Uller
Adventurer
If you're name is Jason W and work as a software engineer and are playing a cleric going through the Twisting Halls adventure, DONT READ THIS!!!!
I'm running a lunch-time game at work. We play once a week or so and tend to get through about one encounter per game session. Most of the players are new to RPGs, but they've all played CRPGs so they get it.
So far, we've played a little over half way through the opening adventure in the Starter Kit. They've fought their way into the Twisting Halls and cleared encounters 1 (the Hex Hurler), 3 (the goblins and Rats) and 2 (The Dragon) in that order without a rest. The fight with the dragon was a blast (they tried talking with it, but rolled several 1s in their skill checks...the dragon decided he couldn't trust them and attacked while they were weak)
But now they're exhausted and need to rest. I think they are planning on sealing themselves in the dragon lair on the assumption that the goblins fear the dragon and won't bother him.
I sense my players understand the gist of combat now and are starting to want a little more role-playing and problem solving (Twisting Halls just seems like a series of random fights).
So...to make the dungeon a little more alive, I decided that Jinx, the Doppleganger, knows Traevus. Since Malareth does...I decided Malareth was a customer of Traevus's, became aware of the skull and Traevus refused to sell it to him...he's carrying it from Winterhaven to a safe location for the guy in Keep on the Shadowfell that is excavating the dragon burial ground. So Jinx would also know Traevus...
I plan on having Jinx disguise herself as Traevus in an attempt to infiltrate the party and lure them into a trap. Only one PC has met Traevus, so only that one would get a chance to see through the disguise (or maybe he'd get a +2 bonus on his check).
Surely Malareth would have access to more goblins than just those originally in the dungeon, so while the party rests, some replacements are found to set up an ambush and Jinx is to lure them into it.
Another option is Jinx joins the party as Traevus offering to help and turns on them at an opportune moment. I would think Malareth is very busy playing with his new toy (the skull), so Jinx and the bugbear are under orders to kill the PCs and under no circumstances is Malareth to be disturbed. If Jinx senses failure and her life is in danger, she will still switch sides to save her own skin.
Any other ideas on how to make the adventure a little more alive?
I'm running a lunch-time game at work. We play once a week or so and tend to get through about one encounter per game session. Most of the players are new to RPGs, but they've all played CRPGs so they get it.
So far, we've played a little over half way through the opening adventure in the Starter Kit. They've fought their way into the Twisting Halls and cleared encounters 1 (the Hex Hurler), 3 (the goblins and Rats) and 2 (The Dragon) in that order without a rest. The fight with the dragon was a blast (they tried talking with it, but rolled several 1s in their skill checks...the dragon decided he couldn't trust them and attacked while they were weak)
But now they're exhausted and need to rest. I think they are planning on sealing themselves in the dragon lair on the assumption that the goblins fear the dragon and won't bother him.
I sense my players understand the gist of combat now and are starting to want a little more role-playing and problem solving (Twisting Halls just seems like a series of random fights).
So...to make the dungeon a little more alive, I decided that Jinx, the Doppleganger, knows Traevus. Since Malareth does...I decided Malareth was a customer of Traevus's, became aware of the skull and Traevus refused to sell it to him...he's carrying it from Winterhaven to a safe location for the guy in Keep on the Shadowfell that is excavating the dragon burial ground. So Jinx would also know Traevus...
I plan on having Jinx disguise herself as Traevus in an attempt to infiltrate the party and lure them into a trap. Only one PC has met Traevus, so only that one would get a chance to see through the disguise (or maybe he'd get a +2 bonus on his check).
Surely Malareth would have access to more goblins than just those originally in the dungeon, so while the party rests, some replacements are found to set up an ambush and Jinx is to lure them into it.
Another option is Jinx joins the party as Traevus offering to help and turns on them at an opportune moment. I would think Malareth is very busy playing with his new toy (the skull), so Jinx and the bugbear are under orders to kill the PCs and under no circumstances is Malareth to be disturbed. If Jinx senses failure and her life is in danger, she will still switch sides to save her own skin.
Any other ideas on how to make the adventure a little more alive?
