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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steel_Wind" data-source="post: 2644268" data-attributes="member: 20741">1 - Size of partyI ran the adventure for a varying group pf players depending on how many showed up.  This actually worked out fairly well, as I started the campaign in media res with a fight outside the abandoned mine office. I also created a mini-adventure for it. You can find it attached to this post.The upshot of the abandonded mine office is that it became home base for the players to which they returned (very often) to rest. Every session was ended there – more or less – so any missing players stayed behind to “heal up” If the did not make the next session.I ran it for no less than four and no more than seven PCs.2- Classes of PCsThe main four:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human fighter</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human war mage</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human cleric</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human rogue</li> </ul>Others who participated:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human wizard</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Halfling rogue (deceased)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Human Psion</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Half-elven Scout</li> </ul>3 - Areas too easy/ too hard - any deaths? My impression was that the observatory was too easy.  The warmage is particularly effective at lower level and with a high charisma cleric as well – the observatory was little of a challenge. I ended up spicing up Filge’s Bedroom with an encounter situation I made up on the fly. The blow-by-blow of the <a href="http://paizo.com/dungeon/messageboards/ageOfWorms/anectodeWhisperingCairnTheFightAgainstTheVampire" target="_blank">Fight with the Vampire </a> is available here for reading. There were deaths.  The Halfling rogue died against the brown mold after just an incredible series of rolls of “1” to get him out. It was the worst luck with dice I have ever seen at a RPG session – ever.The party’s cleric died against the swarm and slasher.A number of other near misses – probably over a half-dozen down and dying incidences. But that’s low level for you.4- XP at end of moduleAll players made it to third level in the main group. One leveled up to third after the skeletons in Area 2 in the observatory; the others leveled up just after Filge was defeated.5- Did you change things - if so - what? Yes. I changed the abandoned mining office and added an entire encounter zone there. The adventure is attached here below.I changed Filge’s tactics by having him create an illusionary vampire to intimidate the PCs. The link to that is also within this message. 6 - Hooks usedI began the session in media res. The backstory was that the party had been hunting an infestation of stirges in the Cairn Hills. As payment for this, they received their starting equipment from Tolliver Trask.Their bonus payment for defeating the goblins holed up in the mining office was the deed to the mining office itself. Trask’s best friend in the garrison is also the man in charge of the Registry Office.   7- Did you use Worm Food's suggested Mining office map as a home base? Did you set up encounters there to clear it out? Yes and yes.  The entire mini-adventure in the mining office is attached to this post in .doc format.8- Swarms - ok or too much? It was okay – though the party lost a PC to the encounter. I attribute this loss to a lack of dungeoneering preparation. Oil and alchemist’s fire would have handled this nicely – but they didn’t have enough.  Ultimately, this was a dramatic fight. I added an extra Mad Slasher to face what was then a party of five. As it turns out – this was too much and the party was either dead (cleric) or down and dying (rogue, warmage and psion). The fighter was the last one up against BOTH Mad Slashers and it was pure luck it was not a TPK.9- Puzzles - ok or too much? The puzzles were just enough in my opinion. Very enjoyable part of the module.10- Favorite partThe fight with the ghoul in the shower area; the <a href="http://paizo.com/dungeon/messageboards/ageOfWorms/anectodeWhisperingCairnTheFightAgainstTheVampire" target="_blank">"Fight with The Vampire”</a> in the observatory.  The <a href="http://paizo.com/dungeon/messageboards/ageOfWorms/whisperingCairnAnecdoteWarStory" target="_blank">encounter with the owlbear </a> was also memorable.11- Least favoriteSecond swarm and bombardier beetles was boring.12 - Setting used and any conversion recommendations? Greyhawk. Apart from the modifications noted above, I ran it straight up and out of the book, as it were.13- Did you find it fun? Did your players find it fun? I thought it was the best 1st level module I’ve ever had the privilege to run. The players seemed to enjoy it a lot too. We took slightly over 4 sessions to complete it.14- Effective strategiesWarmages with 17 Int and Cha? Makes even a cantrip attack worthwhile.The best strategy is simple: pull back out and rest until fully healed when injured. The module can be deadly enough without courting risk by not taking things on at your best.15- Big mistakes?Not running from the swarm and slashers with no oil and only one burning hands spell prepared.</blockquote>

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