Hi all,
After a discussion last weekend, I've been talked into possibly running Second Darkness in a month or two. While I'm reading up on the AP, I was wondering if anyone who has already run the path has any general advice for it.
I did run about half of Rise of the Runelords a while back, and found that there were a few issues that came up in it that weren't immediately obvious to me beforehand (being a relatively inexperienced DM). I'm hoping to at least partly avoid this this time.
Is there anything I should be watching out for in Second Darkness?
Try to make Riddleport unpredictable. To the PCs, and to their foes. In Riddleport the best laid plans of elves and men should often come to naught.
Also do some extra stuff (nights out on the town and such) to broaden their friendship with Saul - it'll make things more interesting as their boss, etc.
Also try to lay some threads from the later modules backwards - that will help greatly in making the path seem more interconnected, which can be a bit of an issue (past the main plot hooks I mean).
Yeah, I definitely want to expand a lot on the NPCs this time, particularly in Riddleport. I felt that was one of the things I didn't do so well last time, and I'd really like my players to get a feel for the city. I'll probably try to add a lot of extra stuff in while the PCs are employed for Saul.
Incidentally, did anyone have PCs that turned Saul's offer of work down?
Hi all,
After a discussion last weekend, I've been talked into possibly running Second Darkness in a month or two. While I'm reading up on the AP, I was wondering if anyone who has already run the path has any general advice for it.
I did run about half of Rise of the Runelords a while back, and found that there were a few issues that came up in it that weren't immediately obvious to me beforehand (being a relatively inexperienced DM). I'm hoping to at least partly avoid this this time.
Is there anything I should be watching out for in Second Darkness?
Hi. I ran into the same problem while starting Second Darkness. I've had seven players with detailed characters, all with various motivations, to fit into the adventure. After much reading, consideration and planning, I found out that only two of them were logically going to accept Saul's offer. That was not good.
So instead of seven individuals, I've tried to assemble them into more manageable groups.
I made two of them partners, secretly working for the Gendarmes Blot Research Corps, and their orders were to infiltrate the Gold Goblin and investigate the Blot on the social side. Cypermages sometimes being found among the Goblin's patrons.
Two others were sailors that served on the same ship. I made them poor as hell and allured them with gold.
The last three were a bit more tricky. I had one noble's daughter who had nothing to care for with this low-level gambling hall. One rogue would could not care less about being "organized", and finally a lawful good monk just wanting to be good and train in martial arts.
So I arrange for the noble's daughter to be interested in becoming partner in the Goblin, practicing the art of administration as a hobby. I proposed the rogue's player to work as a bodyguard for the lady. And the monk's master send her to protect the lady as well since it would provide good "training".
I've managed it by giving some thought about what would bind some players together and then work it out as group instead of individuals.
Also, and more importantly, I blatantly said to my players: "Without some efforts on your parts this adventure could never start."
I had a good discussion with my players and I told them about the difficulties I had. At some point I told them "If you want to play this adventure, you will have to work with this fellow Vancaskerkin." My players were comprehensive and they helped me make it work.
Talk to your player and share your concerns. If you can't find a solution you will find that players are also resourceful for helping you, and not just for scrambling your plans!
Together you will figure out something.
|
I'll confine my comments to the first few modules, as the group I GM is still on the second.
Be forewarned upfront.... this adventure starts slowly! Once you get to the second half of the first adventure things pick up, but in order to set up all of the things happening, many days need to go by. The roleplayers in your party will fill these days with all sorts of side stories (and get attached to Riddleport in the process), the combat monkeys will be bored stiff. Later on the story and combat both move faster so that it is easier to keep everyone happy. Also be watchful about alignment when helping your group create characters, Riddleport is a town where it is impossible to be squeaky clean, and on the flipside if a character is too ruthless they could become the Mayor!!!
Someone posted a timeline for Shadow in the Sky. It is awesome. I adapted it, moved a few events around and added some "non events" so it wasn't always a meta game clue when the PC's were asked to run an errand, or when someone came into the Gold Goblin (it is also a great way to foreshadow minor characters that will appear later or in the AP). The fact is that weeks go by as the story unfolds, so it really helps to know when it is and when payday is so you can keep the flow and trickle out clues and details appropriately. This has been the hardest part for me/my group we are all used to the sort of "time is of the essence, hurry up" type of campaign where there is no room to stray from the tracks. In this it is all about straying from the tracks and figuring out bit by bit how things fit.
Second Darkness TIMELINE
An Offer you can’t refuse:
Employment at 10gp/week - Saul does Prof(Gambler) DC 20 check (he has +6) to raise profitability
(right now -1) this affects PC’s pay (See pg 24) - they can do skill checks for bonuses
Day 1... on the Job at the Gold Goblin:
Repairs take place via money lent from Lymas Smeed. PC find out about the loan in A Missing Employee
Laarur Feldin (wearing green cloak trimmed in sable fur) teaches the PC’s the ropes
Day 2... The First Night [EL 2]
GG reopens...Four drunks from The Vesicant come to pick a fight and or cash in their chips.
Event:
Small metal items (including weapons and armor) become slightly magnetized. This imposes a –1 penalty on attack rolls with metal weapons and a –1 penalty to AC to those wearing metal armor. The strange magnetism lasts for 2d6 minutes.
Day 4 … An Unfriendly Warning [EL 1]
Clegg Zincher stops by, bandys words with PC’s - Later cindersnake...
Event
All spells cast during a 79-minute period manifest a strange purple mist that incorporates into the magic of the spell —existing spell effects are not affected. The slight mist remains for 1d6 rounds before rising into the air and evaporating. A DC 20 Spot check is enough to note after several occurrences that the mist rises toward the Blot.
Day 7... PAYDAY…
Do profitability roll... pay PC’s Saul either thanks or encourages greater effort
A New Friend:
Samaritha Beldusk joins the team for 2 weeks before moving to the Cyphermages (p26)
Day 10…
PC’s asked by Feldin to pick up a some Beer from the docks... He advises they take a few bouncers, you never know who will try to attack a group of people carrying kegs of ale. The Seadog is in port and there are 6 casks of ale on board for the GG - Captain Kiril Tardo - pickup goes uneventfully
Event
A sudden tidal surge hits Riddleport’s harbor. The uncharacteristically large wave causes minor damage as ships are pushed against the piers and boardwalks strain under the sudden pressure. Water from the wave reaches Wharf Street, and several stevedores and beachcombers are washed out to sea and lost. If the PCs are near the wharves at this time, allow them to use appropriate skills to avoid the danger themselves and assist others by making DC 15 skill checks (Climb to avoid the swell, Balance to maintain footing in the undertow, Swim if swept into the harbor, Use Rope to throw lines to floundering dockworkers, and so on). Failure indicates, at worst, 1d6 points of damage. If the PCs seem to be itching for a fight, feel free to have a reefclaw or swamp barracuda wash up in the tidal surge nearby.
Swamp Barracuda [EL 2]
Day 14... PAYDAY…
Do profitability roll... pay PC’s Saul either thanks or encourages greater effort
Event
Flocks of sea gulls suddenly take to the air and begin flying in a growing cacophonous spiral. This continues for several minutes as large flocks wheel above the city in ever-gathering numbers. Eventually their erratic flight brings them into proximity to the Cyphergate, where they crash into it violently by the hundreds before the few survivors continue their ragged flight out to sea. For the next 2 days, crushed and broken bird carcasses wash up on the beaches around Riddleport and cluster as flotsam beneath the wharves creating a horrible stench over the south portions of the city.
A Missing Employee…
A Flat on Rat Street [EL 3]
Day 21... PAYDAY…
Attack on the Foamrunner [EL 4]
Saul asks PC’s to retrieve several casks of exotic liquor he ordered and then… Foamrunner capt. Ilia Fizgabon (dwarf)
Event- Hubbub in streets…
Every weather vane in Riddleport suddenly turns with a screeching of metal heard all across the port to point directly towards the Blot, even resisting the actual currents of the wind. After 10 minutes or so (during which several weather vanes are snapped off by cross winds to tumble to the street below), they are suddenly released from whatever holds them and return to normal.
Samaritha Beldusk leaves for the Cyphermages
Day 28... PAYDAY…
Event - The sky is falling
A loud rattling and clatter is heard that proves to be tiny falling objects clattering on the roofs and streets of the city from a clear sky. At first assumed to be hail, examination reveals it to be tiny pieces of porous black rock— looking almost volcanic in nature but defying all identification. This initial storm does no noticeable damage, but after 2 minutes, the rocks increase in size and begin cracking shingles, ripping awnings, and pelting anyone who remains outside. The bronze dome of the Gold Goblin rings like a bell during the onslaught. This larger hail of stones lasts for only 1d10 rounds, and anyone remaining outside must make a DC 10 Reflex save each round to avoid taking 1 point of damage. When all is said and done, there are several dozen casualties and hundreds of gold pieces of damage to property and ships. Saul suffers a –2 penalty on his weekly Profession check to increase the Gold Goblin’s profits this week (see the Turning a Profit section). The stones themselves remain for a few more minutes, covering the ground before they suddenly evaporate into nothingness. Attempts to classify the material before it fades meet with failure—the stones feel like granite, but float in water and are strangely cold to the touch.
Day 35... PAYDAY… just after closing…
The Raid [EL variable]
• Group 1 (EL 3)
• Group 2 (EL 4)
• Group 3 (EL 3)
• Group 4 (EL 2)
Part Three: Hidden Enemies and Unexpected Allies
Bone yard Ambush [EL 7] - Meet Kwava
Event - Whole Lotta Shakin
A minor temblor strikes the city, causing only a little damage but shaking everything pretty well for a few seconds.
Back to the Gold Goblin
• Group 1 (EL 5)
• Group 2 (EL 4)
• Group 3 (EL 3)
• Group 4 (EL 4)
• Group 5 (EL 2)
Riddleport IS random encounters. Many of them (con men, drug dealers, fences, prostitutes) are the flavor of the town. Be ready for them so they feel genuine to the players (have a list of male and female names at your fingertips, so when you need to make any situation real, you don't have to invent a name). This is a fun city to GM, lots of great potential for characters with interesting motives. My players are wrote an entirely different story alongside the adventure, which is great fun.
In the first module, you will spend a LOT of time in the Gold Goblin. Get yourself a flip mat and draw out the Gold Goblin in sharpie. Then you can use dry erase to customize as things go on, but the sharpie will last the duration of the adventure. (For those who don't know - putting dry erase over the sharpie will let you erase both, restoring your flip mat to it's pristine condition for future adventures ;)
Most importantly... ENJOY IT! The really nice thing about the beginning of this adventure is things evolve slowly. You have all the time in the world to set the scene and make it believable. The burden of pacing, at least at the start, is on the players. The trick is to keep the days moving at a steady pace. We have gone whole sessions without combat encounters, and yet there are enough odd and interesting things happening that my players are enjoying it.
Children of the Void is running smooth as glass for my party. This is a very open ended adventure and yet my group is putting the pieces together in nearly perfect order. Rarely have i run something with so little to force the direction and had it go so smoothly, a testament to the skill of both Mike McArtor and my players.
There is another thread where someone pointed out problems with the adventure path with regards to railroads and leaps of faith. It is well thought out and has some simple fixes, it is worth hunting up.
Shadow in the Sky - Kwava is (as my group has named him) “The worst NPC ever!” - he knows nothing, yet serves as a guide - he distrusts humans, has terrible charisma and yet expects them to work for him... - it took a metagame leap for my players to make thier characters accept him and i wish i’d have introduced him differently - give him some more concrete information to earn the parties trust... something, anything... perhaps tangible proof that Sual had Feldin killed (a blow my group took hard as i played Feldin as the warm and fuzzy daily contact, and Sual as benevolently detached and often mysteriously absent)
Children of the Void - This is really playing wonderfully. I created seperate random encounters for seaside and inland to expand the list of opponents a bit. For the rest, this one is perfect.
In Armageddon Echo - Let the party do the scouting to get the information on Celwynvian (which buildings are in use, guard patrol routes, etc.). This gives rogues and rangers a chance to shine and gets the party invested in the objective. Also I love the idea of having them find a lab where a wizard is woking on the Drow to Elf version of Recorporeal Incarnation and letting the parties mages puzzle out the details and do spellcraft checks to realize they could do the opposite. I actually think that my group may come up with the idea for Endless Night on thier own... if they don’t i plan on having them get stymied on the details of the spell and have the Shin’Rakorath call in the services of Gisiel Voslil. This is not my idea, but i think it is brilliant and i look forward to watching it play out.
Have fun!
Arnold
|
|
Has anyone tried the games? My group is somewhat unpredicatble, so I want to be prepared.
We ran them all, some longer than others... it just depends on your group
Bounder - Fun & Fast, easy to teach, quick to play - the best of them - not so great odds for the players, but it took them a while to realize and they control their wagers based on how they are rolling... so it worked out really well
Ghoulette - Just plain silly and a lot of fun - again quick to resolve and simple so you can focus on roleplaying the other participants and making the crowd come to life - I and others have posted lists of insults to make your life easy
Golem - Fun game, but too complicated to GM (i was playing the dealer, gambling the golem hand and trying to be two different sets of NPC's at the same time...) - i was not a fan, keeping track of all the action kept me in management mode rather than story mode
Skiffs - Cool concept - the game takes time and the winnings are meager - better suited as a pass the time on a guard shift game than a casino - but it is fun and has a bit of a strategic learning curve that makes it enjoyable to play
Thanks very much guys - this is all a huge help! :)
|
I know it's a long way down the road in SD, but you should have a plan how to handle the most problematic adventure in the AP, namely the Memory of Darkness. The adventure has some major storyline/railroading problems, which could be disastrous if not averted in advance.
TBH Armageddon Echo has one such moment as well, but that one is easier to fix and doesn't require you to re-write any major parts of the adventure.