In Burnt Offerings, my party of heroes finished off Nualia they needed to return to Sandpoint to recover. They are aware of Malfeshnekor, but are concerned that they don’t have the magical resources to defeat a demon (which is what they think he is. :D )
So, they have vowed to return when they are more magically powerful.
So the questions I have to look at are:
-- if they wait for a good bit, what is likely to repopulate the Island/Head. (They took the precaution of burning down the wooden stockade!)
-- Should I scale up Malfeshnekor’s challenge rating? (Or should I leave it as is.)
Since the adventure has been out for nearly a year now, have any other GM’s run into a similar situation? If so, what have you done with it?
Leave Malfeshnekor the way he is. He's already pretty tough. Reward your PCs for being sensible enough to leave him alone for the time being.
As to what'd inhabit the area, goblins might move back in, even if only to the bramble maze off of the island. Any of the terrain-appropriate wandering monsters might have found their way onto the island, especially flying ones like wyverns and fire drakes. And there's always the possibility that the Sandpoint Devil makes a flyby... although that might overshadow Malfeshnekor a little.
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If you have the classic monsters revisited check out the bugbear or the gnoll entry. Either of those would make good NPCs to battle. By the time my group cleared out the Thistletop fort they were sick and tired of seeing goblins. A small bugbear scouting party would be a decent match for the group. They are pretty stealthy making a good ambush situation.
I would pump him up so he is a challenge and if they take long enough to go kill him make him a demon
Maybe friends of the harpy named Bristanch could come along and inhabit it? Using the area D7 as their main entrance/exit. Granted they wouldn't be able to fly much in the dungeon but they could lure people over the cliff from the briar camp (they would love doing that to the Goblins who killed their friend!)
Alternatively, Sahuagin may have entered the complex via area E7. Maybe even both conditions have occured? Flying monsters on one level and sea beasts on the lower level!
I may actually be faced with this next time my group meets. They killed everything in Thistletop except for Lyrie Akenja (who they captured alive) and Malfeshnekor. They intend to return for Malfeshnekor, but in the meanwhile, they went down to Magnimar to spend a couple of weeks buying and selling loot and generally living the good life. I'm toying with having the goblin hero "Big Gugmut" from page 19 show up. When my group fought the goblins in the little maze of thistles leading to Thistletop, four warriors escaped. Not much is written about Big Gugmut other than an unflattering description and the fact that he's from Mosswood...which isn't far away. Maybe word gets back to him that the place has been cleaned out. If memory serves, all the goblins in the region view Thistletop as prime real estate.
But I do agree about not making Malfeshnekor harder. If the PCs return when they are more powerful, having an easy fight might be viewed as a well-earned reward for their decision...
I may actually be faced with this next time my group meets. They killed everything in Thistletop except for Lyrie Akenja (who they captured alive) and Malfeshnekor. They intend to return for Malfeshnekor, but in the meanwhile, they went down to Magnimar to spend a couple of weeks buying and selling loot and generally living the good life. I'm toying with having the goblin hero "Big Gugmut" from page 19 show up. When my group fought the goblins in the little maze of thistles leading to Thistletop, four warriors escaped. Not much is written about Big Gugmut other than an unflattering description and the fact that he's from Mosswood...which isn't far away. Maybe word gets back to him that the place has been cleaned out. If memory serves, all the goblins in the region view Thistletop as prime real estate.
This is true. I also think that Malfeshnekor would tend to "call" goblins to him.
All the more reason for the PCs to get back there . . . as soon as possible. :)
But I do agree about not making Malfeshnekor harder. If the PCs return when they are more powerful, having an easy fight might be viewed as a well-earned reward for their decision...
The more this thead goes on, the more I am comming to agree with that decision.
But I do agree about not making Malfeshnekor harder. If the PCs return when they are more powerful, having an easy fight might be viewed as a well-earned reward for their decision...
My players must be differnt then most my players would be pissed and see it as a waste of there time if he is not a challenge
My players must be differnt then most my players would be pissed and see it as a waste of there time if he is not a challenge
But I do agree about not making Malfeshnekor harder. If the PCs return when they are more powerful, having an easy fight might be viewed as a well-earned reward for their decision...
I know what you mean, however, the main thing is that this should only be a "side-show" encounter on the whatever section of the adventure they are on at the time when they decide that they are powerful enough.
Besides, what others have said is right. They should be rewarded for their wisdom in deciding that they needed more magic power to defeat the barghest[sp?].
My intuition is that they will be "reminded" of it when they deal with Scribbler. :)
I plan on having the Scribbler somehow free Malfesnekor (probably via agents), so the PCs can have quite a surprise in the dungeons beneath Sandpoint.
Malfesnekor was pretty intimidating to my party back in Thistletop, as I was careful to play up the whole "ferocious demon locked away, but just itching to break out" sctick. And after communicating with him via the altar, our cleric will certainly appreciate tying up this loose end.
That would also help beef up the encounter with Scribbler, which rumor is can be a little weak for many parties.
That would also help beef up the encounter with Scribbler, which rumor is can be a little weak for many parties.
Here's how I got around that problem.
The Scribbler can dimension door at will in the sanctum. Let him use this.
Initiative is rolled, he bamphs out while his glabrezu and hounds swarm the party. He comes back a few rounds later, all buffed up. He's way too smart to stand around casting buff spells while the party tears into him.
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I've got a party that started playing with the Beginner Box, then went straight into ROTRL - 3 kids (11-14 years old) and my wife, all first time players. I'm the GM and the only experienced player (I'm running Valeros as the party's only fighter), and before I started them on the Beginner Box, I hadn't played an RPG since my last AD&D 1.0 campaign in 1989. We just finished our sixth 3-4 hour session at Thistletop, mid-combat with the yeth hounds after killing Nualia (I added two extra yeth hounds when Nualia failed her saving throw against the cleric's Hold Person spell two rounds in a row - they disposed of her quickly while holding off the yeth hounds, but now they're stuck fighting the YHs). I think they'll finish it by the end of the next session.