When my pcs encountered the Jade Ravens the first time, in the first session of the AP, they just kinda shrugged their shoulders. I want to develop this group more so they are cooler!
We are in between There is no Honor and Bullywug Gambit right now, doing some sidequests and 'gearing up.' I'd like to have the Jade Ravens return from Cauldron sometime before the PCs leave to Krakens Cove and I want to give them a dramatic entrance.
I feel like the group has a lot of potential, but they weren't really fleshed out much in the sidebar. I'm going to give them more personality and depth, and want to know what the other DMs have done with the Jade Ravens. Give me some ideas please!
When my pcs encountered the Jade Ravens the first time, in the first session of the AP, they just kinda shrugged their shoulders. I want to develop this group more so they are cooler!
We are in between There is no Honor and Bullywug Gambit right now, doing some sidequests and 'gearing up.' I'd like to have the Jade Ravens return from Cauldron sometime before the PCs leave to Krakens Cove and I want to give them a dramatic entrance.
I feel like the group has a lot of potential, but they weren't really fleshed out much in the sidebar. I'm going to give them more personality and depth, and want to know what the other DMs have done with the Jade Ravens. Give me some ideas please!
In my campaign, I didn't develop a lot the personalities of the Jade Ravens except for Liamae, the cute sorceress. I play her very capricious and a little bit vamp and she aroused the interest of one of my player (a sorcerer too). I made it hard for him to win her favors (Avner was courting her too) but he eventually succeeded and now she is an important NPC (the player even consider making Liamae a cohort).
I have to admit that I haven't done much with them yet. However since I've changed how the AP's timeline and events work, this is what I'm going to do.
So far they've been Lavinia's bodyguards, and have had two setbacks that have humiliated them. One is being rescued by the pcs; the other is their unpleasant experiences on the Blue Nixie. What I'm going to do is have them have their own adventure that contributes to the defense of Farshore, which the pcs have delegated to them. (the pcs have delegated them the task of dealing with the Olmans--I'm just going to change the adventure a little bit)
It doesn't matter what it is--you can use them to cover an adventure you don't intend to do, or make up results for it, but have them do something useful and interesting. Give them some information that's worth hearing.
I agree that the Ravens weren't super-fleshed-out in the sidebar, but that's better since it allows the DM to get creative on his or her own. In my game, I first introduced them, and then had them very busy with Lavinia's tasks and I made it clear they were her "favorite" adventuring group. After the Bullywug Gambit, I showed that Lavinia thought the PCs much more capable and dependable then the Ravens. As a result, the Ravens mostly sulked around her estate. Liamae was also a lot more friendly after the PCs saved her life. I really used The Sea Wyvern's Wake to flesh out the Ravens a lot. Since they were chosen to be Lavinia's guards and escorts, they gained a lot of confidence back. Every time the ships went in to port, the Ravens interacted a lot with the party. Below is generally how I chose to roleplay each Raven.
Tolin Kientai- I always played Tolin a headstrong, by-the-books soldier with a strong sense of personal honor. Tolin makes a good leader for the Ravens, but he tends to be very competitive with the PCs, especially another warrior-type. He often challenges PCs to drinking contests, arm-wrestling matches, or anything else he can test himself against them with. Depending on how he is treated, Tolin's competitive spirit can blossom into a good-natured friendship with the PCs, or a bitter rivalry.
Liamae Teslikaria- I played her very capricious and even a little hostile with the PCs at first. But after her rust-monster humiliation (kudos to the person who thought that up) she warms up a lot more to the PCs. During the Sea Wyvern's Wake, I had her strike up a bit of an affair with another PC, sending messages and visiting between ships. But, since she is chaotic by nature, eventually I had her lose interest. I believe in the later modules she has an alignment shift to good, and even becomes a favored soul. (Does anyone know who she worships?) So I would definitely play up her gradual embracing of holy power, maybe a PC cleric could "convert" her?
Zan Oldavian- I had the most fun with Zan. I played him as a very sly, quiet opportunist who is kind of the glue that holds the Ravens together. If it weren't for Zan's dungeoneering skills and great intelligence, the Ravens would have met doom long ago. He had numerous contacts in Sasserine, and seemed to always know what was going on. He was confident and cool at all times. I have three female players (and characters), so I made Zan more charismatic than he originally was, although he never favored "emotional hangups" and so mainly just appeared charming to them for fun. (Dancing extremely well with them and flirting with them in taverns, only to disappear for the night and act as if nothing happened the next day.) I made Zan help the party in combat on a few occasions, like in Tamoachan (they didn't have a rogue) and so they grew really close to him. I'm using all this to eventually hit them with a bombshell when I have Zan die of his wounds and disease in Scuttlecove.
Kaskus Kiel- I played Kaskus as a slightly odd and quiet hermit with a great affinity for nature (duh) and a loyal friendship to Tolin. I had him get very sulky and moody after his animal companion died. I didn't really include him much more in the game until they reached the Isle of Dread. There, I had Kaskus and the PCs go on a side-quest to find him a new animal companion, which ended up being a unique Deinonychus. I also had Kaskus tell the PCs of how he was ostracized from his clan due to his non-worship of Moradin.
That's how I fleshed them out in my game. Hopefully, that gives you some ideas. I'm wondering, though, in the Scuttlecove issue it explains what happens to Zan and Liamae, but it never says anything about Tolin and Kaskus? I haven't read past the Scuttlecove issue, are their fates beyond this? Was the sidebar left out? Anyone know?
I gave my players the Jade Ravens to play in "The Prophry House Horror". I wanted to have my players become very well acquainted with Scuttlecove because it's so nasty and piratey and fun. Zan and Liamae were played much like hazardous described them, with Liamae being a little bit prissy and bossy.
Tolin was headstrong and a little sneakier. I changed Kaskus into more of feral, storm loving druid than the traditional strange hermit. I gave him the PHB2 shapeshifting variant, changed his alignment to CN, and gave him the reserve feat that allowed him to cast a little lightning bolt spell. The guy who played him made him quite wild and headstrong and Tyralandi charmed him right off the bat, so he was in love with the raven-angel. Tyralandi was the one who sent poor Kaskus to the Plaza of Hanging Ruin and she cackled while he died. She does have favored enemy (dwarves) for a reason, after all.
>> but it never says anything about Tolin and Kaskus?
They both die in Scuttlecove. Kaskus is gutted and handing in the Ruins. Can't remember what happens with Tolin.
Running Prophyr House on the side sounds interesting.
I agree that the Ravens weren't super-fleshed-out in the sidebar, but that's better since it allows the DM to get creative on his or her own.
I definitely agree with that the Jade Raven’s were really fleshed out. I made sure they had quite a few appearances (sticking strictly to the AP though) through out “There is no Honor” but when they showed up in the Bullywug Gambit’s the PCs were so confused because they didn’t know who these “Random People” were. That got me a little frustrated, so through a little DM feint I completely reorganized the Jade Ravens even replacing Zan with two different members. My PCs didn’t even notice... but from that point on I made sure to let them KNOW they had rivals. We’re currently in the SWW.
Tolin Kientai- as a DM, I’ve taken a real shining too this character. I haven’t focus on his relationship between himself and Lavinia (at all), but I plan too. He’s very focused and by-the-book, with an extremely dry and sarcastic sense of humour. He often comments sourly when a situation goes even slightly wrong and tends to take charge of situation when the PCs don’t, an excellent plot motivator. I try to play him up as more of a wise warrior then what the AP suggests. The party Cleric (Negative Engery), and bard, considers him a very reliable NPC.
Liamae Teslikaria- She tends to be very playful, and has some what of a “fiery” personality to match her spell casting preference, which constantly gets her into trouble. Reimaging her from the STAP icon sorceress & her strange blue familiar.
Her familiar is generally her conscience and voice of reason, which is why she tries to lose him often to spend a night alone with the party Druid. ;)
Kaskus Kiel – Probably the only one I haven’t flushed out yet, thus far he’s been a generic nature enthusiastic dwarf. He and the party Druid get along well.
Zan Oldavian- has been removed for Kyo and Lexicon
Kyo, “The Unlucky” – Since STAP is kind of the final adventure before 4th edition. This is one of the many cameos of retired PCs that I’ve been throwing into the adventure. Kyo pretty much fills exactly the same roll as Zan. He’s an Inkyo/Rogue, (Inkyo is a monk like class from Oriental Adventures.) He is hot-headed and a show off, making sure to take every opportunity to show up or insult the PCs. He is the main focus of rivalry between the Ravens and the PCs. Again an excellent motivator for when I need the PCs to do something. The Cleric, Bard and Druid have all taken a real hatred to this character. :)
His previous owner is the party rogue.
Lexicon – The Fifth member of the Jade Ravens. Truth be told: another player who wanted to start with us would not be able to join my campaign until March. So he told me what he wanted to play and I simply added him as the fifth Raven. Lexicon is a Kobold Sorcerer that specializes in Item Creation (Attune Gem) of all things. I’ve tired not to have this N/PC interact with the PCs alot as he’s not quite my character, but that of course makes the PCs want to talk to him more.
This Kobold considers himself a specialist on all Languages, to such an extent that his Spell book is also part dictionary. Whenever he hears a word he’s never heard before he asks for it’s definition and writes it in his book- no matter how wrong the definition is, and never changes it. “Excuse I believe I know what the definition of -Absurd- is. Do YOU have a dictionary to correct me? I thought not.”
His player gets a chuckle out of it when I email him recaps of the adventure, and the party Bard constantly assures me that he will be buying a dictionary once they reach Farshore.
Thanks for sharing what you've done with the Jade Ravens!
I had my party meet them again before they went to Krakens Cove in the 2nd adventure. The Jade Ravens had just returned from Cauldron and Tolin was giving his report to Lavinia. One of my players is trying to woo Lavinia so he instantly saw Tolin as competition for her affection and tried interrupting his report several times. I played up Kaskus and Zan as being a bit overly fond of their professions, maybe to the point of not quite unhinged. The PCs showed great respect towards Liamae despite the fact that she was downright rude and haughty. So they are already starting to form opinions about the Jade Ravens now, so when they show up later, I can develop them even more.
I've kept the J.Rs pretty much the same as the STAP describes them with the exception of the Sorceress Liamae, who experiances a spiritual epiphany and becomes a Exalted Arcanist (BoED pg. 61). My players tend to think of the Ravens as Lavinia's overpaid personal gaurd. Relativly incompatent with the possible exception of Liamae, who a former P.C actually ended up dateing her in game before dropping out of my campaign.
The Jade Ravens for the most part see the P.Cs as hired thugs and lowlifes. In fact they gave the PCs the nick name of "Vanderboren's Enforcers" which has actually stuck the minds of most NPCs as the commonly known group name instead of the official name the party gave themselves.
My party looked down at the Jade Ravens as well, so when two of my party members (a goliath cleric to Kelanen and a human scout/ranger) wanted to join the Zelkarune's Horns I decided that Tolin and Zan where there in the same errand and that they where the ones my party members where going to fight to gain entrance to the affiliation. Lots of name calling ensued and in the end each side placed a wager of 1000 gp on the outcome of the fight.
The fight then started with the goliath cleric knocking out Zan in the first attack, resulting in loud cheers from the rest of the party. But then it was time for Tolin to make his move, and not only did he hit the goliath cleric, he managed to land a crit knocking him out in one blow. The scout put up a bit of a fight, but in the end Tolin prevailed with 2 hp left.
Now the party have a bit more respect for the Jade Ravens, just in time for it to disappear again when they rescue them and Lavinia in Vanderboren Manor.
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(spoilers)
It's a mix of things with our party in how they see the Ravens. Kaskus and Liamie have seen by far the most development. To help speed the progress of the preparations of Farshore and best use the abilities of all the party members, my group split up when they found out they had 2 months before the pirates would attack. I have a big party (7PCs), so it did make some sense. The diplomats and such went to the isle of dread to recruit the phanatons and olmans, and the sailor and aquatic types sailed the blue nixie up to fix the sea wyvern and sail it back.
That meant for a few sessions that people would not have their PC in the story, depending on which we were playing. We solved that by sending Lavinia and some of the major NPC's (Jade Ravens and ships crew) to the island, all temporarily run by PCs. We then did likewise with the ship repair scenario. That kept everyone involved, advanced the storyline, and saved in-game time. Worked well, even if it did require a bit more juggling on my part to make it work. Nothing huge.
So anyway, like another poster said, one of them is actually a cohort now (in this case it's not a Jade Raven, it's Amella, who is a love interest for our Aventi Monk/Kensai)... but Liamie is developing as a love interest for the big Barbarian/Dragon Devotee Jaatu Bronzescale. It's unlikely he'll ever take the leadership feat though, so more likely she will remain mostly behind the scenes. She did also make him promise that he would refrain from any "spoon" jokes if she were to continue seeing him. :)
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Back on the point a little though, the problem with putting too much time and energy into the Ravens is that you run the risk of having NPC's steal the thunder of the PC's as the heroes of the AP. They're supposed to be in every way inferior to the PC's. As soon as you start making them cool, you risk taking some of the prestige from the players, and that's not a desireable result.