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2 years ago ::
Feb 19, 2011 - 10:07PM
#41
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Date Joined:
Mar 24, 2010
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I can understand the decision to remove gold pieces from treasure. However, I found almost immediately that I needed to put it back in to make the party happy and have the story work. Goblins without gold!? With the concept that the party are settlers of new community, they wanted money all the more as they actually had plans for the future that in many cases involved profit (and the need for a nest egg). Our Tiefling Warlock is working with a Dwarven Brewer to try to become Inverness' new Beer Baron. The Cleric wants to make a Shrine to Pelor to go along with the Temple to Moridin that is planned. The 1/2 Orc Knight wants to build a fortress and raise an army. Other characters have plans for making the new live in Inverness, which I thought was a nice touch and made this adventure different then most.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 24, 2011 - 10:36AM
#42
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Date Joined:
Jan 27, 2011
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I have been Dming the past three sessions of this encounters. In the video on the main site it says DMs and Players will both receive rewards for participating. I know the players rewards are tied to the fortune cards they earn from renown points but it makes not mention of what a DM can expect to recieve out of it (other than all the fun of running the game).
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2 years ago ::
Feb 24, 2011 - 12:08PM
#43
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Date Joined:
Jan 31, 2004
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I believe the DM gets to keep the materials for the encounter session i.e. the module and maps.
Joe
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2 years ago ::
Feb 25, 2011 - 3:47PM
#44
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I believe the DM gets to keep the materials for the encounter session i.e. the module and maps.
And a pack of condition cards. But the adventure is the main DM reward.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 26, 2011 - 11:47AM
#45
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Date Joined:
Jun 18, 2003
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Hi Rodney, Quick question about your intent for Session 4: Spoiler:
Show
The intent of the encounter seems to be to keep Brother Splintershield and the other ritualists safe while they perform the sanctifying ritual. I was expecting there to be some consequences if a certain number of bad guys got past the PCs and into the interior of the ruins: more rounds the PCs need to defend, less XP, etc. There doesn't seem to be anything like that in the adventure. Is there anything you had in mind when designing the adventure that would make this really interesting encounter a little more focused on the task the PCs are supposed to perform, rather than just survive for x number of rounds. Thanks!
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2 years ago ::
Feb 28, 2011 - 5:42AM
#46
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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Last season, DMs received a 2011 Calendar with all the new Essentials artstyle throughout and dates for all the forthcoming Encounters and Cons listed in addition to a special edition of some Gale Force Nine DM Tokens.
DM Rewards vary from season to season and may be based upon participation- I can't say for sure. They're a nice surprise at the end of a season.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 28, 2011 - 5:44AM
#47
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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Hi Rodney,
Quick question about your intent for Session 4:
Spoiler:
Show
The intent of the encounter seems to be to keep Brother Splintershield and the other ritualists safe while they perform the sanctifying ritual. I was expecting there to be some consequences if a certain number of bad guys got past the PCs and into the interior of the ruins: more rounds the PCs need to defend, less XP, etc. There doesn't seem to be anything like that in the adventure. Is there anything you had in mind when designing the adventure that would make this really interesting encounter a little more focused on the task the PCs are supposed to perform, rather than just survive for x number of rounds.
Thanks!
I think the big point of this encounter is not the combat but the story development that happens aftewards. The challenge this week will be to keep everyone's attention. I see it happen too often once the last monster dies peoples start packing their stuff up and making their final purchases for the evening or cracking open the Magic cards. This will be a break from that and I've already warned my players via email - expect this encounter session to be a little different.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 28, 2011 - 8:15AM
#48
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Date Joined:
Apr 17, 2008
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I definitely agree the point of this week is Spoiler:
Show
the introduction of Vladistone, but I feel this is a golden opportunity to challenge the party and give some consequences to their actions. Here is what I plan on doing.
I am slapping down an outdoors tile behind the PC start area putting down a token for Splintershield at its center.
Since Splintershield is able to raise an alarm when the undead first approach I figure things are okay for him to be interrupted and then continue the ritual again at least for the beginning.
If a creature gets adjacent to Aldus that will cause the ritual to pause and Aldus will have to reposition himself and continue the ritual.
Aldus can not reposition himself more than 3 squares from the origin of the ritual.
Everyone knows the end of the ritual is the most important/ easiest to screw up so the final two rounds of it must be uninterrupted. If it is, then he still has to do both over again. If they are able to interrupt the end of the ritual three times, the ritual is ruined.
I am going to play it by ear how many more, if any, skeletons rise if the ritual is slowed and more than 6 rounds go by. I am almost certainly adding at two more zombies at the beginning of the encounter. My players have been running roughshod over the encounters so far.
If the ritual is ruined Splintershield will join in the fight since he knows the opportunity has passed them by. With the ritual over no more creatures will rise so they should be able to kill off whatever remains. I admit what happens from there will get hairy, but I fully believe that the group can handle it and will enjoy the challenge. Personally as a player, if I was told to defend a character not on the board and we let a creature get past us in the direction of that character and there was no impact the encounter would feel pointless.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 28, 2011 - 11:52AM
#49
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Date Joined:
Feb 15, 2010
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Last season, DMs received a 2011 Calendar with all the new Essentials artstyle throughout and dates for all the forthcoming Encounters and Cons listed in addition to a special edition of some Gale Force Nine DM Tokens.
DM Rewards vary from season to season and may be based upon participation- I can't say for sure. They're a nice surprise at the end of a season.
Actually those wernt the rewards for last season they were the 2010 rewards for the 900 DM's that had done the most public play sessions including game days and encounters.
On the upside you are off to an early start for the 2011 rewards.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 28, 2011 - 1:02PM
#50
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- Dragon Slayer
- If only he would apply himself
- Dammit Jim, this is Star Trek, not D&D!
Date Joined:
Jan 31, 2006
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Regarding Session 4, I like what Smerwin is thinking. It is nice to have an impact for success or failure. Some ideas on the battle, contains spoilers:
Show
I like the idea of placing down a tile for the rear of the fight, with Brother Splintershield there. If you have extra minis, place some allies there (even just a few representative minis) and describe how they are shooting at the undead coming from that direction. Any PC can automatically see that this is a stalemate and they are ok... the problem is the road where the PCs must concentrate.
For the road, the key here is to keep the PCs engaged with the fun of the recurring foes. You can deviate from the amount prescribed based on whether they are having too easy or too tough a time. You can even have some rise behind the PCs to mess with rear ranks or even go for Splintershield. That can be fun. Battles with many minions work really well when you stress the RP side of things. Describe how each and every one of those foes crawls out of the ground, staggers to life with unholy glowing eyes, fights with one of their own broken arms, etc. Recreate a classic zombie/undead movie with the descriptions and leave no certainty that the battle will end.
Challenge-wise, keep in mind they are about to get an extended rest. This ends the chapter. You have some latitude to throw some over-the-top stuff if things get too easy. Maybe two undead flank a PC and drag that ally into the ground, immobilizing him/her. Maybe an undead that dies explodes in a shard of bone, doing auto-damage to PCs. Maybe one of the non-minions rasps a strange word of power, and for one round the minions can only die at the end of their next turn (see the Dark Sun Creature Catalog human slave minion power, but make it clear to PCs that the creature is slowly falling apart and no additional damage is needed. This way they don't waste attacks, but each minion that round gets to attack whether hit or not).
I like what rpgadamd wrote. Another possible mechanic is to give splintershield a maximum of being hit three times without the ritual being weakened. RP his being hit, with blood pouring down his robes as he continues to try to keep the ritual going. If he is hit a third time, he keeps chanting, but the voice is weak and wavers. If a player expresses a desire to help the priest, consider allowing religion skill checks or letting him be healed as erasing one hit. The more you describe what is happening, the more you will see players respond to this.
A possible consequence is in Session 6. There, the weakened ritual can play a role and be a nice reminder of consequences - the priest can talk about it as the battle rages.
I also agree with what bongbobenny writes. The fun isn't just in the combat. This seems to me a good encounter for the question game. Spoiler:
Show
Consider having Vladistone assess the worth of the PCs by asking each one a question. The idea here is to get the players to RP and to think about what their PCs are like. Ideas for the questions:
- What was your greatest exploit?
- Tell me of your past. What has made you what you are today?
- Which of your companions do you value most and why?
- What is life's greatest gift?
- If you had all the time in the world, what goal would you seek to accomplish?
- Tell me of something you have lost and what it meant to you.
- If you had sworn to protect someone but found their morals were opposed to yours, would you protect them still?
- Why do you fight for people that are not your kin?
There is no right answer and the answers do not sway Vladistone. He does not react to any answers. This is just for the benefit of players getting to know their own PCs a bit better. If a player has trouble answering, give them time and go on to someone else while they think of an answer. You can even ask a different question. If you sense something that would be fun to explore, Vladistone can ask a follow-up or for more detail.
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