My players finished Chapter 1 and escorted Tsuto and Lyrie to Magnimar. I am currently running them through Feast of Ravenmoor and then they will return to Magnimar before making their way back to Sandpoint. I have a little bit planned for them before starting Chapter 2.
I am looking for suggestions on how to foreshadow Turtleback Ferry. I kind of want the players to experience Turtleback Ferry before the boat sinks and events start.
I could have Ironbriar order Lyrie to the fort and have the players escort her there, but that's so similar to the prisoner escorting they've already done, that I feel like there has to be a new/better way.
Thanks.
I had one of my players receive a letter from a close relative who was stationed at Ft Rannick. It was a letter to his family and at the characters parents house when they visited Magnimar. It discussed his journey through the area, and the Fort. It was small and very vague in details.
I also used his parents house as a way to provide recent back ground about a string of local murders, and a local gang that was trying to shake his family down for money. At one point, I literally handed my character a brick with a note attached and told him this just came flying through the front window. Good times...
Well, you know I'm a fan of your plan, but I hadn't already done the prisoner escort thing, and was able to use that.
Perhaps something that brings them to the area without specifically going to TBF?
I did an encounter in a small town near TBF because of a missing shipment of Darkwood - perhaps its Banny Harker who approaches the PCs about looking into it (or into escorting it down river), then they get to talk to Banny before the PCs see him as a corpse at the beginning of Skinsaw?
I ran a 0 session that went really long and got really crazy. The Ulfen Shapeshifting Ranger in my party helped a bard escape from some Hellknights (long story).
I recently had the Bard send a letter to the ranger thanking him for everything and explaining that the Bard was now under an alias, playing shows at a pleasure boat at Turtleback Ferry.
I did this as a bit of foreshadowing but realize I'd like the players to see TBF, or the area, before this happens. Maybe I could use the bard somehow?
I do like the idea of making Banny Harker an actual character before he's a corpse.
You can certainly have any captives the PCs take in sections 1 and 2 sent to Fort Rannick.
Look at player backgrounds for any hooks -- missing family members, NPCs in the background, etc., can all be visiting Turtleback Ferry or sent to Fort Rannick, whichever is in character for them. Feel free to swap out some of the Black Arrows for people in the PCs' past (you can use the same statblocks if they're a reasonable fit, saves mental energy).
I think that having the gambling boat there would be a great adventure. You'd have to write up everything yourself, but I think it would work better than Black Magga, or maybe one of the other sidequests. Just imagine the possibilities for rich decadence, use of social skills, all sorts of things like that.
I would love to have them see the boat before it sinks. I just need to come up with a compelling reason they'd go there.
A few more ideas off the top of my head...
- Someone (Jubryl/Jargie Quinn/Someone Else)in Sandpoint is thinking of opening up a riverboat casino and has heard of the Paradise - the PCs get a mission to go up to the Paradise and size it up, take notes and gather ideas.
- A load of supplies (loaves, fishes, arrowheads, custom towels)is being sent up river to TBF or Fort Rannick, PCs get asked to do escort duty.
- A distant cousin just passed away and left them some property - they have to go through TBF on their way there.
My group is in the hands of L-M Grobaras as they are suspects in the destruction of the 7's sawmill and have to perform some tasks for him anyway.
My take:
After (hopefully this coming Friday) defeating X, Grob will award them with a banquett where some of the nobility of Sandpoint will be (ordered to) attending, to everyones surprise Jubryl will be there, too, as well as one or two Hellknights.
I'd like to show the PCs Grobaras influence and the ambuguity/seediness of his dealings--other ideas are welcome--and might also steal some ideas from the banquett in Hell's Rebels (L-M will take great joy out of humilating the PCs should the fail their skill checks or saves).
There they will get the opportunity to take on several new quests:
- escort two new additions for the Black Arrows (Orik and another, from L-M)
- investigate a missing lumber shimpment (from Waldemar family, they might get a hunch something is wrong with Kaleb (see Magnimar sourcebook))
- scouting the Skull River environ for setting up a lumber mill via Lumber Consortium (from Scarnetti family and Hello! Falcon Hollow spin off!)
- Kendra Deverin is distraught by the rumors that the PCs caused the wanton destruction of the Seven's sawmill and will question them (especially bad for one of the PCs who's enamored of her) and will send Shalelu with them for monitoring (which will trigger the quest for her search), finally
- Jubrayl will ask them to contact the mysterous mistress of one Paradise as he thinks the pleasure barge is a pretty good idea and wants to partner up with her
So, they will arrive in TF and will whitness the Paradise leaving the quay, in the evening, beautifully lit, music playing, passengers at the railing celebrating for an overnight special upon the lake only to see it sinking, fully ablaze six hours later after the sun has set.
From there on I'll proceed as written in HMM.
Ruyan.
Nice Ruyan.
I'm a big fan of campaigns following the ideas that you are using - that there is lots going on, and the troubles of the PCs are not the only things going on in the world.
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned in a few threads that I'm not the biggest fan of the connections between some of the sections of Rise, but especially the connection between Skinsaw and Hook Mountain.
I had (as typical) too much prepared for the Paradise - and my players avoided the place for some reason.
I like your idea a lot, they get to SEE the Paradise but not really interact with it, that said, you may want to check in the Hook Mountain thread for some resources on the Paradise in case your players (being typical pesky players) figger out some way to get to the Paradise.
For foreshadowing-
I had the rains begin just before they began Skinsaw. My players assumed I just wanted to have the stereotypical rainy night for Foxglove Manor, but they're beginning to ask why it hasn't stopped.
Either book 3 or 4 mentions giants stomping farm houses in Central Varisia. I'm toying with having this as a rumor, but I'm wary that they'll interpret it as a plot hook. More likely is that I'll have them come across one of these trampled houses on their way up there, before encountering the Grauls.
I was going to mention having one of the Black Arrows loitering about or actively looking for prisoners, but it sounds like you and everyone else is already hip to that bit of hook.
As for seeing the Paradise, if you're players are of the typical variety, all you have to go is get them into a gambling house in Magnamar, and then have a random npc loudly declare that his/her experience at said gambling house pales in comparison to their time aboard the Paradise.
You could have them hear rumors of "giants" -- and then just use that as a lead-in to the ogres. The locals just saw "big thing" and thought "giants", not having made their Knowledge check to figure out what the ogres were.
Nice Ruyan.
I'm a big fan of campaigns following the ideas that you are using - that there is lots going on, and the troubles of the PCs are not the only things going on in the world.
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned in a few threads that I'm not the biggest fan of the connections between some of the sections of Rise, but especially the connection between Skinsaw and Hook Mountain.
I had (as typical) too much prepared for the Paradise - and my players avoided the place for some reason.
I like your idea a lot, they get to SEE the Paradise but not really interact with it, that said, you may want to check in the Hook Mountain thread for some resources on the Paradise in case your players (being typical pesky players) figger out some way to get to the Paradise.
I've already done that! Thanks a lot for all the input there.
Ruyan.
I actually threw in a few Black Arrows early in Skinsaw Murders. Vale and 3 other NPCS I made up (Tem Kaylos CN half elf bard 3/ ranger 1, Aerodus Kotek LN diviner 3/ ranger 1, and Korva Mabriva NG fighter 3/ ranger 1) ran into the party during Walking Scarecrows and might be following them to Misgivings.
I did this because 1) I only have 3 players and I'm concerned about all that ability damage killing them in Misgivings, 2) it shows them early on that most of the Black Arrows are pretty damn competent and the only reason the Fort was taken was because they were betrayed, and 3) it'll be so much more painful for them in Hook Mountain Massacre because they KNOW and fought with the people who were killed. Haven't decided yet if any of them other than Vale will survive until the PCs get to the Hook.
Its your call, but...
(x.x) (x.x) (x.x)
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Gruesomely.
Something really terrible - Kreegs are good for that.
Its also great to introduce NPCs that you intend to let the players find as corpses. A dead body, meh. A dead body that they know, better yet liked? That creates reactions.
As far as the ability damage in Skinsaw - I wouldn't worry over much about it - I didn't let my PCs avoid any of the haunts - and they plowed through all of them - I did pre plan who would get them just to spread them out.
The haunts look harsh, but everyone isn't gonna get bonked by all of them - and if you can find the link, I think Misroi made some neat cards to use for the haunts - they were great (I had to do extensive editing - running this in my homebrew). Even adding a few critters here and there, the ability damage was concerning for a few characters, but not terrible.