sir_ollibolli
Explorer
Berandor, the server will go online on Monday. Since I can't PM you here (due to not being a community supporter - yet), we can also communicate on grofafo and d20welten...
Shackled City Adventure Path Questions (New Question)
- Thread starter JDragon
- Start date
Lazybones
Adventurer
I'm writing a fanfic based on the Adventure Path in the Story Hour forum. My observations about the mods (through Foundation of Flame, spoilers below):
1) The modules have a lot of encounters that push the EL that characters of the appropriate level can handle. In "Zenith Trajectory", for example (at which point players are maybe 6th-7th level), there's a room where the PCs can hit three EL9 encounters in rapid succession. There are a number of places where the players almost have to rest after every encounter to have a chance.
2) Boss encounters are VERY tough. There are
.
3) The modules include a lot of treasure, and I think the designers assume that the players will get all of it to keep at their appropriate wealth-for-level ratio. However, a lot of the treasure is carefully concealed in hidden rooms with high Search DCs to find, and is quite easy to miss IMO.
4) Even given all of the above, the setting is very creative, the overarching plot is interesting, and there are a ton of NPCs that you can bring in if the PCs get in over their heads.
1) The modules have a lot of encounters that push the EL that characters of the appropriate level can handle. In "Zenith Trajectory", for example (at which point players are maybe 6th-7th level), there's a room where the PCs can hit three EL9 encounters in rapid succession. There are a number of places where the players almost have to rest after every encounter to have a chance.
2) Boss encounters are VERY tough. There are
several dragons (two reds and two blacks thus far), a tough demon, a cleric lich (in a VERY favorable tactical position), a dracolich, and several mixed groups that include a lot of classed monsters and humanoids
3) The modules include a lot of treasure, and I think the designers assume that the players will get all of it to keep at their appropriate wealth-for-level ratio. However, a lot of the treasure is carefully concealed in hidden rooms with high Search DCs to find, and is quite easy to miss IMO.
4) Even given all of the above, the setting is very creative, the overarching plot is interesting, and there are a ton of NPCs that you can bring in if the PCs get in over their heads.
You can also check out this thread that some have already posted.
With a group of 5-6 PCs, you shouldn't have to adjust any of the encounter levels, but you might end up running short side quests to keep your characters levelled up to the level of the adventures.
With a group of 5-6 PCs, you shouldn't have to adjust any of the encounter levels, but you might end up running short side quests to keep your characters levelled up to the level of the adventures.
Thanks for the additional information.
I should have issue #97 on Tuesday, which will give me 2 days to prep for the first game on Thursday.
I have started reading JollyDoc's story hour, I have made it about 2/3 of the way through Lifes Bazaar and can already see it will be tough.
I'll be reading through LazyBones SH as soon as I have time.
Thanks for all the thoughts and input.
BTW - where have people been placing it that are playing in Greyhawk?
Thanks
I should have issue #97 on Tuesday, which will give me 2 days to prep for the first game on Thursday.
I have started reading JollyDoc's story hour, I have made it about 2/3 of the way through Lifes Bazaar and can already see it will be tough.
I'll be reading through LazyBones SH as soon as I have time.
Thanks for all the thoughts and input.
BTW - where have people been placing it that are playing in Greyhawk?
Thanks
jgbrowning
Hero
Ok, this is absolutely unecessary, but I read this title as
"Spackled City"
heh....
joe b.
"Spackled City"
heh....
joe b.
sir_ollibolli
Explorer
morbiczer said:
That is why I inserted the mines into Cauldron. Otherwise it would be extremely difficult to find a reason why a town of 4500 people would be found in the middle of nowhere.
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Where and what kind of mines did you use?
From the little I've seen it seems like mines would work better being put in nearby caves, but not actualy part of Cauldron.
Also, does anyone know if any of antoganists (SP?) for any of the adventures are a demon/devil type?
I'm just trying to see if I'll be able to work in some PC back grounds or have to add something.
Thanks again for all the help.
JDragon
From the little I've seen it seems like mines would work better being put in nearby caves, but not actualy part of Cauldron.
Also, does anyone know if any of antoganists (SP?) for any of the adventures are a demon/devil type?
I'm just trying to see if I'll be able to work in some PC back grounds or have to add something.
Thanks again for all the help.
JDragon
Rauol_Duke
First Post
JDragon said:
"Foundation of Flame" in issue#113 states that Lord Ankhin Taskerhill owns several mines in the nearby mountains around Cauldron. In a volcanic region, the mines could logically be diamond mines. His main export is finely crafted obsidian furniture, so there could be quarries as well.
The main antagonists of the campaign arc are allied with the demodands of Carceri, so there's plently of those in the later adventures. Besides them, there are plently of demons in the adventures (even one that takes the PC's to a layer of the abyss) and a few devils as well. There's also a number of half-fiends and other such nasties in the later adventures too.
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Squire James
Explorer
Mild spoilers in this post... those who have been through it will know what I mean, but I don't think I have any real surprises here!
All I can say is that the planar adventure is a really, really bad place to have a TPK, especially near the end. I tried continuing the path with new PC's but the start of the next adventure made little sense because the bad guys were essentially sending assassins out after people who didn't do anything (yet). Later on, they failed to pick up on some crucial plot hooks because said hooks were seen only by the dead PC's (and my players tend to miss clues when slapped in the face with them). The PC's had no idea what to do, and I was getting tired of railroading, so the campaign died.
One villain killed the party, killed the campaign, and didn't even succeed in his objective! Very ironic.
All I can say is that the planar adventure is a really, really bad place to have a TPK, especially near the end. I tried continuing the path with new PC's but the start of the next adventure made little sense because the bad guys were essentially sending assassins out after people who didn't do anything (yet). Later on, they failed to pick up on some crucial plot hooks because said hooks were seen only by the dead PC's (and my players tend to miss clues when slapped in the face with them). The PC's had no idea what to do, and I was getting tired of railroading, so the campaign died.
One villain killed the party, killed the campaign, and didn't even succeed in his objective! Very ironic.
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