Shackled City for 4 players ideas

[bloodydrake]

I'm curious where does it say that its been changed to 6players? I can't find reference to that at all.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

If running it with 3 players, DEFINITELY use the Gestalt rules from Unearthed Arcana.

Worked for us.

Now that's an interesting idea! I had been planning to simply make them play two characters a piece, but that adds so many weird organizational and dramatic issues that I make them vote on that vs. Gestalt.

I wonder if I know anyone locally who has Unearthed Arcana?

And what sort of issues would result from Gestalt Iron Heroes characters.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I'm curious where does it say that its been changed to 6players? I can't find reference to that at all.

Page 400, in the "Creating Characters" appendix.

Re-reading, I thikn that four characters can handle it if they are experienced, cautious players who use good tactics, and you provide a little extra time for rest and recuperation, as well as a little extra help -- whether an alliance with a temple for cheap healing, a few hirelings for extra muscle, or joining up with the Striders of Farlaghn from time to time for the really tough tasks.

 

[Sunderstone]

We had a semi-TPK at Kazmojen my last outing. Two died, and two were captured (Dwarf War3 and Halfling Rog3).
Last month I finally started DM'ing the Shackled City again, and tonight we finished it. The party rescued the two older characters and with the Dwarf prisoners help, defeated Kazmojen and his hellish Howler. The halfling prisoner, once freed and re-armed took Coryston Pike to safety.
The great thing about Life's Bazaar is that if you need help... theres alot of it. Fario, Fellian, Coryston Pike, etc.

We are "4-manning" it as well. As someone mentioned an Iconic party being optimal. Originally we had an NPC Rogue, now the player who originally played the Halfling before he was captured by Kazmojen, wants to play him instead. So the Mage has become the NPC.

The Shackled City has been excellent so far. Next week we start the "lost" adventure (Drakthar's Way") to get them to 4th level for Flood Season.

 

[Runesong42]

Ooo, I was thinking of trying to run it with three people. Ah well, at least one of them is jonesing for an above 20th level experience.

Either that or it might be a good impetus to recruit new people.

If you were open to the idea, you might consider running characters as gestalt characters based on rules from Unearthed Arcana. It gives the players more option without overpowering them, and it can be a decent balancing factor against a module set up for six people.

EDIT: Yup, read the WHOLE thread before posting. ^_^

I believe UA is OGL, so here's the skinny:
Take two core classes. Take the best of both -- Hit Dice, saves, weapon/armor proficiencies, number of feats, skill points... apply all class abilities. Example: A Fighter/Wizard 1/1 gains 1d10 HP, simple/martial wpn proficiencies, F +2 R +0 W +2, spells, Create Scroll feat. As you increase levels, up whatever goes up at the best rate, add new skills/feats (but don't double up feats).

It gets trickier when/if you throw in Prestige Classes, but the same theory applies. All class bonuses, but the player picks which class goes up (Ex: if the Fighter/Wiz become an Arcane Archer, he has to decide if he gets the benefits for his Fighter or Wizard class when he adds on Arcane Archer, then takes the best of both as usual). Take the PrC's that are similar to gestalt characters off the table (Mystic Theurge, Spellthief for example)

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Also the Character Creation rules suggest using 28pt buy for characters, so I'd say maybe going to 32 point buy would help 4pcs survive.

Not that you can force players to choose a type of PC, but I ran 4 people through RttToEE and COULD NOT KILL THEM. The other GM running RttToEE was burning through PCs left and right, and I was going through and doing absolutely harrowing things with templates and CRs, often making fights MORE difficult for my particular party ... and they kept trucking on.

We realized later that it was because almost every single character was either a multiclassed cleric or some sort of divine caster and had Cures on their spell lists. And everybody had wands of Cure X. Between fights they would top off from the "Happy Sticks" and in fights the Rog/Clr could tumble around tossing off cures ... the Bbn/Clr could get raged up and smash the heck out of everything for a while as the Bbn/Drd tossed off spells, and when the Bbn/Clr was getting low on HP he could fall back, fall out of rage, and cure himself up and/or add buffs to the now-raging Bbn/Drd. Etc. They were horribly top-heavy with cures and buffs.

I'd also make sure that each of the four has one of the traits from the character-creation section, as well, and maybe take that moment to give them a free starting feat. If you'd like to pump them up just a little (and I don't think it would take TOO much) add a new feat choice at all Stat Increase levels as well (4th, 8th, etc). That has the added bonus of letting them get in more character-direction feats, and who doesn't need more feats?

--fje

 

[Sunderstone]

I have to add that Im against the butchering of the Core Classes posted by Runesong42, and the purist in me is pretty much closed to alternate/variant rules that move along this route. This is probably why I didnt buy Unearthed Arcana.

As for HeapThaumaturgist's party, I wont stop anyone from Multi-Classing as I like multi-classed characters in general. Though in a 4 man party, Id rather have each one shining in some area. Having everyone with the healing capability kind of takes away from the party's Cleric or Druid.
This campaign has a few "meat grinder" spots in it, having a second healer is a good practice. My players buy Wands of Cure **** Wounds fairly frequently in every campaign, and our current Rogue always maxxes the Use Magic Device skill every level for this reason.

I have to agree with Olgar Shiverstone on the cautious and experienced party. A smart "4-man" party can do this using occasional help from time to time via NPCs and/or hirelings. Ultimately, alot of the success is up to the DM (no news there ).
A good DM will know how to pace it that a smaller party has the proper time to rest and recover without making it too easy.

 

[Simplicity]

I have to say, I'm not thrilled with the Gestalt characters idea, myself. Mainly because there are some people who may not be very experienced with the game involved.

I'm definitely going to go with the 32-point buy, and I considered using the FR character origins section, which often starts a character off with a magic item.

My parties in the past could build camp fires out of the expired cure light wound sticks... So that probably won't be an issue.

Adding Drakthar's Way was nice, but I'm not entirely certain that the adventure is easier than Flood Season... In fact, I'd rather go up against Tongueater before going up against Drakthar any day. Drakthar is a bad-a**.