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Author
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Comment
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Boden Blagden
Here for a while
(3/22/03 4:12 pm)
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Constant Travel.
Does anyone or has anyone else have the problem of their group constantly going back and forth from the CRM to the city. My group seems to go back to the city like every two sessions or less to identify and sell magic items. The book says that places will fill back up with guards, but that really just gets redundnt and a bunch of human, orc, gnoll, or elf guards aren't any match for my group now anyway.
If they leave this time I was thinking of having Ukemil and the dire lions (kind of sounds like a singing group) waiting for the party at the main entrance. They will have to bust through the door again after it has been rebuilt and baracaded and this will give Ukemil enough time to buff up himself and the lions. I could have like one human guard waiting at one of the arrow slits looking out to see when they are coming.
They are also thinking about setting up camp before they leave to go back to town in the area of the water temple where Keleshein's and Noobil's rooms are right past the pit. They always use Leomund's Secure Shelter to rest so Ukemil could just wait until the shelter goes away and then attack that way.
I wish they would stay in the mines longer than just two days or three days at a time. It takes them longer to travel back and forth than they spend in the mines each time.
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Killiak 
Here to stay
(3/22/03 4:18 pm)
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well
Have the outer fane take notice; ambush them with the stalkers and the assasins when they are sleeping during the return trip. Use the uscubus to screw with them in town. Use thrommel to really kick their asses during CRM time. Keep this up; eventually the PC's will tire of it and decide to take everything out the hard way.
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Boden Blagden
Here for a while
(3/22/03 4:59 pm)
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Re: well
Well, Victor is already dead, and Thrommel would slaughter the PCs at this point. They might be able to take him with a little luck and ingenuity, but I seriously doubt it. The Outer Fane does know who the PCs are and they are keeping an eye on them when they go to town. Chatrilon was watching them but he died with Victor. I think I am going to send the Succubus to spy on them now, or maybe the Doppleganger. Of course the Jaroo Doppleganger is a sleeper right now.
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Caedrel
Here for a while
(3/22/03 10:38 pm)
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Re: the real problem
The real problem is the classic one of the party wanting to (quite rightly) figure out what they've got so they can maximise their use of it or sell it to get the things they do really want: without this ability, they're really going to struggle as their wealth level falls behind their experience progression.
I don't have any easy answers for this: there's some discussion in the Best of the Boards about it.
I would also say that it might help their sense of urgency if they started getting the idea of some cataclysmic plot afoot: apart form foreshadowing the rest of the module, it would impress upon them the fact that time is of the essence: if they waste it, the multiverse goes *poof*...
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Eltern
Here for a while
(3/23/03 6:24 am)
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Hmm
Use the "magical vending machine" idea from the Best of the Boards. I used this to keep my players from going to Verbobonc all the time. They used Tulian's Eye as the "key" for a large dwarven golem in the forge near the blade spirit. This golem, once activated by the diamond, could make anything three times normal speed, as long as he was given enough gp or equivalent value, including other magic items they were done with.
Eltern
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Boden Blagden
Here for a while
(3/23/03 6:50 am)
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Re: Hmm
I was going to use the "Item creation Golem" idea, and they found Tulian's eye and found the Golem, and noticed that it was missing an eye. I also made it though that the Hammerspheres powered the golem. I told them that there were six spots in the golems chest. After they found the Golem they went back to town, forgot about it, and never came back. Now the South Entrance is full of Omartharis and his group. They haven't even been to the dwarven temple yet.
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Siobharek 
Still here? Wow.
(3/24/03 5:09 am)
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Re: Hmm
You can also use the Spider Eater Riders to great effect. At the time your group is ready to take on the fanes, the 'Riders are somewhat irrelevant, but it sounds like a squad would make for a good challenge at this point.
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
Cordo Crowfoot
Here to stay
(3/24/03 6:23 am)
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Re: Hmm
Have they tried Tymerian for Identify services?
Actually I'm surprised that my group hasn't been back to town once yet... They've taken out the main entrance, the western bridge complex, and are now working on the Dwarven Temple. Before the CRM they had about 9k worth of magic items each. They've now more than doubled that but haven't spent anything yet.
"They were immediately and absolutely recognizable as adventurers. They were hardy and dangerous, lawless, stripped of allegiance or morality, living off their wits, stealing and killing, hiring themselves out to whoever and whatever came... They were scum who died violent deaths, hanging on to a certain cachet among the impressionable through their undeniable bravery and their occasionally impressive exploits" China Mieville, Perdido Street Station |
smetzger
Here for a while
(3/24/03 7:05 am)
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Re: Constant Travel.
Check the BoB for the Magic Item characteristics. This will clue them in to some uses for magic items.
Also, I am generous with the abilities of Detect Magic, if they have an identical item to compare to, then the caster can determine that the items are identical.
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Boden Blagden
Here for a while
(3/24/03 1:10 pm)
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Re: Constant Travel.
Both the wizard and cleric of the party can identify items. There thing is they want to sell it all to get more money to get what they want. I did think of a way, kind of, to get them to stay in the mines longer.
If Varachan left them a note stating the urgency of them stopping Hedrack and the doomdreamers then maybe they would be compelled to delve deeper into the mines. They have taken out every temple except the Fire Temple. I just don't know what to put in the note from Varachan. Do any of you have some ideas.
If they leave this time though I am going to set up an ambush at the main entrance for them with Ukemil and the dire lions and the Invisible stalkers. Maybe this, if the assassins didn't, will make them see that this cult wants them dead now.
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Boden Blagden
Here for a while
(3/24/03 4:24 pm)
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Re: Constant Travel.
Another thing I was wondering. When Thrommel goes to the PCs the first time to try and get them to remove his coffin would he do it in the CRM. I would think doing it in the CRM would be better as he wouldn't get caught by Hedrack as easily. Scry can't tell what they are saying can it.
Also, when Thrommel approaches them and makes the proposal to get his coffin out what would he do if the party attacks him out right. Would he flee as soon as possible and save the fight for when he would have the advantage, or would he try to take one of them with him, or would he stay and fight and try to kill them all right there.
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Cordo Crowfoot
Here to stay
(3/24/03 5:26 pm)
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Re: Constant Travel.
If the party attacks him he will probably try to establish a position of dominance to force them to listen. If he can quickly dominate a fighter-type and have the fighter grapple a spell caster, then the party will be in trouble and perhaps more willing to listen. If not, probably retreat to try maybe one more time. If they still refuse to listen I would say it's a lost opportunity.
I'll let those more qualified than myself answer on whether he would make the approach in the CRM or in the Fanes.
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ronin
Here for a while
(3/24/03 6:41 pm)
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re: constant travel
Cordo is right on with his assessment of Thrommel. Don't underestimate his domination ability because it is powerful. When I used it against my PCs not one of them could make the save. Half of the group teleported out and the other half stayed and was dominated by Thrommel.
At this point knew they were ripe for the picking so Thrommel took a seat in front of the party paladin and started harrassing him verbally. Mocking him, his god, and anything else I could come up with at the moment. Needless to say the paladin's player developed a very real hatred for Thrommel.
That made it all the sweeter when the party realized he could be saved. He was one of the best NPCs in the adventure. It would be a coin toss between Thrommel and Hedrack for that honor I think. Have fun with him but be careful, he can decimate a party before you realize what's happening. Good luck!
ronin
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Siobharek
Still here? Wow.
(3/25/03 1:34 am)
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Re: re: constant travel
I would say that limiting the characters' access to having their items boosted is a fine line to thread. On the one hand, it jars with the adventure's tone of Save the World - Now!. But on the other hand, the system is based on characters growing stronger through better items as well as level gain. So pressing them too hard to stay could result in the group getting weaker.
Having said that, with the clerics' boost and protect spells, people can go far. Most of the heavy hitters in my group have +4 weapons, thanks to judicious (I say exaggerated) use of Greater Magic Weapon.
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
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