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Against the Shadows VII - A Faded Glory Story Hour (Re-Updated - 5/17)
- Thread starter Old One
- Start date
Congratulations on Little Old One II. Your frustrations and your joys will now be squared.
Count me as a still somewhat loyal reader--the dreaded last-of-the-semester-final-exams-graduation stretch had me not checking in recently, but I still make Faded Glory the one essential stop when I check in at ENWorld.
Things do not look good for our intrepid heroes. I myself have always thought that fear effects were underrated.
Count me as a still somewhat loyal reader--the dreaded last-of-the-semester-final-exams-graduation stretch had me not checking in recently, but I still make Faded Glory the one essential stop when I check in at ENWorld.
Things do not look good for our intrepid heroes. I myself have always thought that fear effects were underrated.
Ola!
Willpax -
How are you, my friend? Thanks for the well-wishes...if Little One Squared is as much fun as the original...all will be well.
Thanks for continuing to make FGSH a routine stop...my post count is in your debt. Hopefully the schoolwork will quickly pass into blissful summer and give you a short reprieve.
Thanks for droppin' by!
~ Old One
willpax said:
Willpax -
How are you, my friend? Thanks for the well-wishes...if Little One Squared is as much fun as the original...all will be well.
Thanks for continuing to make FGSH a routine stop...my post count is in your debt. Hopefully the schoolwork will quickly pass into blissful summer and give you a short reprieve.
Thanks for droppin' by!
~ Old One
LiVeWiRe
ENergetic Comm. Supporter
Old One said:My readership expands...I shall rule the world!
Anyway, thanks to LiVeWiRe for stopping in. You should see if you can make North Carolina Game Day V (9/25 at NC State). Keith and Chad made the journey...then we can do "A Tight Spot - Redux"!
Hope all is well in Tampa...
~ Old One
Old One, I'll see if I can arrange to join you for NCGDV. Chad and Keith made it to the last one...hmm, after reading some comments regarding "A Tight Spot", sounds like "A Tight Spot-Redux" would be just like the good ol'days!
Things are busy, but good-- I'm sure you're busier with your 10 jobs plus story hour writing, gamemastering, etc., etc. And, I thought I didn't sleep!
And, last but not least CONGRATS on Little Old One II!!
-LW
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LiVeWiRe
ENergetic Comm. Supporter
Re: "Turnabout is Fair Play"
Speaking of the old days...I tried to conjure up memories of all the mishaps of The Company of the Moon and, well I must say I couldn't remember ever having such horrendous saves as a group in a combat situation!
Of course, I'm probably forgetting something since it's been awhile...or perhaps the Heroes of Glynden have 'outdone' us at long last!
At any rate, definitely looking forward to the next update!
-LW
Speaking of the old days...I tried to conjure up memories of all the mishaps of The Company of the Moon and, well I must say I couldn't remember ever having such horrendous saves as a group in a combat situation!
Of course, I'm probably forgetting something since it's been awhile...or perhaps the Heroes of Glynden have 'outdone' us at long last!
At any rate, definitely looking forward to the next update!
-LW
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LiVeWiRe said:Old One, I'll see if I can arrange to join you for NCGDV. Chad and Keith made it to the last one...hmm, after reading some comments regarding "A Tight Spot", sounds like "A Tight Spot-Redux" would be just like the good ol'days!
Things are busy, but good-- I'm sure you're busier with your 10 jobs plus story hour writing, gamemastering, etc., etc. And, I thought I didn't sleep!
And, last but not least CONGRATS on Little Old One II!!
-LW
LW -
Glad to hear things are going well. We had a good time at NCGD IV...brought back some good memories <starts singing>. Thanks for the good thoughts on the new addition...I am sure that will make life that much busier <sigh>...but that's what keeps me so young
!Have a great holiday weekend!
~ Old One
Darklone
Registered User
Old One: Looking back now at the whole story, it seems to me more like the trip to Oar was not necessarily included in the plans for the storyline... The players "lost" a lot of time and the action took place somewhere else.
Did they have the same feeling when they came back to Glynden?
Did they have the same feeling when they came back to Glynden?
Darklone said:
Oar was one option among many for the group. We can freely choose what to pursue as long as we realize things will advance regardless.
With the trip to Oar we were at a point where we felt there was a break in the action that would allow us time to go and learn things in Oar that might help our future encounters against the necromancers. On the way down we stumbled upon the remains of a footman of the Cassuvius household and from there discovered the gnoll encampment from which we rescued Drusilla. Drusilla didn't want to go home and instead wanted to go to Oar with us. The rest is history.
The party had hoped that getting back to Glynden would give us a much needed break after the hell we went through in Oar. Heh, rriiiiggghhhttt.
Tortoise beat me to it...sorta!
DL -
I typed out a great response and then had to chase after Little Old One and the computer locked up. I am glad Tortoise (Rowan) dropped in to comment from a PC's perspective...but I will try to give you a bit of a broader view...
(1) With the Faded Glory Campaign, I have tried to present a dynamic, living, breathing setting that the players can really become invested in. I will leave it the players to comment on whether or not I am succeeding, but this means that events, once set into motion, will proceed along a certain timeline unless the PCs (via action or inaction) otherwise affect the plot line. Within the 2-4 "major" plot lines active currently, there are probably close to 20 additional plot lines that the PCs have encountered.
Some of these are tied directly to the PC's backgrounds (such as Rose's lover Asralla and Quintus's history with Abigail and Ned). Some arise from the PC's decision to take one road over another (such as the side-trek on the way to Oar with Scarnose the Gnoll and Drusilla). Still others might be complete red herrings that have absolutely no involvement with any main plot line, but might interest a particular PC for one reason or another.
The "matrix"-style campaign means that there is a lot for both the players and the DM to keep up with. It also means that there are many "dangling" plot lines that may never be resolved! Just take a look at Page 1 of the SH for a reminder on some that are still "out there". I know that some of the players and/or their PCs do get a bit frustrated at the lack of resolution on some fronts...but I do throw a tremendous amount of information at them...then let them decide what to do with, or about, what they discover.
(2) It is my world, but it is the PCs story. This means no rail-roading of the PCs. They really do have pretty much complete free will within the confines of the big, wide world. This often means they head off in a direction or on a tangent I didn't expect. When this happens, I examine the other plot lines that are in motion, decide how they would logically advance, see if there are any 3rd parties that might act upon that particular plot line and move them forward accordingly. It also means that I have some work to do in determining how the PC actions (or inactions) along the new tangent, will play out. While this makes mucho work for said DM, our playing frequency (about 10x per year) makes this doable with my limited time.
(3) The PCs are not monolithic. This means that the PCs do not all share a burning drive to all accomplish the same goal along the same timeline. This is particularly true with the introduction of Cragen, the Walking Legend. But all the other PCs...Rowan, Rose, Quintus, Sextus and one to be introduced soon...have goals and desires either developed from their background or developed during play. Some of these goals are in moderate conflict with others and it is interesting to see how the PCs sort it out.
This very long-winded answer gets us back to your initial question. Was the trip to Oar "worth it"? It did expose the PCs to additional world elements, made them some friends, made them some enemies, allowed them to discover more about the Cult of Ashai and exposed them to some distant Imperial elements. The trip also allowed, apparently, the mysterious "R" and her cohorts to advance their plans relatively unheeded...ultimately leading to the assault on Glynden.
I will leave it Tortoise and the other PCs to say whether or not the trip was worth it...I think it us up for serious debate...but it was the PCs choice and the world continued to rotate while they made the journey. Some of the seeds planted on the trip to and from Oar may well bear fruit (both sweet and sour) for the PCs down the road (well..."may" is probably an understatement <insert evil DM laugh>).
In closing, this is the most involved, complicated and challenging campaign I have run in my now 23 years of playing this game. I am enjoying it and I hope that the players are as well...whadda ya say, folks!
~ Old One
Darklone said:
DL -
I typed out a great response and then had to chase after Little Old One and the computer locked up. I am glad Tortoise (Rowan) dropped in to comment from a PC's perspective...but I will try to give you a bit of a broader view...
(1) With the Faded Glory Campaign, I have tried to present a dynamic, living, breathing setting that the players can really become invested in. I will leave it the players to comment on whether or not I am succeeding, but this means that events, once set into motion, will proceed along a certain timeline unless the PCs (via action or inaction) otherwise affect the plot line. Within the 2-4 "major" plot lines active currently, there are probably close to 20 additional plot lines that the PCs have encountered.
Some of these are tied directly to the PC's backgrounds (such as Rose's lover Asralla and Quintus's history with Abigail and Ned). Some arise from the PC's decision to take one road over another (such as the side-trek on the way to Oar with Scarnose the Gnoll and Drusilla). Still others might be complete red herrings that have absolutely no involvement with any main plot line, but might interest a particular PC for one reason or another.
The "matrix"-style campaign means that there is a lot for both the players and the DM to keep up with. It also means that there are many "dangling" plot lines that may never be resolved! Just take a look at Page 1 of the SH for a reminder on some that are still "out there". I know that some of the players and/or their PCs do get a bit frustrated at the lack of resolution on some fronts...but I do throw a tremendous amount of information at them...then let them decide what to do with, or about, what they discover.
(2) It is my world, but it is the PCs story. This means no rail-roading of the PCs. They really do have pretty much complete free will within the confines of the big, wide world. This often means they head off in a direction or on a tangent I didn't expect. When this happens, I examine the other plot lines that are in motion, decide how they would logically advance, see if there are any 3rd parties that might act upon that particular plot line and move them forward accordingly. It also means that I have some work to do in determining how the PC actions (or inactions) along the new tangent, will play out. While this makes mucho work for said DM, our playing frequency (about 10x per year) makes this doable with my limited time.
(3) The PCs are not monolithic. This means that the PCs do not all share a burning drive to all accomplish the same goal along the same timeline. This is particularly true with the introduction of Cragen, the Walking Legend. But all the other PCs...Rowan, Rose, Quintus, Sextus and one to be introduced soon...have goals and desires either developed from their background or developed during play. Some of these goals are in moderate conflict with others and it is interesting to see how the PCs sort it out.
This very long-winded answer gets us back to your initial question. Was the trip to Oar "worth it"? It did expose the PCs to additional world elements, made them some friends, made them some enemies, allowed them to discover more about the Cult of Ashai and exposed them to some distant Imperial elements. The trip also allowed, apparently, the mysterious "R" and her cohorts to advance their plans relatively unheeded...ultimately leading to the assault on Glynden.
I will leave it Tortoise and the other PCs to say whether or not the trip was worth it...I think it us up for serious debate...but it was the PCs choice and the world continued to rotate while they made the journey. Some of the seeds planted on the trip to and from Oar may well bear fruit (both sweet and sour) for the PCs down the road (well..."may" is probably an understatement <insert evil DM laugh>).
In closing, this is the most involved, complicated and challenging campaign I have run in my now 23 years of playing this game. I am enjoying it and I hope that the players are as well...whadda ya say, folks
!~ Old One
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