Chimes at Midnight scaled for 8th Level ...

[Grymar]

I ran Chimes for 10th and 11th level characters. It was challenging considering all of the additional resources they had at their disposal from contacts to cash to 5th level spells. Frankly the most difficult part was slowing them down enough to get the timing right.

What I did in that regard was when they went to Viktor's office instead of the fire trap I put in there a contained living spell (cone of cold + enervation) which was set to be released when someone entered the water tower. The party retreated to the streets and only barely defeated the CR13 beastie. Weakened, they were not prepared for the Blackened Book attachment that showed up moments later to arrest them for casting high level evocation spells within the city (there had been a long going subplot about the BB being against the party and setting up magic detection grids around the city).

The party, after a long slow look around the table at each other, decided to surrender. Fortunately they were able to bribe the local magistrate (who was found murdered 12 hours later) and get out of the jail just in time to make it to the station.

The final battle in the church was a blast, but again I had to level up all of the rogue's gallery to be able to face the party, plus I changed their tactics a bit. Instead of fighting two, then two, then two, I had it more of a running battle against all six as the party fought/flew up the tower to save the woman.

The downside is that they killed everyone, Vrinn, Mange, Viktor...all dead.

The campaign has since petered out, but I've talked about getting those old characters back out and running the two follow-up sessions. Everyone agreed that it was the most detailed, atmospheric and "noir" adventure they had had yet.

Great job, nlogue, as always.

 

[Nlogue]

I ran Chimes for 10th and 11th level characters. It was challenging considering all of the additional resources they had at their disposal from contacts to cash to 5th level spells. Frankly the most difficult part was slowing them down enough to get the timing right.

What I did in that regard was when they went to Viktor's office instead of the fire trap I put in there a contained living spell (cone of cold + enervation) which was set to be released when someone entered the water tower. The party retreated to the streets and only barely defeated the CR13 beastie. Weakened, they were not prepared for the Blackened Book attachment that showed up moments later to arrest them for casting high level evocation spells within the city (there had been a long going subplot about the BB being against the party and setting up magic detection grids around the city).

The party, after a long slow look around the table at each other, decided to surrender. Fortunately they were able to bribe the local magistrate (who was found murdered 12 hours later) and get out of the jail just in time to make it to the station.

The final battle in the church was a blast, but again I had to level up all of the rogue's gallery to be able to face the party, plus I changed their tactics a bit. Instead of fighting two, then two, then two, I had it more of a running battle against all six as the party fought/flew up the tower to save the woman.

The downside is that they killed everyone, Vrinn, Mange, Viktor...all dead.

The campaign has since petered out, but I've talked about getting those old characters back out and running the two follow-up sessions. Everyone agreed that it was the most detailed, atmospheric and "noir" adventure they had had yet.

Great job, nlogue, as always.

Thanks Grymar! That living spell sounds like an awesome adjustment to scale up that encounter for 11th-12th level PCs! Well done sir.

Also, bravo on rolling out the Blackened Book...they really need more ink! I'd love to write some things up about them.

 

[Shadowdancer]

We just played "Quoth the Raven," and I really enjoyed it. My character, a Duskblade, had a lot of fun with the Warforged in the junkyard -- Shocking Grasp delivered from a greatsword.

And in the climactic battle with the Raven, I finally got to use a combo I'd been dying to try: Touch of Idiocy+True Strike on a spellcaster. It really messed him up for that battle.

 

[WayneLigon]

And in the climactic battle with the Raven, I finally got to use a combo I'd been dying to try: Touch of Idiocy+True Strike on a spellcaster. It really messed him up for that battle.

Roya, our Citidal Elite changeling, got him to come to her when she was halfway up the tower by yelling 'Your writing is such pedantic, sophmoric and purile garbage that I wouldn't let my dog releive himself on it', said in the exact same tone and accent as the professor the Raven killed. That pretty much turned every dial he had up to 11.

 

[Nlogue]

We just played "Quoth the Raven," and I really enjoyed it. My character, a Duskblade, had a lot of fun with the Warforged in the junkyard -- Shocking Grasp delivered from a greatsword.

And in the climactic battle with the Raven, I finally got to use a combo I'd been dying to try: Touch of Idiocy+True Strike on a spellcaster. It really messed him up for that battle.

Nice! I dig on the duskblade. They are very fun in play and kind of make sense to me (elves who kick ass with steel and spell!). ToI + TS = MEAN! Well done!

 

[Nlogue]

Roya, our Citidal Elite changeling, got him to come to her when she was halfway up the tower by yelling 'Your writing is such pedantic, sophmoric and purile garbage that I wouldn't let my dog releive himself on it', said in the exact same tone and accent as the professor the Raven killed. That pretty much turned every dial he had up to 11.

That just made my day.

::double checks WotC site, hoping to see Hell's Heart up!::

Shucks!

 

[DM_Jeff]

I'll have to also chime in with my last Sunday adventure, in which I ran Quote the Raven. What a blast. SPOILERS!

First, let me say the 15 year old apprentice to our summoner was the one charmed and disguised next to the Raven and ONE remaining mirror image, when our duskblade/something else stepped up.

I wrote on a card "1-image, 2-Raven, 3-Girl" and held it up backwards. No, they had no idea she was one of them standing there.

He announced splitting 2 scorching rays, and I asked him to pick. "1 and 3" he says. And then he proceedes to zap away the image and roll...(ready?)...a confirmed critical, doing about 38 points of damage to a 12 hp apprentice. Oh the utter horror that went around the table that night. Glorious!

As it is, my Eberron campaign began January 1st 2007 and will wrap up Christmas holiday in a few months, but I can tell you already of all the threads and stories we played out Viktor and his ilk have easily been the most talked-about segments of the game.

Heck, I could go on and on about the small changes, like when they Killed Viktor at the end of Chime of Midnight, then the next day I saw 'Quote the Raven' advertised in an upcoming in Dungeon Magazine. So when they were out of town the following week I released a Sharn Inquisitive paper detailing the story of how Viktor had arrangements for ressurection, exactly as Quoth the Raven suggests! That one of our players, Grace the good necromancer, actually goes to visit Viktor in Hell's Heart becasue I played up a possible wisdom-draining device entangled in the investigation she swears he was under and not his fault and is lobbying for his release.

In my last campaign, when the players would have a particularly brutal night they used to say I "Pulled a Cook" referring to Monte. Now in Eberron they're accusing me of "Pulling a Nic". Well done, sir.

-DM Jeff

 

[WayneLigon]

That one of our players, Grace the good necromancer, actually goes to visit Viktor in Hell's Heart becasue I played up a possible wisdom-draining device entangled in the investigation she swears he was under and not his fault and is lobbying for his release.

They went to Hell's Heart on an un-related matter for House Medani and were thinking of Viktor, so they petitioned to see him. Now, the thing is that a couple people in the party still respected him even after the events of Chimes at Midnight. So he's brought out there and seems whacked out of his gourd on whatever medications they suppossedly have him on, and his only coherant phrase is "We had cake today!". I pulled out the most horrific 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' imagery I could muster and they left feeling sorry for him. One guy wanted to kill him just to spare him the humiliation.

When they put things together later and go to visit him a second time, and confront him with various things and he grins, obviously not a drooling idiot, one guy goes "That's my man, Vik! I knew they didn't break him!"

 

[Nlogue]

I'll have to also chime in with my last Sunday adventure, in which I ran Quote the Raven. What a blast. SPOILERS!

First, let me say the 15 year old apprentice to our summoner was the one charmed and disguised next to the Raven and ONE remaining mirror image, when our duskblade/something else stepped up.

I wrote on a card "1-image, 2-Raven, 3-Girl" and held it up backwards. No, they had no idea she was one of them standing there.

He announced splitting 2 scorching rays, and I asked him to pick. "1 and 3" he says. And then he proceedes to zap away the image and roll...(ready?)...a confirmed critical, doing about 38 points of damage to a 12 hp apprentice. Oh the utter horror that went around the table that night. Glorious!

As it is, my Eberron campaign began January 1st 2007 and will wrap up Christmas holiday in a few months, but I can tell you already of all the threads and stories we played out Viktor and his ilk have easily been the most talked-about segments of the game.

Heck, I could go on and on about the small changes, like when they Killed Viktor at the end of Chime of Midnight, then the next day I saw 'Quote the Raven' advertised in an upcoming in Dungeon Magazine. So when they were out of town the following week I released a Sharn Inquisitive paper detailing the story of how Viktor had arrangements for ressurection, exactly as Quoth the Raven suggests! That one of our players, Grace the good necromancer, actually goes to visit Viktor in Hell's Heart becasue I played up a possible wisdom-draining device entangled in the investigation she swears he was under and not his fault and is lobbying for his release.

In my last campaign, when the players would have a particularly brutal night they used to say I "Pulled a Cook" referring to Monte. Now in Eberron they're accusing me of "Pulling a Nic". Well done, sir.

-DM Jeff

Sweet! I'm in astoundingly good company there! I feel honored Jeff! Thanks for sharing all that! Poor apprentice, that is just grisly...and it makes my soul sing Beethoven's Ode to Joy...



::Checks DI Dungeon again to see if Hell's Heart is up::

Damn.

 

[blargney the second]

I'm just about to start running Chimes and Quoth next week. I'd love to get my hands on Hell's Heart before then...