Our group is approximately 30 sessions into a Rise of the Runelords campaign and we've only just begun the third module; having arrived in Turtleback Ferry last session. Three of our five PCs managed to level by the end of the session and are now 7th level.
So, while riding the subway home earlier today I was eagerly reviewing my character's new spells and considering what we'd learned while playing last session when I had an epiphany concerning the plot. Admittedly I may be way off base, but I'm pretty confident in my deductions and, if I'm right, I've likely figured out most of the module's plot.
I don't really see the need to explain my theories here, and I certainly don't want to read any spoilers (so please don't post any!) but now I'm wondering what I should do. If I have my character go ahead with logical countermeasures to the Big Bad plot our group will likely end up skipping ahead a few chapters and going directly to the climactic end encounter first. Afterwards, with the crisis hopefully averted, we'd go back and take care of the parts we missed.
What I'm wondering is, is this a good idea? Will it wreck the flow of the adventure? Would our group be critically underpowered for the end encounter? Or should I just keep quiet and follow the Adventure Path as intended?
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Our group is approximately 30 sessions into a Rise of the Runelords campaign and we've only just begun the third module; having arrived in Turtleback Ferry last session. Three of our five PCs managed to level by the end of the session and are now 7th level.
So, while riding the subway home earlier today I was eagerly reviewing my character's new spells and considering what we'd learned while playing last session when I had an epiphany concerning the plot. Admittedly I may be way off base, but I'm pretty confident in my deductions and, if I'm right, I've likely figured out most of the module's plot.
I don't really see the need to explain my theories here, and I certainly don't want to read any spoilers (so please don't post any!) but now I'm wondering what I should do. If I have my character go ahead with logical countermeasures to the Big Bad plot our group will likely end up skipping ahead a few chapters and going directly to the climactic end encounter first. Afterwards, with the crisis hopefully averted, we'd go back and take care of the parts we missed.
What I'm wondering is, is this a good idea? Will it wreck the flow of the adventure? Would our group be critically underpowered for the end encounter? Or should I just keep quiet and follow the Adventure Path as intended?
Given each group will play things out differently, and each DM will run things differently, there is no way to know for sure.
What I can say is if you've just arrived in Turtleback Ferry, it's unlikely you can know or even guess at anything game breaking at this point.
As a Runelords GM, I assure you that you don't know anything that would allow you to shortcut the plot, unless your GM has taken great liberties.
I can confirm or deny this if you state your theory under spoiler tags. I promise not to ruin it for you, merely to tell you if your plan is going to be a pain in the ash for the GM.
I guess that even if you had prior knowledge, the course of the game doesn't much change. You'd still want to take things in the order you're supposed to. Your best bet, always, is to discuss it with your GM.
Yeah, I agree with Evil Lincoln and Ciretose, if you are just arriving at Turtleback Ferry and the DM is following the material even "somewhat", there is very little you can do to "derail" the campaign. You MAY be able to change some minor events, but the world progresses arround you. Even if you have managed to plug the meta info together to get the right answer for the end game scenario...nevermind.
SO very hard to post without spoilers on this...No wonder I do not allow my players to read anything in this section. :P
Anyway, let your character do as they would, it can only make the experience better. If you are right...great, if not...there is still much to learn and do.
Greg
PS: on the topic of "skipping ahead of chapters". You are at the begining of the third chapter. So still not at the half way point of the AP series. Think about what you fought as your first few encounters and how easy they would be for you now. Now, think about 3+ chapters away what the obstacles could possibly be like.
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Darn, my thread got moved to the RotR forum. I guess I shouldn't have mentioned which A.P. we were playing since it's not really germane to the discussion.
You are at the begining of the third chapter. So still not at the half way point of the AP series. Think about what you fought as your first few encounters and how easy they would be for you now. Now, think about 3+ chapters away what the obstacles could possibly be like.To be clear, I'm not speaking about skipping ahead four modules to the end of the entire Adventure Path; I'm simply talking about the end of the third module.
It sounds like you either have a guilty conscious for doing that or are trolling for spoilers.
Seriously? No, I haven't read the module and am not trolling for spoilers; I specifically asked that no one post any. If I wanted to know what was coming I'd just go to the FLGS and read the module.
I'm not seeking to discuss the module specifically, I was merely asking for opinions concerning how others might seek to play once they believe they've figured out the plot of an adventure early on. Do you play dumb and follow the adventure's sequential nature or seek to skip ahead to the end? Which is more fun / less detrimental?
I'm not seeking to discuss the module specifically, I was merely asking for opinions concerning how others might seek to play once they believe they've figured out the plot of an adventure early on. Do you play dumb and follow the adventure's sequential nature or seek to skip ahead to the end? Which is more fun / less detrimental?
You do what your character would do, i.e., you don't change anything about your character's behavior based on your metagame guesses about the plot. If your character would do additional research to confirm his suspicions, you do that. If your character would try to warn NPCs or make preparations to confront a threat that he's absolutely sure is pending, you do that. If your character would "inspire you all by charging blindly on!" then, well, do that.
RotRL is a pretty solidly plotted AP and I'm assuming you've got a half-sensible GM, so honestly, the plot will survive whatever you do, provided you're not going out of your way to break the game just to see if you can (which it doesn't sound like you're doing). So my advice would be to just play it out naturally.
And, like everyone else has said, if you just got to Turtleback Ferry and your GM is going even halfway by the book, you probably don't know exactly where the plot is going.
And even if you do, much of the demented joy of this section is in the little details that make an otherwise straightforward story suddenly take hard turns toward WTF every 10 minutes, so guessing the plot is extremely unlikely to actually spoil this particular module.
And because I am desperately curious, I really really want to know what your guess is, if you feel like posting it behind spoiler tags. ;)
Ooooooh, Okay
end of the 3rd module.
That's completely different.
I thought you were crazy.
Yeah, you could maybe take part 3 out of order, but like anything there are pros and cons to doing it that way. Without going into details, I highly recommend gathering intelligence before making any such presumptions. But yeah, do as your character would do. You don't know anything you're not supposed to.
I thought you were crazy.
WHO TOLD Y... I mean, yeah, I get that a lot. =]
And because I am desperately curious, I really really want to know what your guess is, if you feel like posting it behind spoiler tags. ;)
I'd rather not turn this into a discussion about the plot for fear of anyone unintentionally confirming or negating my hunches. I could possibly send you an email however if you want.
I'd rather not turn this into a discussion about the plot for fear of anyone unintentionally confirming or negating my hunches. I could possibly send you an email however if you want.
Hey, as long as my curiosity gets satisfied, I won't complain about how.
In fact, email's perfect. Then I can know the answer, and everyone else can just hang here wondering. Ahahahahaaa.
In fact, email's perfect.
Sent. Hopefully I haven't embarrassed myself overmuch with how far off the mark I am.
If we promise to behave will you tell us your theory? Cuz this is just mean...
Haha I know the answer and you do-oo-oon't.
His group's got a great campaign journal, btw. Has lots of nice pictures I will be yoinking when my own group gets to that stage.
If we promise to behave will you tell us your theory? Cuz this is just mean...
Well, I would hate to be mean. Actually, spilling the beans doesn't bother me so much anymore since we've played a few sessions since I originally posted and my theory has pretty much been confirmed. I'll simply copy what it is I sent to Liane.
Our group excuses itself and I, being suspicious of "Lucretia", head over to the sunken gambling boat. Having confirmed with the priest that she lived aboard the boat, I have my air elemental familiar investigate the sunken wreck; specifically looking for the remains of her quarters. Having identified the ruined stateroom which was likely hers, my familiar sifts through the silt and succeeds in uncovering a few odds and ends that survived the fire (a single earring and a leather belt). Using a wand of Object Loresight I carry (from The Complete Book of Eldritch Might) I determine that the earring was indeed last touched by Lucretia and that she is in fact a lamia matriarch as we'd started to suspect. That's where we left off at the end of the session.
Later, while thinking of what we'd learnt about Xanesha thanks to using Speak with Dead on her remains, I was pondering what this lamia matriarch might be planning when it hit me; she found a small isolated community living in the shadow of a dam holding back a biblical flood. All she needed was to foster greediness in the locals, which she did by running a local den of depravity for several years. All she has to do now is drown the lot of them by breaking open the dam and voila; an epic sacrifice of greedy souls to help power up the Runewell of Greed. How's she going deal with the dam? The area is full of big dumb ogres and trolls right? They'd be easy enough to approach, charm and form up into a big ugly brute squad. Are there any loose ends she has to take care of? How about that pesky Order of rangers watching over the area? They'd have to go before she would dare to go after the dam. Easy enough, she can lay siege to or overrun their Fort with her ogre troops; simply capture or kill the lot of them before going ahead with her end game. All too easy.
That's why I think heading to Fort Rannick first, as we'd planned, is likely to be a critical waste of time. We could waste time messing around with the local ogre tribes as we fight to get there only to lose more time dealing with whatever Lucretia has left there for us to find. Best to set up some sort of emergency evacuation plan for Turtleback Ferry and then go directly to the dam to secure the place as soon as possible. Afterwards, when all is safe, we can go to Fort Rannick to clean up whatever is left there.
His group's got a great campaign journal, btw.
Thanks. I still need to post the log for our last session, detailing...
Thank-you. :) And well reasoned, sir!
And well reasoned, sir!
Thanks. No response to my Mensa application yet though. ;)
Would you mind sharing your campaign journal with the rest of the group?
No, I wouldn't.
If we promise to behave will you tell us your theory? Cuz this is just mean...Well, I would hate to be mean. Actually, spilling the beans doesn't bother me so much anymore since we've played a few sessions since I originally posted and my theory has pretty much been confirmed. I'll simply copy what it is I sent to Liane.
** spoiler omitted **...
It's like you are Sherlock Holmes or something
That is amazing
I am in awe of you
It's like you are Sherlock Holmes or something
It may not be entirely coincidental that my character's sidekick is "elementary" or that he plays a musical instrument to help him think. ;)
My absolute favorite element of RPGs is puzzling things out and then using that information to outmanoeuvre the bad guys. I love catching them when they don't see the party coming and, conversely, I hate being spoon-fed information or following a predictable linear path.
I've updated our game log with the results of our assault on the dam if anyone is interested.
Most impressed by your Obsidian Portal finagling. Out of curiosity, what sorts of sources are your using for your PCs' and NPCs' portraits (besides those that I recognize from the Runelords AP books)?