Hi everyone! My party is currently at Foxglove Manor and they have cleared the whole basement, upper floor and the attic! Because of some bad decisions (they have killed iesha..) and bad luck their healer is out of spells and they got some ability damage. They also made a lot of noise! So.. they want to climb and sleep on the rooftop !! Should I tell them about the nightmares, or are they considered ''out'' of the haunted house?? Would the ghouls go upstairs and investigate because of the noise and the time passed?? (I know its a hard perception check because of the distance)
I am looking forward for your great advice and ideas as always!!
Have it be raining and thundering out. Thus their choices are to retreat out of the building, or sleep inside it. The Hambly farm isn't TOO far away, after all.
Thanks ! Great idea..i'll totally use the weather!! Ok..but if they retreat..how would aldern and his ghouls react to the whole house furniture being destroyed and replaced? I dont think Aldern would abandon the house in his current state..but..what do you guys think??
[ I got a very strong party playing rotr so feel free to throw ideas about adding things to his preparation and stuff like that..:)]
So many spoilers:
Also, don't forget about the burning manticore haunt on their way out and the carrionstorms that gather outside.
As far as the ghouls go - each night their attacks on Sandpoint should grow stronger. When next the PCs venture into the manor, they may face more familiar faces.
Using the carrionstorms, Aldern may be able to get a message to X overnight; she may be able to send backup in the form of faceless stalkers or Skinsaw cultists.
Thanks Thanis! Great ideas!
How should I react to that in your opinion??
At some point in the night, the house will finally react, pulsing with negative energy that restores the haunts and mends the pieces the party broke. In my game, I treated Iesha somewhat like a haunt herself - that is, she can't be simply killed by traditional means. You could have her reform when the house resets.
If so, emphasize that she is out for Aldern's final death - screaming that she is going to end him, etc.
The combination of help from the town and Iesha should allow the party to continue that night without rest. However, there would be fallout from this. Aldern and his ghouls would be riding out to attack the town at the same time the help is coming down. Likely they will not meet each other; Aldern would avoid the road whenever possible. But this means that the town will have fewer powerful defenders when the ghouls do strike. Make of this what you will.
Since Aldern and his ghouls will be out attacking Sandpoint, the trip down below should be eerily quiet - save for the bat and goblins, all the other ghouls would be gone. I had Iesha move ahead of the party (since she ignores all the house's haunts and creatures) and get swallowed by a phage coming from the pool outside Aldern's room.
When the party is done investigating Aldern's room, he comes back - with all of his ghouls (including some new ones from Sandpoint). During the struggle, Iesha can break free from the phage at a critical moment - or try to and fail, if that's in the cards.
Hope this helps!
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honestly, I had a group decide to go out onto the roof ...
They decided to sleep inside.
the two groups I have run through this module have both felt trapped in the house by the carrion swarms ... and the matter was not made better when I told them to track the consumption of their rations. In both cases it led to some innovative ways of leaving the house before the realization that the swarms were not that difficult to kill. the key is to just play up the menacing feel of the swarms ... using imagery from Hotchcock's The Birds does help on that front.
also, remember the haunts RESET. So they cleared the room, good for them ... oh wait, it's the next day. ;)
the key is to just play up the menacing feel of the swarms…
Indeed - my players were more afraid of the CR 1 crow swarms than anything else in the house, because, honestly - with that many carrionstorms at that vicinity, there are literally hundreds of thousands of crows, all operating under a hive mind. *shudder* I definitely played up the crows orienting towards the PCs whenever they looked out a window… just sitting there, waiting, silently.
Thank you very much !!You guys really helped me! I think I wont let them sleep neither on the roof (carrionstorms + weather) neither in the manor (nightmares) so I can scare them off a little bit more before the final battle!
My plan is to let them call for help (so they will get some free healing etc.) and while they get downstairs to clear the basement I will have Aldern as the Skinsaw Man declare to them that ''Sandpoint is under attack, eating each other as we speak!'' (exaggerating ofcourse) so that the NPC's (Hemlock etc..) will have to hurry back..
That will be a dilemma for the group but ,by knowing them well, I am pretty sure they will stay to face the killer..
Have Aldern leave little notes at the stairs and below suggesting at the attack on Sandpoint. Thus the PCs realize "oh #&@%$, Sandpoint needs you!" and thus THEY urge Hemlock and crew to head back to town to protect it.
My group rode their horses to Foxglove Manor...
When the party left the house later that day, after defeating The Skinsaw Man, and completely out of resources, they found thousands of undead ravens picking at the corpses of their dead horses!