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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Oct 2009 : 16:34:31
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Okay, so now that my group has a total of 4 Pathfinder books, and I am getting a turn to DM again, I decided to run a Pathfinder game using the Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave adventure. Here is the info I gave my players: quote:
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-21845/land.htm
The above link should give you some basic ideas for playing in Cormyr. The main articles I suggest you read are "How to adventure in Cormyr," "The Law in Cormyr," "Wizards in Cormyr," and "Adventuring Companies." Basically, you guys have to form a registered adventuring company. Do not worry about the fees involved.
The ability arrays available to you are:
18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 and 16, 16, 16, 14, 12, 10
You can play any “goodly” race (if there are questions as to whether or not a race is goodly, please contact me) up to a +2 LA without any penalty. Be aware though that Cormyreans are a bit racist, but as long as you are not from a recognizably evil race you should be okay for the most part. That being said, I am not trying to force you to be human, seeing as I do not normally play a human myself. 3.5 subraces without a +0 LA receive a bonus +2 to one ability score based on the Pathfinder version of their base race (i.e. Halfling subraces with a +0 LA receive a +2 to Cha, and Dwarf subraces with a +0 LA receive a +2 Wisdom
Classes available are as follows: all classes in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, Expanded Psionic Handbook, Complete Psionic, Magic of Incarnum, Tome of Battle, and Tome of Magic. Any non-Eastern classes from the rest of the Complete books (if you want to play one of the Eastern classes you must contact me and there will be some required reading that I will make available). Also I will allow you to play an Awakened, Mage, or Werewolf from Monte Cook’s World of Darkness, but you will start at level 1 (you get starting hit dice) and this will count as your class and your race. Please run any prestige classes you wish to use by me first (though at level 4 there should very few that anyone will qualify for). If you have questions as to how a specific class fits into the Realms, please check out the Class Chronicles (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/archfr/frcc) article for that class. If you have further questions, please contact me.
Skills will work pretty much the same as in the PFRPG except as follows. You get to choose which skills are you class skills. The number of class skills you have are equal to 2 + your skill points per level (i.e. a fighter gets skill points equal to 2 + his Int mod per level, therefore he receives class skills equal to 2 + 2 + his Int mod). It is these skills that you can receive a trained bonus in. The cost of skill rank prerequisites for 3.5 feats, prestige classes, and skill tricks (from the Complete Scoundrel) is reduced by 3, to a minimum of 1 rank per skill rank prerequisite.
The size modifiers for Combat Maneuver Bonus (CMB) and Combat Maneuver Defense (CMB) are as follows: Fine –8, Diminutive –4, Tiny –2, Small –1, Medium +0, Large +1, Huge +2, Gargantuan +4, Colossal +8.
Feats and equipment other abilities that would add a +4 bonus to a Combat Maneuver (i.e. bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, sunder, or trip) from a 3.5 source instead adds a +2 bonus.
My DMing skills are out of use and a bit rusty. Does anyone have some tips for me? The only resources I have are the entirety of the 3.x Realms campaign accessories. Also, I have a star elf, a half-orc, and an elf (there will be two more players).
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Edited by - Hawkins on 14 Oct 2009 17:18:38
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2009 : 22:31:59
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Which kind of info/tips do you want, i.e. about "crunchy" sources or fluff? I'm running a PF campaign set in Thunderstone, so I can give you some adventure/campaign ideas (e.g. I'm adapting the 'Age of Worms' AP for Cormyr), but I'm lousy with tactics and crunch.  |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2009 : 23:22:26
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More fluff. The crunchy bits are not too hard. Mainly I just need to calculate the CMB and CMD for each NPC.
I am trying to get my players to form an adventuring group, but I have not gotten a lot of feedback from them so far.
Also, any Dungeon issues that may be good for side quests and similar such things would be helpful. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3243 Posts |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 00:29:27
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Basically awarding an extra +2 to an ability score, depending on the race and its flavor. And I think that classes from most of the non-PH1 3.5 books are well-balanced with the Pathfinder core classes, so I am not too worried about that.
Having thought about it on the way home from work, I think I am more looking for other people's experiences with running the Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave adventure, and anything they thought made it easier/harder to run. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31726 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 00:30:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
How are you handling non-core classes and races? The Bestiary will be out next Wednesday, so that should take care of the 'common' non-core races.
At it looks good! I must say, this is the first time, in a long time, that I've been that impressed with a particular monster tome.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 13 Oct 2009 00:31:30 |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 00:36:20
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| Hawkins, which sort of fluff would you like to have? And do you mean generic fluff about Vast Swamp, Wheloon, Monksblade, Battlerise and other locations nearby? Or adding more fluff to encounters, locations and NPC backgrounds in that module? |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4436 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 04:05:52
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When I ran that campaign, I started the PCs in Thunderstone with a small and simple adventure to get them all together (their characters didn't know each other at the time). It involved a very small, still forming, cult of Shar (linked to that in Wheloon) which involved a Black Dragon slowly gaining power with the help of a necromancer mage in an abandoned Cormyerean(sp?) manor.
The manor once belonged to a high noble Cormyrean(sp?) line which was caught helping plot the assassination of Azoun and thus the family was "ousted" as traitors to the crown. It soon became a haven for lesser vermin such as goblins, kobolds, and orcs. Once the mage and black dragon took it over secretly, they started using kobolds to steal away villagers from nearby Thunderstone (mostly the elderly and children) during the night.
So basically, the PCs got involved when a woman ran into the tavern screaming that "devils" took her children and almost killed her yet she escapes. They search the nearby area, find tracks, and head to the manor.
Once there, they took the kobolds by suprise and gained entry into the manor. After another encounter or two, I lead the PCs to a secret door that leads into the dungeon/crypt/laboratory. They then confront undead (skeletons, zombies, and anything else level specific) and the Necromancer. After that, they go further into the dungeon where they discover remains of many humanoids (possibly villagers?) and then they fight the Black Dragon.
The black dragon is a Medium dragon CR 4. It has a small onyx shard on a pedestal which the dragon uses to syphon the life force of it's victims and gain power. It already starts have have strange, purple runes that cover it's body.
After the PCs defeat the dragon, I threw in clues that this wasn't an isolated event and that maybe something bigger is happening in Wheloon. Luckly my DMPC (I hate having one but no one wants to play the cleirc) is from Cormyr and has a sense of duty to further investigate the matter.
Now, of course this changes XP with your PCs and I think by the time the whole thing was over, Cormyr: Tearing of the Weave adventure and all, they were around level 8 to 9 and ready to start the next book.
Anyways, sorry for rambling but I hope this helps a bit.
PS- here are stats for the Necromancer. Of course, you'll have to do some minor conversions for the Pathfinder rules. Nothing too hard though, he's level 3.
Nivall Thordsk CR 3
hp 18 (3 HD)
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Male Illuskan human necromancer 3
NE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses Listen +4, Spot +5
Languages Chondathan, Common, Draconic, Elven, Illuskan
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AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15
(+1 armor, +2 Dex, +4 shield)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +6
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Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee mwk quarterstaff +2 (1d6/x2)
Ranged light crossbow +3 (1d8/19-20x2)
Base Atk +1; Grp +1
Combat Gear 1 scroll of Aganazzar’s scorcher, vertigo, 1 scroll of ray of enfeeblement
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 3rd)
2nd-combust (DC 16), ghoul touch (+1 melee touch, DC 17), mirror image
1st-color spray (DC 15), magic missile, shield*, spirit worm (DC 16)
0-choke (DC 15), detect magic, flare (DC 14), read magic
* Already cast
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Abilities Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 8
SQ summon familiar
Feats Alacritous Cogitation, Education, Improved Familiar, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (necromancy)
Skills Concentration +8, Craft (alchemy) +8, Decipher Script +8, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (the planes) +6, Profession (apothecary) +6, Spellcraft +10
Possessions combat gear plus bracers of armor +1, mwk quarterstaff, vest of resistance +1, 2,000gp.
*Spellbook spells prepared plus 0-all except conjuration and enchantment; 1st-identify, ray of enfeeblement; 2nd-Aganazzar’s scorcher, invisibility, scorching ray
*Note: Nivall’s spellbook is made of dragonhide, has a minor resistance 5 against acid, cold, electricity, fire and is waterproof.
Flying snake (familiar), Sessik CR –
hp 9 (3 HD)
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NE small magical beast
Init +3; Senses Scent; Listen +8, Spot +8
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AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +1
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Speed 20 ft. (4 squares); climb 20 ft; fly 20 ft. (average)
Melee bite +5 (1d3-2 plus 1 acid)
Atk Options acid spit, constrict, improved grab
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Abilities Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 2
SQ alertness, deliver touch spells, empathic link, improved evasion, share spells
Feats Alertness, Weapon Finesse
Skills Balance +11, Climb +12, Hide +12
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Acid Spit (Ex): Once per round, Sessik can spit acid as a ranged touch attack. The acid deals 1 point of damage but is insufficient to count as a grenade like weapon. When Sessik hits with it’s melee attack it automatically deals 1 point of acid damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Sessik must hit with it’s bite attack. If it gets hold, it can constrict.
Constrict (Ex): Sessik deals 1d3-2 points of damage with a successful grapple check against Tiny or smaller creatures.
PPS.- And here is the 0-level Choke spell:
Choke
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid creature of 4 HD or less
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Fort negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
As a vice like grip tighten around your throat making it hard to breathe, you fight for air causing a long hard fit of coughing making it impossible to talk.
This chokes a humanoid creature with 4 or fewer Hit Dice so that it can't take any verbal actions. Humanoids of 5 or more HD are not affected. A choked subject is not stunned, so attackers get no special advantage against it.
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Edited by - Diffan on 13 Oct 2009 04:22:23 |
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wintermute27
Learned Scribe
USA
179 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 04:50:08
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I ran the Cormyr module a while back with the Pathfinder Beta and didn't have too much problem with the system conversion. I did do full conversions of the major baddies and NPC likely to get into a fight, but all in all the "crunch" portion went pretty smooth.
As for the "meat" of the adventure I had to make a lot of changes since I ran this adventure in Thesk. I placed Wheloon (with a different name) spanning the River Flam on the road from Telflamm to Neth and swapped The Vast Swamp with the area of the Forest of Lethyr around Lake Flam. I referenced photos of Merchants Mill Pond in North Carolina that I'd visited once to give them a nice visual of what a marshy lake overgrown with trees is like (also found a nice photo of the lake frozen since it was Deepwinter in the game). The fact that there was a swamp in the Plane of Shadows wasn't too far of a stretch after that.
The way I got my party into the plot was through a cleric PC of mine. He was directed by the head of his temple to check out some odd reports sent in from a priest working at a shrine to Chauntea near the "new temple of Mystra". Since this town was in the same general direction the PCs were heading, there were no complaints about checking it out. After playing out encounter A1 and the events that lead up to it, the players were hooked and it was (relatively) smooth sailing after that. My players hit "Wheloon" at around level 5-6, so the first parts of the adventure were pretty easy for them, and got a bit more challenging as they went on.
I highly recommend having the players participate in the Mystra's Sacred Trust ceremony. It created some wonderful roleplaying opportunities for my players (the communal showers really bothered them  ) |
My Current Campaign: The Adventures of the Stonelanders |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 07:33:38
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Wow. Thanks for the great response everyone.
Ok, here is my major difficulty, how do I get players who are not overly familiar with the Realms to make in-depth Realms characters without having them do too much reading?
I am trying to get them to work together to make an adventuring company that has already been registered in Cormyr (that has its own interests/goals/et cetara), but they do not seem all that interested in that.
Also, does anyone have some custom NPCs (similar to what Diffan posted) that they used to add a little more flavor to the campaign, or did you find the provided NPCs had enough flavor on their own? |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 07:57:10
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quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
Wow. Thanks for the great response everyone.
Ok, here is my major difficulty, how do I get players who are not overly familiar with the Realms to make in-depth Realms characters without having them do too much reading?
I am trying to get them to work together to make an adventuring company that has already been registered in Cormyr (that has its own interests/goals/et cetara), but they do not seem all that interested in that.
Finally a reason to logg in.
I would be very careful about throwing to much at the players, especially about how the characters should be. Let them develop the characters they want and then give suggestions about how to fit this with the Realms lore. Modify lore slightly if needed. The debt of the characters will come with the playing, some players like to write a twenty one page backstory, but that is not for everybody.
And if they are not interested in the starting plot, you should probably try to get an idea of what they are interested in and go with that, maybe trying to sneak the original idea into the adventure during play. If not there is a major danger of the players feeling railroaded.
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wintermute27
Learned Scribe
USA
179 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 16:27:13
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quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
Ok, here is my major difficulty, how do I get players who are not overly familiar with the Realms to make in-depth Realms characters without having them do too much reading?
I am trying to get them to work together to make an adventuring company that has already been registered in Cormyr (that has its own interests/goals/et cetara), but they do not seem all that interested in that.
I've had a similar problem with some of my own players over the years. While I tend to get people interested in a good character back story, few of them are as "into the realms" as I am.
For the game I am currently planning, set in Cormyr during the Year of the Worm, I've started writing up an actual adventuring company charter using information found in this thread for my players to read, name their adventuring group, and sign for a nice bit of immersion. I'm also including some of the info usually covered in a campaign handout in the charter as well (laws, etc).
There is also a document called a group template that was featured in an early episode of the podcast Fear the Boot (you can find the template here) that is helpful in making sure that the characters are all created to fit into an adventuring company together. Just make sure you fill out the template with your players there and with their input. As Jorkens mentioned above, you don't want the players to feel "railroaded" or forced into a certain type of character.
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My Current Campaign: The Adventures of the Stonelanders |
Edited by - wintermute27 on 13 Oct 2009 16:33:12 |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 17:03:01
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I know that this probably makes me a weaker DM, but I work better with pre-made adventures (every time I try to DM an adventure I create on my own, I end up derailing myself toward the end and it never sees completion). This has the added complication of having a tendency to railroad my players when using a pre-made. That is part of why I was asking if anyone could give me advise as to adventures found in Dungeon that would make good side quests and similar such stuff.
I think that making a charter with fillable blanks would work well. Thanks for the link to that scroll. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Edited by - Hawkins on 13 Oct 2009 17:18:26 |
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Darkmeer
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 17:54:48
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There are a few "railroads" the players can get very involved in, actually...
Going from Dungeon Magazine, here are my favorite starter adventures:
Dungeon 82 a great start to the campaign, as it has three easy to use adventures that string together fairly easily:
Level 1: Evil Unearthed.
This could be near Eveningstar or another small hamlet, making for an interesting time of investigation. The biggest thing here is pacing, let the players determine the pace at the beginning, however after one specific event, you should have the villain speed up his plans. The villain can work for another, listed below.
Level 2: Playing with fire (perhaps in the storm horns or in the Stonelands northwest of Tilverton). Great side trek, and it gives the PC's the ability to get a magic shield early in the campaign (not gamebreaking at all). It also means that they get to feel like Peter Parker if they fail.
Level 3: Eye for an Eye (near the Marsh of Tun). Oh, this one's fun, and it plays with Cormyrean prejudices. This could be a very interesting bit of intrigue, with yet another clue to the villain below.
Dungeon 91, a taste of chivalry:
Any level: Challenge of Champions IV. This would be a knightly contest, perhaps with some Tunlanders, Purple Dragons, and others going about trying to win the prize.
Dungeon 87:
The cradle of Madness: Let the bad guy be a recurring villain, it's easy to let him escape for later amusement! This can link to both the first adventure, and Eye for an Eye. Depending on the deity you choose, you'd have lots of backup, or it could be a lone agent.
There's more, but it's time for work. I'll try to expand a little later this evening.
/d |
"These people are my family, not just friends, and if you want to get to them you gotta go through ME." |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 18:18:32
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| Thanks Darkmeer. Just that little bit is quite helpful. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Ashe Ravenheart
Great Reader
USA
3243 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 18:50:28
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quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
Wow. Thanks for the great response everyone.
Ok, here is my major difficulty, how do I get players who are not overly familiar with the Realms to make in-depth Realms characters without having them do too much reading?
I am trying to get them to work together to make an adventuring company that has already been registered in Cormyr (that has its own interests/goals/et cetara), but they do not seem all that interested in that.
Also, does anyone have some custom NPCs (similar to what Diffan posted) that they used to add a little more flavor to the campaign, or did you find the provided NPCs had enough flavor on their own?
Ahhh... The best way is the Regional Feats. Since Pathfinder has Character traits, which characters get two of at creation (and they are considered 'half' feats), then giving the PCs a free Regional Feat means they have to think a bit on the background of their character and where they are from, without needing to write a biography. |
I actually DO know everything. I just have a very poor index of my knowledge.
Ashe's Character Sheet
Alphabetized Index of Realms NPCs |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 19:54:48
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quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
Wow. Thanks for the great response everyone.
Ok, here is my major difficulty, how do I get players who are not overly familiar with the Realms to make in-depth Realms characters without having them do too much reading?
I am trying to get them to work together to make an adventuring company that has already been registered in Cormyr (that has its own interests/goals/et cetara), but they do not seem all that interested in that.
Also, does anyone have some custom NPCs (similar to what Diffan posted) that they used to add a little more flavor to the campaign, or did you find the provided NPCs had enough flavor on their own?
Well, I have written brief short-hand descriptions with around 100 or so named NPCs for the Thunderstone campaign; it would take me some time to post them (besides, most of the text is in Finnish). I'll see what I can do, though. I also have "named and numbered" around 70+ shops in Thunderstone (although some of them are either influenced by or simply "lifted" with slight modifications from the Volo's Guides). All that in addition to the marvelous Thunderstone lore Ed has provided us.
Yet if you ask me, there's enough material in VGtC alone for a decent Wheloon campaign. Still, adding some shops and NPCs and plot hooks/side treks wouldn't hurt.
I do have stats for the villains, naturally, but most of them are hand-written... |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Kiaransalyn
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
762 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 20:12:35
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quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
Ok, here is my major difficulty, how do I get players who are not overly familiar with the Realms to make in-depth Realms characters without having them do too much reading?
Are they starting out as level one? If they are then you could have a hand in creating their background. Make sure they come from a sheltered, backwoods sort of place, which doesn't get much news and has a limited view of the world. That way, the PCs don't need too much Realms background. I guess the thing to say is check that their characters don't clash with your own experienced Realms viewpoint.
If they're more experienced than level one, again make sure their adventures happened in fairly generic places. Another way is have your players make a number of Knowledge checks and Gather Information checks early on. That's a nice in-game way of introducing them to the setting.
As for side adventures, look at pg 138 of the 3rd Edn DMG. One of the hundred adventure ideas is bound to worthy of a side plot. |
Death is Life
Love is Hate
Revenge is Forgiveness
Ken: You from the States?
Jimmy: Yeah. But don't hold it against me.
Ken: I'll try not to... Just try not to say anything too loud or crass. |
Edited by - Kiaransalyn on 13 Oct 2009 20:17:31 |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 21:11:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Darkmeer
There are a few "railroads" the players can get very involved in, actually...
Going from Dungeon Magazine, here are my favorite starter adventures:
Dungeon 82 a great start to the campaign, as it has three easy to use adventures that string together fairly easily:
Level 1: Evil Unearthed.
This could be near Eveningstar or another small hamlet, making for an interesting time of investigation. The biggest thing here is pacing, let the players determine the pace at the beginning, however after one specific event, you should have the villain speed up his plans. The villain can work for another, listed below.
Level 3: Eye for an Eye (near the Marsh of Tun). Oh, this one's fun, and it plays with Cormyrean prejudices. This could be a very interesting bit of intrigue, with yet another clue to the villain below.
Are you kidding me, here? Those two adventures are *exactly* what I started with! Great minds think alike, hey? 
Both adventures feature halflings, so my original idea was that Plygar is is the evil "mastermind" (a Cyricist; I gave him cleric levels) who is uncovering an Evil Node (as per the rules in Champions of Ruin). He's employing a local halfling rogue and his henchmen/brothers to kidnap people he animates as zombies. I also considered tying this to the 'The Legend of Garthulga' module, in which halfling brothers use a local legend to mislead authorities; another well-written adventure that could be tied to Cyricists would be 'Mad God's Key'.
I also threw in some parts from 'Rise of the Runelords', namely the goblin attack and also the Foxglove manor (an exiled noble family that dabbled in demon worship and; could be tied to Myrkul/Bhaal/Bane-angle as well, if one wants to run 'The Whispering Cairn').
@Hawkins: A slightly modified 'Age of Worms' AP (at least the first three adventures) would work pretty well in that area (Wind Lords = elven lords of House Amaratharr, maybe?). |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 21:58:08
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quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
Well, I have written brief short-hand descriptions with around 100 or so named NPCs for the Thunderstone campaign; it would take me some time to post them (besides, most of the text is in Finnish). I'll see what I can do, though. I also have "named and numbered" around 70+ shops in Thunderstone (although some of them are either influenced by or simply "lifted" with slight modifications from the Volo's Guides). All that in addition to the marvelous Thunderstone lore Ed has provided us.
Yet if you ask me, there's enough material in VGtC alone for a decent Wheloon campaign. Still, adding some shops and NPCs and plot hooks/side treks wouldn't hurt.
I do have stats for the villains, naturally, but most of them are hand-written...
I would not want you to go through that much trouble. I need to sit down and read through the free digital copy of Volo's Guide to Cormyr now that I have a laptop. Someday I will hopefully have the book version of it.
Thanks to everyone so far for all of your help! (And feel free to keep the ideas coming. ) |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
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* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 23:00:07
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Hawkins, I fully agree with Kiaransalyn's points; all the PCs could be from minor settlements in Cormyr (plenty of those near Wheloon) and hence know very little about the wider world. I usually say (to players who don't know much about the Realms) that their PCs know what the players know; they can always ask for more information ("What do I know about this deity called Tempus?"), and I'll give some "bare bones" information (at first even about subjects that would normally require a Knowledge check).
If you want to be really nice, prepare an info sheet for them -- two or three pages about Cormyr (just some basic facts; the ruling family, Purple Dragons, major religions etc.) and local affairs (major NPCs and locations/places). This sort of sheet can be referenced any time, even between the sessions, and I've found it to be an invaluable DM aid.
Under no circumstances should you give them a long lecture about FR; people can pick up stuff as they play. |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2009 : 23:59:22
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If you're thinking about how to link the PC backgrounds, I often use a general "theme"; for example, I might say during character creation that the campaign will revolve heavily around the local shrine of Tempus. Almost immediately the players will usually start brainstorming -- on their own -- how their PCs are linked to the shrine (this is not surprising; at the end of they day, most of us usually want to be part of the "inner circle"). Just pick something (even an inn or a tavern will do) that you feel would prompt them -- preferably a place or an NPC you can use for the first couple of adventure hooks (a noble/merchant family is also one of my favorite "themes").
You could also just ask the players to come up with the ties; this also works pretty well, in my experience. Often the players see this as a mental "challenge", i.e. they will do their best to find plausible reasons for their social bonds, and how those bonds connect them as a group. |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Kiaransalyn
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
762 Posts |
Posted - 14 Oct 2009 : 09:19:01
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| You can always use a chatty NPC at the start of the game to help fill in the knowledge checks. Why not have a wandering Bard join them for a few sessions. He or she is travelling their way and talks a lot around the camp-fire and during the journey. |
Death is Life
Love is Hate
Revenge is Forgiveness
Ken: You from the States?
Jimmy: Yeah. But don't hold it against me.
Ken: I'll try not to... Just try not to say anything too loud or crass. |
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Darkmeer
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 15 Oct 2009 : 16:55:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Asgetrion
quote:
Originally posted by Darkmeer
There are a few "railroads" the players can get very involved in, actually...
Going from Dungeon Magazine, here are my favorite starter adventures:
Dungeon 82 a great start to the campaign, as it has three easy to use adventures that string together fairly easily:
Level 1: Evil Unearthed.
This could be near Eveningstar or another small hamlet, making for an interesting time of investigation. The biggest thing here is pacing, let the players determine the pace at the beginning, however after one specific event, you should have the villain speed up his plans. The villain can work for another, listed below.
Level 3: Eye for an Eye (near the Marsh of Tun). Oh, this one's fun, and it plays with Cormyrean prejudices. This could be a very interesting bit of intrigue, with yet another clue to the villain below.
Are you kidding me, here? Those two adventures are *exactly* what I started with! Great minds think alike, hey?
Both adventures feature halflings, so my original idea was that Plygar is is the evil "mastermind" (a Cyricist; I gave him cleric levels) who is uncovering an Evil Node (as per the rules in Champions of Ruin). He's employing a local halfling rogue and his henchmen/brothers to kidnap people he animates as zombies. I also considered tying this to the 'The Legend of Garthulga' module, in which halfling brothers use a local legend to mislead authorities; another well-written adventure that could be tied to Cyricists would be 'Mad God's Key'.
I also threw in some parts from 'Rise of the Runelords', namely the goblin attack and also the Foxglove manor (an exiled noble family that dabbled in demon worship and; could be tied to Myrkul/Bhaal/Bane-angle as well, if one wants to run 'The Whispering Cairn').
@Hawkins: A slightly modified 'Age of Worms' AP (at least the first three adventures) would work pretty well in that area (Wind Lords = elven lords of House Amaratharr, maybe?).
I had completely forgotten about Mad God's Key! This is a good one for along the southern coast, but ties in very nicely with all of the above mentioned adventures. This could be a lead-in to the C: TTotW storyline. I'm liking the way that this could be played out, with the PC's essentially wandering Cormyr as knight-errants (so to speak), and defending the populace. Not having read C:TTotW, I'm making two assumptions: The primary foe is either a Cyricist or a Sharran. If either of those are true, any of the adventures Asgetrion and myself have suggested would be appropriate to bring everything together and lead up to the main villain nicely.
There's a theme, which Kiransalyn and Asgetrion have pointed out could help to solidify the group. Make them "deputies" of the Purple Dragons. It's not exactly canon (not that I ever care about that in my games...  ), but the idea would allow the PC's to feel important at level 1, but not feel that they are the "elite" of the country. They'd have some opportunities for travel, as well as an adventurer's charter so that they could operate outside of the normal Purple Dragon boundaries.
Sorry for being later than expected, but, as they say, better late than never.
/d |
"These people are my family, not just friends, and if you want to get to them you gotta go through ME." |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 16 Oct 2009 : 10:42:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Darkmeer
I had completely forgotten about Mad God's Key! This is a good one for along the southern coast, but ties in very nicely with all of the above mentioned adventures. This could be a lead-in to the C: TTotW storyline. I'm liking the way that this could be played out, with the PC's essentially wandering Cormyr as knight-errants (so to speak), and defending the populace. Not having read C:TTotW, I'm making two assumptions: The primary foe is either a Cyricist or a Sharran. If either of those are true, any of the adventures Asgetrion and myself have suggested would be appropriate to bring everything together and lead up to the main villain nicely.
I have only skimmed the adventure, but IIRC the primary villains in this adventure are Sharran clergy opening a portal to the Plane of Shadow? I also remember thinking (as I was reading the module at my FLGS) that replacing Sharrans with Cyricists would require only a minimal effort. Or, the module could be run as written, with clues leading from 'Mad God's Key' to the Sharran temple in Wheloon. Hey, even the "MacGuffin" (the book) in 'Mad God's Key' could be tied in with the module; maybe it's a book that contains a ritual the Sharrans need? It could even be loosely tied to the Mad Seer Aglatha (sp?) and the Roll of Shadow Years, if the GM wants to foreshadow Shadowdale or Anauroch modules.
quote:
There's a theme, which Kiransalyn and Asgetrion have pointed out could help to solidify the group. Make them "deputies" of the Purple Dragons. It's not exactly canon (not that I ever care about that in my games... ), but the idea would allow the PC's to feel important at level 1, but not feel that they are the "elite" of the country. They'd have some opportunities for travel, as well as an adventurer's charter so that they could operate outside of the normal Purple Dragon boundaries.
Sorry for being later than expected, but, as they say, better late than never.
/d
A very nice idea... if they feel that being "deputies" is "too much", they could also all be related (i.e. as sons/daughters/nephews/nieces) to Purple Dragons or Harpers or retired and respected adventuresr? Or maybe some of them could be sons and daughters of noble families? Hmmm.... just thinking aloud here. |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 16 Oct 2009 : 20:14:39
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So, despite 2 of my 5 PCs being absent due to illness, the first session went really well last night. The remaining three PCs penetrated their way far into the complex (all the way to T32 if you care; via Bluffing their way through Mystra's Sacred Trust, making their will saves, and Bluffing being dominated) before they decided to kill their way out the back entrance (also finding keys to lock some of the doors behind them). They plan on coming back and taking out the rest of the temple with the two remaining PCs during the next session.
A great thanks to everyone who helped me prep for it. I will try to keep updates as to the status of the campaign here. I am also thinking about tying sign leading up to Father Lymic from the Elder Evils supplement when the PCs reach level 7. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave: Pathfinder Style
