What background info did you give your PCs before starting any of these modules? Just how much of Falcon's Hollow did they know about?
Didn't give anything but knowledge that it's a lumber town. It's relatively small place, so I decided it's more fun if I let them figure out the feel of Falcon's hollow in game. If I'd run this again, I'd let them wander around town for few days before the plague strikes. Maybe develope some small introduction adventure, so they can get to know Falcon's Hollow and it's residents. Those three adventures are very fun to play, my players like this campaign maybe even more than Rise of the Runelords. I had to run Bloodsworn vale for them after D1, because didn't have E1 in time. Today we have a session when they return to Falcon's hollow... Good times =).
Thanks Sal. I plan to run this some time in the future, and since I've got nothing on my plate other than job searches now, I thought I'd prep a bit.
I'm typing up a little handout with the requisite "nasty but nice" paragraph about the town followed by "What the PCs Know", "Places of Interest", "Citizen's of Interest", and "Rumors". Lots of hooks for the PCs to snag themselves on :)
Here are some things that I regret:
I didn't introduce Kabram Bloodeye until in Carnival of tears. I'd make sure some of the characters have some conflict with him in first two ones, because he gets some screentime in Carnival. And he's a cool npc =).
I'd introduce Namdran Quinn also somehow, maybe even making him and Tessa a rival party for players in Crown of the Kobold king, so that the loss of his wife and his choice of joining the carnival would be more than rumors with players.
There are also lot of good roleplaying chances with Lumber consortium and players who want to protect wildlife...
We started Carnival of tears today, very good session, very good adventure.
I plan on bringing Kabran in right after D1 vs. whoever Ralla latches onto. As for Quinn and crew, I changed the carnival schedule to one night a week, playing off the "If you're isolated, you're also the only show in town" if I need to explain why a carnival is there all the time. As for why he's stayed, he and his wife explored a lot of the area, he's attached to it (more than the PCs know). The carnival of tears will be played as a winter celebration gone horribly wrong... >XD