Burnt Offerings Question

[Walt Ciechanowski]

Hello,

I was just reading through Burnt Offerings and a question occurred to me. The module assumes that the PCs will go to Thistletop by foot, even though Sandpoint and Thistletop are on the coast.

What's a good way to modify the adventure if the PCs decide to approach by sea?

Thanks,
Walt

[Dualwolf]

I think you've posted this in the wrong spot (hence the lack of response maybe?)
The best forum to post this quandry in would be the RotRL thread;

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/adventurePa th/runelords

But in answer to your question, you could maybe discourage this by Shelaliu (sp) mentioning the very high cliffs and how even the island that the Goblin fort is on has high, odd shaped cliffs.

If the characters still think the seaward journey is their best option then:

Spoiler:

perhaps when they initially try this route rough waves. sharks, harpies (Bristanch’s family watching from hidden caves inbetween Thistletop and Sandpoint for ships at sea?)and even old Murdermaw can be used. Replacing the xp they would have got had they have fought the Goblins in the briar camp.
If this creates too much concern about the Goblins in the camp coming to the aide of the fort after fighting various sea creatures you can always have a large number of them charging across the rope bridge. Once they're over half way and the ropes snap they renember the trap. Thus cutting off the fort from the mainland (with the exeption of the Pc's vessel.)

[Majuba]

If they come by see:

Spoiler:

They might be able to notice the opening at the Tentamort's lair on the lower level. Would be a rather rude entry for them, but that would be their choice.

[Dualwolf]

Majuba wrote:

If they come by see:

** spoiler omitted **

yes??!! I've often wondered about that!

Spoiler:

It doesn't state any where how close to the waters edge (at high tide or low tide?!) that entrance is to the sea. I suppose the Dm can just declare its close enough for the characters to tether the boat to and it will remain there throughout the day.
A REALLY nasty DM would have the characters arrive at high tide, and as the tide goes out the weight of the boat pulls the tether loose and thus dropping the boat into the sea or bashing it against the rock of the outside wall. The characters would then have to ensure the rope bridge could be repaired or they'd be in BIG trouble mwahahahha.
There is also (more unlikey perhaps) the entrance through the mouth where the Hermit crab resides. THAT would be a tough entrance!!!!

[evilvolus]

My players came in by sea. I gave them roughly half-exp for successfully bypassing the forest.

Spoiler:

On their first ambush attempt, they quietly row-boated the last mile or so under cover of predawn and the foggy mornings which are explicit in the text. They had a very bad day...

The wizard's raven flew up to the crack they saw in the north side, to be promptly eaten by the tentamort. They beached on the cliff side beneath the bridge, and tried to climb the cliff, falling several times due to poor rolls. They decided that the "secret way in" must be through the seal-thingy's cave, and the cleric was promptly knocked unconscious by its first attack. Run away, heal, come back in a day or two.

The second time, they had much more success with the cliff. Snuck across the bridge, in through one of the guard towers, and managed to sneak directly into the throne room, pulling the entire Thistletop fort into a single combat.

Other than choosing to keep the downstairs folk from coming up during the night, it didn't require much DM fiat. They put the goblin king's head on a pike out front, which dissuaded the rest of the gobbos from hanging around. The gobbo druid took command, fled south with everyone, and began preaching "quit screwing with the longshanks" philosophy.

[Diamond Dust]

I am a new DM and I was hoping someone could add me to messanger or email me to help me out with some ideas and how to do this right. Thanks
[e-mail]

[MythrilDragon]

Diamond Dust wrote:

I am a new DM and I was hoping someone could add me to messanger or email me to help me out with some ideas and how to do this right. Thanks

[e-mail]

Everyone on the boards here are very helpful. Just post your question in the appropriate topic area and someone will be along at somepoint to give you insight. You will probably get several view points that you can use to figure out what will work for your DM style, and play group.

[carborundum]

My group went in the Tentamort door. It was hilarious! (For me then)
They persuaded a fisherman to row very close and the first PC jumped to the door (a halfling spellthief). She had just stuck her head in the vines and seaweed when she was sucked through. It was pitch dark and the rest of the group just heard a scream, a rustle and then a louder scream as the liquification began.

One party member had to control the fisherman, two fell in while trying to jump to the rescue...

Awesome.

(They had to go this way when their frontal assault led to the same halfling hanging under the bridge after being bull-rushed off the cliff by a wolfrider. When a second party member spiderclimbed under the bridge to help her the goblins decided to chop it down. More fun ensued!)

Basically, run with it and let the players do what they want.
They will sometimes one-shot your coolest bad guy and make you want to double his hitpoints. Give them the win.
They will sometimes bypass lots of cool stuff that you've waited weeks to use. Stick it somewhere else later.

[zylphryx]

I'm running a group of kids through Brunt Offerings right now and they just got through the mainland section (mostly) last night. But I was thrown one hell of a twist.

The killed the refugees (though their yells alerted the druid and the fort) and captured the druid. The fort is on alert from both the refugee yells and the druid's animal messenger. I expected a nasty frontal assault to be coming. These kids decided, once they caught and interrogated the druid, that the best bet would be to challenge the goblin leader to a duel in "two moons" time at Chopper's Isle!

The session ended with them knocking out the druid (so he could deliver the challenge), and I'm not sure what to expect next time. The goblin leader will certainly not agree to a duel (let alone one within Sandpoint), but I am figuring if the players are not using this as a ruse to distract the goblins, that a spokesgoblin will show up at Sandpoint under white flag in two days to say Ripnugget will accept the duel but only if it occurs under the full moon, two months hence atop Devil's Platter. It would, of course, be an effort to gain a window of time for Nualia to complete her work without the intervention of those 'longshanks' and no one from the Thistletop tribe would show on the night in question.

If the players are using this as a ruse, then they do have information from the druid (ie- there are chambers under the fort, there is a second entrance (tentamort lair), etc.). Should prove to be an interesting session next time.

[Diamond Dust]

What is the difference with the characters in pathfinders compared to the 3.5 version of Dungeons and Dragons? And what are some ideas how to start things out? I am very new at this and it becomes a bit confusing. Thanks, if you do not mind emailing me at [e-mail] I thank you or you can post something on here. Thanks for you time and opinions.

[aeglos]

Diamond Dust wrote:

What is the difference with the characters in pathfinders compared to the 3.5 version of Dungeons and Dragons? And what are some ideas how to start things out? I am very new at this and it becomes a bit confusing. Thanks, if you do not mind emailing me at [e-mail] I thank you or you can post something on here. Thanks for you time and opinions.

I am DM for two ROTRL groups, one 3.5 one PF-RPG. In both campaigns I used the adventures more or less as written.

The 3.5 group had a harder time but the PF-RPG group has been sufficiently challenged so far.

Some encounters can be very hard, I recommend the ROTRL Sub-Forum, there are excellent tips, especially in the GM Refference threads for every adventure