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Raiders of the Serpent Sea - Third Party 5E Review
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<blockquote data-quote="Sparky McDibben" data-source="post: 9206526" data-attributes="member: 7041430"><p>So, now we arrive at Chapter 3: Drifthall.</p><p></p><p>Drifthall is the... <em>sigh</em> goddamnit</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="BioWare Trope Alert!"]</p><p>Main Quest Hub!!! It's a big ol' social setting full of quest hooks, NPCs, moving, and shaking. See the Citadel from every <em>Mass Effect</em> ever, and Denerim, Kirkwall, and Skyhold from the <em>Dragon Age</em> series. Structurally, the Main Quest Hub is a tie point to which the party keeps returning, and allows them to see the ripple effects of their actions.</p><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p>As I was saying, Drifthall is the main quest hub for the next act of the game. This section begins with the PCs pulling in and being met by the Seerguard (you'll never guess what they do!). The PCs are strongly hinted that you don't want to keep the weird seers waiting, and the next section is meeting the volv.</p><p></p><p>The volv are clearly meant to be the Fonts of All Knowledge in the setting, able to explain various things to the heroes if they missed them, and it's here that we start to see some things the heroes have uncovered in their travels coming to light. The volv can help explain the weird ironthrall messing about with the volcano, Helmaws, wolves, etc.</p><p></p><p>My only problem with this is that these threads have been spread over several months of in-game time, and so your players may not even remember them. Of course, the PCs can also miss a lot of this content, due to how some of these hints are structured, so they might not even know about some of this stuff. It's a good idea, but for something to stick with PCs, you need to reinforce it. It's not enough to show them one ironthrall, you need to show them several. It's not enough for one person to have seen a Rainbow Spear, they need to meet several (including preferably one of the PCs). I recommend you make a note of any adventure-vital revelations the PCs have either missed or misinterpreted, and have the volv clear those up here.</p><p></p><p>The volv also take an interest in Siddhe and recommend the PCs leave her with them. This is a terrible idea (see below).</p><p></p><p>Anyway, the volv recommend the PCs meet all the clans, and help them solve problems. I would have thought that solving problems was down to the weird old human-sacrificing seers, but apparently the volv are trying out the gig economy.</p><p></p><p>This bit is where the adventure starts to show some of the shine that was promised! We get a bunch of clans, and each one has a problem or petition. There's an agenda they want to push. One wants to know what happened to their poisoned jarl, the Whar want to become a major clan, the Orn want justice for their torched home, etc. </p><p></p><p>How the PCs have behaved up till now comes home to roost. If they let King Cenric live, for instance, they risk censure by their peers (of course, that also means kidnapping, slaving, and murder are all full-throatedly endorsed by this society. Have fun squaring that circle, friends!). I am all for consequences of actions, but what really makes this section sing is that so many of the clan problems intersect other clans, bringing the PCs into those problems, creating a sort of Brownian quest-log accumulator. This could create analysis paralysis, but honestly I'm just happy to see some great interactions, so they don't lose any points there.</p><p></p><p>In addition to this, these characters start to act like real people, with flaws, vices, and blind spots. The Alljarl wants to let the old and the sick fight to the death so they die in battle, thus getting to go to the Halls of the Slain, and therefore increasing the number of warriors who come back to Ragnarok. This seems to be based on a misreading of their religious texts, and I actually like this. Hysteria-slapping an eschatologically-obsessed leader into sensible behavior seems like something heroes ought to be able to do - but it damages the PCs relationships with her.</p><p></p><p>(Oh, also the Alljarl is Hrolf's ex. That gets awkward).</p><p></p><p>There is only one big Yikes! moment here. See, if the PCs leave Siddhe here while they're out doing the next few quests, the next time they come back, Siddhe's dead! Along with another novice seer named Mera. The volv poisoned them both, but got attacked by an ironwood witch trying to stop them, and are now using the dead witch as a scapegoat for them killing two kids. This totally has to happen, because Plot!</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="The Plot"]</p><p>Siddhe is actually Hel. See, Hel had a huge crush on this guy, Thonir the Almost God, back in the day. Hel is also, unfortunately, the Matron's daughter. So when the Matron killed her, Hel became the goddess of death. Now, though, she's trying to hook up with her ex, who's hanging out in the Halls of the Slain (which is not the underworld - different plane). So she created Hollow Hel, a simulacrum, to take over for her. She then tried to die bravely, and got it all mucked up, which is how she wound up in this world as Siddhe.</p><p></p><p>I think this is ridiculously convoluted for a setting where most of the gods are stone. Absolutely none of this is necessary. Which means someone had to dream up a plot that relies heavily on human / child sacrifice, and then publish it.</p><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p>If the PCs try to leave Siddhe somewhere in a <em>tiny hut</em>, or stuck on a demiplane, or with friendly NPCs, the volv come and take her away anyway. If the PCs take Siddhe with them (which is what they've been doing this whole time, so they could find it perfectly natural to continue), the adventure provides no guidance. So you've got the choice of either railroading the volv stealing the kid or breaking the plotline. Great. </p><p></p><p>Now...I have to say that I'm about 110% done with this adventure and ritual sacrifice. The heroes have no chance to stop this, and the volv actively lie to them about what happened.</p><p></p><p>So here's a big ol' remix:</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="How I Would Do It"]</p><p>The whole point of Siddhe dying is that the PCs have to guide her spirit in the underworld, where she has to make a big choice: go be with Thonir, or stay the goddess of death. So, leaving aside all the DMPC shenanigans, etc., that the adventure has been pulling, I'd recommend having Siddhe stay with the PCs when they hit the Ironwood Witches at their main base (chapter 5, we'll get to it), just have inscriptions, or visions, or whatever, from the witches' divinations. Place this in an area the PCs cannot avoid it, since it is crucial information. The visions, et alia, inform the PCs that if Siddhe dies, and the heroes escort her spirit through the underworld, the chances of the witches plans coming to fruition plummet. When they return to Drifthall, the volv reluctantly confirm this. They've been desperately looking for a way to avoid this, but it is spelled out in the iron skeins of the child's fate. Siddhe has a choice to make, and how the PCs have treated her means that they have an opportunity to sway her...or to potentially cause her to desert them all.</p><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p>Also - would writers please quit giving big, meaningful choices to NPCs? Everytime I see this I always wonder why that wasn't included for a PC - that could have been <em>great!</em></p><p></p><p>This chapter sets up the next four, and it does so with decent material, well-thought-out NPCs, and good hooks. It goes some distance towards redeeming the preceding chapters. Unfortunately, this complete nonsense with two dead kids really unravels a lot of that for me.</p><p></p><p>Ending score on this chapter for me is 6 / 10 - there's more good than bad, but not by that much.</p><p></p><p>Stick with me next time, and we'll go over the next lake - the broader Serpent Sea!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sparky McDibben, post: 9206526, member: 7041430"] So, now we arrive at Chapter 3: Drifthall. Drifthall is the... [I]sigh[/I] goddamnit [SPOILER="BioWare Trope Alert!"] Main Quest Hub!!! It's a big ol' social setting full of quest hooks, NPCs, moving, and shaking. See the Citadel from every [I]Mass Effect[/I] ever, and Denerim, Kirkwall, and Skyhold from the [I]Dragon Age[/I] series. Structurally, the Main Quest Hub is a tie point to which the party keeps returning, and allows them to see the ripple effects of their actions. [/SPOILER] As I was saying, Drifthall is the main quest hub for the next act of the game. This section begins with the PCs pulling in and being met by the Seerguard (you'll never guess what they do!). The PCs are strongly hinted that you don't want to keep the weird seers waiting, and the next section is meeting the volv. The volv are clearly meant to be the Fonts of All Knowledge in the setting, able to explain various things to the heroes if they missed them, and it's here that we start to see some things the heroes have uncovered in their travels coming to light. The volv can help explain the weird ironthrall messing about with the volcano, Helmaws, wolves, etc. My only problem with this is that these threads have been spread over several months of in-game time, and so your players may not even remember them. Of course, the PCs can also miss a lot of this content, due to how some of these hints are structured, so they might not even know about some of this stuff. It's a good idea, but for something to stick with PCs, you need to reinforce it. It's not enough to show them one ironthrall, you need to show them several. It's not enough for one person to have seen a Rainbow Spear, they need to meet several (including preferably one of the PCs). I recommend you make a note of any adventure-vital revelations the PCs have either missed or misinterpreted, and have the volv clear those up here. The volv also take an interest in Siddhe and recommend the PCs leave her with them. This is a terrible idea (see below). Anyway, the volv recommend the PCs meet all the clans, and help them solve problems. I would have thought that solving problems was down to the weird old human-sacrificing seers, but apparently the volv are trying out the gig economy. This bit is where the adventure starts to show some of the shine that was promised! We get a bunch of clans, and each one has a problem or petition. There's an agenda they want to push. One wants to know what happened to their poisoned jarl, the Whar want to become a major clan, the Orn want justice for their torched home, etc. How the PCs have behaved up till now comes home to roost. If they let King Cenric live, for instance, they risk censure by their peers (of course, that also means kidnapping, slaving, and murder are all full-throatedly endorsed by this society. Have fun squaring that circle, friends!). I am all for consequences of actions, but what really makes this section sing is that so many of the clan problems intersect other clans, bringing the PCs into those problems, creating a sort of Brownian quest-log accumulator. This could create analysis paralysis, but honestly I'm just happy to see some great interactions, so they don't lose any points there. In addition to this, these characters start to act like real people, with flaws, vices, and blind spots. The Alljarl wants to let the old and the sick fight to the death so they die in battle, thus getting to go to the Halls of the Slain, and therefore increasing the number of warriors who come back to Ragnarok. This seems to be based on a misreading of their religious texts, and I actually like this. Hysteria-slapping an eschatologically-obsessed leader into sensible behavior seems like something heroes ought to be able to do - but it damages the PCs relationships with her. (Oh, also the Alljarl is Hrolf's ex. That gets awkward). There is only one big Yikes! moment here. See, if the PCs leave Siddhe here while they're out doing the next few quests, the next time they come back, Siddhe's dead! Along with another novice seer named Mera. The volv poisoned them both, but got attacked by an ironwood witch trying to stop them, and are now using the dead witch as a scapegoat for them killing two kids. This totally has to happen, because Plot! [SPOILER="The Plot"] Siddhe is actually Hel. See, Hel had a huge crush on this guy, Thonir the Almost God, back in the day. Hel is also, unfortunately, the Matron's daughter. So when the Matron killed her, Hel became the goddess of death. Now, though, she's trying to hook up with her ex, who's hanging out in the Halls of the Slain (which is not the underworld - different plane). So she created Hollow Hel, a simulacrum, to take over for her. She then tried to die bravely, and got it all mucked up, which is how she wound up in this world as Siddhe. I think this is ridiculously convoluted for a setting where most of the gods are stone. Absolutely none of this is necessary. Which means someone had to dream up a plot that relies heavily on human / child sacrifice, and then publish it. [/SPOILER] If the PCs try to leave Siddhe somewhere in a [I]tiny hut[/I], or stuck on a demiplane, or with friendly NPCs, the volv come and take her away anyway. If the PCs take Siddhe with them (which is what they've been doing this whole time, so they could find it perfectly natural to continue), the adventure provides no guidance. So you've got the choice of either railroading the volv stealing the kid or breaking the plotline. Great. Now...I have to say that I'm about 110% done with this adventure and ritual sacrifice. The heroes have no chance to stop this, and the volv actively lie to them about what happened. So here's a big ol' remix: [SPOILER="How I Would Do It"] The whole point of Siddhe dying is that the PCs have to guide her spirit in the underworld, where she has to make a big choice: go be with Thonir, or stay the goddess of death. So, leaving aside all the DMPC shenanigans, etc., that the adventure has been pulling, I'd recommend having Siddhe stay with the PCs when they hit the Ironwood Witches at their main base (chapter 5, we'll get to it), just have inscriptions, or visions, or whatever, from the witches' divinations. Place this in an area the PCs cannot avoid it, since it is crucial information. The visions, et alia, inform the PCs that if Siddhe dies, and the heroes escort her spirit through the underworld, the chances of the witches plans coming to fruition plummet. When they return to Drifthall, the volv reluctantly confirm this. They've been desperately looking for a way to avoid this, but it is spelled out in the iron skeins of the child's fate. Siddhe has a choice to make, and how the PCs have treated her means that they have an opportunity to sway her...or to potentially cause her to desert them all. [/SPOILER] Also - would writers please quit giving big, meaningful choices to NPCs? Everytime I see this I always wonder why that wasn't included for a PC - that could have been [I]great![/I] This chapter sets up the next four, and it does so with decent material, well-thought-out NPCs, and good hooks. It goes some distance towards redeeming the preceding chapters. Unfortunately, this complete nonsense with two dead kids really unravels a lot of that for me. Ending score on this chapter for me is 6 / 10 - there's more good than bad, but not by that much. Stick with me next time, and we'll go over the next lake - the broader Serpent Sea! [/QUOTE]
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