So it sounds like my PCs are giving up on the age of worms, turning tail and running back to Diamond Lake after getting licked (2 deaths) by Zyrxog in HOHR.
Any ideas on getting them back on track? I thought I could replace "Champion's Belt" with a new adventure at Diamond Lake but I REALLY think they'll like Champion's Belt.
Anyway, more just venting about my wimpy PCs.
Well, I spoke too soon. They were wanted for murder (it was actually a doppelganger who did the murder) and decided to turn themselves in. At the end of the session they were in a holding cell awaiting their fate. Perfect opportunity to get them into the next adventure . . .
Well, I spoke too soon. They were wanted for murder (it was actually a doppelganger who did the murder) and decided to turn themselves in. At the end of the session they were in a holding cell awaiting their fate. Perfect opportunity to get them into the next adventure . . .
I agree, a perfect opportunity to launch your PCs in an excellent adventure.
If you feel your PCs are too 'whimpy' or die too easily, you could insert an extra adventure to have them gain an extra level, so they can tackle the rest of the AP with some added power. I remember inserting an adaptation of "And madness followed" from Dungeon # 134 after "Champion's Belt". I suppose you have that issue, since it contains another chapter of Age of Worms.
So it sounds like my PCs are giving up on the age of worms, turning tail and running back to Diamond Lake after getting licked (2 deaths) by Zyrxog in HOHR.
Any ideas on getting them back on track? I thought I could replace "Champion's Belt" with a new adventure at Diamond Lake but I REALLY think they'll like Champion's Belt.
Anyway, more just venting about my wimpy PCs.
AoW is difficult. I warned my groups about it before running it for them.
The Spire of Long Shadow is really difficult. You may need to hold back when you run it.
I think you should run Champion's Belt. It is a fun adventure, and my group had an easier time with it than HoHR.
If you feel your PCs are too 'whimpy' or die too easily, you could insert an extra adventure to have them gain an extra level, so they can tackle the rest of the AP with some added power. I remember inserting an adaptation of "And madness followed" from Dungeon # 134 after "Champion's Belt". I suppose you have that issue, since it contains another chapter of Age of Worms.
They definitely don't die to easily. These are the firsts character deaths. I think it's that they don't feel to involved in the adventure plot right now. "We went to the free city looking for clues to this worm thing. Not worth dying for, let's go back to Diamond Lake." So whenever anything goes wrong they just decide to go home and I have to try to drag them back in. The same thing happened in Whispering Cairn when Alastor Land wouldn't just let them in the door and when they were all caught in the windy hallway trap. Also in Blackwall Keep after breaking the siege. We don't know this Marzena, let's just go home.
None of the PCs really have an interest in adventure for adventure's sake. So unless they have a very personal involvement in the plot, the attitude tends toward just going home whenever things get a bit tough. I think they all overplay the "neutral" alignment to the point of "I'm neutral (or CN) so that means I care about nothing except myself."
I also realize that's partially on me. As the DM it's my job to get them roped into the adventure by hook or by crook. I'm glad we've made it to Champion's Belt. I think from this point on the adventures have more of a singular plot and the PCs are more intimately involved.
I think it's that they don't feel to involved in the adventure plot right now. "We went to the free city looking for clues to this worm thing. Not worth dying for, let's go back to Diamond Lake." So whenever anything goes wrong they just decide to go home and I have to try to drag them back in. The same thing happened in Whispering Cairn when Alastor Land wouldn't just let them in the door and when they were all caught in the windy hallway trap. Also in Blackwall Keep after breaking the siege. We don't know this Marzena, let's just go home.None of the PCs really have an interest in adventure for adventure's sake. So unless they have a very personal involvement in the plot, the attitude tends toward just going home whenever things get a bit tough. I think they all overplay the "neutral" alignment to the point of "I'm neutral (or CN) so that means I care about nothing except myself."
I also realize that's partially on me. As the DM it's my job to get them roped into the adventure by hook or by crook. I'm glad we've made it to Champion's Belt. I think from this point on the adventures have more of a singular plot and the PCs are more intimately involved.
Well, when I read that, I think that my adaptation of And Madness Followed might actually work for you.
In the adventure as written, a mad bard wants to open a link between the Material plane and the Far Realm. The tool she has created to achieve that goal is a play, entitled "The King in Yellow", which she performs with three allies. During the performance they open a portal to the Far Realm which spreads its madness over the audience and turns some of them into half-Farspawn abominations.
The adventure itself has three stages:
- The PCs arrive in the very small hometown of the bard in the aftermath of her first performance. They confront some half-spawn creatures and find clues to what is going on, including the bard's next target, a bigger town.
- The PCs travel to the bigger town, but are too late again. They only find the madhouse that the bard's play has left, as well as clues to the next target: the big city.
- In the big city the PCs crash the bard's performance in the playhouse and try to prevent her large-scale portal ritual, that might spell doom for the entire city.
In my version of the story I changed the Far Realm references to Kyuss and his worms. The mad bard has learned from Ilthane that Kyuss performed a ritual in a distant past that was meant to change him into a god. In his headquarters he ordered the construction of the Spire of the Long Shadows and placed a black monolith there as the central focus of his ritual. Then he sacrificed almost all his undead minions and living followers to feed the monolith and thus gain divine powers. But the sacrifice did not suffice and his plan failed, leaving him locked up in the black stone.
With Ilthane's guidance, the bard has created her own ritual in the form of a play called The King of Worms, which opens a portal to that fated past. At the end of the play the doomed portal opens and sends in a sea of worms, that transforms the audience into Kyuss undead, whose essence is shortly thereafter sucked up by the portal, slaying the newly formed undead. If the bard succeeds in sending enough energy to the past, she might be able to turn Kyuss' failed ritual into a success.
The bard did a first trial performance in her hometown in front of a small audience, which worked, but sent only a few souls through the portal. Some of the Kyuss undead survived the massacre, because they stumbled out of the theater before their essence was harvested. These undead surprised and infected some travelers the next day, so there are now about a dozen Kyuss undead wandering about town.
The bard teleported to a bigger town, Diamond Lake, for a second test the next evening, performing for some eighty people, including some acquaintances of the PCs (the governor-mayor, some mine managers, the sheriff, the garrison commander, the highpriest of Heironeous ...) and even some loved ones (such as one of the PC's mother). This time the portal was stronger and sent more souls to the monolith, but again some undead managed to escape the absorption. The bard and her allies teleported to the Free City, leaving the handful of undead to plague Diamond Lake. Lieutenant Trent sent some troops into the Emporium theater to fight the undead, but his men failed and they were turned as well.
Enter the PCs: the next day the PCs travel from the Free City to Diamond Lake, passing the mad bard's small hometown village on the way. They encounter several Kyuss undead and find 38 dead husks of former villagers in the inn, in front of a small stage. There is a poster on the wall, promoting the opening of the local bard's new play: The King of Worms. When the PCs search the bard's house, they find more clues: notes that, when puzzled together, reveal the plotline I introduced above (about Kyuss, the Spire of the Long Shadows, the monolith and the failed ritual). There is also a list of every villager of this small town, titled "Invite". All the names have been ticked. The note also says: "Probably not enough, but sufficient for a first try. Diamond Lake will be my first real test! Then onto the Free City!" Other notes include the purchase list of barkskin potion (meant to make the bard and her allies immune to the worms by boosting their natural armor), sketches of the Spire of the Long Shadows and of Ilthane. One scrap of paper has these lines: "Ilthane will be pleased. Her gift has opened my eyes. The portal to the past will feed Kyuss with innumerable souls. His time is near!"
There is also a sole survivor, a shepherdess who was late for the show because one of her sheep ran off. She hid and can tell the PCs that the bard has three allies: three men.
The PCs rush to Diamond Lake, finding out the play was already performed yesterday. The garrison is guarding the Emporium with the undead, but they are afraid to enter it after their failed attempt last night. Lieutenant Venderin is in charge now, but she's afraid to suffer the same defeat Trent did. Instead she suggests burning the place down, something which Balabar Smenk opposes. The crafty mine manager argues that several important people were inside and no one knows their fate, they might still be alive. He then asks the PCs to infiltrate the building. (Smenk mainly wants to strengthen his own position in the eyes of his fellow villagers: if the governor-mayor did not survive, Smenk hopes to take his place!)
The PCs find several Kyuss undead in the Emporium, including some infected soldiers and Emporium employees, as well as Captain Tolliver Trask, who has become a more powerful Sword of Kyuss (see Dungeon # 130 p. 86 for stats). Most of the spectators are dead, though, but were infected by worms before they truly died.
The PCs already know from the mad bard's notes that her next target is the Free City. By the time they get there and track down the evil performers, the play is already in full swing. The actors have already fascinated the entire audience and are working up to opening the portal to the past. The PCs will have to act fast to prevent this. Stats for a worm swarm that comes through the portal are in dungeon # 130 as well, on page 89. You could even have the bard turn into a worm naga upon her death, which is in the same issue, on p. 88.
Using this scenario serves several purposes: it foreshadows the Spire of Long Shadows and the Black monolith, it makes Ilthane a more active player in Kyuss' schemes and it works up the PCs' personal vendetta with Kyuss and his worms (and Ilthane as well), as their home town and loved ones were all victims of the worm god's evil.
Well, when I read that, I think that my adaptation of And Madness Followed might actually work for you. . .
Wow, that actually does sound pretty great. Having a foreshadowing of the Spire, etc. would be great and making it more personal is always a plus. Get them more involved with the citizenry of Diamond Lake just before Ilthane comes back for her revenge . . .
Yes, I just might do that.