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Spoilers abound. Players please just stay out or this will ruin your experience of the module.
I ran the first session of Trial last night with my party of 7 PCs and have some thoughts on the organization of the module, things that I think could have been done better on my part, and things I wished the module had made more explicit. Maybe these will help other DMs yet to run this to prepare and maybe you guys can offer some suggestions to some of my concerns.
This post will probably be pretty long.
- The PCs are instructed to register as public defenders of the Beast. My PCs immediately didn't want to do that. Why should they DEFEND the Beast? The Judge merely hires the PCs because she doesn't think justice is going to be done and says flat out that it's OK if the Beast is guilty - she just wants a fair trial. I was able to lure the PCs to the table via a combination of money/reward, sense of justice, and sense of just curiosity. But I'd warn/suggest other DMs to remind PCs that "defending" the Beast doesn't necessarily imply that you think he's innocent. I realize they should have known that and that I as the DM should have been more clear on this, but just be wary of that.
- The whole break-in at the university concerns me after DMing it more than it did when playing it. Why did the Way use the Beast in the first place? My PCs did their detective work, easily found the window, and demonstrated that they could unlock the lock with a Knock spell and could easily have stolen the Effigy using Mage Hand from outside. So really, why didn't the Way just open the window from outside the building and Mage Hand the item out?
- How big are the windows in the Workshop at the university? The module says "3 massive windows". OK so tell me again why a thief couldn't have just opened the window, climbed in and taken it. Why did the beast apparently hand it through the window to a waiting Way member? Why didn't a student or a professor take it? It's not like the workshop was protected. Cromb even says the item isn't particularly valuable (just singular) and that it's been there for years. I played it up that the windows were tiny, barely a foot square hoping that no one could fit through there and, as mentioned above, my PCs just demonstrated themselves using Knock and Mage Hand how easy it was to take the item.
- I wonder if it might be a good idea to change the module around so that the Effigy was kept in a high security, protected facility and come up with some way that the Beast hid the item after getting it out of the secure area - there the Way came and got it later (basically accounting for why the Way needed the Beast in the first place).
- My PCs are really excited about this because it seems to stupid to them - so clearly there must be some awesomely ulterior motive! Sadly, having read the module, I don't think there is. They are thinking that this is all a cover for some elaborate plan - but really it's just a diversion to keep the PCs here for several days. All this stuff at Hergstag, Morast, and Sanctuary have abso-freaking-lutely nothing to do with the Way - those events were done way before the Way was here and they involve Grine and company - again, nothing to do with the Way. When the PCs are done with this, they're won't see a darned thing until the Beast heads to the mansion - so what's this all about? I'm a bit worried it's a not going to be interesting. Can we think, collectively, about a way to make these events related to the plotline?
- What about removing the trial entirely from the module - having the PCs arrive the day that the Beast is convicted and escapes from jail to go off to the mansion. The PCs might be hired to help stop the Beast. What would you miss? 3 subplots and a bunch of experience - but related? Let me be clear: I realize that everything the PCs do in a campaign do not have to be related to the alpha plot-line, but at the end of this module we try and tie back to the alpha plot-line and it doesn't make sense. The amount of damage that the Way caused in the mansion demonstrates their massive power and resources at their disposal. So why this elaborate silly plan to steal this item?
- I find the organization of the module a bit complicated and really wish I had put together a flow-chart or something before running it. As with any detective story you have everyone's different version of what they know. My PCs wanted to know what the beast knows about the events, what Gustav knows about them, what the Judge knows about them, what the professor knows, what each of the witnesses know - then of course there's the set of things they will find out on their own. I suggest DMs put some thought into developing supporting information that relates what each NPC knows.
- The meeting of the Beast looks good on paper, but I found it hard to play. The Beast is instructed to repeatedly say that he "didn't do it" and play him as angry, beaten by the guards but if the PCs show him kindness to play him like a child, calling the PCs his "friends". But I was VERY worried on the spot about what to have the Beast say. This again goes back to the previous bullet and I warn DMs to prep for this. What should the Beast really say about these events?
- Be prepared to talk about the court rules and where you can use magic. I know the module brings this up, but it's way the heck in the back of the module. Early on when the PCs are starting (like, in the front of the module) my PCs immediately wondered why we don't just divine the truth. I realize this is explained in the module but I found myself flipping all over the module looking for bits and pieces of what I wanted to say. Again, be prepared for this - I wasn't ready and I fumbled around a bit which I don't like doing.
- I know I'm hounding on this, but bringing up a different point. In the "Adventure Background" section there is discussion about how the Way "found out" about Caromarc's secret - the Beast! - and sought a way to make a deal with him. What deal did they want to make? To use the Beast to steal the Effigy? Vrood is presented as CR10 in module 3 and the Beast is CR13 in module 2 - so I guess one could say the Beast is more powerful than Vrood - but Vrood isn't acting alone, and given all the damage they caused to Caromarc's mansion, bypassing all the defenses and setting all the elaborate traps, clearly Vrood has more at his disposal then his lone CR10 self. And again, his CR10-self is more than powerful enough to take down an iron door protected with Alarm or to just open the window and magic-out the item he wanted. I guess I just don't see what the Way wanted with the Beast and why they wanted to blackmail Caromarc. That sort of causes all of these problems for me.
Perhaps it's just a bit of my vision from behind the curtain, but I didn't feel like the module went very smoothly at the start. My players tell me it's great and they are excited, but it felt extremely kludgey to me and I wished I had prepped some of these things mentioned above beforehand.
I'm also pretty concerned about tying these events into anything meaningful. While I find them all interesting little side quests the PCs will be baffled as to why the Way went through this trouble instead of just walking in and taking the Effigy.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I realize I repeated myself several (many) times but feel I am bringing up different aspects of the same problem and left those bits in there as explanation of why I think the module is unclear.
I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, I just want some advice on how to fix the module in my eyes or see what I'm missing that ties these loose ends up nicely.
Thanks!
I read some other threads and realize this is brought up in several of them. I haven't seen any ideas though how to address it.
Thoughts on that before I get too far in?
Thanks again.
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My interpretation of one of the points
Read the description for Mage Hand again: "one non-magical, unattended object weighing up to 5 lbs."
Now, we could mince words about what "unattended" means (I would count being locked up in a case as "attended" personally), and we could fudge the weight of the effigy (officially, it's 3 lbs, but you could always bump it up to 6 lbs, or say that the clasps holding it to the display case count as weight resistance). But the clincher is that the effigy is a CL 13 magic item (see WotW, page 58). Mage Hand doesn't work by the rules-as-written.
I think the main purpose of using the Beast was for people to not have their attention drawn to it. A sophisticated burglary would cause people to investigate why. Finding the Beast creates a lot of hoopla and can distract people from the matter at hand. And that's exactly how it went down in my group: even with Crowl begging of the PCs to investigate the break-in, they are pretty uninterested in it, instead focusing on the trial.
Really, book 2 of CC continues the tradition of many of Paizo's book 2's being high-concept peices. Look at book 2 in RotRL, or SD, or especially CoT. In each of these, their connection to the grander plot was somewhat dubious, but they are arguably the best in each of their lines. So what if the Trial doesn't connect back to the W.Way? My PCs are having a blast doing it, so I don't want to cut out one iota. We'll get back to the plot in time. Besides, except for the ending of book 3 and the whole of book 6, this campaign isn't even really about the W.Way. It's about Ustalav, and the weird stuff that happens there. The W.Way is just our excuse to tour the country.
Yeah...the plot is a bit thin and I get your point of "Why the Beast".
To be honest I was lucky so far as my players just gone along for the ride....more or less. (Check out my Campain log) also I wasnt playing for the last 2 weeks (Business Travel) so I could pick up some more ideas.
Creating a flowchart helped me map out the events...I didnt include it yet in my DM material, but maybe I should....
to address your points:
- I had the same problem, PC's where afraid that they just get burned along with the Beast. Lucky I had an Inquisitor and and Paladin. But the restof the group isnt signed up. Also I looking a bit nervously FW to teh riot...I belive you should prepare that and make it clear to teh PC's that tehy want the BEAST not the PC's
- Mage Hand dosnt work. The problem is that in TotB it dosnt say ANYTHING about the Effigy...you need to go to WotW and check it out. I made the big mistake of telleing my PC's that it wasnt magical...hope they forget about it until we get to WotW ;).
- I woundnt worry to much about the motivation of the WW. For me I think that they just want to cause unrest thoughtout Ustalav.
I mean there is another reall big gab in teh story..if you look to close. The WW stormed the castle, used the Thral to use the beast (which wasnt at the castle, actually never WAS..cause it lives in the swamps...) and then freed the other Beast...How did they get out of the tower alive? So I think tehy just beeing totaly chaotic and cause as much unrest as possible.
- Whatever the PC come up with as an motive...take it...dont worry to much.
- The interview with the Beast...yes preping for this is needed. Even maybe makeing a answer list...
My player basically asked the right questions (e.g. mentioned Hargstaed making him cry etc...)...so I thing I gave too much away in that interview.
- I got "lucky" with my group atm as one of my Players just basically took his character out of the AP as he likes to craft stuff and sell it...the other players are rather upset about that...he is the Cleric.
So will have him murdered and place a nice note of "dont stand in our way. Back off" That should motivate my group to stay togther (they really get on my nerves to always split up) and motivate them to get the WW.I let you know how this goes next week.
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Mage Hand dosnt work. The problem is that in TotB it dosnt say ANYTHING about the Effigy...you need to go to WotW and check it out. I made the big mistake of telleing my PC's that it wasnt magical...hope they forget about it until we get to WotW ;).
Since the description was so vague and the actual picture of it on the inside cover of Carrion Crown #4 looks almost nothing like the other picture of the Face further on in the module... I just made the Face of Dagon a statuette inside of the Seasage Effigy. The WW broke it open and then took it out.
Otherwise, that means that like an entire university of people, students, faculty and administrators and benefactors alike, including Professor Lorrimor, were too stupid to cast detect magic when in the proximity of a weird and creepy looking item.
It makes more sense that the SS Effigy was a lead-lined statuette decoy for the real item inside.
** spoiler omitted **
I appreciate that view. My players did ask me if it was magical and, like Windspirit, not knowing really I just said it wasn't. I knew as soon as I said it that it was another example of me not being perfectly prepared.
That lead-shell is a clever idea. Are there other things that could prevent an item from pinging as magical with Detect Magic when it really is?
That lead-shell is a clever idea. Are there other things that could prevent an item from pinging as magical with Detect Magic when it really is?
Magic Aura
That lead-shell is a clever idea. Are there other things that could prevent an item from pinging as magical with Detect Magic when it really is?Magic Aura
Magic Aura can't be made permanent, so that means that like some
If you're running a humor game, this might be the ticket, though.
The awkward question that my players asked me was:
"why hasn't Karl cast Remove Blindness on himself?" (ie the witness for the Sanctuary case)
I don't want to say that it's because he couldn't afford it, because then the PCs would just go and cast it on him on the spot, and alter his character identity. So I think I'm going to interpret the burn damage to be too-severe-to-be-cured, even though that's really not be the rules.
:-(
** spoiler omitted **
I appreciate that view. My players did ask me if it was magical and, like Windspirit, not knowing really I just said it wasn't. I knew as soon as I said it that it was another example of me not being perfectly prepared.
That lead-shell is a clever idea. Are there other things that could prevent an item from pinging as magical with Detect Magic when it really is?
Gives it a Maltese Falcon vibe. I approve.
The awkward question that my players asked me was:
"why hasn't Karl cast Remove Blindness on himself?" (ie the witness for the Sanctuary case)I don't want to say that it's because he couldn't afford it, because then the PCs would just go and cast it on him on the spot, and alter his character identity. So I think I'm going to interpret the burn damage to be too-severe-to-be-cured, even though that's really not be the rules.
:-(
My PCs did that and it didn't really change anything. I just had Karl identify the Beast through the smoke. If anything, it makes Karl realize what he was saying was wrong, and he testifies in the PCs favor.
Karl needs 150gp to get someone to cast Remove Blindness on him. In addition, there probably aren't many 5th level clerics of Pharasma, so we'll assume he needs to pay another 75gp "traveller" fee to have the clergy send someone out to cast the spell on him.
So, 225gp.
Level 3, so he probably has Profession: Surgeon, Profession: Bookkeeper or Profession: Doctor. Maybe a +7.
Every week, he takes ten (17) and makes 8 gold pieces.
Since he's got his own home, he has a lifestyle of average. Meaning out of the 32 gold pieces he gets every month, he spends 10 of it on his lifestyle. So, 22gp per month.
Now, assuming now that he's blinded he gets a -5 to being all of those professions, he makes 6 gold pieces a week. 24gp per month, 14 savings. It'll take him about 16 months to save up enough money. Assuming he's been saving up, he's probably got about 56 gold pieces to his name. Oh, and he now has to pay someone to take care of him-- maybe 10gp per month?-- so now he's got 16 gold pieces saved up, and it's going to take him 56 months, close to five years, to be able to afford the remove blindness.
So, that's why he can't have it. :(
The awkward question that my players asked me was:
"why hasn't Karl cast Remove Blindness on himself?" (ie the witness for the Sanctuary case)I don't want to say that it's because he couldn't afford it, because then the PCs would just go and cast it on him on the spot, and alter his character identity. So I think I'm going to interpret the burn damage to be too-severe-to-be-cured, even though that's really not be the rules.
:-(
Like saying the burns are so bad they require Regenerate? Remove Blindness might not work if he's actually lost portions of his eyes to tissue death.
Like saying the burns are so bad they require Regenerate? Remove Blindness might not work if he's actually lost portions of his eyes to tissue death.The awkward question that my players asked me was:
"why hasn't Karl cast Remove Blindness on himself?" (ie the witness for the Sanctuary case)I don't want to say that it's because he couldn't afford it, because then the PCs would just go and cast it on him on the spot, and alter his character identity. So I think I'm going to interpret the burn damage to be too-severe-to-be-cured, even though that's really not be the rules.
:-(
I think that's not true.
Remove blindness/deafness cures blindness or deafness (your
choice), whether the effect is normal or magical in nature. The
spell does not restore ears or eyes that have been lost, but it
repairs them if they are damaged.
So, the fire would have had to get in there and pop out his eyes with a shiv for it to not work.
Remove blindness/deafness cures blindness or deafness (your choice), whether the effect is normal or magical in nature. The spell does not restore ears or eyes that have been lost, but it repairs them if they are damaged.So, the fire would have had to get in there and pop out his eyes with a shiv for it to not work.
Ever seen burnt eyes? I wish I hadn't.
Ever seen burnt eyes? I wish I hadn't.Remove blindness/deafness cures blindness or deafness (your choice), whether the effect is normal or magical in nature. The spell does not restore ears or eyes that have been lost, but it repairs them if they are damaged.So, the fire would have had to get in there and pop out his eyes with a shiv for it to not work.
I wish I had so I would know what exactly eyes being burnt falls under in terms of the rules.
Kidding. >>
ANYway...
I think the hook for the investigation & trial must be adjusted to suit your party. If they seem genuinely interested in seeing justice done, then Daramid's sincere doubts about the Beast's guilt should be enough to prompt their investigation, and possibly even the defense.
If they're more interested in punishing evildoers than protecting innocent monsters, they might need a heavy-handed hint that someone has framed the Beast for their own nefarious purposes.
Or perhaps your PCs are just in it for the money and the XP. In that case, Daramid can just offer them a job -- defend the Beast and I'll pay you -- and the GM can broadly hint that the more prepared they are for the trial, the better their XP handouts will be. That ought to be enough to send them hunting down a few leads.
The WW's motives for using the Beast are, indeed, weak. There are about a million less conspicuous and less messy ways to have stolen that statue. But it occurs to me that this mess might be used to work Avidion Adrissant into the campaign early (as other threads have discussed).
In a nutshell: what if AA takes notice of the PCs in Chapter One, and develops a clinical interest in seeing what they are capable of? He may want to test their abilities, to see if they pose a threat to his plans. Or he may just want to stall them for awhile, in order to move more of his game pieces into position. Either way, he might instruct Vrood to use the Beast to create a puzzle, and then manipulate some functionaries in Lepistadt so that they charge the PCs with the task of solving that puzzle.
It may seem backwards to have AA create a puzzle that, when solved, leads the PCs directly to the WW, but think of the Riddler, or the psychopathic baddies in slasher films like Saw. It's a staple of the genre.
My own worry's with this module include its capture
** spoiler omitted **
I actually don't think that's a problem at all - in fact, it adds greatly to the role playing.
Thoughts on that here:
But in the short term, they are boasting.
My own worry's with this module include its capture
** spoiler omitted **
I actually don't think that's a problem at all - in fact, it adds greatly to the role playing.
Thoughts on that here:
** spoiler omitted **
Same...no issue there. I left it a mystery. Only the guards and the bEast know. The Guards boast and the Beast dosnt talk about it.
Form my own background I jugged that the Beast gave up and had enought with humanity and let himself be captured.
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Karl needs 150gp to get someone to cast Remove Blindness on him. In addition, there probably aren't many 5th level clerics of Pharasma, so we'll assume he needs to pay another 75gp "traveller" fee to have the clergy send someone out to cast the spell on him.
So, 225gp.
Level 3, so he probably has Profession: Surgeon, Profession: Bookkeeper or Profession: Doctor. Maybe a +7.
Every week, he takes ten (17) and makes 8 gold pieces.
Since he's got his own home, he has a lifestyle of average. Meaning out of the 32 gold pieces he gets every month, he spends 10 of it on his lifestyle. So, 22gp per month.
Now, assuming now that he's blinded he gets a -5 to being all of those professions, he makes 6 gold pieces a week. 24gp per month, 14 savings. It'll take him about 16 months to save up enough money. Assuming he's been saving up, he's probably got about 56 gold pieces to his name. Oh, and he now has to pay someone to take care of him-- maybe 10gp per month?-- so now he's got 16 gold pieces saved up, and it's going to take him 56 months, close to five years, to be able to afford the remove blindness.
So, that's why he can't have it. :(
Actually Lepidstadt has up to 7th level casters so Pharasma's Temple of Gravecharge has a 7th level high priest, Father Eswayne. As there are usually 3 high priests to a temple the others are probably around 5th. This is important to the PC's because if they gain any Con drain from the wraiths of Hergstag they'll need a restoration spell or two. Sure a few scrolls might be available, but a priest capable of casting more than one a day is mighty helpful!
The department were the effigy was kept did have security. They had guards , alarm spells and such. The reason the way used the beast was because the needed a convient scape goat to get caught at the screne so one one would be looking for some one else and they could easily depart while the "robber" they caught in the act was in jail.
There was also no "waiting way member" out side. the beast handed it to waxwood , vroods familar. He flew it to castle caromarc and gave it to vrood.
Also the reason it wasnt gaurded was because its not worth anything. The reason the way stole it is revieled in the 4th book.
SO it goes down like this. MASSIVE SPOILERS INC
The way gets the wardens ghost and leaves for lepistadt. Vroods boss needs the seasage effigy to trade in book four for another piece of the carrion crown. Vrood now has to get this effigy from the secure university and get away clean. He sends a blackmail letter to caromarc about the beast and wants a meeting. They show up at his place instead of the aranged place and capture him. They use the device to gain control of the beast and have him rip through the university , grab the statue and give it to waxwood outside the window before leaving the beast to get caught. The way was never seen in town and the crook was caught red handed so they get away with the crime and leave for the lodge in shutterwood.
There was also no "waiting way member" out side. the beast handed it to waxwood , vroods familar. He flew it to castle caromarc and gave it to vrood.
Why use Waxwood? Why not just use Mage Hand? I'm missing the bits of this which have to do with the dimensions of the window(s), the quality of the locks, etc. Are we talking impenetrable fortress windows with a DC 40 to lock pick or is the Effigy too heavy for Mage Hand to lift? Is the window only 6" x 6" and, even if so, if the window can be opened why can't the effigy just be whisked out of the window?
Why do we need a familiar?
This AP is full of interesting bits that the players have absolutely no way of knowing.
For instance - peppered all through the module are places that encourage the PCs to Speak With Dead. SWD is a 3rd level Cleric spell, meaning they can't get it until level 5 and they can only get 1 spell at level 5. Given the EXP of the path, most PCs aren't likely to be 5 until about Morast or maybe Sanctuary. To assume that your (possibly, probably) only Cleric in an as-designed 4-player AP is going to take an investigative spell is a bit of a leap. Sure, we as DMs can see that it's important - but would a player see that? Furthermore, would a player who was roll-playing and not metagaming see it?
Let's assume that some do, but I bet it's less than half.
OK so we have much of the interesting bits of the story predicated on Speak With Dead or other divination abilities which level 4-6 PCs don't have any real access to. The Morast story, while it looks wonderful as a DM, is full of info that the players never find out. Who is Brother Swarm, why is he covered in wasps, why was he luring kids away (that bit being about him being a pedophile)? The PCs can get special EXP for SWD to learn about Elsie and testify in court - extremely unlikely.
So when you run it, you basically instead present a ghost town that's been overrun by wraiths. The PCs go around, stepping in bear traps, and eventually slaughter some wraiths, find some bones, and go back and say "the Beast can't make wraiths".
I realize that's part of the fun of an investigation - all this hidden interesting information - I'm just finding it's all TOO hidden - too unlikely to be revealed.
To assume that your (possibly, probably) only Cleric in an as-designed 4-player AP is going to take an investigative spell is a bit of a leap. Sure, we as DMs can see that it's important - but would a player see that? Furthermore, would a player who was roll-playing and not metagaming see it?
To be clear, I should have been more clear that the cleric could memorize this today - again, I can't see a cleric choosing this though over some more typical roles that often.
In my game,
Gustav told the PCs that using Speak With Dead was a customary form of legal investigation, and that they could issue an expense report to have all such castings paid for by the court.
However, the laws of Lepidstadt are such that if a court-appointed Cleric casts Speak With Dead, you must use the evidence, even if it goes against you.
I had my SwDs cast outside court and notarized, rather than cast in-court.
Why use Waxwood? Why not just use Mage Hand?
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Sorry for the threadomancy, but I was just running this module and encountering the same question - why the trouble of going through all the craziness at the castle just to steal an item they could have easily stolen in a less fantastic way.
The "Red Herring" element of blaming the beast is item one, and it answers part of the question, though it still seems like a ridiculous amount of trouble to go to.
The second part of the answer I think is going to be that Vrood either A., had a grudge against Coromarc that he wanted to settle or B., needed a second McGuffin which had been used in the creation of the Bondslave Thrall, or maybe that the Seasage Effigy needed to be "Powered Up" by using the Bondslave Thrall to channel repeated lightning strikes into it. Or perhaps both.
I'm coming up to this possibly tonight and have been thinking about the issue as well. I can buy the red herring nature of Vrood's ploy but it does seem to be an awful lot of work.
So, what if simply the security was greater? Iron doors, even just a vault of some kind that necessitated brute strength and was warded against simple magics like knock? The beast kicks in the front door throws the guards around rips the vault down. Meanwhile the homonculous sneaks in after retrieves the effigy and flys back out. I would prbably have one of the guards even mention seeing something as a hint to the party that something is going on. Vrood instructs the Beast to knock some things around in the vault and then wait to be arrested. Does anyone see any problems with this? Vrood still uses the beast as a patsy but has a more convincing reason to use the beast to get the item in the first place.
How I'm planning to run it as Dr. Crowl actually knows what the Seasage Effigy actually is; when the party asks him if it's dangerous, he'll answer "to the user" and explain what it does.
He's somewhat mystified as to what inspired the Beast to come in here and wreck everything, but the Beast's immunities helped it bypass the substantial wards normally kept on the Effigy's display case.
The Beast gave up without a fight after it got its senses back; the guards, of course, will be playing up their epic struggle to subdue and restrain the mighty monstrosity.
I expect my PCs to see through that and wonder what the hell's going on.
I think that the best way to do this is what you (later) guys are suggesting - seeing these problems ahead of time and reworking it so it's not so silly of a situation. If I had thought it through sufficiently, I would have done that as well. So learn from me / us! :)
I had some of the same questions, so I set up a second McGuffin. One part of the Carrion Crown poem references 'stillborn cocoon, to blessed decay'. I decided this (rather grossly, but appropo) referred to the womb of a woman who had died giving birth to a stillborn child - much like the Count's wife. Vrood decided to kill two birds with one stone...and rather enjoyed locking up the Count and tormenting him by making him watch them mutilate his wife's corpse.
This also served as an incentive for the Count to offer a bigger reward than noted in the module, allowing me to offset the skewed WBL issue as well.
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I had some of the same questions, so I set up a second McGuffin. One part of the Carrion Crown poem references 'stillborn cocoon, to blessed decay'. I decided this (rather grossly, but appropo) referred to the womb of a woman who had died giving birth to a stillborn child - much like the Count's wife. Vrood decided to kill two birds with one stone...and rather enjoyed locking up the Count and tormenting him by making him watch them mutilate his wife's corpse.
This also served as an incentive for the Count to offer a bigger reward than noted in the module, allowing me to offset the skewed WBL issue as well.
Good call - grisly, but ties it all together nicely. Thanks for the idea, consider it stolen!