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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rhenny" data-source="post: 6761385" data-attributes="member: 18333">Here's some general advice and some specific advice.In general (and with PoTA) don't be afraid to go off script and improvise at different moments.  I always find it much more difficult to stick strictly to the published adventures, and when the PCs do something that draws them away from the written action if I go along with them and develop ideas around their thoughts my sessions usually become more dynamic and interesting.  Invariably, there will be a moment later where the group comes back into the adventure and continues into an area or encounter that is written into the adventure.   To help me improvise and have options, I create a few encounters or even an encounter path that I can pull out if the situation presents itself.  I think this is something that can help when running PoTA because PotA is so expansive.  The adventure itself requires the PCs to explore, infiltrate and combat 4 different cults, which could become tedious without breaks.   Read through the sidetreks in the adventure too.  They can be used to infuse the variety as well.I've only run about 10 sessions so far.  I started the group from 1st level and had them do some of the pre-adventure around town portions of the book, including Tomb of Moving Stones, The Necrmancer's Lair, The Ghost in the cave part of the adventure too, as well as some other random encounters.  It all worked pretty well.   I dropped a lot of hints using the NPCs in town  (mostly Kaylessa and the Constable, but others too).  I also introduced a note in a cave that told them about Rivergard Keep and how "Grimjaw buys stuff."   (This was not in the adventure, but I wanted to give them a hook to get them there eventually).   Overall, it was pretty easy to get the group to go toward the Sumber Hills and eventually catch glimpse of the Feathergale Society Tower.  I did however move the location of the Shallow Grave encounter and connected it with the Necromancer cave.  I also had the graves be empty so that they group would track the dragged bodies to the Necromancer's cave.  This got them closer to the Tower.   The interactions in Feathergale Society tower were fun and had the potential to go a number of different ways.  At first, I planned to have the Knights and Thurl Merroska be gracious and inviting to the others, but one of the PCs in the party did something that offended 3 of the Knights, so I had the Knights (with some cultists) try to capture the PCs and bring them up to the Pinnacle to put the offending PC on trial.  Miraculously, the PCs were able to subdue the group that attacked them and then they escaped.To prepare for the Tower, and other above ground keeps for the other cults, make sure you think very carefully about the individual cult's motivations and personality.  Slot yourself some options so that when the PCs interact, you can manipulate the foes accordingly.  At this point, my guys are 4th level and camping with some Aarakocra in the Sighing Valley and they are finding out that those creatures suspect that the Feathergale Knights are not what they seem.  They told the group that they have seen humanoids flung from the tower, left at the bottom as food for scavengers.   The PCs already had a chance to look through the looking glass on top of the tower and they did see some robed figures across the valley seemingly guarding an area in the cavern.  I don't know exactly where the group will go next.  They may go back to the Tower to take care of business, or they may investigate the robed figures across the valley.   We'll see.</blockquote>

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