D&D 5E Running Rime of the Frost Maiden

[MarkB]

There always needs to be some leg work on the DM's part. This is minor leg work. And if there was no forum, you'd probably still figure it out.

I get it, it seems important information was left out. But, in the bigger picture, it is supplemental information at best. I mean these towns are sacrificing to Auril to end winter. It is the primary thought in their life.

Yeah, basically the towns have been in this situation for two years, and they started the sacrifices a little over a year ago. It's safe to assume that they spent that first year exhausting every other possibility, starting with their local priests praying for divine intervention and then going on to sending out calls for aid from the world's wider priesthood and any adventurers they could attract. It's after all that failed that they started resorting to sacrifices.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

According to real world statistics, about 1 in 8000 people in the UK are clergy. I make the population of the Ten Towns to be 4200. I wouldn't expect to see many priests!

 

[Reynard]

According to real world statistics, about 1 in 8000 people in the UK are clergy. I make the population of the Ten Towns to be 4200. I wouldn't expect to see many priests!

I'm not sure how relevant that can be given the vast differences between modern Britain and a pseudo medieval fantasy world where the gods grant tangible power and explicitly tell people what to do. I would guess Ten Towns is served by a few representatives of deities that might be concerned with or want influence over people living on the icy fringes of civilization.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm not sure how relevant that can be given the vast differences between modern Britain and a pseudo medieval fantasy world where the gods grant tangible power and explicitly tell people what to do. I would guess Ten Towns is served by a few representatives of deities that might be concerned with or want influence over people living on the icy fringes of civilization.

Well, if you prefer to use the statistics in the book, 1 in every 100 person in the Ten Towns is a spellcaster of some kind. If about half of them are clerics/druids/priests, that would be 21 in total. There are about 37 human gods listed in the PHB for the FR, so there is about half a priest for each deity.

 

[Reynard]

Well, if you prefer to use the statistics in the book, 1 in every 100 person in the Ten Towns is a spellcaster of some kind. If about half of them are clerics/druids/priests, that would be 21 in total. There are about 37 human gods listed in the PHB for the FR, so there is about half a priest for each deity.

Not unreasonable in a land populated largely by people fleeing elsewhere and either retired or up-and-coming adventurer types. Not all of the gods would have representation, though -- some because of climate, some because of culture. But Auril's control over the area might also have resulted in fewer and fewer good clerics and others. Her followers may be have hunted them down. Or maybe her influence blocks the power of happy hearth and sunshine gods.

 

[Azzy]

I'm not sure how relevant that can be given the vast differences between modern Britain and a pseudo medieval fantasy world where the gods grant tangible power and explicitly tell people what to do. I would guess Ten Towns is served by a few representatives of deities that might be concerned with or want influence over people living on the icy fringes of civilization.

Keep in mind, though, in the Forgotten Realms not all members of the clergy are Clerics (or other divine spellcaster), most of the clergy are going to be joe commoner, maybe with proficiency in Religion and a bit more faith and conviction than the average joe commoner.

 

[MarkB]

We've finished out first session. I started the party in Bremen, and they picked up rumours of a couple of other town quests, as well as starting the hunt for Chwingas. While searching the town for Chwingas they came to the docks and got hooked into the Lake Monster quest, which they completed without bloodshed - one of them was a Kalashtar bard, and just as initiative was about to be rolled for the monster's attack, she speculatively tried to Mind Link to it. That opened up a conversation, and with some excellent rolls the party's druid was able to determine the spell that had been used on the beast, and reassure it that it was in no danger of losing its newfound intellect.

They've got some leads to Bryn Shander and Lonelywood, so I'll see where things go next week.

 

[pukunui]

There always needs to be some leg work on the DM's part. This is minor leg work. And if there was no forum, you'd probably still figure it out.

I get it, it seems important information was left out. But, in the bigger picture, it is supplemental information at best. I mean these towns are sacrificing to Auril to end winter. It is the primary thought in their life.

Fair point. I’m a details guy with an always-on editorial eye.

That said, I don’t know that it’s so much the lack of this particular detail that’s the issue. I think I’m just disappointed that Rime doesn’t provide as detailed a gazetteer as LotCS did (or as SKT did for Bryn Shander alone).

 

[TheSword]

It

And if the thing kills him?

I wouldnt be impressed with that at all.

That kind of thing really needs a buy in from the player.

It doesn’t really work if the player chooses it...

If the clues are presented and the player does nothing about it for 3 months they deserve to die.

I mean, if a party didn’t know what a red slaad was, or didn’t recognize it, you wouldn’t ask permission before you attacked the character with a claw would you?

 

[Scott Christian]

Fair point. I’m a details guy with an always-on editorial eye.

That said, I don’t know that it’s so much the lack of this particular detail that’s the issue. I think I’m just disappointed that Rime doesn’t provide as detailed a gazetteer as LotCS did (or as SKT did for Bryn Shander alone).

More than a fair thought.