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My group is about halfway through Trial of the Beast. As I'm starting to read Broken Moon it's hasn't inspired me all that much. Anyone ran Broken Moon? How did it go?
If I alter the adventure, I would alter the first part Shudderwood and keep Feldgrau. Anyone have any idea for streamlined version of the Shudderwood plot? Or an idea for alternative that still leads to Feldgrau?
Which aspect is it that bothers you about the Shudderwood part? There are two main components:
- the RP-heavy investigation, where strange things are happening at the lodge, etc
- the site-based mini-dungeon known as the Stairs of the Moon
It is possible to replace one but not the other.
From a plot-structure point-of-view, the only purpose of the Lodge is to have the PCs find out about the Stairs. The only purpose of the Stairs is to say "the plot item went to Feldgrau." These are easy nodes to change.
Personally, I'm excited to run Broken Moon, possibly moreso than the other books in the AP. I'm probably going to expand the Lodge part. The idea of playing Werewolf in a Werewolf module tickles me silly.
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The former part of the Ascanor Lodge. I was just not thrilled reading it. I like role-play aspects of Harrowstone and Trial, but for some reason the Lodge really didn't do for me. Just thinking of steamlined Lodge to Stairs. Pretty much cut a lot of the investigation aspect out of it. Reduce the amount of NPCs and make more linear.
My plan is to condense down the first part, run Broken Moon but I want to speed up the adventure path to get to Wake. Which having read I'm more interested in running.
It might be my bias too that killing it for me. I've never been all that into werewolves. ;-)
I'm changing a lot in this module.
1. I'm having the PCs meet Rhakis and another Sczarni Varisian being attacked by ettercaps near the beginning. Their horses were killed by them, and the PCs will travel with them and get to know them without learning what and who they really are. Rhakis and this other Sczarni (I'm leaning towards Zakowski for a name) work for Madame Ivanja who is not a werewolf but is part of the pack. I'm running the Prince's as less wolf and more human, and as such, they're very insular and very very much a crime "family". Getting the PCs to help them gets the PCs into this crime family and close to them so x makes sense.
2. Duristan is going to meet the PCs in the woods as they travel, and let them know they're likely lost. He'll bring them back to Ascanor if they help him with his latest hunt-- he makes Delgros tell the PCs about the stag that was killed by something as they were chasing it, and that Duristan is going to find it so he can hunt for werewolves. Basically, dropping the PCs into this situation without giving them the option to A. be hassled by someone (they will not go at all period if he does) and B. split the party. It's recently snowing, so his tracks will be hard to track back, so the PCs will be stuck with him.
3. The beginning goes just the same, essentially, except I'm adding some pals for my 6 PCs to play with.
4. When the PCs head back, they are able to get into the Lodge and stay with Madame Ivanja and her girls and the Sczarni in the tower. I'm keeping a lot of the stuff in Ascanor similar. I'm going to change how Estovion acts, though, since the PCs will undoubtedly kick him into a frenzy with just three actions. I'm stretching out the "game" a lot more, and adding a lot more players as well. Oh-- and the PCs will be stuck in the lodge thanks to a blizzard, which, I think, adds a lot.
5. After Estovion makes his escape, I'm having Rhakis basically let the PCs in on the secret and ask them for help after explaining the entire situation to them.
This is about as far as I've gotten. I know I want to take the Stairs of the Moon and make them into an actual dungeon, because right now... it just doesn't really flow that well. The PCs are highly likely to just skip floor #1 and move on, and, er... I dunno. It doesn't feel like werewolves are fighting there or that it is a big deal. I want to make it a big deal.
Oh, and also... I'm making a point of having Delgros bitten by a werewolf, to throw the PCs off the scent. Also, the Sczarni know about the werewolves and are entirely willing to spin tales about them to the PCs-- and talk about some of the plot details-- but in a way that doesn't say "Yo these stories are about me."
Ice Titan
Ice Titan
** spoiler omitted **
Thanks for the heads up. It'll be his last name then, since I just like how it sounds.
I'm changing a lot in this module.
** spoiler omitted **...
Hmm...
I'm also planning on making the Markiza's first name Stirba.
I'm reporting back to say that my changes up to 4 worked really well.
Hopefully now though I'll be able to make the investigations swing smoothly now that the PCs are working as hired help for Madame Ivanja.
I'm reporting back to say that my changes up to 4 worked really well.
** spoiler omitted **
Looking forward to the write-up. ;)
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I actually like the concept of the blizzard at the Ascanor Lodge. At first when reading through Broken Moon I wasn't as big on the whole Ascanor Lodge plot, but I'm actually warming up to it. My group just finished Trial of the Beast last monday and started their trek into Shudderwood.
At the beginning of next session they will be reaching Ascanor Lodge. So I like the concept of being stuck in the Lodge and eerie stuff happening.
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My PCs ran Estovion's paranoia score to 8 within the first 8 hours of being in the lodge!
Well my ranger and ninja decided to snoop around the library bypassing the locked door between area 26 and the tower, then breaking into Estovions office (which I had laden with an alarm spell) gaining his journal and the Halo of Dreams.
They awoke to Cilas Grayden knocking on their door demanding to know what happened to his friend. Typical PCs blew him off, office and rank be damned, earning them his ire for the rest of their stay.
So by lunch time I ran event 5, and dinner (after being threatened by the group and eluding an invisibly trailing ranger) I ran event 6 and abandoned the Lodge. The party barely did any research... and honestly there's really no reason for them to really dig into research. They could care less about which wolf tribes are which, or anything more than catching up to the WW. So I left them just about to enter the Stairs of the Moon. Though the Kellid Bbn PC did contract lycanthrope on the final night of the full moon!
--Vrockslide
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My PCs ran Estovion's paranoia score to 8 within the first 8 hours of being in the lodge!
** spoiler omitted **
--Vrockslide
Classic!
Yeah, given the way my PCs like to push buttons, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to scrap the paranoia mechanic and just play it by ear or there will be no creepy but steady development of events. The way I see it, the guy is smart enough to take his time and not tip his hand too early when the PCs start to creep him out.
This type of adventure has so much potential! As a big fan of the original The Thing, I can't wait for the PCs to be in the lodge. It will be especially fun if I can get one of them infected with Lycanthropy!
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The worst part was the adventure recommends you use the nobles to try and steer the PCs away from rash actions. I don't know about you but I've rarely seen PCs that are not Lawful give a wererats ass about anything an NPC has to say.
PCs don't respect authority because the average NPC couldn't do anything to hurt them. All the guards at Ascanor Lodge plus Estovion and all the classed NPCs in the lodge combined couldn't legitimately threaten the PCs if they wanted to slaughter everyone there.
Maybe it's just me, but my PCs will listen to anyone who sounds like they know what they're talking about, isn't insulting them or is an interesting character. Am I the only GM who doesn't run a game for sociopaths?
I've only had a PC attack an NPC once, and it was only because they completely betrayed the party and then came back trying to make nice and work together without apologizing. And it was only one PC. Everyone else was trying to stop him, to the point of disarming him, and he ended up snapping her neck with his shield.
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The worst part was the adventure recommends you use the nobles to try and steer the PCs away from rash actions. I don't know about you but I've rarely seen PCs that are not Lawful give a wererats ass about anything an NPC has to say.
My PCs, while they love to push buttons and manipulate NPCs, really enjoy interacting with them, sometimes to their own detriment. They befriended Gibs in Ravengro, pulled a fast one on the owners of the Silk Purse after demonstrating that the Ring of Featherfall was a fake or broken (2d6 points of falling damage later), and won over the Swampers of Morast by moonshine drinking and gator-wrestling. They've yet to murder anyone.
:D
They LOVE NPCs, but I'm just concerned that the paranoia track is too fast, and it actually might be better to just put it on a timeline, and base it more on his own growing fears than actual events.