[Eberron] "Opening Sequence" Adventure modification

[vulcan_idic]

Hello

In a few months I'm returning to my home campaign where I was formerly a player and ask for the opportunity to DM. THey are familiar with Eberron having read the campaign setting and kicked it around talking about it before, but haven't played it. I've been playing it a lot lately, and really like it, so I want to run a campaign for them in it. I've DMed before, but I'm still a bit green. I think it'll be a bit easier for my home group though as I know the people pretty well.

I'm planning on starting with "The Opening Sequence" adventures (Forgotten Forge, Shadows of the Last War, Whispers of the Vampire's Blade, Grasp of the Emerald Claw) as I've just been through a version of them with my last group as a player, so I'm decently familiar with them. I want to make one fairly large alteration though - skip Whispers of the Vampire's Blade. It's a decently good adventure, quite memorable moments, but it just seemed really jarring to me to spend a good bit of time building plotlines with the schema's and all, getting pulled away for something more or less completely unrelated, and then being thrust back into the original plotline. I'd rather just take the one plot line and flow along it making it: Forgotten Forge, Shadows of the Last War, Grasp of the Emerald Claw. After that that plotline would be completed and I would then transition it into [The Red Hand of Doom] In Eberron

The problem with this that I can see is that while removing Whispers of the Vampire's Blade from the sequence tightens up the story arc and makes it flow along better in my opinion, it opens a bit of an XP/networking/equiptment gap between the expectations of the Grasp of the Emerald Claw and where thte characters are likely to be at the end of Shadows of the Last War.

Any suggestions about modifying these two adventures to tighten up the sequence? I'm thinking about maybe extending the adventuring in the Mournlands a bit to cover some of the gap, but I don't want to push it too much as the Mournlands can be really difficult due to the lack of real healing available. Another option might be to embroider more on the return journey from Rukaan Draal (sp?) to Sharn.

Thank you in advance for the advice.

 

[Sidekick]

Hmm. That’s a tough one.

Here’s some options.

1 – start them at 2nd level and simply adjust up FF & SofLW. That way by the time they finish Shadows they should be bordering 4th if not already 4th, nearing 5th.

Then run a side adventure where they have to recover some of Kendran’s notes or go find some other, related artefact for Lady Eladyrn that will help her uncover the resting place of the final schema piece.

Then when they hit 6th level you can throw them into Grasp.

One thing to note thought. My group are currently doing Grasp and at 7th level they are finding it a challenge.

Also once your group of 6th DO end Grasp, they should be very close to 7th. That means that when you do Red Hand of Doom they will be almost 2 levels above the recommended for the beginning of the adventure.

Dunno what you could do to make Grasp lower level – it’s a pretty mean adventure & I reckon if you make it easier for a lower group it just wouldn’t translate very well.

My advice would be to up them in levels, then when they have finished Grasp hit them with a wraith or two ( or some form of level draining creature). Then have then go to the Dawn way..
Hey Presto, silly, mean and uninventive. But is Simple, and the K.I.S.S. principle is very important.

Hapy gaming

 

[MarkB]

There is one alternative - alter Whispers of the Vampire's Blade to tie it into the main plot. That's what I did when I ran it for our group.

[sblock]I invented a starting scene at an auction. The players have learned that a schema has turned up in an old adventurer's personal effects, which are being auctioned off at one of Sharn's most prestigious auction houses, atop one of the taller towers, shortly after sunset. They are to meet Lady Elaydren there, wait whilst she bids for the item, and then follow her instructions depending upon her success or failure.

Things are going smoothly when a gentleman in the front row of the bidders asks to examine the schema. As soon as he has it in his hands, he leaps through the nearest window, and can be glimpsed striding down the side of the tower before swarms of bats swoop in to cover his escape.

Lucan had learned of the schemas in his professional capacity, before he became a vampire. They were of little significance to him then, but under the influence of his new master, he feels compelled to return this one to the Order of the Emerald Claw in Karrnath, whom the blade considers to still be Karrnathi loyalists.

The party is then hired by both Lady Elaydren and the Dark Lanterns to pursue Lucan, thus providing the tempting prospect of being paid twice for the same job.[/sblock]

 

[vulcan_idic]

Both of those sound like really good ideas, thanks!!

I don't think I'd mind starting RHoD with the characters a bit high in level, because I'll probably be running it with a three person party - that's typical for my home group. Can always adjust on the fly though... and that just may be what I'll have to do.