Monkey Boy
First Post
Hi all,
I need help keeping true to Gygax's vision for Keep on the Borderlands while at the same time avoiding a hack fest. Are the two goals incompatible? What would you do, did you do, to inject roleplaying into the caves of chaos?
I pitched Keep on the Borderlands to my group recently as a nostalgia fest. Return to the 70's 'where monsters where there to be killed, wizards wore pointy hats and fighters were called Bob.' It went over well and we had a huge turn out (6 players!)
Things started great with some excellent roleplaying in the keep. Then we got to the caves of chaos and things went downhill. The caves fights dragged on as rooms of humanoids went to reinforce other rooms. I quickly realised that I and several of the players were getting bored by the extended battles.
To inject some roleplaying into things I attempted:
On two occasions goblins surrendered, the players killed them both times.
The groups guide betrayed them. They captured then killed the guide joyfully oblivious to his motives.
The party have no rhyme or reason to their presence in the caves other than enter cave, kill everything, take their stuff. Some have quests based off rumors overheard but these don't encourage meaningful interaction with the caves occupants. Last session was one big fight in a corridor and two rooms. Those not interested in the combats are getting bored and that includes me.
I want to keep running it pretty much as Gygax wrote it but I need ideas on how to make proceedings more interesting. Is it possible to stay true to the module's feel while keeping it from degenerating into a hack and slash fest? What would you do to inject some roleplaying into the caves of chaos?
I need help keeping true to Gygax's vision for Keep on the Borderlands while at the same time avoiding a hack fest. Are the two goals incompatible? What would you do, did you do, to inject roleplaying into the caves of chaos?
I pitched Keep on the Borderlands to my group recently as a nostalgia fest. Return to the 70's 'where monsters where there to be killed, wizards wore pointy hats and fighters were called Bob.' It went over well and we had a huge turn out (6 players!)
Things started great with some excellent roleplaying in the keep. Then we got to the caves of chaos and things went downhill. The caves fights dragged on as rooms of humanoids went to reinforce other rooms. I quickly realised that I and several of the players were getting bored by the extended battles.
To inject some roleplaying into things I attempted:
On two occasions goblins surrendered, the players killed them both times.
The groups guide betrayed them. They captured then killed the guide joyfully oblivious to his motives.
The party have no rhyme or reason to their presence in the caves other than enter cave, kill everything, take their stuff. Some have quests based off rumors overheard but these don't encourage meaningful interaction with the caves occupants. Last session was one big fight in a corridor and two rooms. Those not interested in the combats are getting bored and that includes me.
I want to keep running it pretty much as Gygax wrote it but I need ideas on how to make proceedings more interesting. Is it possible to stay true to the module's feel while keeping it from degenerating into a hack and slash fest? What would you do to inject some roleplaying into the caves of chaos?
