RotRL Knowledge by Module - *Potential SPOILERS*

[Moochiepoochies]

Hey Everyone,

Just wondered if anyone would be able to assist by letting me know how much information regarding Thassilon/Runelords they passed on in each module?

My players are up to Hook Mountain Massacre and they have employed the efforts of the Sandpoint Sage Brodert Quink as a permanent researcher. So what can I tell them, at the end of each module, about the Thassilonian empire and the Runelords themselves? I also don't want them to get frustrated either...

All input appreciated!

[Haladir]

My players ended up getting a fair amount, quickly: In my homebrewed version of the players's guide, I had a paragraph about the ancient Thassilonian ruins. Three players each independently told me that they wanted their character to be scholars of Thassilonian history! (I decided that their scholarship was how the PCs knew each other.)

So, I gave out a bit more knowledge of the lost civilization right at the start of play than I'd initially intended. Most of the time, it seems to be just background, and doesn't seem to affect the plot so far.

Spoiler:

In the third session, these PCs decided to do a thorough investigation of The Old Light, so I had them find a way in to a partially-collapsed room that was covered with runes. I gave them some extra background on the ancient province of Bhakrakhan and its ruler the Runelord Alaznist, and how it was in constant conflict with its neighbor Shalast.

The room was decorated with a Sihedron Rune, which they copied and showed to Brodert Q. I had him tell them that it was an ancient symbol of arcane power, and reflected the Seven Virtues of Rule of Emperor Xin: Righteousness, Dignity, Aspiration, Prosperity, Abundance, Fertility, and Rest.

Quink also hinted that the runes for "Righteousness" and "Anger" were actually very similar, and as time went on, the latter become more prominent. I used this to hint that the seven virtues became corrupted over time.

In the Catacombs of Wrath, this became more underscored when they spent many hours translating all of the runes in the Cathedral of Wrath. They also researched the MW ranseur attached to the statue of Alaznist (which I declared was made of mithril with a darkwoood haft), and found it to be a replica of Runelord Alaznist's symbol of rulership, the Alara'q-Bhak (my name for it; Big K's burning glaive is called the Alara'q-Shast).

Thassilon doesn't play nearly as big a role in "Skinsaw Murders," which is where my party is right now. For that matter, it's not such a big thing in Hook Mountain Massacre as I read it, either.

As for advice, I'd say just hand out relevant information that the party needs as they need it; if they go looking for info, then give out more than they need at the moment. Feel free to bury the important stuff in a lot of interesting, but irrelevant, fluff, too. But be careful not to telegraph the whole plot.

Good luck!

[Joey Virtue]

Any chance you would put up your homemade Pkayers guide cause im thinking about making one too