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On other characters?
Checking on the one they are playing is well within the guidelines in the organized play guide.
If they played pt 1 or 2 with dif. Pc, one playing in pt 3 has no knowledge of previos ones but
Pcs who played the other ones can tell them what they know from pt 1 and or 2. Just a matter of how much they want to know in case they want to play pt 1 and 2 at a later date.
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Why wouldn't you tell them in advance? To not do so sounds like some kind of "gotcha" a jerk GM would pull. "Oh, so sorry, but if only you had ALL YOUR CHARACTERS AND CHRONICLES WITH YOU you could fully participate as the developers intended. HA HA HA, I love it when I get to abuse my knowledge over other people."
Hashtag: bitter experience with jerk GMs who get off on the power of the chair.
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I don't think it should be considered a spoiler at all. In many ways, the scenario is a prelude to the trilogy.
#6-09 is, however, Tier 3-7, so I think it makes sense for the players to be allowed to present a chronicle earned by another character as the likelihood of using the same character is smaller than if it had been the same tier as in the trilogy.
Also, given that you only get a chronicle the first time you play a scenario, I suspect (and hope) that this mechanic will be used in future scenarios to make boons and chronicles more meaningful.
So, I definitely agree that the players should be told in advance.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy playing and GMing the scenario!
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Reading "The Kitsune's Gambit" in the sidebar on page 6 confused me slightly :).
First read-through: This third part seems somewhat more... brutal than the previous two parts, but so far I like what I'm reading very much.
If I look from a player's point of view, it seems somewhat unusual to expect traps to be needed later on.
Don't get me wrong: I don't mind the unexpected (and S6 has been full of it so far :D), but this almost looks like punishment, either for not having a trap-specialist, or for exploring correctly.
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Reading "The Kitsune's Gambit" in the sidebar on page 6 confused me slightly :).
First read-through: This third part seems somewhat more... brutal than the previous two parts, but so far I like what I'm reading very much.
** spoiler omitted **
I swear I don't know how the sidebar title got there! :-D Anyway, some comments on the spoilered part:
In his letter, Valsin asks the PCs not to "...antagonize the kobolds more than is necessary..." and also mentions that "...the Aspis Consortium is planning to intercept your mission...". It's possible to learn that the area is heavily trapped if you succeed at a Knowledge check (if the words "kobold lair" aren't enough of a warning).
So, I'd say there are some hints as to what is going to happen in the scenario, and if the players connect the dots, they may try to actively avoid breaking anything that might hinder the Aspis later. I don't expect every group to heed Valsin's advice/warnings or figure out that the traps may become useful later, but I think some groups will, and they are rewarded for it.
The last encounter is admittedly harsh (especially if you don't get any Defense Points), but most of the encounters can be resolved without bloodshed. Actually, I'd love to hear how different groups dealt with the challenges in the different encounters -- how many groups killed the you-know-what, and so on.
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Ran this yesterday. One thing to note: my players got12 defense points. But to do this made the scenario go LONG. A lot of the later interactions had to be rushed as did the last encounter and we had to hand wave most of the post script.
That being said - EVERYONE loved it. Fun scenario that I cannot wait to run again.
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@Sanctus Spinatus: Thanks for the feedback! I was worried that the scenario might be too short based on the playtest, but knowing that it might actually be too long is useful to know.
@joe kirner: Not sure if I understood the question correctly, but I'll try to answer:
On page 20, it's mentioned that the secondary success condition is "none of the kobolds in the Golden Guardian encounter died" and is worth 1 Prestige Point. This ensures that the kobolds stay on peaceful terms with the local miners.
In other words, none of the kobolds in the temple may die as a result of the PCs' actions. It should probably refer to the God Defiled encounter rather than the Golden Guardian encounter, considering that the kobolds' stats are listed in that encounter.
I hope that answered your question! If not, let me know.
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@Sanctus Spinatus: Thanks for the feedback! I was worried that the scenario might be too short based on the playtest, but knowing that it might actually be too long is useful to know.
@joe kirner: Not sure if I understood the question correctly, but I'll try to answer:
** spoiler omitted **
oops. Meant primary success.
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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oops. Meant primary success.@Sanctus Spinatus: Thanks for the feedback! I was worried that the scenario might be too short based on the playtest, but knowing that it might actually be too long is useful to know.
@joe kirner: Not sure if I understood the question correctly, but I'll try to answer:
** spoiler omitted **
For the exact location of Sharrowsmith's body, see area B7. Collapsed Corridor, page 12.
Primary success condition, page 20: "The PCs successfully complete their main mission by delivering Nieford Sharrowsmith’s body or wayfinder to Aya Allahe. Doing so earns each PC 1 Prestige Point."
I hope that helps!
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oops. Meant primary success.@Sanctus Spinatus: Thanks for the feedback! I was worried that the scenario might be too short based on the playtest, but knowing that it might actually be too long is useful to know.
@joe kirner: Not sure if I understood the question correctly, but I'll try to answer:
** spoiler omitted **** spoiler omitted **
I hope that helps!
@ Serpent............thanks. Very helpful.
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Anyway, some comments on the spoilered part:
** spoiler omitted **
That's what I figured as well. I hope the hints are sufficient, because it looks very nice.
Thanks for the reply!
Due to not getting more rumors, we disarmed all the traps. We still got 11 defense points and thought the final encounter was easy despite playing up.
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I am prepping to run this tomorrow and have hit a small snag. What happens if the PC's fail to get the Golden Guardians trust? It isn't very likely given you only need to ID 5 of the murals but a group with limited knowledge skills may well do so.
The scenario doesn't seem to contemplate this situation at all. Does the Guardian add to the final encounter? It starts as the PC's are finishing up with him. Does he attack both sides, neither? Does he do nothing at all?
The guardian is a non combatant in last encounter. It's a matter of points he adds to the parties total. See last entry on pt. chart.
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Yes but that seems to assume that the PC's have him on side. Regardless it doesn't address the issue of what is supposed to happen if they fail to get him on side more generally. Does he just order them out of the ruins after the Aspis are dealt with, does he attack them if they wont go, does he just go back to pretending to be a statue. We are left completely in the dark.The guardian is a non combatant in last encounter. It's a matter of points he adds to the parties total. See last entry on pt. chart.I am prepping to run this tomorrow and have hit a small snag. What happens if the PC's fail to get the Golden Guardians trust? It isn't very likely given you only need to ID 5 of the murals but a group with limited knowledge skills may well do so.
The scenario doesn't seem to contemplate this situation at all. Does the Guardian add to the final encounter? It starts as the PC's are finishing up with him. Does he attack both sides, neither? Does he do nothing at all?
see last sentence on p. 16 right side above creatures.
also the party would have no pts. per chart on p.6|
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The Guardian won't attack the PCs or hinder them in any way even if they fail. The only mechanical difference is that the PCs don't get the Defense Points. The Guardian will help the PC clear the rubble after the fight, but it makes sense to RP the Guardian as being openly contemptuous of the PCs.
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Murals
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Played in this today. Enjoyed it.
TEN murals???!!! Yeah give me a break. That's a great way to suck the energy right out of the players. We had good knowledges at the table and went five for five right off the bat, missed the sixth one, then the GM thankfully called off the rest of them. Lol ten murals. Come on. That was the only down point in the scenario. We enjoyed the first few. Then it got to be a chore. Then it got to be ridiculous.
What's the reason we were all asked if we played By Way of Bloodcove? Someone said there was a benefit, but what was it? Three out of the four of us had, though only 1 with the same character that was playing today.
We really enjoyed the sequence of busting out the orb when the moment came. It felt very cinematic and a nice climactic moment to the 3 scenario chain.
Three of the players at the table have had bad experiences with basalisks in the past (and all of their characters now have smoked goggles), and went nuts when they saw one. *somehow* the cleric at the table got control of the situation and we managed to grapple it and throw it back in it's kennel room. We reallly all got a kick out of that part and will remember it.
Overall this felt like a satisfying end to the scenario chain and we felt like we really accomplished something and got a nice conclusion (unlike the end of some 3 parters *cough cough* Shades of Ice *cough*)
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What's the reason we were all asked if we played By Way of Bloodcove? Someone said there was a benefit, but what was it? Three out of the four of us had, though only 1 with the same character that was playing today.
The PCs sabotaged the Aspis preparations for the expedition in that scenario, so if the players had participated in that, they earned a few more defense points thanks to the other teams efforts at slowing the Consortium down.
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Thanks for all the feedback on the scenario! A few comments:
For groups that don't enjoy the guesswork, I think just rolling until you succeed 5 times is perfectly fine, as suggested above.
I wonder how many % of groups used the toy or skill checks to persuade the basilisk to go back to its pen, how many used nonlethal damage, how many killed it, and how many managed to avoid it altogether (through the use of illusion magic or something like that).
I know there is a PFS scenario where the PCs are subjected to a petrifying gaze in a rather unfair manner, and I actually wanted to deconstruct the typical basilisk encounter and build something new to see how people react when they're armed with the knowledge of what they're up against (hence the many hints), especially when the monster isn't quite as mean as you might expect.
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The pet:
I wonder how many % of groups used the toy or skill checks to persuade the basilisk to go back to its pen, how many used nonlethal damage, how many killed it, and how many managed to avoid it altogether (through the use of illusion magic or something like that).
It was a combination of the cleric using it's toy as a diversion while the barbarian averted his eyes and grappled to gain control that did it for us.
On the basilisk's first round, the gm rolled a die and described how it's tounge lashed out, glossing over the face of the frontline barbarian. Myself and the barb interpreted it as an attack and some funny GM fluff. The wife put the collar and the licking together and determined it was a pet!
I know there is a PFS scenario where the PCs are subjected to a petrifying gaze in a rather unfair manner, and I actually wanted to deconstruct the typical basilisk encounter and build something new to see how people react when they're armed with the knowledge of what they're up against (hence the many hints), especially when the monster isn't quite as mean as you might expect.
Ooooooh yes. *THAT'S* the scenario. It cost the wife a dear animal companion back in the day and has given us an irrational fear of lizards ever since. But on the way home today what were we doing? Discussing which of our characters would be most likely to have a basilisk as a pet!
Congrats on a very fun encounter design.
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I really enjoyed the murals, but I think it's going to come down to the experience and temperament of your table. If you have a role-play heavy group who have all played Legacy of the Stonelords along with the first 2 parts of Scions, describing and interacting with the murals is great. For new players who like shoot-em-ups; not so much.
Like many of the season 6s, the way you approach some encounters is going to highly depend on the GM's descriptive abilities. I'm not particularly fond of this as both the basilisk and the Guardian encounters can easily be combat encounters if the GM description (or lack thereof) leads the players to believe they are under immediate attack.
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Re: The Pet
The pet encounter is my favorite encounter in the whole scenario. This series came up right when Philly lodge had a lot of druids, so they've been appreciative of the opportunities in the whole series to do really cool druid things. This was a really nice capstone on that.
(My group used the toy to chase him into the house and trap him there. I know one of the concurrent tables realized what it was and ran through the area without checking anything.)
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 16
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My players quickly guessed what the toy was for, so I had it make squeaking noises when squeezed. Some of the players decided to kill the basilisk anyway.
When I ran the finale, the party made their stand in the same chamber as the Golden Guardian. I added three Aspis minions to each of the invading parties: These became the Guardian's opponents. Their attacks targeted the guardian and he generally tore one of them apart each round. When PCs attacked one of these "supernumeraries", a different villian took his place as the Guardian's dance partner.
This allowed the party to see the Guardian in action as an ally without meaningfully altering the difficulty of the fight. I also had the big bad throw one spear shot at the guardian and "crit" for a crapton of damage: This emphasized his badassitude and worried the party that he was going to take their ally out.