Railroad Challenge

[gideonpepys]

We're due to start the railroad challenge from adventure 6 next week, and I have to admit to being a little bit nonplused by it. I get that the actions of the players make everything incredibly variable, but I can't find any reference to what the default built speed is for the Ob and Griento railways if the players don't interfere. We are told that without the Ob Griento would take 21 days to complete the section on his own, but not what he will take with the Ob's help. What effect will the Ob's 10 money have? And how much do Pemberton's golems affect things if they are hired? I don't really want to have to work this all out like the players are required to, because that's not all that much fun. ("Hang on guys, give me 10 minutes to figure out my side of things...") I can't rule out the possibility that I'm missing something obvious, of course...

How did other DMs handle this section? (Or plan to handle it if they haven't run it yet?)

 

[SanjMerchant]

Well, the Railroad Challenge is, essentially, a board game in the middle of an RPG (think of a console RPG where you have to suddenly beat a chess game or a rhythm game to progress either the main plot or a sidequest).

I might suggest playing against yourself, and using that as a script for what happens with no player intervention whatsoever. If you have time, perhaps game out a few scenarios you think your PCs might bring about, so you have some ideas for countermeasures ready to go. Yes, I know; no plan survives contact with the players, but making yourself familiar with the game seems like a good idea?

(I've probably stating the super obvious, but it's what I've got.)

 

[gideonpepys]

(I've probably stating the super obvious, but it's what I've got.)

Not at all, thanks for your analysis. You're right, of course, but that's what I was hoping to avoid! While no plan or scenario would survive contact with the players, it would be useful to know what the Ob (in the shape of Lya, Merton and Rush) would do without any player interference (we know how Griento would do without the Ob, so this extra bit of information doesn't seem too hard to provide it's just a matter of dfeault days, right?). Playing the game against myself feels like cheating: I've read the ten-mile-day insert after all!

To be honest I was hoping someone would point to the bit in the adventure where I could find the info, and that I had missed it!

 

[hirou]

IMHO Lya's attitude should mirror your own point of view on this challenge. If you're bored with it, she should be as well. She will feign some activity, her subordinates will sabotage PCs, but she'll be planning from the beginning to capture Oddcog at his presentation to the party (i.e. with some elaborate plan involving lots of smoke grenades, roughly done illusionary Oddcog double made from his blood pact with Obscurati and Ob's knowhow on instant teleportation to Bleak Gate; you don't actually have to invent this plan, because it won't be needed with Oddcog being a replicant)

 

[gideonpepys]

IMHO Lya's attitude should mirror your own point of view on this challenge. If you're bored with it, she should be as well. She will feign some activity, her subordinates will sabotage PCs, but she'll be planning from the beginning to capture Oddcog at his presentation to the party (i.e. with some elaborate plan involving lots of smoke grenades, roughly done illusionary Oddcog double made from his blood pact with Obscurati and Ob's knowhow on instant teleportation to Bleak Gate; you don't actually have to invent this plan, because it won't be needed with Oddcog being a replicant)

Not 'bored' exactly, just a bit nonplused. But I like your suggestion. Lya will leave the shenanigans up to Rush, I think. None of them will push the railroad building too fast, but the extra money should get them up to two miles a day, would that be about right?