Help me "unspoil" the surprise

[roguerouge]

If they don't go to Thunderspire, learn from 1e:

Random. Encounter. Tables.

 

[vagabundo]

It's not so much that I'm trying to give them the illusion of choice. It's more that I just don't want to emphasize that I'm using a module. It just sort of spoils it. I've had a very hard time articulating this (this thread was at least my fourth attempt at it and I don't think I succeeded this time either).

Where is the shame in running a published modules? How does it spoil it? Do the players even care, have you talked to them about it?

 

[pukunui]

It's not an issue of shame or worry that they'll resist or anything like that. And, yes, I'm probably the only one who feels "spoiled". As I said, I don't think I'm articulating the issue very well.

 

[malraux]

I've always found that gaming works best when one of the elements of the contract (either spoken or implicit) is that the DM agrees to give reasonable adventure hooks and the players agree to follow them.

 

[CharlesRyan]

I've always found that gaming works best when one of the elements of the contract (either spoken or implicit) is that the DM agrees to give reasonable adventure hooks and the players agree to follow them.

Well said!

 

[MerricB]

There are spoilers that matter and ones that don't. If Thunderspire Labyrinth was a big plot point which had the entire series of adventures revolving about it, I'd be somewhat worried. However, for the most part, it's completely unrelated to the first adventure in the series. Yes, there are a couple of hooks that lead from Keep to Thunderspire to keep continuity, and it's very nice that they're there.

However, you could play Thunderspire without playing Keep at all, so they're not essential. Thunderspire just seems to be a fun adventure waiting for you to play it.

Cheers!

 

[Nebulous]

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Anyone?


Thanks in advance.


Cheers,
Jonny

Hi pukunui. This very same issue came up last session. The PCs found a few more clues to the next module. One was a goblin waysign scrawled on the wall of a cave beneath the Keep. It said THUNDERSPIRE LABYRINTH - 3 days. Later that same adventure they found an old, old map of a place called The Minotaur Maze. I assumed that an old party of dead heroes had been looking for the underground route to the Labyrinth.

Several sessions ago i had Bairwain Wildarson casually mention that he would be acquiring some new magic items from "Thunderspire," at which point the only player in the group who knows about the series blurted: "That wouldn't happen to be a Labyrinth, would it?"

I thought it was funny actually.

No one else cared or noticed, and it hardly spoiled the surprise. They know i'm running a premade story, but HOW the two modules link up is a completely unknown factor. It will have to do with the Bloodreavers probably kidnapping important NPCs from Winterhaven, but i haven't worked out the details yet.

I also debated calling Thunderspire the "Seven Pillared Hall", but ultimately i wanted to make it some obvious foreshadowing. Players don't tend to think much about the adventures much between sessions, not like we DMs do. That's a generalization, but i think it's mostly true.

As to your problem, i really wouldn't worry about it. One thing you COULD do is to straight up tell your players that down the road they'll be looking for a place called Thunderspire, but you've added so much new content it's hardly recognizable. They'll never know the difference. And it might be true too. Thunderspire has oodles of room to add new encounters.

 

[pukunui]

Thanks for the input, guys.

Just got back from my latest session. No one noticed that I'd made a new map with "Seven-Pillared Hall" on it instead of "Thunderspire". I didn't say anything further.

I'll try not to worry about this any longer.