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Out of the Abyss - Alice in Wonderland? Or Reign of Fire
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<blockquote data-quote="jedijon" data-source="post: 8032059" data-attributes="member: 49099"><p>Here's a quick overview of how this adventure has unfolded over the past months.</p><p></p><p><strong>Chapter 1: Prisoners of the Drow</strong></p><p></p><p>Around 3 sessions. Playing this with wife and two younger kids who have not played before.</p><p></p><p>Sons first rolls...can't roll below 18, managed to break out of shackles and free fellow prisoners. Daughter, focused on how to make the jailers trust her.</p><p></p><p>Played straight as written. Vrock encounter not adjusted. My wife tracks use of cantrips against 1st level slots. Months later still thinks they use a slot--we last played 3.5ed.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Chapter 2: Into Darkness</strong></p><p></p><p>Was pretty enamored with all the miscellaneous bits in this chapter--tried to work a bunch of them in. Still working on the standard story line but starting to think ahead. Do I want my kids thinking about ritual sacrifice...? Thematically this chapter is the random crap that happens when you're running for your life in the underdark.</p><p></p><p>So, we're still on track. Check.</p><p></p><p>Not playing frequently, not taking good notes. My players likely don't even remember guides attempting to extort them as they cross a network of webs. We didn't write down who had the nice shiny sword from the temple (intended to be seized [temporarily] by the guards at the gate of Grakklestugh - where at this point I was at least sure we were heading). They do remember the Society of Brilliance--I've had them come back a few times since also--but mostly I saved them for later, and they actually entered the story after chapter 3.</p><p></p><p>I believe we did 2 full sessions here--also tried playing in the basement. Was pretty great for not having to tear down game to free up table. Is currently being used...for...other purposes. More's the pity.</p><p></p><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Darklake</strong></p><p></p><p>Actually this chapter was a quick tag into, and a quicker tag OUT OF Sloobbludop.</p><p></p><p>Things were going well "on the rails". Sure you can have your players go to either chapter 3, or 4, or 5...or MAYBE 6...or technically 15...if they've got this death wish to chase the Drow chasing them. But, it seems pretty obviously you're really intended to do these in numerical order.</p><p></p><p>So I get to page 47 where we're murdering people and draining their blood into a basin and start really thinking.</p><p></p><p>We've already run the part of the adventure where the characters get to town, they see horrible stuff (I'm minimizing this)--and for us, the party + NPC prisoners are in a boat on the edge of town with the waves starting to pick up as the Demogorgon comes into town and everybody starts going crazy. This is when I have the idea of "well, it's Alice and Wonderland right--I read in every piece of promotional material (and it's why I bought this) that this is both sorta-serious but ALSO WACKY" and <u>I'm going to have to make the wacky</u>, aren't I?"</p><p></p><p>To this point the extend of the "wacky" is that the NPC Shuushar (a kuo-toa) is great. He speaks - well I speak for him - with a finger between the lips wiggled up and down. Classic voice. And I want some more dat.</p><p></p><p>So we pause for a bit and I try to figure this thing out. YES everything is crazy. NO it's not all murder. Chapter 3 is not two murdering factions but football (european) fans vs. football (american) fans. The HUGE WEAKNESS to this is I've already run the scene so I need to introduce it with "you all have huge headaches like you've seen a vision of the future--player 1 can't smell, player 2 can't see color, and player 3 can barely hear--but what you see in front of you now is a huge screaming crowd".</p><p></p><p>It didn't make any sense. We ran out of there, talked to the Society of Brilliance, faced a skeleton warrior, and I think everybody just scratched their head a bunch...</p><p></p><p>That's 2 more sessions in the can.</p><p></p><p>What's coming up? Well, more thoughtful, I've got ideas I'm more excited running. Next up is a town full of Duegar--most of whom behave and sound like cats--with an underclass of Derro--all of which personify mice. After that it's cattle-ranching Svirfneblin of blingdenstone with their outrageous southern accents and exaggerated hospitality/manners focus. Some peripheral encounters with chess-playing munchrooms (yes, not mushrooms). Yup, as then--still a little weak on the ending. More on that in a bit.</p><p></p><p><strong>Chapter 4: Gracklstugh</strong></p><p></p><p>This is where we're at now.</p><p></p><p>Getting in was a little rocky. While we played out the whole "I'm not going to let you in unless I get paid--and remember that I work for a lady who is very into law/order so you'll want to use that later" thing from page 58, it was one of those sinking moments as a DM.</p><p></p><p>You plan out this whole cool scene. Your players go 'hunh?' And while this is dragging on I'm stressing that the written material in this chapter is saturated with "if players do this they'll get REenslaved" which is off the table for our group.</p><p></p><p>But there's hope.</p><p></p><p>And it struck quickly.</p><p></p><p>When you ignore the chapter's express purpose of confronting everyone with a host of petty instances of madness and endless hectoring by the NPCs of what activities will lead to enslavement--you've got roleplaying gold.</p><p></p><p>See the stoneguard are superior. In my world they "meow" a lot and lick their hands. Just to let you know. They want to know all that's unlawful and give some examples. Plus they want their stone back (yeah, they're the stonespeakers too). If they can get info they give players material supplies. And if they get their stone back...they'll guide the players closer to the surface. Which should be what escaping prisoners want.</p><p></p><p>Now the keepers of the flame just want things to be normal again. So heyo - how 'bout you find our egg??? But about the same time players also converse with a dragon who also wants the egg, plus info on town. And he'll pay up. And quick.</p><p></p><p>All roads lead to the whorlstone tunnels and in section 1 LO AND BEHOLD there's a stone and an egg--but too many derro there to get it. They go to get help...and when they come back before they can even figure out how to doublecross every body and deliver the stone + the egg (to two different parties mind you)...the goods are gone.</p><p></p><p>We're chasing it into 1a because a lone derro cackles at them and runs into a crack [they don't yet have mushrooms to make them small--those are in area 4].</p><p></p><p>Area 2 seems too dangerous--a lake we can't see into??</p><p></p><p>So it's area 1b on the way to 3. Hello old friend. But in our adventure you're arranging blocks of moldy cheese??? And you animate them into cheese golems? And they stink? But we're from Wisconsin so we call them CHEESE HEADS?? Whoah. That aftermath is worse than a blue brie.</p><p></p><p>Now area 3 which is pretty chill because all the munchroom people start walking of their own accord to area 4. Where we have to hack through mushrooms (using the guardians that Errde provided for this event to help--funny how NPCs never seem to get involved in combat right?), and generally burn a tunnel to the other side.</p><p></p><p>My wife discovers that a flaming ball of fire you can move at will for 1 minute is both awesome, and a bit touchy to control when facing swarms that are in another players square...and has a 50% chance to explode nearby fungus based on pg 73...but is definitely once again the MVP. Plus has cleric healing. Whelp until rolling a 1 and a 2 (2d8) on that 2nd level spell.</p><p></p><p>Then we did what we've been doing--every 1.5 to 2hr we call it a wrap.</p><p></p><p>Very weird pacing as some days people roll a d6 when they make an attack. But for all that we're being lead by a ghost to recover its hand (made mostly of cheese) so we can get some goods with which to barter for our ultimate freedom. Which is surely just a step or two away right?</p><p></p><p>Great times.</p><p></p><p>Now a quick aside--how'z it gonna end? Well, there's great suggestions made in this thread for how to make demon lords "wacky". That is cool input that's appreciated. Now, it should be said that the scrum of demon lords at the end can be retoned into a crazy tea party--but the first points of consideration are still the most basic. Having fought for their lives to escape the underdark--characters are supposed to play politics to get an army, sleuth for hidden artifacts, willingly return to (as invaders) the realm that they escaped...and then mostly sit on the sidelines and watch demons crush each other.</p><p></p><p>And I'm not yet sure that's where we're headed.</p><p></p><p>Another 5 or 6 sessions down! I've got maybe 3 more to figure this out. Or--the default ending would be "congrats - you escaped!"</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jedijon, post: 8032059, member: 49099"] Here's a quick overview of how this adventure has unfolded over the past months. [B]Chapter 1: Prisoners of the Drow[/B] Around 3 sessions. Playing this with wife and two younger kids who have not played before. Sons first rolls...can't roll below 18, managed to break out of shackles and free fellow prisoners. Daughter, focused on how to make the jailers trust her. Played straight as written. Vrock encounter not adjusted. My wife tracks use of cantrips against 1st level slots. Months later still thinks they use a slot--we last played 3.5ed. [B]Chapter 2: Into Darkness[/B] Was pretty enamored with all the miscellaneous bits in this chapter--tried to work a bunch of them in. Still working on the standard story line but starting to think ahead. Do I want my kids thinking about ritual sacrifice...? Thematically this chapter is the random crap that happens when you're running for your life in the underdark. So, we're still on track. Check. Not playing frequently, not taking good notes. My players likely don't even remember guides attempting to extort them as they cross a network of webs. We didn't write down who had the nice shiny sword from the temple (intended to be seized [temporarily] by the guards at the gate of Grakklestugh - where at this point I was at least sure we were heading). They do remember the Society of Brilliance--I've had them come back a few times since also--but mostly I saved them for later, and they actually entered the story after chapter 3. I believe we did 2 full sessions here--also tried playing in the basement. Was pretty great for not having to tear down game to free up table. Is currently being used...for...other purposes. More's the pity. [B]Chapter 3: The Darklake[/B] Actually this chapter was a quick tag into, and a quicker tag OUT OF Sloobbludop. Things were going well "on the rails". Sure you can have your players go to either chapter 3, or 4, or 5...or MAYBE 6...or technically 15...if they've got this death wish to chase the Drow chasing them. But, it seems pretty obviously you're really intended to do these in numerical order. So I get to page 47 where we're murdering people and draining their blood into a basin and start really thinking. We've already run the part of the adventure where the characters get to town, they see horrible stuff (I'm minimizing this)--and for us, the party + NPC prisoners are in a boat on the edge of town with the waves starting to pick up as the Demogorgon comes into town and everybody starts going crazy. This is when I have the idea of "well, it's Alice and Wonderland right--I read in every piece of promotional material (and it's why I bought this) that this is both sorta-serious but ALSO WACKY" and [U]I'm going to have to make the wacky[/U], aren't I?" To this point the extend of the "wacky" is that the NPC Shuushar (a kuo-toa) is great. He speaks - well I speak for him - with a finger between the lips wiggled up and down. Classic voice. And I want some more dat. So we pause for a bit and I try to figure this thing out. YES everything is crazy. NO it's not all murder. Chapter 3 is not two murdering factions but football (european) fans vs. football (american) fans. The HUGE WEAKNESS to this is I've already run the scene so I need to introduce it with "you all have huge headaches like you've seen a vision of the future--player 1 can't smell, player 2 can't see color, and player 3 can barely hear--but what you see in front of you now is a huge screaming crowd". It didn't make any sense. We ran out of there, talked to the Society of Brilliance, faced a skeleton warrior, and I think everybody just scratched their head a bunch... That's 2 more sessions in the can. What's coming up? Well, more thoughtful, I've got ideas I'm more excited running. Next up is a town full of Duegar--most of whom behave and sound like cats--with an underclass of Derro--all of which personify mice. After that it's cattle-ranching Svirfneblin of blingdenstone with their outrageous southern accents and exaggerated hospitality/manners focus. Some peripheral encounters with chess-playing munchrooms (yes, not mushrooms). Yup, as then--still a little weak on the ending. More on that in a bit. [B]Chapter 4: Gracklstugh[/B] This is where we're at now. Getting in was a little rocky. While we played out the whole "I'm not going to let you in unless I get paid--and remember that I work for a lady who is very into law/order so you'll want to use that later" thing from page 58, it was one of those sinking moments as a DM. You plan out this whole cool scene. Your players go 'hunh?' And while this is dragging on I'm stressing that the written material in this chapter is saturated with "if players do this they'll get REenslaved" which is off the table for our group. But there's hope. And it struck quickly. When you ignore the chapter's express purpose of confronting everyone with a host of petty instances of madness and endless hectoring by the NPCs of what activities will lead to enslavement--you've got roleplaying gold. See the stoneguard are superior. In my world they "meow" a lot and lick their hands. Just to let you know. They want to know all that's unlawful and give some examples. Plus they want their stone back (yeah, they're the stonespeakers too). If they can get info they give players material supplies. And if they get their stone back...they'll guide the players closer to the surface. Which should be what escaping prisoners want. Now the keepers of the flame just want things to be normal again. So heyo - how 'bout you find our egg??? But about the same time players also converse with a dragon who also wants the egg, plus info on town. And he'll pay up. And quick. All roads lead to the whorlstone tunnels and in section 1 LO AND BEHOLD there's a stone and an egg--but too many derro there to get it. They go to get help...and when they come back before they can even figure out how to doublecross every body and deliver the stone + the egg (to two different parties mind you)...the goods are gone. We're chasing it into 1a because a lone derro cackles at them and runs into a crack [they don't yet have mushrooms to make them small--those are in area 4]. Area 2 seems too dangerous--a lake we can't see into?? So it's area 1b on the way to 3. Hello old friend. But in our adventure you're arranging blocks of moldy cheese??? And you animate them into cheese golems? And they stink? But we're from Wisconsin so we call them CHEESE HEADS?? Whoah. That aftermath is worse than a blue brie. Now area 3 which is pretty chill because all the munchroom people start walking of their own accord to area 4. Where we have to hack through mushrooms (using the guardians that Errde provided for this event to help--funny how NPCs never seem to get involved in combat right?), and generally burn a tunnel to the other side. My wife discovers that a flaming ball of fire you can move at will for 1 minute is both awesome, and a bit touchy to control when facing swarms that are in another players square...and has a 50% chance to explode nearby fungus based on pg 73...but is definitely once again the MVP. Plus has cleric healing. Whelp until rolling a 1 and a 2 (2d8) on that 2nd level spell. Then we did what we've been doing--every 1.5 to 2hr we call it a wrap. Very weird pacing as some days people roll a d6 when they make an attack. But for all that we're being lead by a ghost to recover its hand (made mostly of cheese) so we can get some goods with which to barter for our ultimate freedom. Which is surely just a step or two away right? Great times. Now a quick aside--how'z it gonna end? Well, there's great suggestions made in this thread for how to make demon lords "wacky". That is cool input that's appreciated. Now, it should be said that the scrum of demon lords at the end can be retoned into a crazy tea party--but the first points of consideration are still the most basic. Having fought for their lives to escape the underdark--characters are supposed to play politics to get an army, sleuth for hidden artifacts, willingly return to (as invaders) the realm that they escaped...and then mostly sit on the sidelines and watch demons crush each other. And I'm not yet sure that's where we're headed. Another 5 or 6 sessions down! I've got maybe 3 more to figure this out. Or--the default ending would be "congrats - you escaped!" [/QUOTE]
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