So, I started running Burnt Offerings a few weeks ago, and, two weeks ago, the party finished the fight in the glassworks, and the session ended with them finding Tsuto's journal, which I read to them (and then subsequently posted on my group's discussion board so they could access it whenever). Since then, probably as a result of a mix of the unofficial "leader" player being absent and for me being a bit preoccupied during the game, last week's session went by with the PCs more or less bumming around town doing nothing. One PC wants to craft some full plate (which he has the means to do, if he has the time), and the rest of the PCs seem to just want to hang out in Sandpoint. That's fine, if it means that they're enjoying the setting, but how do I nudge them to continue with the adventure?
They have enough information to progress (Tsuto's journal specifically mentions Thistletop and something beneath the glassworks), but they haven't done so. (It was probably just a matter of last week's timing and will most likely correct itself tomorrow, when we play next.) But if they legitimately want to take some time off, such as to spend a month crafting some full plate, how much time should I give them before anything happens? I already had a couple Sinspawn attack last week (while they were fooling around town), but at the time I'm pretty sure it just seemed like a random encounter or something.
Oh, that's another issue. As soon as they read Tsuto's journal, their first action was to re-seal the bricked-over wall in the glassworks basement (without checking what was behind or anything). This seems to me like a perfectly reasonable reaction, and doesn't really stop anything from getting out (since the tunnel does continue to the cliffs to the north), but it makes it a little more awkward for me to get them to find the catacombs of wrath. (Although if they go to Thistletop first, then that would certainly lead them back below the glassworks.)
Anyway, I've been rambling. Did anyone else's players have a similar reaction? Any tips? Or did that all come off as an illiterate blur?
Hi UltimateGabe,
I'm GM'ing through AP a second time and this team of players have just finished the glassworks.
Shalelu Andosana comes to town because of unusual goblin activity - and her opinions and info 'bout the local goblins should "push" them towards Thistletop.
They don't have to go down into the Catacombs before T-top, but you might have to throw in a couple of encounters for them, before they get there, as they should be about level three before taking on Nualia & Co.
Sinspawn sneaking up from the deep and murdering innocents in Sandpoint could send them down into the catacombs (not my idea, but can't remember where I saw it...) and this could be after T-top.
hope you can use this,
GRU
If I recall, the goblin attacks are going to continue until a certain young woman gets her "burnt offering" of the entire town of Sandpoint. You could make several goblin attacks, all coming from the north road area.
Shalelu the ranger is going to contact the town's mayor about the goblin attacks coming from Thistletop. That's how my GM got us on the road to Thistletop.
A few Sinspawn popping out of the Catacombs either on the beach below the Glassworks or by digging a hole upwards into one of the streets would get most people's attention.
Raise the stakes for your players - put some Sinspawn on the streets, or some goblins at the gates. Your choice as to where you want to send them first, but most groups go for the Catacombs first, from what I've read.
jhpeace1 is right on the other hand check out
http://paizo.com/people/GreycloakOfBowness message board posts :)
His rise of the runelord stuff has some great sandpoint info that is Gold :)
It ties thing together so well for many of the adventures and why the PC's do what they do...
It should be its own suppliment :)
Ha silly me, being autistic I sometimes rush ahead, Greycloak is awesome, but what I meant was to say Grimfodders Burnt Offerings :) That is where you look :) It truly is gold. Mind Greycloak of Bowness is awesome too, but he mixes kingmaker when you get to module 3 and you are looking for module 1... ;)
Alright, good points all around. I'll definitely have some more sinspawn attack (and this time, it'll be right in the middle of town, and possibly have a commoner or two get killed. That way, even though the party doesn't have a designated tracker (yet), someone in town will be able to track them back to the cave along the cliffs to the northeast where they'll be able to find their way to the catacombs of wrath (since they very sturdily bricked over the glassworks basement entrance). And if they still don't bite, the goblin attacks will resume, in much greater force.
Still, though, I don't think anyone's answered my title question. How much time should I give them? How much time should I allow to pass before anything bad happens?
They should have concluded burnt offerings until late summer, otherwise you have to adjust the climate of the following modules.
We started Skinsaw Murders on 2. Arodus.
They should have concluded burnt offerings until late summer, otherwise you have to adjust the climate of the following modules.
Do you mean late Autumn? Burnt Offerings starts on the first day of Autumn.
Dang-youre right, I mixed that up.
Late autumn is correct.
Ya because by the time Hook Mountain Massacre its starting to snow ;)
or should be at that far inland...
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Ya because by the time Hook Mountain Massacre its starting to snow ;)
or should be at that far inland...
...or that far up in altitude because that is what determines the snow line in most coastal climes.
I really wouldn't worry about a strict timeline and would let my PCs set the pace. This path could be over with in something like 6 months of game time if the PCs really pushed hard. The last path my group did (where I was a player) was Shackled City and we definately didn't roll a full year of game time in that one. It felt rushed and if there was someone whose character idea was built on crafting (mundane or magical), it wouldn't have fit with that pacing.
The incident at the dam could be spring rains as easily as winter and anything snowy could be slushy instead. If the PCs really went slow, it could be unseasonal snows in the summer time - it doesn't really matter, right? I expect with my side-track laden path, we'll totally blow the default timeline and I don't expect any problems. I'm guessing years will have passed from the beginning to the end of mine, especially once we get into the aforementioned kindom building part.
Give them enough time to spend their gold crafting, but then push the adventure forward. By giving them the time they need for equipping themselves, they should be ready to go on their own.
Shalelu is a good way to put pressure on them, but if you really want to get them moving, have some little old lady dress down the fighter in the middle of the street, berating him for being a lag a bout and a skirt chaser while the town continues to be harassed by goblin shenanigans and now these gods awful things are literally crawling out of the ground!
The stairwell in the catacombs of wrath can be dug up directly into the streets of the city, so that's how the sinspawn can make their assault some night, pop up and start some fires, kill some people, and drag some captives down in to the catacombs.
If that doesn't get your players to go down there maybe you should put the screen aside and ask your players if they're interested in continuing the adventure anymore.
Thanks for the advice, everyone. It turned out I didn't have anything to worry about- once the entire group was present again, their first order of business was to re-open the passage under the glassworks (which they had just bricked up the previous day in-game), and investigate the catacombs of wrath. After that, once it was cleared out, they immediately set out for Thistletop, and that's where they are now.