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This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path, specifically for the third adventure, "All or Nothing."
I have a PC who has a backstory connected to a gang in the docks. His brother is a high up gangster who did his best to keep his little brother out of the life.
I'm thinking of the gang been one of the two the characters need to negotiate a peace between. I imagine one is the Washboard Dogs. Any chance of getting an early hint at the name of the other gang?
Just got my PDF of Book 3. The other gang is the Diobel Sweepers.
This book actually has those two gangs practically at war with each other, with the Agents needing to "pick a side". The winning side will have control over the Docks and become the reigning local gang.
I think your PC's backstory will be VERY involved if you go this route.
I hope this helps, let us know how it goes!
Thanks. His criminal past is a secret so this will be perfect. Can't wait to see how he handles it.
Gotta say I'm loving the art in this campaign. Bloody Berleth looks hilariously awesome.
Can anyone confirm if that's supposed to be Jonis Flakfatter on the front cover? I'm assuming it is but I'm not too sure.
Just picked up my copy. The guy on the cover is not in this adventure so I assume he's Father Infector.
All in all, the adventure looks fun as hell to run. Gangs of New York meets Oceans Eleven is really hitting some fun notes, although 'now we're gladiators and also Bane is trying to blow up the football stadium' is going to be a bit of a shift in tone, but I think it'll be easy enough to flow.
Definitely like this one, it hits a LOT of the right notes for me. Only thing I suspect my players may not like is
Unless I totally missed something, in which case please correct me. I love so much of this book, I'm sure that this problem is covered in a paragraph I missed.
Definitely like this one, it hits a LOT of the right notes for me. Only thing I suspect my players may not like is
** spoiler omitted **
Unless I totally missed something, in which case please correct me. I love so much of this book, I'm sure that this problem is covered in a paragraph I missed.
Unfortunately that is exactly what happens, and it instead turns into an investigation to find out who did it. Them finding the item right then and there would negate the whole Irorium chapter.
I don't see how it's a problem, though.
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Unfortunately that is exactly what happens, and it instead turns into an investigation to find out who did it. Them finding the item right then and there would negate the whole Irorium chapter.
I don't see how it's a problem, though.
Oh for sure, definitely helps get to the Irorium finale which is an awesome set piece, but..
To me and my players that would be a let down. Not Game of Thrones season 8 let down, but frustrating, especially when there's nothing the players can do to stop this, as it needs to happen for the finale of the adventure. I think I'd rework this part before I run it.
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Oh for sure, definitely helps get to the Irorium finale which is an awesome set piece, but.. ** spoiler omitted **
To me and my players that would be a let down. Not Game of Thrones season 8 let down, but frustrating, especially when there's nothing the players can do to stop this, as it needs to happen for the finale of the adventure. I think I'd rework this part before I run it.
You're free to rework it, I guess. The only change I can think of is changing the entire heist into an arc of obtaining the proper warrants and maybe some social combat convincing a guy to let you in the vault to see the bomb gone and then investigate, but...idk. Seems less interesting to me.
Personally, spending all of Carrion Crown as a player and feeling like we were always two steps behind the BBEG until the end book was both frustrating and motivating to me.
Also I'm not spoilering this because we're in a spoiler thread. Is that wrong? Should I be?
Also I'm not spoilering this because we're in a spoiler thread. Is that wrong? Should I be?
No need for spoiler tags, this is a GM reference thread and labeled as such.
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Speaking of spoilers ... does anyone else think "Rumormonger" is a bit too obvious an alias for Reginald Vancaskerkin? I'd think it would be a big red arrow pointing at the NPC the players know who runs a gossipy tabloid newspaper.
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Speaking of spoilers ... does anyone else think "Rumormonger" is a bit too obvious an alias for Reginald Vancaskerkin? I'd think it would be a big red arrow pointing at the NPC the players know who runs a gossipy tabloid newspaper.
That's precisely why I changed it to "Reaper" for my game. Less obvious. I'll probably also be having another paper pop up with more negative gossip that's run anonymously.
And then just have him be the writer of both for giggles.
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As a potential change to the heist-where-you-fail-no-matter-what-you-do, here's an idea:
The PC's open the vault and do find the poison gas bomb, but its one of two. The lizardfolk already have the other, but they need both of them to hit everyone in the Irorium. One poison gas bomb will only effect about half the crowd (depending on crowd density, wind, etc.), so when the PC's succeed in the heist and confiscate the poison gas bomb from the casino it will massively cut down on the lives lost at the Irorium.
As far as I know, this won't change anything of import in the adventure. The overall flow will change, but the players and PC's will be able to get the "reward" for successfully pulling off a casino heist to save the people of Absalom. I could see some players still being disappointed by this ("Oh, so he has another poison bomb somewhere else? Great, way to force this event to happen railroading DM") but they'll still get something for doing an Ocean's 11, especially if you treat it like the poison bomb would have been picked up by the Norgorberites had the PC's not succeeded at the heist.
If there's anything I'm missing or any other complications that would make this not work please let me know!
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Speaking of spoilers ... does anyone else think "Rumormonger" is a bit too obvious an alias for Reginald Vancaskerkin? I'd think it would be a big red arrow pointing at the NPC the players know who runs a gossipy tabloid newspaper.
I came to this thread explicitly for that. One of my players is hella paranoid about everything and that name will be an immediate giveaway to the point they'll focus solely on that.
Another poster suggested Reaper which I think sounds great too, and plays on the reaper of reputation aspect without being 'clearly Reginald'.
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As a potential change to the heist-where-you-fail-no-matter-what-you-do, here's an idea:
The PC's open the vault and do find the poison gas bomb, but its one of two. The lizardfolk already have the other, but they need both of them to hit everyone in the Irorium. One poison gas bomb will only effect about half the crowd (depending on crowd density, wind, etc.), so when the PC's succeed in the heist and confiscate the poison gas bomb from the casino it will massively cut down on the lives lost at the Irorium.
As far as I know, this won't change anything of import in the adventure. The overall flow will change, but the players and PC's will be able to get the "reward" for successfully pulling off a casino heist to save the people of Absalom. I could see some players still being disappointed by this ("Oh, so he has another poison bomb somewhere else? Great, way to force this event to happen railroading DM") but they'll still get something for doing an Ocean's 11, especially if you treat it like the poison bomb would have been picked up by the Norgorberites had the PC's not succeeded at the heist.
If there's anything I'm missing or any other complications that would make this not work please let me know!
I think a few questions to answer if you're changing it as such are these.
Why is there only 1/2 of the bombs there? Franca taking the bomb, leaving behind a 'quitting notice' in her locker to be found and all that all leads to the Irorium. So how are the players now to get that information? You can't have the gangs give it, then they could just skip the heist entirely, and you would need a good reason that she was only able to take 1 of the bombs[I am assuming you're having both have been in the vault, otherwise it SUPER won't work] while also leaving evidence to find but not having been caught yet.
IF there is only 1 bomb in the vault, the other kept separately somewhere, you need to figure out how to lead the players to Franca. If she hasn't stolen the bomb in the vault, what leads them to her in a natural way?
It is going to feel significantly more railroad-y, in my opinion, to succeed at getting the bomb only to find out "haha there's still a bomb oh well you wasted your time" if there's no evidence of a crime to follow. The point of the heist is to get the information that leads to Franca which leads to the Irorium, so that needs to be replaced smoothly, and if you give the information on Franca and the bombs too early, they may bypass the heist entirely.
Sometimes, you know exactly who did it, but you can't arrest them because there's no evidence for it.
This, to me, is at the heart of this campaign. I've been fine letting my players guess eventual outcomes, and then using all of the bureaucracy of the city guard to stop them from being able to get where they want. It's the heart of the cop movie genre that this whole AP feels like it's built around - how many movies are there where the good cop knows exactly who the bad guy is, but they're stopped from being able to do the right thing?
If your players aren't into this sort of genre play, I don't know how to convince them to buy into it, but I think it works to have the players one step ahead of the story because it makes them feel smart and lets them play out the "frustrated hero cop" archetype.
I likely would've left it and let them know Reginald is one of the shady mcshade twilight members, if it weren't for this part of the synopsis for book 5 given to us in book 1.
"Finally, they must clear their names before confronting
their betrayer, the third member of the Twilight Four and
notorious tabloid publisher Reginald Vancaskerkin."
I really wanted to play up the betrayal aspect, and knowing this guy is a super shady Norburger-bite kind of makes it less of a betrayal and more of a "of course he's here" eye roll moment.
I like drama.
anyone noticed that bloody berleth has an ability that increases wounded and says this could kill the PCs, wounded doesn't do that! doomed would though!
just read the arena games bit, looks great, any ideas for when to include each game? maybe when they're the lvl of each game? it'd mean they'd be particpating in the arena before even knowing it's important, though it'd kinda give it away that it is important cause otherwise why is it suddenly there? could maybe do the competitions in the downtime sections given?
lvl 9 one: between B2&3
lvl 10 one: during their planning for the heist
lvl 11 one: while the boss is checking up on the enemy's identity
lvl 12 one: after the end of b3
I need help, I'm prepping book 3 and am looking at Oggvrum the Merciless, it mentions he wielding a battleaxes as well as his art showing it. But his character nor his entry in the book list one at all. Is it just for show then?
anyone noticed that bloody berleth has an ability that increases wounded and says this could kill the PCs, wounded doesn't do that! doomed would though!
I believe it is because it says you make a strike, if that strike is a critical hit, they gain dying 2, wounded 2 is the status given to the attack as well, so dying 2+ wounded 2 means dying 4. which would kill them.
It says for book 3 the agents get promoted to starwatch, when is that? Is it relatively at the beginning?
Very beginning, it opens with the LT sending them to the Starwatch for meeting.
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My two cents as a DM.
Since the begining of the story, I have used the back cover images to frame little tabloid newspaper articles signed and written by Reginald Vancaskerkin where he praises the work of the agents and builds them up int he public eye. He seems to fixate on one of the agents (whom he met in the house of planes) and laments the leadership's refusal to promote her.
This makes him seem like an opportunistic friend to the party, and I don't miss an exploit in my timelines. It's time consuming but I'm hoping to make the final reveal be an article that I give
the agents right as the game starts that goes something like: ''Hero agents convicted for killing the primarch'' (only up to chapter 4 in my reading) and then he laments how he could not have seen it before.
My inspiration is G Gordon from young justice for the style.
Another idea for this ark, I don't like the blackfinger blight effects, seems way too ''basic'' as far as evil plots go. I liked the idea that it was a poison that made everyone mad and attack everyone around
them like it was foreshadowed in chapter 1. For this reason, I'm thinking of switching its effects to this:
Saving Throw DC 32 Fortitude; Onset 1 round; Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 confused 1 round (1 round); Stage 2 confused 1 round, gain a +1 status bonus to attack and damage, -1 status to AC (1 round); Stage 3: Permanently confused until poison is countered.
I'm hoping to have this be a bit like the crowd murder moment in kingsmen, this should be a bit more poignant I'd say, and also make the fight a bit more interesting, as they could very much wail on each other.
So, there hasn't been an answer to my question as of yet, ill just ask again incase it got lost under the recent replies to other forums.
I need help, I'm prepping book 3 and am looking at Oggvrum the Merciless, it mentions he is wielding a battleaxe that he uses to cut off his cape. His art also shows the huge weapon in his hand. However, his entry points towards a creature in the toolbox and that creature in the book doesn't list a battleaxe at all. Is it just for show then? if he is to have one, what would the stats for it be for combat vs the edgewatch?
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I’m guessing this is simply an issue of different parts of the adventure being written at the same time, or getting changed in editing.
Oggvurm might have had his own stat block at some point, but it could have been cut for space and replaced with a reference to the base ravenile. By that time, they might have already had art orders out for Oggvurm and the base ravenile, one with an axe, one without.
My suggestion would be to have the battle axe do the same damage as his jaws, but slashing—3d10+12 slashing, with the sweep trait.
Agreed.
I intented to merely use his Claw strike and to describe it as him using an axe, but you can indeed give it the Sweep trait instead of Agile, and you can even give it the more threatening Jaws strike damage.
Don't overthink nor worry about it though, your players don't know the names of the attacks unless you tell them; what truly matters is your narration.
Thank you for the replies :). My players just reached the heist in book 2 and are loving this campaign so far. I will use the claw as yall suggested. Mostly I'm worried about how I intend to run the black Whale. There is a lot happening there and my group is all martial and one cleric. No elemental damage across them.
Hey community.
So my players wanted to make a copy of the key, which is nice and all and even mentioned in the boom, I'm just not sure what they'd need in order to make one?
So far I told them it wouldn't work because it would take too long to make the key copy, however I'm unsatisfied with this answer.
Does someone have an idea of how making a copy of the key could work? Magically there's no spell for that anymore, but I feel like just making it a "crafting check instead of thievery check" on the obtaining the key obstacle is both too easy and too strong. After all one of the main obstacles is gage checking is key every 5 Ap.
Does someone have suggestions ?
I've only seen a cobbler make a copy of a key once, and he did it impressively quickly and easily. Granted, it was four years ago, so he had technology Golarion hasn't, and a vault key has to be more complex than any random door key, but between magic and craftmanship, copying a key as an object must not be very hard nor very long in this universe for a skilled craftsman...
My suggestion might be basic is that the key itself is magical: if examined, it gives off a faint abjuration aura. Both keys are like two halves of a password to deactivate one of the spells protecting the vault. Two identical keys would be useless, and one wouldn't be able to make a key without having prolonged, direct access to both the shape of the keyhole and the spell.
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I mean, the book says that this is a possibility. Page 35, under Objectives, "First, they must get Gage’s master key (or a copy of it).".
If you want it to be possible, we can make it possible.
They have to take his key, someone have to distract him while someone else copy it and then give the original back to him.
All those things are covered in the book, except for "copying the key". Take the "Open the Vault Door" Obstacle and adapt it to the new Obstacle.
COPY THE VAULT KEY - OBSTACLE
Infiltration Points 8 (group);
Overcome DC 27 Crafting or Arcana or DC 29 Thievery. At least 2 Infiltration Points has to be gained using Arcana, because the key have arcane runes in it.
I understand the consequences for players accumulating Awareness Points (they lead to higher and higher levels of security, finally blowing the player's cover).
But what are the consequences of accumulating Infiltration Points? (I think there must be some passage I missed describing this.)
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Each obstacle need a certain amount of Infiltation Points(IP) to be overcame. If they dont reach that amount, they need to try again and again. This will generate Awareness Points(AP).
You must track AP through the entire Infiltration, but you have to track IP for each obstacle individualy.
I'd say the Washboard Dogs work with the Skinsaw cult out of fear & opportunism.
The players do not have to work with them if they don't like Maurissa, her methods, or what she offers. It is assumed the PCs will work with Maurissa because, firstly, that they are not after her, but the Twilight Four; secondly, they meet her while surrounded with gang toughs, making the idea of fighting her very intimidating.
Last, but not least, they can completely turn on her if they consent to parley with Berleth, since he can reveal them she has proven herself to be able to betray even a close partner. And I think this can be a fun experience for the players.
My advice would be to prepare, for the meeting with Maurissa, an optional severe encounter (and do not hesitate to apply the Weak template to the toughs in order to make them feel like a giant mob). If you want, you can make them more numerous and have them make a circle around Maurissa and the PCs while she battles them alone in a show of strength (you might want to apply the elite template to her in that case), and have them protect her retreat when she eventually loses.
Keep the options open for a chase sequence, maybe using the chase rules that are used earlier for her little brother's encounter, or maybe making a gauntlet of fights with thugs trying to protect her.
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Why are maurissa and the washboard dogs working with the skinsaw cultists? Is it just because they're evil?
Yes, I think this part needs some editing as a DM. They have been supplying people to a murder-cult to be killed. It's fairly obvious that the murder cult is into murder. Have they been kidnapping these people? Are they innocents or rival gang members? Why were they doing this? I think if Maurissa is to be the Magnificant Bastard trope, and be like "No worries mate, let bygones be bygones, eh?", then the DM will need a strong angle on why this should be OK.
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I'm a bit worried about the heist here.
It's a cool set piece, I get it. Ocean's 11, Mission Impossible, cue funky music, a plan within a plan and nervous tension on those skill checks. In any other module, that would be great.
But the PCs are Cops here, and being told to break into a legitimate business without a warrant, because they suspect that a warrant will be refused (either due to corruption or lack of supporting evidence), to steal property. Essentially they are being told by the quest giver to go rogue and break the law. They aren't secret agents, they have to abide by the law.
What if they just say "No?". That seems quite likely, especially if some of them are Lawful coppers. Even if they were to recover the evidence, the nature of how they got it could collapse any case they make, and that's pretty obvious.
For those that have run it, how did the setup go?
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My party turned on Maurissa for exactly that reason, and sided with Berleth (even though I did play him up as the more dangerous of the two).
I also had Berleth suggest the idea of a heist, and the party ended up going along with it without actually looping in their watch commander --they were fully expecting to lose their badges if they got caught.
I think ultimately, they were more excited by the prospect of a fun heist scene than they were about the ethical or legal ramifications (and, to be fair, most are playing non-lawful Good characters, so worrying more about the bomb going off made some sense).
You might try talking to your players, and seeing if that's something they're interested in?
If they're not, maybe reskin the heist a bit to fit their interests--maybe Gage agrees to cooperate, but wants them to run security for the gala, and they end having to deal with obnoxious guests and petty criminals while simultaneously foiling Scathka's attempt to steal the barbed vest.
I think I’m just going to remove the Heist from the main plot altogether and turn it into a side quest.
I’m runnjng a bunch of side quests and other cases each book anyway. Its a cop show, so the PCs have plenty of other mysteries. The heist can be one of those with a different McGuffin to capture and a different reason to go undercover.
This solves the other problem too in that the bomb theft makes no sense. The Infector created the bomb (must have been him, he's the only one skilled enough to do it) then gave it to the Skinner to hide with the Washboard Dogs (for ‘reasons’), who hid it in the casino. But the Infector wanted his own bomb back, to carry out the plot the bomb was literally built for in the first place, so he hires a guard to steal it back again. Really?
Why not just cut all that out, and have the Infector create his own bomb and order the stadium bombing with it. The Washboard Dogs can give a clue as to this and you can move from part 1 to part 3 seamlessly. The casino side quest can occur between these parts or even before or after this. (Casino as side quest also solves the problem of massive disappointment when the vault is empty.)
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I believe the Infector created the Poison, but the Rumormonger is the one who created the Bomb. It’s a clockwork device designed to aerosolize a contact poison into a massive cloud of inhaled poison, and the Rumormonger is the one skilled at creating clockwork mechanisms.
The bomb provides a callback to the digwidgets from book 2, and further piece of evidence that one of the Twilight Four is into clockwork stuff.
do you mind sharing some notes / ideas?I think I’m just going to remove the Heist from the main plot altogether and turn it into a side quest.
I’m runnjng a bunch of side quests and other cases each book anyway. Its a cop show, so the PCs have plenty of other mysteries.
I will do. I'm a 50% planning / 50% pantsing sorta person, so as much of it gets developed during the game as prior. I'm waiting till I finish Book #1, and then I'll share what I've done.
How did y'all run Oggvurm? His statblock in the book has an AC of 24, which I'm fairly certain is a typo. That would be ooze levels of AC and he most certainly does not have any of the ooze qualities, like being immune to crits. He's a level 14 creature and the level range for AC24 is 4-8, according to GMG, with everything else fitting nicely in the brackets.
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How did y'all run Oggvurm? His statblock in the book has an AC of 24, which I'm fairly certain is a typo. That would be ooze levels of AC and he most certainly does not have any of the ooze qualities, like being immune to crits. He's a level 14 creature and the level range for AC24 is 4-8, according to GMG, with everything else fitting nicely in the brackets.
I left him as is cause I hadn't, spotted it before hand.
He got critted on every attack and dropped in 3 rounds, it was super anticlimatic.
Bump him to 34.