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So I was wondering how does one keep the AP going if all the original party members are dead? I haven't hit that point yet but I am close. (I have only two original party members left.) I've seen TPK on the Obituaries and have seen an alarming response to drop the AP when it happens.
My players with the two surviving members have decided to take matters into their own hands and tell everyone what they have seen and why they need to continue the good fight, no matter what. I think they are being responsible and fatalistic at the same time, but then again the AP isn't an easy cake walk.
So my question what has anyone done to keep the AP going? I hope this can get answered by any who care to answer so that those of us running have ideas to keep it going so everyone can enjoy the Runelord story arc.
I don't know how far you are yet, but if you've reached the end of HMM you could easily turn over day to day operations of Fort Rannick to a group of adventurers the party trusts, with explicit instructions to carry out the original party's mission should they fail.
If you haven't reached this stage yet, you may want to introduce said party, and have them help out in a particularly tough fight (say, Xanesha?) to "build trust," as it were.
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I think if you have a TPK during the AP then the problem the party was taking care of did not go away. Examples, the goblins are still raiding Sandpoint, the ghouls are still out of control, etc. Somebody has to take care of whatever the party failed to do. You do not want a world with a Runelord in it...
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I don't know how far you are yet, but if you've reached the end of HMM you could easily turn over day to day operations of Fort Rannick to a group of adventurers the party trusts, with explicit instructions to carry out the original party's mission should they fail.
If you haven't reached this stage yet, you may want to introduce said party, and have them help out in a particularly tough fight (say, Xanesha?) to "build trust," as it were.
Yeah right now I am doing down time between HMM And FotSG. I am running from Mid-Winter to Fall, thus saying a year has gone by from Burnt Offerings. the party left the care of Fort to the party cleric, as noone else alive really had the time or the money to take care of it, or for the matter of the fact they really didn't truely care for the cleric. (Long story)
Unfortuantly the Cleric fell during a random Keep event when the stalking troll hunter came and wiped the floor with him and his followers.
I will take your advice to heart as it is a good idea. Thanks!
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I think if you have a TPK during the AP then the problem the party was taking care of did not go away. Examples, the goblins are still raiding Sandpoint, the ghouls are still out of control, etc. Somebody has to take care of whatever the party failed to do. You do not want a world with a Runelord in it...
Exactly my point. This is why I started the thread. I hope others read this and see that there are always options other than, well that didn't work why don't we try another set of adventures.
I know my players said they want to see this to the end so they can just fight Greed himself. (Yeah they kind of peiced it together when in Turtleback ferry and they spotted the Mark on a Paradise regular.)
Hey deathboy!
I'm a big fan of the close friends/family members of the original PCs taking up the torch approach. It's a little bit about vengeance sure, but it also turns the deaths of the original party into a galvanizing event that brings a new party together and heavily motivates them to finish what their loved ones started. Its also kind of cool cause it makes the deaths of the original PCs yet another thorn in the baddies' sides, as their malfeasance brings a whole new band of highly motivated adventurers to bear on them with a serious bone to pick.
Also, then you can do cool stuff with the ghosts/restless spirits of the original PCs too (and maybe even let the players control them for one special encounter or mini-chapter of the AP)...kind of like a Valeria at the end of Conan the Barbarian type encounter. I love that stuff cause it takes a step outside the box of D&D.
There's my thoughts on it my man! Hope that helps!
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Hey deathboy!
I'm a big fan of the close friends/family members of the original PCs taking up the torch approach. It's a little bit about vengeance sure, but it also turns the deaths of the original party into a galvanizing event that brings a new party together and heavily motivates them to finish what their loved ones started. Its also kind of cool cause it makes the deaths of the original PCs yet another thorn in the baddies' sides, as their malfeasance brings a whole new band of highly motivated adventurers to bear on them with a serious bone to pick.
Also, then you can do cool stuff with the ghosts/restless spirits of the original PCs too (and maybe even let the players control them for one special encounter or mini-chapter of the AP)...kind of like a Valeria at the end of Conan the Barbarian type encounter. I love that stuff cause it takes a step outside the box of D&D.
There's my thoughts on it my man! Hope that helps!
Thanks Nick! As always you place a new spin on things, which is why I play this game. Sadly though, Most of my players tend to play the only child/orphan route all the time. I got lucky after Dorella Kreeg dropped the party's Sorcerer with a lighting bolt, she (the player) turned around and made a fighter who comes from a family of 10 siblings... all members of the Korvosian Gaurd, arbitors or Sable Company.
I do tend to ask for my players to set up a back story but they always fall to crutches, like the orphan never knew my parents type thing. So I have gotten dirty by offering people xp for back stories that are original.
I have been lucky though as my players are actively trying to make sure they get to the end. Thus there is little, if any, murmurs of giving up.
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I do tend to ask for my players to set up a back story but they always fall to crutches, like the orphan never knew my parents type thing. So I have gotten dirty by offering people xp for back stories that are original.I have been lucky though as my players are actively trying to make sure they get to the end. Thus there is little, if any, murmurs of giving up.
I have not been pushing backstories as much as I usually do with RotR but if I were in the position of a TPK I think I would give them their back stories. Find out what kind of character they are playing and put it together myself. Besides in the place in the story you are have the PCs start in Sandpoint and when the town is attacked...
For chapter 5 it is basically the same thing. Chapter 6 maybe a bit tougher and if it someplace in between I love Nick's idea of the parties haunts wanting to be avenged. They just need a little motivation...
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I do tend to ask for my players to set up a back story but they always fall to crutches, like the orphan never knew my parents type thing. So I have gotten dirty by offering people xp for back stories that are original.I have been lucky though as my players are actively trying to make sure they get to the end. Thus there is little, if any, murmurs of giving up.
I have not been pushing backstories as much as I usually do with RotR but if I were in the position of a TPK I think I would give them their back stories. Find out what kind of character they are playing and put it together myself. Besides in the place in the story you are have the PCs start in Sandpoint and when the town is attacked...
For chapter 5 it is basically the same thing. Chapter 6 maybe a bit tougher and if it someplace in between I love Nick's idea of the parties haunts wanting to be avenged. They just need a little motivation...
I didn't really push for anything major at the start of the AP, but I know when I run CotCT that I will want backstories, as the little "gifts" they get from having their run in with Lamm will actually demand some creative thinking.