Alternate beginning for Harrowstone *Spoilers*

[ScottieK]

It may sound crazy, but I want to throw Godsmouth Ossuary at my players before they start HoH. Why?

Why not?

I'm looking to start this AP soon, and if I know my players like I think that I know them, they won't be hooked into the town as written. As a whole I like the trust system, but it lends itself to turning away players that tend to be apathetic. Since I like it, I don't want to trash it, and it got me thinking: How can I get them hooked into an agoraphobic town, with other PC's that aren't supposed to know each other, doing a quest from a dead guy that they only know based on background info?

Dead guy? Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

What if the Professor is the one who summons the PC's? What if he is alive when they get to Ravengro? They would be more likely to help out a guy that they think will be there with them for a while. With that in mind, here is the plan that I might (will) need help integrating.

*

Professor Lorrimor summons the PC's to aid him in a mysterious problem. He then explains to them that he isn't completely sure of what is going on, but he suspects The Whispering Way. He's noticed odd people doing odd things at the local prison and Father Grimburrow has contacted him about odd people doing odd things around his Temple. Feeling the urgency of the situation and being unable to investigate both at once, he asks the PC's to look into the situation at the Temple while he goes to investigate the prison.

At the Temple, Grimburrow explains to the PC's what and who he has seen, including strange runes plastered all over the place. In addition, someone has broken into the catacombs underneath the Temple, and things have been unsettled since.

Here is where I would like to insert Godsmouth Ossuary. Obviously, I would have to move it from Kaer Maga to Ravengro, and modify the NPC's to match up with HoH. I feel like it shouldn't be too hard to substitute a WW cultist for the BBEG. Also, it isn't so far-fetched that The Way would be covering their bases on making sure that they get the correct ghost to start their master plan, right? ;)

When the PC's emerge from the catacombs, Kendra runs up to them and is hysterical. Through the babbling and sobbing she tells them that her father has been found dead at the prison. She could then tell them that the Sheriff would have more info. After they grill him, they can return to Kendra and HoH can get underway with her planning the funeral.

*

I'd really like to get some feedback, positive and negative, on this plan. I'm not really experienced in rewriting anything (kinda apprehensive about it too). What pitfalls could I run into? What consequences would arise in the other parts of the AP? Also, has anyone done this yet? Other than being in different locations, they feel like a natural pair.

[Helaman]

It sort of boosts the characters to level 2 when starting Haunting,,, and may give them the 'chops' to charge into the prison rather than the investigation that others are forced to in order to level up. Could be good or bad depending on your point of view.

[ScottieK]

One of them will insist that they know everything that they can possibly know about what and who they will encounter. Therefore they won't need the research XP as a motivation to do the research, so I'll just cut it out. If they seem overpowered before getting to the prison, I'll make sure they feel the danger in the encounters outside the walls.

Good catch, thanks!

[Helaman]

The research XP is a good mechanic - one that continues in Chapter 2. Maybe keep but reduce the XP gained for clue chasing in this case for Chapter 1?

The other thing is that I've played the Godsmouth Ossary and its badass. I'd remove or dramatically tone down the center piece bad creature. It is a potential TPK. The Alchemist, rewritten slightly, makes a good WW follower.

[Pan]

They wont do the research? Hmm that's the best part of this AP.

I think your approach is ok but watch out for the splitting up part. Why would the PCs go one way while the prof goes another alone? My players wouldn't go for it unless I had some way of really making them consider it a logical move.

[ScottieK]

Er, sorry, I meant they will do the research whether there is an XP reward or not. The investigation is the main reason why I chose this AP. It really plays to their strengths. If it looks like they might get too powerful, Helaman makes a good point that there should be some XP given, so I'll cut the XP down instead of out. I haven't read Chapters 2-6, so I don't know what carries through (story-wise or mechanic-wise).

You're right. They wouldn't go for that. Maybe I could have the Professor tell them to look into the Temple for him, and then have him investigate the prison "without their permission."

This is still very much a work in progress. Thanks for the help.

[Helaman]

Hint: YOU gotta read Chapter 2 and should also read 6 before running HoH.

If you can't afford it etc, then at least check some of the the other threads on foreshadowing the main bad guy

Spoiler:

Adivion Adrissant

- you GOTTA either have him show to the funeral, send a letter or something! He's gotta be some sort of presence - remote or otherwise so that the rest of the story starts to make sense.

[MurphysParadox]

Book 2 has almost no direct connection to the main AP plot. Well, it does (sort of... the first half is interesting but the trial has nothing to do with anything), but it is completely obfuscated until you complete the book. I made a tread in this forum about issues motivating players, has some good advice and thoughts from several others.

The big point is that you have to choose active or passive pursuit. Books 1 and 2 work on a passive pursuit theory; the players get stuck in Ravengro for 30 days based on the will and don't even know the WW went to Lepidstadt; they just go there because there is money to be had.

The problem with playing the WW up early is that the players will be focused on a "go catch the bad guys!" chase and have no good reason to clean up the mess at Harrowstone. It will also need sufficient work in Trial of the Beast (book 2) because again there's no overt indication (or even hints) of the WW.

So the main question - how do you get the players to stick around cleaning up Harrowstone instead of tracking down and seeking revenge for the Professor's murder? As written, this is done by making it seem at first that the death is an accident, then perhaps due to the ghosts, and only at the end when you talk to the warden's wife and get info on the runes does one see it was all the WW's fault. But you have no evidence of where they went and the trail is weeks old by now, so you follow the Professor's wish to help Kendra and then take the books to Lepidstadt.

I think it certainly can be done, but get Book 2 and read through that as well before going too far modifying book 1 so you can ensure a better tie-in between the 'prologue' books before launching into the meat of the WW activities.

[Pan]

@scottiek hey how about the professor asks the PCs to investigate the temple while he continues his research at home. When the PCs return to his house Kendra informs them he took off in the middle of the night for some reason. That could work for you perhaps?

[ScottieK]

Nice. They could get back and Kendra could tell them that he is out running an errand and that she expects him back any moment. As the night goes on, the Sheriff can show up and say that his body has been found, apparently an accident. That should spur them to investigate.

I've read the threads about adding in the BBEG early, and I think it is a great idea. My only issue with it is that I haven't figured out how to do it without making it obvious. My players would see right through a mysteriously sympathetic guy.

[Helaman]

Some others have suggested him as Kendra's fiance. That makes him a bit more respectable.

[Pan]

I had AA show up with a replacement PC since one of them bit the dust. I had the game going before I read about AA. He offered help to the PCs. Kendra was friendly with him as her fathers old friend. They had been in correspondence for some time about her going to the university at Caliphas. Later when the PCs found out AA was in the middle of things, "Oh we left Kendra with him......(collective) oh shi....."

[gbonehead]

Pan wrote:

They wont do the research? Hmm that's the best part of this AP.

I totally agree that it is. Yet, running this for a table of five that includes two teenagers and two who act like teenagers, it's a challenge.

Basically, it's like 4 out of 5 players only pay attention when there's combat ... so I tend to look for ways to hit the fast forward during the investigative parts.

The killer is that the fifth player is all into the investigation ... which makes it a tough table to run.

[Pan]

gbonehead wrote:

Pan wrote:

They wont do the research? Hmm that's the best part of this AP.

I totally agree that it is. Yet, running this for a table of five that includes two teenagers and two who act like teenagers, it's a challenge.

Basically, it's like 4 out of 5 players only pay attention when there's combat ... so I tend to look for ways to hit the fast forward during the investigative parts.

The killer is that the fifth player is all into the investigation ... which makes it a tough table to run.

Ah yes I can see the challenge here. Im not sure I would pick CC then for this particular group. Its the only AP I really got selective with my players about. I wanted the right element of interest in research and acting to the horrors the PCs would face. So far the experience has been well worth it. On the other hand there are a lot of really cool encounters to run. My players got a kick out of the beheaded always trying to guess what type of attack they have. How are they doing so far?