (area D17) in the Town Hall.
Also, what's up with all the 'rune' stuff, everyone knows it's the mind-flayer (oops, "brain-eating-squid-head-people") BBEGs for this adventure path, it lays out the plot of every single book on p3 of Pathfinder 1.
Plus, if you read only every third word of the "Pathfinder's Journal" section at the back, it tells you where all the cool secret treasures are.
...seriously, does no-one at all read the "online subscriber" web content?
Is anyone else having this problem? If so what are you doing to fix it? Also, do you think it'll hurt the story too much if I extend the takeover timeline a couple of days? Two days after the fight at the galssworks just seems really short for the characters to put all the pieces together.
They haven't even explored Chopper's Island yet.
I don't think the timeline is such an issue if you add an element of Hemlock's lover Shalelu diverting him with a jealousy issue. Maybe she flirts with one of the PCs and Hemlock tries to kill that PC...could be another way for them to discover the truth.
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I don't think the timeline is such an issue if you add an element of Hemlock's lover Shalelu diverting him with a jealousy issue. Maybe she flirts with one of the PCs and Hemlock tries to kill that PC...could be another way for them to discover the truth.Is anyone else having this problem? If so what are you doing to fix it? Also, do you think it'll hurt the story too much if I extend the takeover timeline a couple of days? Two days after the fight at the galssworks just seems really short for the characters to put all the pieces together.
They haven't even explored Chopper's Island yet.
Glah! Going up against Hemlock before they've had a chance to finish the Theater? That's a TPK waiting to happen! They need that XP (not to mention the adamantine glaive) or he'll just roll right over them!
Glah! Going up against Hemlock before they've had a chance to finish the Theater? That's a TPK waiting to happen! They need that XP (not to mention the adamantine glaive) or he'll just roll right over them!
But they can't get to the adamantine glaive until they ransack the House of Blue Stones (it's in area 19, in the secret compartment behind the counter).
Plus, if they've got that far, how have they not found the Wand of Unlimited Fireballs? That should clear up the problems with those lycanthropes. They're onyl meant to last the first half of the adventure anyway before one of the PCs puts silversheen in the town well. Please tell me they've thought of putting silversheen in the well, I thought that was the only real weak point of the adventure.
Glah! Going up against Hemlock before they've had a chance to finish the Theater? That's a TPK waiting to happen! They need that XP (not to mention the adamantine glaive) or he'll just roll right over them!
That's true - maybe he just sends over a couple dopplegangers from the lumber mill. But that still doesn't change the timeline issue.
You could just shorten the Chopper's Island and Theater encounters and build a few more encounters into the final dungeon at Digger's Fort up north.
This is priceless info guys!
My main problem is one of my players is a ranger and had to meet Daviren Hosk (38 - Goblin Squash Stables). He made a great Sense Motive roll and figured out that something was fishy so he came back in the night and made great search roll. I felt compelled to let him find the undead goblins.
Luckily it was at the end of the session so I've got a little time to figure out how to handle it.
This is priceless info guys!
My main problem is one of my players is a ranger and had to meet Daviren Hosk (38 - Goblin Squash Stables). He made a great Sense Motive roll and figured out that something was fishy so he came back in the night and made great search roll. I felt compelled to let him find the undead goblins.
Luckily it was at the end of the session so I've got a little time to figure out how to handle it.
That's pretty rough there, though at least that will give your ranger player a clue-in that undead play such a huge roll in chapters 4-6 of the adventure path. And people thought Age of Worms was lopsided towards them...
Mine picked *goblins* and is thinking of taking Giants next, which will be completely useless except for the diplomacy bonus to ally with the couple good giants they run into!
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This is priceless info guys!
My main problem is one of my players is a ranger and had to meet Daviren Hosk (38 - Goblin Squash Stables). He made a great Sense Motive roll and figured out that something was fishy so he came back in the night and made great search roll. I felt compelled to let him find the undead goblins.
Luckily it was at the end of the session so I've got a little time to figure out how to handle it.
Tell me he at least has the rest of the party with him? Though I guess if they wipe him out, you don't have to worry about the discovery throwing off the rest of the plot...
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OK, so my PC's got through Burnt Offerings in more or less one piece, successfully saving the Orb of Thrall from falling into the wrong hands. We've gotten about halfway through the Skinsaw Murders and they've already pretty much figured out the Lord Mayor is really the golem-killers' master. When they failed to save Aldern Foxglove from being torn apart in his manor house by one of the deadly constructs, they did manage to destroy the golem. The party's wizard made some INCREDIBLE rolls for knowledge (arcana), knowledge (nature) and knowledge (geography) to determine the source of the clay used in it's construction. As a result they got to the city MUCH earlier than I had hoped. I think they'll be beaten to a pulp by the clay-based army the Lord Mayor is building since they never got the staff of shattering from the Dragon's Punchbowl.
Anybody got any ideas for a means to divert their attention from him so they don't get completely trounced?
Did the players find any clues that the victims of the goblins in the initial attack were lycanthropes?
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So I did what the adventure suggested, and downplayed Sheriff Hemlock.
He had his agent put them onto Tsuto, and they completely fell for it. Then they missed the secret where Tsuto kept his Pathfinder stuff, and now they're completely convinced that he's the evil mastermind behind the whole Sandpoint plot.
If I follow the timeline as written, Hemlock's going to have no problem getting the entire council infected with lycanthropy while the party continues (even though I've been clear that they've found all there is to find) seaerching the 3rd level of the Old Light because they're convinced that Tsuto's hiding there, and if they can find him, they'll be able to nip the whole plot in the bud.
Is anyone else having this problem? If so what are you doing to fix it? Also, do you think it'll hurt the story too much if I extend the takeover timeline a couple of days? Two days after the fight at the galssworks just seems really short for the characters to put all the pieces together.
They haven't even explored Chopper's Island yet.
To hurry my PCs discovery, I also had to spoon feed them some information. I had Ameiko talk excitedly about the fact she was now the happy owner of the family manor and the glasswork, and a sense motive check sent my PCs to the manor. Investigation of Lonjiku's secret paperwork let them see he was working with Tsuto to discover a plot by the sherif. That also gave them some more suspicions of the connection between Hemlock, Ameiko and some outsiders, and that had the PCs back on track.
I'd like to know if any of you had to use Naffer Vosk, the Graveyard Worker, and his undead raising abilities, to make things a little more difficult for munchkin PCs against the were-creatures?
Styx, TMTOMH
What I am worried about is Shayliss the vampire... that encounter will not go down well with my players.
Mine are already chasing ghosts, and I made them kill a dominated Tsuto. The guy couldn't help but insult them and make them kill him, if he were able, he'd have crapped his pants.
Let's see how long they take to find out that a mind flayer is running the whole town.
But what I'm really looking forward to Hook Mountain. Nick's take on Far Realm'sy humans is extraordinary. I have 100% blade users in my party, so they're bound to cut that guy, and when all the crawly bits come skittering out.