Ravenloft Al modles Jasper questions and rants. Spoilers

jasper said:

Question. If a player accepts some the gifts in the temple, does the flaw remain after the gift is used up.

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From the adventure (specifically the Amber Sarcophagi sidebar):

The instant a dark gift is received, the creature receiving it undergoes a transformation, gaining a sinister physical trait or flaw, or one of each. Unless the text states otherwise, a trait or flaw that accompanies the gift can’t be removed by anything short of a wish spell or divine intervention.

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So yes, the flaw remains until removed by a wish spell or a god. (Neither gift specifies any other condition that removes the associated flaw.)

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Pauper

I got mixed feedback during the game. As the group got to the lost level, I threw a fit. And told them we were playing a new game. Then open my clue board with post it notes which had the new room names covering the old room names. I asked the group up front did they want to accept a ghost instead of roll against the possession and they agreed.
Grr I had to type up the ghost write again because those little squares the module had was too small to read. And time slowed to crawl as each person had to read and understand the ghost's write up. Some player said they weren't going to do the ghost roleplaying. It took less than 45 minutes to get to the lost level and about 3 hrs to run it.
Grr After about 4 rooms I dropped the wandering monster checks in the hall. The two combats hmm. The blue fire worm was okay. But the 8 dire wolves, that combat was never gamed out. I was using lead wolves and horses for the monsters and it was crowded.
Two players did accept the dark gifts. And one player was mad I picked on the squishy warlock during the final battle. They asked why was I just attacking one pc for the first 2 rounds. I replied the mayor knows the party and wanted to kill them as quick as possible. If was not for the legendary heal action the Mayor would be toast in 3 rounds. I did make some mistakes on rules. On a medicine check, I had been going with fail equal fail death save. And on death save I had been going with a 20 equal 2 successes. It amazing that players will read, quote, and give page numbers when death is on the line.
Overall during the game, I was getting some non verbal and other feedback of the players hating the mystery part. After the game, everyone said they enjoyed it. The only other feedback I did get back was make some of the combats tougher. So starting Friday, I bump 1 or 2 of the combats up to strong level.

jasper said:

Grr I had to type up the ghost write again because those little squares the module had was too small to read.

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Thanks for the heads-up; I have some older players myself, so typing out the text would probably be more helpful than simply making copies of the boxes in the adventure.

Grr After about 4 rooms I dropped the wandering monster checks in the hall. The two combats hmm. The blue fire worm was okay. But the 8 dire wolves, that combat was never gamed out. I was using lead wolves and horses for the monsters and it was crowded.

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Yeah, not sold on the wandering monster fights, given that the ghosts should easily have been able to take care of most of them eons ago. Considering simply leaving this out of the module altogether.

Two players did accept the dark gifts.

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Looking forward to this myself.

And one player was mad I picked on the squishy warlock during the final battle. They asked why was I just attacking one pc for the first 2 rounds. I replied the mayor knows the party and wanted to kill them as quick as possible.

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This is reasonable, and one way to up the difficulty of the adventure without changing the monster 'loadout'; the Burgomaster knows the party pretty well by now, and would be aware of who the most dangerous (to him) members are.

I suspect my party will try to focus-fire on the Burgomaster, so for the first couple of rounds, I may just use his legendary actions to attack and use his turn to Dodge.

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Pauper

The PC who got the Hat of Disguise asked if she could use it to replace the Baron. This week's episode is the Donjon.

jasper said:

The PC who got the Hat of Disguise asked if she could use it to replace the Baron. This week's episode is the Donjon.

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The Hat of Disguise from The Executioner is limited in its ability to produce a disguise, so no, the Hat is not capable of simulating the Burgomaster.

(It's an open question whether you can only look like the character you encounter who's already wearing the Hat in that adventure, or if you can look like any twenty-something brown-haired human male, but neither of those describes the Burgomaster.)

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Pauper

Thanks. Pauper. I going to allow the chance but may give the Tax Collector advantage. Especially since I mentioned to group they do have worry about voice, and the two dead guards. Also check your pms Pauper. I loaded my versions of ghosts. You will need to increase the font size to at least 14.

Questions for old seasons which I maybe dming. I heard some table talk that a DM can swap a the magic item in the module for another as long as the same table. Uncommon for uncommon.

edit to add. Sorry. I was not talking about dm rewards. But swapping out magic items given to pcs. Like changing a Hat of Disguise to +1 weapon.

jasper said:

Thanks. Pauper. I going to allow the chance but may give the Tax Collector advantage. Especially since I mentioned to group they do have worry about voice, and the two dead guards. Also check your pms Pauper. I loaded my versions of ghosts. You will need to increase the font size to at least 14.

Questions for old seasons which I maybe dming. I heard some table talk that a DM can swap a the magic item in the module for another as long as the same table. Uncommon for uncommon.

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Not sure, but that sounds like a DM reward ability you would have to earn. Check your DM Awards sheets.

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jasper said:

edit to add. Sorry. I was not talking about dm rewards. But swapping out magic items given to pcs. Like changing a Hat of Disguise to +1 weapon.

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Can't do it. The whole point of specifying the magic item is to prevent DMs from handing out too many magic weapons and making modules 'too easy'. (Not to mention that some of the items are thematic for the adventure and/or setting.)

If a player showed up at my table claming to have gotten a +1 weapon from The Executioner, I'd have the player change it to a Hat of Disguise (as noted in the module) or refuse to allow the character to participate.

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Pauper

Well, the hat of disguise thing fell apart due the player not showing. Had 3 new players and a strong party. (we were also celebrating Vets day by doing a pot luck at the store). The party made allies with one of orc work crews. And then rolled well getting the orcs to go along with the plan. So the group skipped like 3 encounters. The were able to surprise the home base with some nice tactics. I thought they were going to turn the game into a 2 1/2 game but once combat started happening inside the lair die time dragged. I even but the final encounter up to a strong party, drop 4 extra snakes into combat. Combat took 5 rounds and 1 hour real time. 7 players seem to multiply combat.
I discovered the store is doing "hex" wrong. They allow the caster to move it at will. That will be fixed next week.
And the regular players said they want to run the Raven and Horseman together. Then skip playing on Black Friday.

Well the plan to put two modules in four hours did not work out at all. Everything seem to drag as they entered combat during the Raven. So I did the Horseman during Black Friday. Even with 4 people combat dragged but it was fun. At the end both Aya (elf mage) and wearer of purple were dead. The group did not want to get into the fight with the treant and awaken trees and my dice rolled well for the trees. They were a weak party (only 4 players). A monk, bard, warlock, and assassin. The villain of the week nearly had a TPK. The party tactics were hit and run away. And if wasn't for a nat 20 and the monk blowing a kiss at the villain I think would been a TPK. Still 1 PC did die.
This week the dark lord. And I think only the Ghosts of the Amber Temple are still around.