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Running DDAL04 (Ravenloft) Adventures as a Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="jayoungr" data-source="post: 7591074" data-attributes="member: 6702445"><p><strong>DDAL04-03: The Executioner</strong></p><p></p><p>Last session, I got through this notorious module about as well as could be expected. The revised version of the adventure is much clearer than the original, but even the revised version is going to require a lot of manipulation to pull off as written, unless your party reacts in a very specific way. I borrowed from a couple of other sources of suggestions on how to improve the adventure: </p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iE7tFDdgWokajqpe4J6HID-TyPITXPRIV22o9ST4l-c/edit" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iE7tFDdgWokajqpe4J6HID-TyPITXPRIV22o9ST4l-c/edit</a> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AdventurersLeague/comments/6ww1jy/ddal0403_the_executioner_seriously_how/" target="_blank">https://www.reddit.com/r/AdventurersLeague/comments/6ww1jy/ddal0403_the_executioner_seriously_how/</a> </li> </ul><p>For the hook, I used "The Burgomaster Set-Up Job" from the first document, in which Laszlo in disguise approaches the PCs and tries to get them to steal the powderbox from the burgomaster's basement. This was partly because I didn't trust them to go there on their own and partly because I wasn't sure that having them meet him at the Eyes of Midnight would work out properly without me having to do some really inelegant forcing of the story. Unfortunately, the party decided they were too lawful to break into the burgomaster's residence, even after I stressed what an awful person he was. So they don't know that the box at the center of all this once belonged to Tatyana.</p><p></p><p>One thing I'm quite pleased with is the fact that I managed to set up several plot points for future modules in the introductory portion of the adventure:</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">After the PCs returned from their visit to Jeny Greenteeth, Derali mentioned that another storm was on the way and suggested that they travel back to Oraşnou with a group of Vistani who were going that way. These were the Bogaravs, and I inserted the "Prastonata" challenge from DDAL04-05, "The Seer," on the way back to town. The group also met Donani, who could talk about nothing except his betrothed and how happy he would be to see her soon. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When they reached Oraşnou, they were told by Grigori Wurlbach that the burgomaster had returned while they were gone and had been told about their efforts to rescue Alina and Laszlo, but he had gone away again; however, one of his assistant tax collectors, Eugen Adi, was in town and could probably be found at the Seven Tables. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Grigori also explained apologetically that he couldn't give the PCs the same rooms they had occupied on their first visit because he had rented them out to some traveling adventurers who had come to town seeking a rumored artifact. The travelers had paid for several days in advance, although Grigori hadn't seen them for a day or two--not since they went out on an expedition with that new fellow in the wolfskin cap. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When the PCs found Eugen Adi at the Seven Tables, he told them he had the payment the burgomaster had left for them: five gold pieces. As I hoped, the PCs found that an insultingly small payment. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I mentioned the friendly, attractive barmaid at the Seven Tables--Sari, who will be important in DDAL04-07, "The Innocent." I also mentioned that a particular young man (Benedek) was constantly hanging out at the inn and making cow eyes at her. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The PCs decided to buy a decoy powderbox and asked where they could find a local woodworker. I grabbed that opportunity to say that the local woodworking studio was run by Benedek and his brother Regold. (They haven't met Regold yet, but I'll try to work him in soon.) </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A discussion at the Seven Tables got several other plot points out as well:<p style="margin-left: 20px">On their last visit, a Vistani predicted an extremely harsh winter.<br /> The burgomaster's taxes are far too high.<br /> The town owes a tribute of grain and livestock to Lord Strahd.<br /> The town has has a string of bad luck: bad harvest, losing Alina and Laszlo, bad weather.<br /> Things were better when the Falinescus were living at the manor. Many townsfolk had jobs as servants there.<br /> It was rumored that the oldest Falinescu son was marked as a result of their mother's wickedness. (This is setting up my replacement for the half-dragon-half-troll ghost.)<br /> Lucian was the second son; everyone liked him and was glad when he became the heir. But he drank himself to death after his daughter died.<br /> His widow now devotes herself to healing at the town hospice.<br /> </p> </li> </ul><p>Also, it bugged me that the Vaduvas' cabin is described as an empty ruin when it has only been vacant for a few days. I had someone at the Seven Tables mention that Alina's people had come in from their camp in the woods--"Strange folk, always keeping to themselves"--and stripped the place bare after news reached them that Alina and Laszlo were both dead. (The PCs actually didn't kill Alina, but they agreed to keep her secret and told the townsfolk that she was dead.)</p><p></p><p>The showdown at the end of the adventure was a bit anticlimactic: the PCs took their decoy powderbox to meet Laszlo at the Vaduva cabin in broad daylight. He attacked them, along with four zombies--the missing adventurers--but he had disadvantage since it was day, and the PCs made very short work of him.</p><p></p><p><strong>Lingering question: How do I let the PCs know that they are looking for Tatyana's artifacts?</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jayoungr, post: 7591074, member: 6702445"] [B]DDAL04-03: The Executioner[/B] Last session, I got through this notorious module about as well as could be expected. The revised version of the adventure is much clearer than the original, but even the revised version is going to require a lot of manipulation to pull off as written, unless your party reacts in a very specific way. I borrowed from a couple of other sources of suggestions on how to improve the adventure: [LIST] [*][URL]https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iE7tFDdgWokajqpe4J6HID-TyPITXPRIV22o9ST4l-c/edit[/URL] [*][URL]https://www.reddit.com/r/AdventurersLeague/comments/6ww1jy/ddal0403_the_executioner_seriously_how/[/URL] [/LIST] For the hook, I used "The Burgomaster Set-Up Job" from the first document, in which Laszlo in disguise approaches the PCs and tries to get them to steal the powderbox from the burgomaster's basement. This was partly because I didn't trust them to go there on their own and partly because I wasn't sure that having them meet him at the Eyes of Midnight would work out properly without me having to do some really inelegant forcing of the story. Unfortunately, the party decided they were too lawful to break into the burgomaster's residence, even after I stressed what an awful person he was. So they don't know that the box at the center of all this once belonged to Tatyana. One thing I'm quite pleased with is the fact that I managed to set up several plot points for future modules in the introductory portion of the adventure: [LIST] [*]After the PCs returned from their visit to Jeny Greenteeth, Derali mentioned that another storm was on the way and suggested that they travel back to Oraşnou with a group of Vistani who were going that way. These were the Bogaravs, and I inserted the "Prastonata" challenge from DDAL04-05, "The Seer," on the way back to town. The group also met Donani, who could talk about nothing except his betrothed and how happy he would be to see her soon. [*]When they reached Oraşnou, they were told by Grigori Wurlbach that the burgomaster had returned while they were gone and had been told about their efforts to rescue Alina and Laszlo, but he had gone away again; however, one of his assistant tax collectors, Eugen Adi, was in town and could probably be found at the Seven Tables. [*]Grigori also explained apologetically that he couldn't give the PCs the same rooms they had occupied on their first visit because he had rented them out to some traveling adventurers who had come to town seeking a rumored artifact. The travelers had paid for several days in advance, although Grigori hadn't seen them for a day or two--not since they went out on an expedition with that new fellow in the wolfskin cap. [*]When the PCs found Eugen Adi at the Seven Tables, he told them he had the payment the burgomaster had left for them: five gold pieces. As I hoped, the PCs found that an insultingly small payment. [*]I mentioned the friendly, attractive barmaid at the Seven Tables--Sari, who will be important in DDAL04-07, "The Innocent." I also mentioned that a particular young man (Benedek) was constantly hanging out at the inn and making cow eyes at her. [*]The PCs decided to buy a decoy powderbox and asked where they could find a local woodworker. I grabbed that opportunity to say that the local woodworking studio was run by Benedek and his brother Regold. (They haven't met Regold yet, but I'll try to work him in soon.) [*]A discussion at the Seven Tables got several other plot points out as well:[INDENT]On their last visit, a Vistani predicted an extremely harsh winter. The burgomaster's taxes are far too high. The town owes a tribute of grain and livestock to Lord Strahd. The town has has a string of bad luck: bad harvest, losing Alina and Laszlo, bad weather. Things were better when the Falinescus were living at the manor. Many townsfolk had jobs as servants there. It was rumored that the oldest Falinescu son was marked as a result of their mother's wickedness. (This is setting up my replacement for the half-dragon-half-troll ghost.) Lucian was the second son; everyone liked him and was glad when he became the heir. But he drank himself to death after his daughter died. His widow now devotes herself to healing at the town hospice. [/INDENT] [/LIST] Also, it bugged me that the Vaduvas' cabin is described as an empty ruin when it has only been vacant for a few days. I had someone at the Seven Tables mention that Alina's people had come in from their camp in the woods--"Strange folk, always keeping to themselves"--and stripped the place bare after news reached them that Alina and Laszlo were both dead. (The PCs actually didn't kill Alina, but they agreed to keep her secret and told the townsfolk that she was dead.) The showdown at the end of the adventure was a bit anticlimactic: the PCs took their decoy powderbox to meet Laszlo at the Vaduva cabin in broad daylight. He attacked them, along with four zombies--the missing adventurers--but he had disadvantage since it was day, and the PCs made very short work of him. [B]Lingering question: How do I let the PCs know that they are looking for Tatyana's artifacts?[/B] [/QUOTE]
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