I am preparing the next session of EoA, the hunt for Trinia and I am wondering if the Shingle Chase is perhaps too short? I mean, Trinia starts on the card. The SCs will likely try to move three cards per turn so with some good luck for them and bad luck for Trinia they got her in the thrid round. I'm not sure if my assumptions are correct, but I think the chase will be over very quickly and I am thinking about to extend the chase by adding some cards and putting Trinia not on the fourth but on the fifth or sixth. What were your experiences with chase? Are my sorrows unfounded?
Thanks for your help
Exeter
In my game, the chase ended on round 1 due to the Sorcerer casting sleep :/
Shingle Chase actually lasted 0 rounds when the Sorcerer cast Ray of Enfeeblement from the street with an amazing natural 20 from the street below and hitting her despite her the concealment, reducing her to an overburdened snail... :(
She could only crawl along one roof at a time, but the party was so cautious they only caught up with her after 3 rounds.
Curse that Ray, curse it... >:(
Thanks guys! I think I will let Trinia start at the card number 5 und extend the chase by one or two cards. and regarding "sleep": that's a real down turner I have not thought about. Maybe I will raise Trinia to level 5 - the chase is a too beautiful idea to let be spoiled by such frigging thing like a simple spell...
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When preparing for this my first time through the Campaign, I ran 10 or 12 simulated runs of this with a party pretty similar to the one that was in my campaign. She escaped about 75% of the time. I lengthened the track (added some more cards) and she escaped about 60% of the time. It depends on your party and the dice. Remember Trinia has a huge advantage on any jump, balance check and she isn't worried about failure that much as she has the Shingle Runner feat.
If it were me I would add some more cards, about 1/2 so you have a track about 150% longer than printed. I had 2 parties both capture her but the first time it was close. The second party was luckier and was able to slow her down between their actions and some poor dice rolling on my part.
Thanks for the stat! :) I will extend the chase as you said and see if and how it fits
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Thanks guys! I think I will let Trinia start at the card number 5 und extend the chase by one or two cards. and regarding "sleep": that's a real down turner I have not thought about.
I just made sure she was on a pitched roof, and described her rolling down the roof and off it... the falling damage woke her up and we were off again.
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In my game the chase was about the right length. The party caught her, but barely. A few characters got bad rolls and got stuck or fell. Others played it really conservative and only tried one card at a time. Trinia gave them fits with her wand of daze, and everyone had a fun time.
I did one thing very differently from the book though. I felt the chase was too boring with only skill checks involved and little actively opposing the players. So I added a couple imps, chokers, and stirges hiding in the rooftops to annoy the players. They were easily chased off - not meant to be drug out combats, but they did provide some color to an otherwise straightforward encounter.
Also I threw in a couple "obstacles" that used abilities besides acrobatics, escape artist, and climb. There was a crowded rooftop market they needed to use diplomacy to make a path through. There was a Cerulean Society "toll bridge" they could pay 5gp to cross or intimidate to scare the guards.