Kicking off Carrion Crown next week. Our group just finished up Crimson Throne.
I've seen a lot of feedback that without proper NPC introduction Adventure (3-4) can really drag the PC interest through the mud.
Should I be introducing more important NPC's in Haunting for purposes of avoiding this?
Using Crimson Throne as an example... the adventure trecking around through the sand with the barbarians was AWFUL. Trying to avoid it slowing down that much.
Any feedback is appreciated.
Thank You!
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My understanding is that you will improve your players’ experience if you take pains in the Haunting of Harrowstone to introduce NPCs that will sustain the players’ interest throughout the Carrion Crown storyline.
Adivion Adrissant, the endgame villain, is the character that most folks recommend introducing early. Making him a friend or frenemy of the late Professor and having him attend the funeral out of respect is a popular narrative choice, but you could also have him as the Professor’s correspondent, collegial or hostile, or as an absentee landlord of Ravengro whose portrait overlooks the savings and loan, or as a friend or suitor of Kendra’s.
Kendra’s role in the adventure can be expanded. She can go off to school at the University of Lepidstadt or at the Quarterfax Archives in Caliphas; join a small party as a cohort; take up her father’s calling and travel about doing research, turning up in the oddest places, like Illmarsh. She can even be made into the mind behind or victim of the Carrion Crown elixir.
Count Lucinean Galdana, as the designated subject of the Carrion Crown elixir, is another good choice for an early introduction. I plan to have players meet a partol of his soldiers limping back to Amaans after chasing a beast along the Virlych border for days; these NPCs will give the players a sense of their master’s adventuresome personality.
Vrood should be firmly established in their mind as the Professor’s murderer. Dropping breadcrumbs about his origin story and establishing his arcane might are good things to add to the narrative.
Finally, the shadow of the Whispering Tyrant should hang over the whole campaign, from the dreadful storms that blow out of Virlych and pummel Ravengro to the fearful tales people still tell, centuries after his fall.
The whole narrative of Haunting impinges on the characters liking and wanting to protect Kendra. Do a good job with her, make her likeable and vulnerable, have her stand up for the PCs to the angry villagers, and you've got a good compelling narrative.
Thanks for the info guys.
Calm I appreciate the feedback. I like Kendra a lot, getting her involved was big for me. I am struggling about how to involve her.
I don't want her to become a pain in the parties ass.
Should I have her keep distance early?
I like the idea of her pursuing in her fathers footprints after she finds out what happened to him.
My party didn't have a problem getting attached to Kendra. I made her a pretty independent woman but also sympathetic in that she did just loose her father. I had her interact with the PCs both before the funeral and then again after the funeral and before the reading of the will. She was the first NPC the characters really got to know. I had her act as their go-to person for knowledge about the town, but she didn't really leave the house much unless she needed an errand run (and often the PCs ran it for her).
The only two events I had her participate in was one of the zombie attacks and the burning of the hall. Other than that she mainly was getting the estate settled with the idea of moving to Caliphas. Depending on your group, you can get her more or less involved as necessary. I had a highly diplomatic group (paladin, sorcerer and bard), so they got along with everyone.
I too introduced Adivion early - and believe that's one of the most important things. I had him be one of the guests at the funeral and he even spoke at it (along with the PC bard). I described him just as I described all the other attendees so as to avoid drawing attention to him directly. He then left town not long afterward and the PCs forgot about him. I next introduced him in a letter to Alpon Caromarc in Book 2 - one that I got from one of the wonderful people on these boards. I had him be a student of the professor who essentially highly respected him - and had Caromarc be an associate with the Professor as well as have correspondence with Adivion. I peppered the party with letters throughout until they finally met Adivion in Book 5 (when they started getting suspicious about him) and then facing off with him in Book 6 (which we just did the other night).
As for Kendra again, I had a unique situation in which the player of my bard had to leave after book 1, so I had her accompany Kendra to Caliphas. By the time the party got to Caliphas in Book 5, my bard player was able to rejoin us - and the party was able to see Kendra again. That made them quite happy. Bringing back characters seem to delight my players, which was a lot of fun. I brought the Crooked Kin from Book 2 back to Caliphas at the end of book 6 so the party could see them again too. (They also fell in love the Beast in book 2 and Rhakis in book 3).
I wish you luck with what you decide, I and my players very much enjoyed Carrion Crown. We are planning on continuing on past the end of Book 6 with some of the end suggestions. (And we also happen to have just started Curse of the Crimson Throne, which we trade off every other week with).
Just an FYI, I am currently running the CC Campaign beginning book 3 in another month.
I have A LOT of maps I made for the 1st book {scanned them, worked with them a bit in jpeg, then used PosteRazor to turn them into table sized playing maps}.
There are SEVERAL files including the town of Ravengro, Harrowstone exterior & all levels. As well as some cool Fire Tiles that you can print out on card stock & place in 5'squares as it spreads.
It will take a few emails but I am more than willing to share.
"Someday" I will start a Facebook page....
Feel free to email me privately
gwydionmaurmatauc@yahoo.com
-Gwydion
Fire tiles would have been pretty cool. I ended up using pink marshmallows for the fire. I let the players eat what they put out ;).
Thanks for the feedback guys.
I decided to make AA a Magneto/Xavier type situation. Tie him to Kendra and give the party major assumptions he knows a LOT more than he lets on.
I also decided to use Spring-Heeled Jack as an agent of the Whispering Way. Having AA order him to keep his distance and keep an eye on the party/Kendra as things unfold during Harrowstone.
Depending on the parties condition on the way back from Harrowstone... I'll design an ambush encounter.
My players don't care all that much. I imagine it depends on how much interest your players have in the story.
The main driver in the current story is a Paladin of Iomedae who is an Oath of Vengeance paladin. His quest to avenge everyone involved is driving the story. All he needed to know was that someone was doing something evil and murdering people, he was off and running. The party follows him for the most part.
If you don't have a guy like that in your party who will pretty much keep the party on the quest, then introducing the NPCs may be helpful. If you have a paladin in the group who plays an actual paladin, just point him in the right direction and let him lead the way.