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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 12:06AM
#11
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Date Joined:
Oct 10, 2003
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I have detailed each NPC in the adventure like this... each with a description, some history and traits. I include some motivation or a goal for each NPC and then use that information in how they interact with the PCs.
Thank you Relic for sharing your experience.
The funny thing is that I focused on the lord's family myself, envisaging a scene in which the characters meet Pardraig's wife in the manor courtyard playing with her childers. I wanted to be just a role-playing ecounter and nothing more (no useful information to be having from the young lady of the town) but I depicted in my mind very vividly.
I believe you are all right when you sort of say "follow the wave". If it is mainly role-playing the kind of game that it is going to establish, then be it. Zikadik is right when he says enjoy the town of Winterhaven and the myriad people in it. True. It is though necessary to work a little more on the NPCs, as Relic did with Pardraig. I meant to write on our forum a little description on all of them, just a reminder for the players. I'll stretch out those descriptions.
Out of curiosity Relic, what is your description of Ninaran? She's turning out a major player in Kalarel's game... one of the characters trusts her completely (the dragonborn paladin! For god's sake, the dragonborn paladin!) and even asked her to meet the next day after the meeting the characters agreed on with Pardraig (in which he airs them for the kobold thing).
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 5:25AM
#12
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Date Joined:
Sep 28, 2007
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I've fleshed out the characters in some small ways, though not as extensive as Relic. Well, some of it is in depth. I generally let the pictures tell the story while flipping through them and listening to some music. Hey, it's all part of being a DM! Lord Padraig had a young son who is dead, killed by marauders recently. His wife, Lady Cynthia Padraig, is mad with grief and won't let their youngest daughter Krista out of her sight. Cynthia is armed at all times with a knife and is beginning to frighten Padraig, who compensates by drinking deeper into his cups at Salvana Wrafton's tavern. To complicate matters, Salvana is a lusty woman who is in love with Padraig and wouldn't mind seeing the wife leave town. Salvana's lustiness (and she's not a s-lut necessarily) could have an influence on a charismatic PC.   Now, these are just the random pictures i had in my Big Book of NPCs. When i saw the dagger in the womans' hand, it created the story idea of a protective mother who is bordering on insane. Salvana is pretty hot, and she has the trait of also being extremely ****-retentive and clean, going as far as sweeping under the tables while people sit there and getting angry if they don't put their beers on coasters. This anger might also mask flirtatious activity, i dunno. We haven't made characters yet, we do that Saturday. Thair Coalstriker has a gimp leg from birth, which has prevented his career as an adventurer. He is still sore about it, and pounds his hammer on anvil all day long fantasizing about killing goblinkin, muttering his threats and curses while he works. I won't do this for everyone because the PCs probably won't even TALK to everyone, so some of it will have to be done on the fly, which is simultaneously the hardest and most rewarding part of GMing any game system, making stuff up on the spur of the moment to accommodate the players actions and words.
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 5:31AM
#13
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Date Joined:
Sep 28, 2007
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This is sort of OT, but does anyone know if the Virtual Table Top will allow a way to share artwork? That's a massive part of my gaming style, that and music which i'm sure the VTT won't allow. You got to hear each other talking.
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 6:04AM
#14
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Date Joined:
Jun 13, 2008
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Can somebody give me a bit of advice?
As a GM I've just bought Shadowfell and been reading through the adventure (can't wait to play it with my players tomorrow) and I noticed on Kalarel it says "AC22 (see also Shadow Form, below)" - I've flipped back and forth through the booklett and can't find anything about this mysterious Shadow Form.
Also am I reading it right where it says kobolds can shift 1 square as a minor action, that they could do that AFTER they make their attack move? So they could move into combat, attack, and then shift away from combat?
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 6:50AM
#15
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Date Joined:
Sep 28, 2007
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Can somebody give me a bit of advice?
As a GM I've just bought Shadowfell and been reading through the adventure (can't wait to play it with my players tomorrow) and I noticed on Kalarel it says "AC22 (see also Shadow Form, below)" - I've flipped back and forth through the booklett and can't find anything about this mysterious Shadow Form.
Also am I reading it right where it says kobolds can shift 1 square as a minor action, that they could do that AFTER they make their attack move? So they could move into combat, attack, and then shift away from combat?
From the official errata:
On page 78 Kalarel has "(see also shadow form below)" listed next to his armor class, what is this?
Kalarel does not have this ability, it should be ignored.
Yeah, the kobolds can shift away from combat as a minor action, which makes them very dangerous. They can also shift into flanking positions and mob attacks very easily.
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 7:05AM
#16
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Date Joined:
Oct 10, 2003
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Zikadik, that is very funny! In my KotS Salvara is a middle-aged woman keen on making the most of it from the merchants and adventurers passing through Winterhaven. She's always smiling and prjecting an image of good humour and solidarity, even she couldn't care a straw about her customers! Virae, the female dwarf fighter of the party, is convinced Salvara is her friend but the hostess is actually everybody's friend! She didn't really help Virae when she asked about some cult activity in the area and rather gossiped about a little incident occured in the market place the day before (something I made up: on their way to Winterhaven the players met a merchant and his son, very angry about the treatment they received in town. I meant this as a noncombat encounter). It is interesting to note that some players think that tavern's owner MUST be friendly to the players! Out of curiosity: where you thinking about Bree Van de Kamp from the Desperate Housewives TV series when you created Salvara and Lady Pardraig? There's a Bree Van de Kamp halo to them!
As for Lady Pardraig, she is a fine youn woman, very much attached to her four sons. The characters will meet her the next day (they are resting at Wrafton's right now) playing in the manour court with her two younger childres. She will just nod to them and might become interested in their concerns later on. Her husband is a member of the Order of the Gryffon, instituted by King Aryad when he and his wife, Queen Charlotte, established the Kingdom of Valgard more than 20 years ago. I set KotS in the northenmost part of the kingdom, close to a mountain range. Pardraig was one of Aryad's squires and when he got the crown made it the ruler of Winterhaven. In my KotS he is not suffering under any tragedy... but he may come in handy later, when some of the characters might getting interested in the Order.
I am still undecided about Ninaran... what do you suggest?
As for your second question... I don't know. I strongly hope so. Besides, the thing is still not working.
PaulusAugustus, indeed they can. As far as I've undestood the rules, it's their trademark (otherwise shifting is a move action). So they can stick together and the Dragonshields get their +1 bonus on attack rolls (per kobold ally adjacent to the target). Remember it's impossible to shift in difficoult terrain (foliage near the road in "On the road" and A1).
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 7:11AM
#17
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Date Joined:
Sep 21, 2007
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Yes Kobolds are officially awesome now! And don't forget Paulus, about the Kobold Dragonshields extra shifting ability when enemies move/shift adjacent or away from them. That will throw your players for a loop the first couple of times, and it makes the fighter's combat challenge very important.
All of this character detailing is great. I used the Salvana has a thing for Lord Padraig as well, though hers is more of a desperation thing in my game. I also like the idea of using Padraig's children to link the story to Fallcrest, as I foresee moving things in that direction eventually.
Magnificat, can you expand on your use of Ninaran? I basically followed the book and had her blow off the NPC's, especially after my fighter got ****** and spilled a mug of ale on her. Now I feel like I've wasted a great opportunity. Oh well, they'll be returning to Winterhaven soon enough. Maybe I'll have Ninaran kind of suck up to them, apologize for being so rude, etc. That'd be a little suspicious, don't you think? Although, I think i'll play to their egos and have her take the "awestruck groupy" approach to the new heroes.
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 7:21AM
#18
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Date Joined:
Sep 28, 2007
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I haven't done anything for Ninaran yet aside from her picture. She's sort of an androgynous elf who doesn't look unpleasant. I haven't decided how i'll play her up, but she'll be in the tavern the first time. She might feign interest in the party so she can report back to Kalarel.
You know, i hadn't really thought about how much detailing the NPCs needed in this adventure. Sure, it's fun, but it takes some work.
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 7:24AM
#19
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Date Joined:
Oct 10, 2003
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Magnificat, can you expand on your use of Ninaran? I basically followed the book and had her blow off the NPC's, especially after my fighter got ****** and spilled a mug of ale on her. Now I feel like I've wasted a great opportunity. Oh well, they'll be returning to Winterhaven soon enough. Maybe I'll have Ninaran kind of suck up to them, apologize for being so rude, etc. That'd be a little suspicious, don't you think? Although, I think i'll play to their egos and have her take the "awestruck groupy" approach to the new heroes.
Basically, I am still undecied about her. I followed the adventure book myself, so she was in the inn having a mug of ale. I described her as an elfmaiden with a "eladrin-like" air to her... aloof and vague, beautiful but with a strong body, with a iron gaze and beautiful brown hair. The dragonborn paladin was immediately attracted to her and accosted her (she was sitting besides the fireplace, even though it's june in the game as well and no fire was blazing). She was at first not so nice to the character but then he spilled out everything, asking her if she noticed some strange activity in the area. So she got worried and decided to play the hero part herself, showing to the paladin two red marks on he right arm that she claimed she had procured fighting a giant spider whereas they are the result of a wicked ritual she perfomed together with Kalarel. The paladin asked her to meet the next day in order to tell her everything that will pass among the characters and Lord Pardraig.
So, as you see, right now she's acting like the adventure book suggests, with some strokes of personality that let her become one of the main NPC last session.
So, what shall I do? I can use her at the last moment, when the PCs are confronting Kalarel and she shows up as Kalarel's agent or she might live an epiphany and betray Kalarel later on in the adventure... what do you suggest?
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5 years ago ::
Jun 13, 2008 - 7:26AM
#20
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Date Joined:
Sep 28, 2007
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So, what shall I do? I can use her at the last moment, when the PCs are confronting Kalarel and she shows up as Kalarel's agent or she might live an epiphany and betray Kalarel later on in the adventure... what do you suggest?
Hmm...shades of gray. Maybe she's not evil but misguided? It's a cult after all, and they're known to masterfully throw the wool over one's eyes.
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