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So our group finished The skinsaw murders last weekend. It had a good plot and locations but the details seemed flawed. Of course that could just be our DM messing with us, he seems to be skipping stuff I think. So I decided to come here and compare notes, throw out my little tale of woe and see what people thought. Here's hoping it amuses you.
I mean was it just us or is skinsaw light on treasure? It got so bad when we where at Foxglove manor I just stole a bathtub and some furniture for my house in sandpoint so I'd get something.
Also the open door, enter room, make save, find nothing of import got tiresome fast even if the place had a cool atmosphere. It got to the point that by the time our party got upstairs I'd just open the door, notice nothing moving or shiny and would close the door and move on. I didn't feel like setting off the inevitable trap inside. After a bit of this I was getting I admit a bit frustrated and started destroying the manor for my amusement. Tossing chairs through stained glass windows and watching them tumble to the ocean below and ripping doors off the hinges and tossing them into the front yard. Cathartic yes, productive not so much.
So then we get upstairs and meet that insanely hard monster, the revenant wife. Now I realize that she shouldn't have attacked off the bat, that our DM was being a bit vindictive and retaliatory but seriously, WTF? I'm no slouch in combat but that thing dropped me down to like 6hp in the first round. Not cool putting a grapple monkey face ripper in a virtual closet. What was the point of putting her in there again? "And here's the part where the party gets their collective butts handed to them..."
So she's got me grappled, I've got 6hp and I know if I go down it's TPK time. We where only a 3 person party at the time, the other two characters are scholarly non fighty types, yes I feel like a tour guide most of the time.
So what's a grappled draconian to do? Ya I breathed fire in her face and set the room ablaze. This dovetailed nicely with my destructive tendencies and killed two birds with one stone. She dropped me and the mansion was now burning merrily. Well we booked it downstairs into the basement to safety. Then later I'm dealing with a couple waves of ghouls and I'm thinking, you know one failed fort save, it's paralysis and TPK time again. Yes I know you're thinking hmm regular four person party with rogue, cleric, fighter, wizard would have no problem but I'm not entirely certain. I suppose it comes down to if the cleric turns or not.
Anyway I led the ghouls to the stairs and used the bottleneck and high ground to take care of them nicely.
So to make a long story well...long we beat the big baddy, he had ok treasure, valuable but not useful, and I flame the fungus wall nicely. We left through the well. Then I get to learn that without a hallow spell or whatever the fungus will grow back. Kind of like the adventure is giving me the finger as I wearily grabbed my furniture and left for Sandpoint. I was just happy that part was over.
And apparently Alden was supposed to be played wildly different from the way we had it. As written he was to go all MPD on us and actually be interesting? Instead he was just a single-minded fighty dude. I felt a bit cheated when I found that out. After all, hold down the monster and cave its head in is much less entertaining then have him break down halfway through the battle so my naive, still kind of in love with him, not yet knowing he was a total stalker character could cuddle him in cleavage and end up getting bit.
Sure it means less ghoul fever on my part but maybe it would have done something about Alex's chara sticking Alden's naked pictures of my chara on his wall. Probably not but I can hope.
ps There, Alex. I got my own SN and I can stop using yours.
Considering the naked pics of my chara and the naked pics of that assimar chick on your in-game wall I will be disappointed if the other adventures don't allow for the finding of naked pics for your wall.
Although naked ogre pics kinda... yeah...
Alden was a good artist. But did you have to show those pictures to random people in town?
I mean was it just us or is skinsaw light on treasure? It got so bad when we where at Foxglove manor I just stole a bathtub and some furniture for my house in sandpoint so I'd get something.
Also the open door, enter room, make save, find nothing of import got tiresome fast even if the place had a cool atmosphere. It got to the point that by the time our party got upstairs I'd just open the door, notice nothing moving or shiny and would close the door and move on. I didn't feel like setting off the inevitable trap inside. After a bit of this I was getting I admit a bit frustrated and started destroying the manor for my amusement. Tossing chairs through stained glass windows and watching them tumble to the ocean below and ripping doors off the hinges and tossing them into the front yard. Cathartic yes, productive not so much.
When I ran it my PC's didn't want to do anything to break the integrity of the house, Because I had trippled the size of the Carion swarm out front. A broken window ment an attack of undead birds. It really sounds like the haunts weren't run very well. I have to say that I was a little daunted by the idea, but once I was able to wrap my head around it, I had both of my players freaked out by the mood. As for the going around breaking crap, It was kinda childish on your part, and if I had had a player pull that, I would have had the haunts begin happening much more randomly. It doesn't surprise me that he had the revenant attack. It was probably out of frustration.
As far as Alden goes, buy this point in the story The PC he was infatuated with had been dealing with him as a creepy stalker, and was wanting to kill him herself (My wifes character. It helps that I know what pushes her buttons.) So when the skinsaw Man pops up in the basement they really didn't give him a chance to monaloge.|
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The haunts where sorta cool at first. I started playing the piano and it began playing itself while foxgirl over there danced around. I liked that and the mood was there. It's just that after a couple times it just devolved into move in room, make save, bad thing happens. How many times do I have to get hit with a save before I decide that it's not worth going into the room anymore? He actually had to hit us indirectly in the gallery because we knew a trap was in there and where not for the life of us going in.
Oh don't get me wrong, once I had that front door off and in the yard the birds in the front did attack. We just fled upstairs, most birds can't work doorknobs. Also same with the windows, if any birds had gotten in I'd have fallen back to an inner hallway.
Childish maybe but it felt damn good. Hey I'm playing a fighter he's a direct action kinda guy. If I can't attack the problem directly I look for an indirect way. Fungus or not, that mansion is never going to bother anyone else again. }; )
Alden got a brief monologue off. It was ok. I sorta mentioned to him I accidentally set his mansion on fire upstairs and it was in the process of burning to the ground. He didn't seem too pleased at that. I did apologize though.
My wife must like stalkers. Or maybe she's just jealous because my character is shacking up with Shayliss. So Alden's a serial killer, we all have our faults right? }; P
Those pictures are evidence! I was merely showing the townsfolk the evidence we collected from the crime scene. I was also comparing notes.
Ok I found the cream filling, it's at the end of the adventure.
Oh and ya I burned down the seven sawmill. That time was on purpose just to catch the other cultists in the blaze.Things seem to be getting back on steady ground.
Um, I'm noticing a pattern with this character. With this joy of fire that you seem to have are you sure he doesn't have some goblin blood in him?
Um, I'm noticing a pattern with this character. With this joy of fire that you seem to have are you sure he doesn't have some goblin blood in him?
Draconic blood.
Soo... We're trying to figure out what deadly sin setting things on fire randomly falls under. Because "spite" isn't a sin. Wrath, maybe? DM suggested envy for one case but logic talked him down from that.
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Hey! I did it to cover our escape. There was a bunch of guys coming up those stairs to club us like baby seals. Foxgirl over there was unconscious after I had to knock her out because she was playing stabby stab with our other party member.
So the room was full of sawdust and wood. Not my fault.
The funny thing is I have no fire resistance of any kind. I should probably get that.
Um, I'm noticing a pattern with this character. With this joy of fire that you seem to have are you sure he doesn't have some goblin blood in him?Draconic blood.
Soo... We're trying to figure out what deadly sin setting things on fire randomly falls under. Because "spite" isn't a sin. Wrath, maybe? DM suggested envy for one case but logic talked him down from that.
Wrath is probably a good call. Maybe sloth for taking out the bad guys "the easy way." :)Of course if fire begins to become a fetish, then you could go with lust.
So the room was full of sawdust and wood. Not my fault.
The funny thing is I have no fire resistance of any kind. I should probably get that.
Top of the list, right under a wand of fireballs and a flamethrower.
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Wrath is probably a good call. Maybe sloth for taking out the bad guys "the easy way." :)Of course if fire begins to become a fetish, then you could go with lust.Um, I'm noticing a pattern with this character. With this joy of fire that you seem to have are you sure he doesn't have some goblin blood in him?Draconic blood.
Soo... We're trying to figure out what deadly sin setting things on fire randomly falls under. Because "spite" isn't a sin. Wrath, maybe? DM suggested envy for one case but logic talked him down from that.
Yep Lust. He's even marked with the rune.
This weekend's flaming casualty list. The farmhouse and barn in Hook Mountain. Got the three ogres in the barn without a shot. Also most of the furniture in the fortress. I was nice enough to take it outside though.Top of the list, right under a wand of fireballs and a flamethrower.
So the room was full of sawdust and wood. Not my fault.
The funny thing is I have no fire resistance of any kind. I should probably get that.
How about a flaming sword and a flaming snout? Because I've got both now.