I have a group that is playing online with me through Foundry using the AP Paizo created for Foundry. There are 5 players total. I'll focus mostly on the mechanics of running it, but also any highlights about the story progression as well. I'm inexperienced as a GM so I'll highlight some things I may have done along the way to ask questions about how to improve.
Magus (Laughing shadow)
Inventor (Armour)
Gunslinger x 2 (Sniper and Pistolero)
Alchemist (Chirurgeon)
Session 1: After all the usual fun introductions for characters and receiving their first mission to break into the bank our characters set about the task. They didn't take advantage of any prep work other than to stock up on gear and set out during the day. They asked questions and received some info about the bank and what to expect, and of course how to make their escape.
Encounter 1:
I brought the group to the gold tank reserve and encouraged a recall knowledge on the brokers out front. I left the 2 brokers that were designed for 4 player encounter as I'd rather undertune than overtune for the first encounter. With a successful recall knowledge check one of the pieces of info I gave my players was that the brokers have about a 50 ft range they would chase if they encounter a threat. I was hoping they would get the hint they can pull them away from the bank.
Instead the team decides to walk into the bank and bypass the two brokers. At this point I was a little worried about how the encounters would go now that they were in the bank and I had 5 of the investors prepped for the second encounter. I thought maybe they are just casing the place a bit but I was worried about multiple encounters happening simultaneously. Once inside the group knew they needed to get a key from the bank manager (Dresh). They didn't close the door behind them from the brokers out front when they went in. The group decided to make a scene in the bank with one player feigning being pushed and offended by the other player and demanding to see the bank manager.
I figured if they were making a yelling scene the brokers from outside would come in as security. I had the brokers demand the players involved in the staged altercation leave and when they refused I had them roll initiative. **It's possible I should have let them engage with the bank manager but it seemed like it might just lead to more risk in the encounters stacking up plus the brokers were within earshot so why wouldn't they become involved in the scene?**
Nobody went down in the fight but I opted to use hog tie a couple times when I maybe could have attacked and dropped one or two of the players. They all engaged and the gunslingers struggled with the damage reduction (rolling 3 for damage and only doing 1 damage in an attack hurts), but the Magus excelled here with the burst damage and did the majority of the heavy lifting to drop the two brokers. 3 players were brought below half health.
I did not have the 5 investors engage as it would have likely been a TPK. So I have them nervously backing off while the players put down the brokers. The players were in need of some healing and opted to drink down their potions rather than spend 10 minutes using medicine. Given the nature of the situation that makes sense but it also leaves them with no potions left for any future encounters of which the book plans for 3 more in the bank.
We run short sessions and ended our first session here. I am thinking I will have the investors engage them when they try to move past into the vault but I'm definitely worried with them having three more encounters to go and feeling the time might be too urgent to spend 10-30 mins using medicine.
Going into the next session I may opt to skip the Brokers in the vault and just run the investors and Dresh as the only remaining encounters in the bank.
I don't think the brand new level 1 team has enough healing to manage so many encounters with such a press for time, even if they had a more conventional healer there's so few spell slots at level 1. I would let my players use medicine to heal up but they don't want to spend so much time while they are trying to get in and out before the authorities arrive (smart, but not how the encounters were designed perhaps?). I don't know how to give the players a sense that they have the time to spare using medicine without it feeling artificial given the situation so I'm hoping if I can reduce the encounters or maybe have a bunch of healing potions in the bank manager's office that would keep things moving. The book doesn't really have any help for what I've run into here, but it doesn't seem unique to our group.
It will be some time before we get to Session 2 as this is not our regular game and more of a side gig (one that allows me to get some experience as a GM and let our regular GM get some playing time in).
Overall the module is beautiful and well made, my only issue is how creative I need to get to avoid a TPK the way it's been written, but maybe I'm doing it wrong?
If there's anyone interested I'll post future sessions. Appreciate any advice as we go along.
