Can anyone give me some advice on how to run Part 2 of chapter 5, Full Bloom. It feels like a lot of random rolls until the PCs get enough research points, but the consequences are just repeating the same events over and over which I don't want to do because I think my players will get bored
This is my initial thought:
Downtime. Will run a kingdom turn which takes 1 week of the players time. I will force the Public Outcry event, giving our ruler a chance to RP calming the masses. Then will have 3 additional weeks of downtime. In each of those weeks I will say the PCs can "fast travel" anywhere in the area and do a research check. So each Player can decide what their character would do. We'll have a running number of RP on the board so the players can see "number go up" After 3 weeks of research, regardless of what they learn I will tell them that they hear rumors of some weird looking people covered in leaves in an area they haven't explored. (An empty hex in the adventure). I will put a small little cult hideout in there with a whole bunch of Bloom Cultists and have it as a FOB for the cult to infiltrate the area. Let them have a combat encounter, then if one of them survives, they can use social skills on that one to gain more RP. And that should be a solid session. Then next session we can probably pick up with another Kingdon turn and I can force the Urban Outbreak Event onto them and then hopefully they have enough RP to give them the Goblin Village lead.
If you haven't done it already... it might be a good moment to have an adventure that highlights and hints towards the end of this adventure...
SPOILERS FOLLOW:
Have a tumulus that has "the grave of a kingdom" ... feature chalices and mysterious writings that say "I'm sorry", "forgive me", "pardon me", "apologies", etc. ... a beautiful maiden, a spurned creature of flame and creation ... have citizens approach the capital with scraps of the story of Zuddiger's picnic ... have a horned-elf avatar of the great hunt/lantern king point them in the right direction (so as to defeat Nyrissa's plan) ... etc.