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I'm fairly new to GMing and as my players have a tendency to not RP, I tend to be very cut and dried. The problem I'm running in to is that they're gearing up to go to the prison tomorrow and there's still a few weeks before the next adventure path. I'd hate to take a week off. How can I drag the prison out? We usually play for 3 or 4 hours once a week. I'm trying to make it so I can get the next section of the AP and flow in flawlessly, but I'm worried they will just sword and board their way through this prison and wreck everything. How can I stretch it out a few weeks, or is it denser than it looks?
I'm co-GMing this with a friend of mine. We came up with a few ideas to keep our players in town for at least a full session before they enter the prison, but that's only so we can actually use the town since you can easily bypass it in the adventure.
In your case you already did what it'll take two of us to do. The prison itself is not a walk in the park and your players will get frustrated if they think they can jus waltz in and do it all in one (in game) night. Remind them that they can leave and come back so the town can act as a save point of sorts. Unless your players are insanely stubborn they should take you up on the idea, and then you can have stuff happen in the town while they're there.
Good luck running this!
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One balatant stretching strategy that might also help RP:
The PCs are going to the dungeon for the first time next session? Then the timing for this is perfect. Run the prison riot from 50 years ago.
Tell them to put aside their character sheets. Give them 2nd and 3rd level Warriors: the original prison guards. Give them little build up or explanation, but have them RP out the prison riot sequence, getting attacked by the Splatter Man, the great fire, and end it with a TPK. Then have all the PCs wake up in a cold sweat.
This
A) will eat up at least an hour or so if time
B) will show them backstory they might not have cared to learn, and now they'll be more interested in the location as they explore it (looking for things that are familiar from the dream)
C) hypes the end boss so that when they see/recogize him they'll go "oh sh--!"
D) the fact that this drams happens makes sense: the evil of the prison is projecting into people's minds in town
One balatant stretching strategy that might also help RP:
The PCs are going to the dungeon for the first time next session? Then the timing for this is perfect. Run the prison riot from 50 years ago.
Tell them to put aside their character sheets. Give them 2nd and 3rd level Warriors: the original prison guards. Give them little build up or explanation, but have them RP out the prison riot sequence, getting attacked by the Splatter Man, the great fire, and end it with a TPK. Then have all the PCs wake up in a cold sweat.
This
A) will eat up at least an hour or so if time
B) will show them backstory they might not have cared to learn, and now they'll be more interested in the location as they explore it (looking for things that are familiar from the dream)
C) hypes the end boss so that when they see/recogize him they'll go "oh sh--!"
D) the fact that this drams happens makes sense: the evil of the prison is projecting into people's minds in town
That is an awesome idea! Better get to making the character sheets!
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Using this idea, here is what I've come up with for my characters. This will put them on rails a bit more than usual, but it is a dream afterall. This is for my 6 players, obviously.
You are all in what seems to be a guard room. [U3] Two of you wake up from cots and the other four see cards and coppers on the table in front of you. (24 coppers total when they come here later) Warden Lyvar Hawkran pokes his head in, says, "Vortch, time to feed the Lopper," and continues his survey of the dungeon level of Harrowstone.
Gurtis Vortch, the captain of the guards, gets up and grabs a bucket with some bread and a water flask. A long rope is attached to the bucket. "Damn I wish they'd kill him already." You hear a call from not too far down the hall. [U4] One of the prisoners is loudly and crudely describing all the things he would like to do to Gurtis Vortch's wife. "If you don't shut your trap this instant, I'm going to haul you off to Ember Maw myself and cremate you alive!" The prisoner quiets down. Perception check DC 15 – you hear a cry of surprise cut short. Within a minute, the prisoners from down the hall are hollering and causing a ruckus. You hear the sounds of the bars being opened.
3 prisoners and The Lopper (levitating – not a wraith, using a mw shortsword)
The Warden runs up from behind you, saying "We can't let them escape!" and pulls a heavy lever on the wall. The prison echoes with the sounds of heavy iron portcullises falling and doors slamming shut. The lift in the middle of the main room quickly retreats to the upper floor.
From behind the Warden, you see a large group of prisoners. One old prisoner is holding a makeshift club that is glowing brightly. He calls out, "That wasn't very nice. (to the prisoners) Take the Warden and the guards hostage. We'll need them to get that lift down." As The Lopper takes the Warden out of sight into the Reaper's Hold, the Warden tells you, "Do what they say for now." [Later he is found on the torture rack in U8]
In addition to the usual brands of letters and numbers on their forearms or necks [alluding to S6], each of these prisoners shows signs of torture – whether strips of blood on their backs, missing fingers, starvation, and random burns. [all from U7]
You are held hostage.
2 prisoners try to climb up the shaft of the life, but are shot down by guards from above. The prisoners yell for the guards to let the lifts down, threatening to kill the hostages. The guards refuse.
You hear a woman's hysterical cries from above. "You have to let them out! My husband is down there!" The lift comes slamming down, killing a couple of the prisoners and one of the guards. (roll a d6 for which PC) She screams "no! I killed him. Lyvar!!!" Her cries get fainter as she is taken away. [to S11]
The lift is becoming filled with prisoners, and from above you hear, "We can't raise the lift, there are prisoners in there! But they are climbing the chains! Two prisoners are shot down by crossbow bolts as they tried to climb the lift's chains. Others quickly take their place. You here a continuous sound from above, and realize what it is when large barrels are tossed from above, knocking the prisoners off of the lift. The barrels break and release copious amounts of oil, creating a large slick.
The Splatter Man walks near the lift and lets out a stream of white missiles, and two guards fall into the pit. Panicked, one of the guards tosses down a torch, which easily lights the slick on fire.
The screams of the prisoners and yourselves are deafening.
Perception check DC 20 – you see the Lopper run towards the oubliette and literally jump in, levitating downwards. [U4]
Perception check DC 25 – you see the Splatter Man stumble from the fire into the "Nevermore Room" and fall into the pit there. [U11]
You all black out, badly burned and smoke heavy in your lungs.
You wake up in Kendra's house, gasping for air and breathing heavily. It is just after dawn.
Certainly seems like a fun idea to run the riot, although I'd be concerned it would remove some of the mystery from what the PCs are to encounter below.
I found it easy to keep the PCs out of the prison too early. Have Kendra inform them that the Ravengro Council has enacted a local ordinance prohibiting anyone from entering the prison without authorization from the Council. The townsfolk are a suspicious and frightened lot, and they fear that having people march into the prison will just stir up the evil within. Once the PCs have helped the townspeople with the scary events in Ravengro, especially the fire, the Council will be happy to authorize the PCs to enter the prison (and in fact will ask that they do so). This worked perfectly and naturally in my campaign. I don't think the PCs felt at all that it was coercive, although you may need to be more heavy handed since your players are on the cusp of entering.
the Ravengro Council has enacted a local ordinance prohibiting anyone from entering the prison without authorization from the Council.
That's what I did. My group consisting of two LG and one NG character at that time, they respected the law and only went to Harrowstone after earning the council's trust and being permitted to. And when they did, they were actually still just level 1 and got their butts kicked by the scythe, so they retreated to do more research and learn more about what they'll face.
While they're in Ravengro, it's easy to keep them occupied with the encounters presented in the module, and by just adding additional ones. This can also work well to encourage roleplaying. Arguing with the council, the sheriff and Grimburrow about what they're allowed to do and what they get access to for research, dealing with the townspeople and their xenophobia, interacting with Kendra (comforting her after her dad shows up as a zombie) ...
Check out this link here for some cool side-quests to do in Ravengro (and also fix the trust mechanic)... follow in the thread to Mortagen's doc.