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5 years ago ::
Nov 18, 2008 - 12:23AM
#11
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Date Joined:
Aug 18, 2007
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If only WotC had thought to tie the modules together that well...
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5 years ago ::
Nov 18, 2008 - 5:04PM
#12
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Yes, I am disappointed in WotC's lack of an actual overview on the SoW path. But the DM has to make the whole thing flow per his own story telling sense, I would think anyway. Not just that, but also fleshed out in areas that make the most sense given the likes and dislikes of the players.
In my own game, I love making the villains personal. The players love it as well. Then, when the villain is ultimately defeated, it makes for a very satisfying victory. I'll even do this in individual battles. Make the sergeant in charge of the orc patrol hate elves and order his men to concentrate on the PC elf. For instance, in the intro Rivenroar encounter where the hobs were attacking the town, I actually had a hobgoblin take a shine to the PC wizard and try to grab her and drag her off with him. It actually made him less effective in battle since he'd probably have been more effective attacking normally, but it made the moment memorable and gave her (the player) a reason to feel personally affronted by this minor villain to make his defeat more satisfying, even though he was just hobgoblin raider #3 otherwise.
El Cucuy
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4 years ago ::
Nov 23, 2008 - 9:09AM
#13
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Date Joined:
Oct 26, 2007
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Oh, wow. I RAN the module, and I didn't even realize they had killed The Emissary, just like I didn't realize they had found the brass key. What a fine, well-written, tightly-connected campaign this is...
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4 years ago ::
Nov 23, 2008 - 9:23AM
#14
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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It is revealed that that dark one from Siege is not 'the' emissary. I don't have it in front of me, but I think it was Sarshan that is actually the Emissary who was dealing with Sinruth from Rescue at Rivenroar.
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4 years ago ::
Nov 23, 2008 - 12:12PM
#15
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It is revealed that that dark one from Siege is not 'the' emissary. I don't have it in front of me, but I think it was Sarshan that is actually the Emissary who was dealing with Sinruth from Rescue at Rivenroar.
Yeah, I just downloaded the latest adventure this week and I read that too. Wow, gotta love that! I'm really enjoying how they surprise the DM with campaign details.
Right now they're publishing adventures about two ahead of where my players and I are currently on the path. Even knowing what is happening two adventures ahead I'm barely managing to put details in to foreshadow and tie things together. And even this latest adventure tossed me a curve with the new revelation about Sarshan. So, apparently, Iranda the Emissary from Bodrin's Watch is really just the emissary of The Emissary... If the forces of evil are trying to win by confusing the heroes, they are doing a damn fine job.
I'm actually thinking of using all this confusion. Not sure if I'll be playing it straight or using it for comedy. But I may have a lot of emissary's. Maybe even make it a running joke throughout the campaign where everyone is someone's emissary.
I get the strong feeling this adventure path is written by committee. I don't have the adventures handy (i.e., I'm too lazy to open up the PDFs), but I strongly suspect these adventures are not written by the same person each month...
El Cucuy
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4 years ago ::
Nov 23, 2008 - 1:43PM
#16
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My players were actually quite challenged by the Boiler Room encounter (with the Dark Emissary), because the way it played out, they ended up fighting two (2) rooms at once. Half the party was dealing with the "The Gauntlet" while the other party members prematurely attracted the attention of the orcs in the Boiler Room.
It's a good thing they had Kalad with them, his off-tanking and heals were much needed assets.
I had read other threads on this forum, and knew that Iranda was supposed to be carrying the brass key ... but that news errata never mattered for our group, because he escaped. During the confusion, and with the party divided in two rooms, he used his Dark Step and Cloak of Shadow abilities to escape (with 8 hit points remaining).
I made it very clear to the party that this Dark Creeper was the Emissary (even though I know he's not the Emissary referenced in the first module). When the party first enters the Boiler Room, an orc scout spots them and shouts, "Emissary! The Witch lied. There are more," pointing to the party.
Since he escaped, however, the party never obtained his Brass Key. But that's why we are DM's, right? We need to take a certain creative license now and then. I plan to have this Dark Creeper be the same one that Reniss encountered in the Clean Sheets (p.13, Shadow Rift of Umbraforge) -- and perhaps have the players pay him a visit before heading to the Happy Beggar. That will fit nicely, since he's all beat up; it's the players who beat him up. It won't be difficult to intimidate the brass key from him in his current condition.
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