Ok my players finished Enemy Mine and I didn't increase their Rank, to me the ordeal just didn't seem worth the reward of a Rank, I'm looking for a suitable reward for them but can't think of anything. One character Souvenired Ryketh's Sword and some of his Armor and I think that was a fitting reward, but what about the rest of them?
Am I being to tough?
- Thread starter Sir Brad
- Start date
Greg Smith
Mongoose
You are right. In Fire on the Water, Lone Wolf has to travel from Sommerlund to Durenor, get shipwrecked, fight Helghasts and undead sailors, confront a traitorous wizards and strike down a Darklord.
Beating a few guards and a single Drakkar isn't the same.
In fact there is a distinct lack of epic Lone Wolf feel in the first couple of adventures. If I run it, I think I will convert either Blood Moon Rising or Dawn of Destruction.
Beating a few guards and a single Drakkar isn't the same.
In fact there is a distinct lack of epic Lone Wolf feel in the first couple of adventures. If I run it, I think I will convert either Blood Moon Rising or Dawn of Destruction.
phantomdoodler
Mongoose
I will only give out a ranks at the conclusion of a series of adventurers, akin to the gamebooks, not just a mission. Thats why i am going to award rerolls |(or re picks) at the end of each session instead
SnowShadow
Mongoose
I don't think you are being tough.
There is a lot to be said for the friendships that are built and reputation PC's gain for completing quests, especialy early days. If they are demanding more equipment, etc. there are plenty of ways you can show them that they are in fact being rewarded. For example the party could be approached by someone who had heard of the job they did for XXX and can you help me with YYY; carefully worded the party will realise what they had 'earned'. Alternatively they might get a discount when buying some goods as a 'thanks for clearing up that business in Tyso, it was affecting my trade!' or whatever.
As long as the players realise that there actions are making a difference or that they are getting something out of it they should be happy.
There is a lot to be said for the friendships that are built and reputation PC's gain for completing quests, especialy early days. If they are demanding more equipment, etc. there are plenty of ways you can show them that they are in fact being rewarded. For example the party could be approached by someone who had heard of the job they did for XXX and can you help me with YYY; carefully worded the party will realise what they had 'earned'. Alternatively they might get a discount when buying some goods as a 'thanks for clearing up that business in Tyso, it was affecting my trade!' or whatever.
As long as the players realise that there actions are making a difference or that they are getting something out of it they should be happy.
Greg Smith said:
You do that, and whilst you're at it, write a few adventures for Signs and Portents so we can all enjoy them.
Based on the brief I was given and the fact it's an introductory adventure - introductory adventures are there to ease players into the game, not slaugther them outright Gregg. Unless that's how you prefer to play, then by all means throw a dozen Helghast, sixty Doomwolves and an army of the Darklord's minions at them out of the gate.
It's not like they're going out to collect herbs or buy a bottle of milk
The Epic stuff is to come according to Mongoose.
Sir Brad said:
It's up to you how you approach rewarding your players. You're not being too tough if you're looking for an epic story right out of the gate, but what it seems you're forgetting is that Flight from the Dark starts out pretty low key and Lone Wolf's adventures spiralled into climatic battles with the forces of darkness near the end.
The introductory adventures are designed for new players and new GMs. If you want something bigger/better and more epic - write it yourself or wait for the big campaign from Mongoose.
Let me put it this way in terms of the Star Wars saga - not even Vader's attack on Leia's ship at the start was epic compared with the climatic final battle against the Death Star.
I'm sure you can build on what's come from Enemy Mine and extrapolate from that, ramping up the challenge and the plans of the Darklords.
Greg Smith
Mongoose
The Wolf said:
I understand it is an introductory adventure - however remember Lone Wolf's first outing involved the destruction of the Kai monastery, fights with Giaks, a Vordak, a Gorgaz and more. (And a Helghast in the revised version).
AguilaSaber
Mongoose
On the other hand Lone Wolf could avoid nearly any and every enemy.
The Gourgaz was just for those who had rolled very high CS and wanted to luck it out, it was easily avoidable.
Nearly every fight is unavoidable with a smart choice of path and disciplines.
The Helghast in the rewrite however forces Lone Wolf to be akin to a Battle Machine (i.e. have a CS of 18 or 19 )and there are also new unavoidable deaths by random number in the rewrite. With easing up the Zakhan and Chaso-Master this early Helghast is now one of the most diffcult enemies in the Kai and Magnakai series.
The Gourgaz was just for those who had rolled very high CS and wanted to luck it out, it was easily avoidable.
Nearly every fight is unavoidable with a smart choice of path and disciplines.
The Helghast in the rewrite however forces Lone Wolf to be akin to a Battle Machine (i.e. have a CS of 18 or 19 )and there are also new unavoidable deaths by random number in the rewrite. With easing up the Zakhan and Chaso-Master this early Helghast is now one of the most diffcult enemies in the Kai and Magnakai series.
Greg Smith said:
Indeed, but he was Lone Wolf and tailored for that kind of thing. These are Kai monks and their story can easily dovetail into far more epic confrontations should you wish it to.
Perhaps it isn't as epic as folks might have liked, but it's exactly what Mongoose approved. I'd have had a feeling that matt would have asked for major re-writes if the tone/theme for these adventures was way off. There were quite a few re-writes regardless as we worked out how best to do it.
That said, there's nothing at all stopping people from extrapolating from these events into something far more sinister as a lead-in to their own adventures or the big campaign that's coming.
Mongoose Pete
Mongoose
Indeed. I took the Master Stormsong character from the introductory adventures and made him central to the forthcoming Terror of the Darklords campaign. Its been given to Joe for approval/editing (so I don't know what if anything has changed), but I wrote it to be challenging. Epic? Maybe. It depends what the players think after they suffer through it. :wink:The Wolf said:
As for increasing levels, I give some guidelines after each scenario on whether the players managed to achieve enough of the objectives to be granted one. Some depend on ethical behaviour, others on merely surviving.
Zipp Dementia
Mongoose
Stormsong is my favourite character from Wolf's adventures. I use him all the time now.
In my campaign, the Harbold series (as I call it) is interspersed with home-brew adventures and the original RPG Dawn of Destruction and Blood Moon Rising. So by the time they clear up the whole mess, they'll be due for an advancement or two.
I'm also adding a bit more to the journey. They have to enter the Durncrags in my version and there's also a plot involving a Helghast, so it's a little bit more decisive.
In my campaign, the Harbold series (as I call it) is interspersed with home-brew adventures and the original RPG Dawn of Destruction and Blood Moon Rising. So by the time they clear up the whole mess, they'll be due for an advancement or two.
I'm also adding a bit more to the journey. They have to enter the Durncrags in my version and there's also a plot involving a Helghast, so it's a little bit more decisive.
I kept away from using a Helghast...I really wanted to, but I'd used something similar in Hikas - I'm glad people are adding/changing things in the adventure - that's exactly what it's there for.
Also, Zipp - that's cool regarding Stormsong, I was hoping that people would warm to him.
Also, Zipp - that's cool regarding Stormsong, I was hoping that people would warm to him.
Mongoose Pete
Mongoose
No problem. I really liked the character too, so continued him as the player's mentor. Hopefully anyone starting Terror of the Dark Lords has already encountered Master Stormsong in your introductory adventures, and will like and respect him, since this relationship is an important element of the campaign.The Wolf said:Fantastic Pete, I'm quite honoured that you did soIt also provides a nice cohesion.
My players actually took pains to capture the Villian at the end of the Merchant's Task, after the players resorted to not so heroic measures on the part of the dark & brooding outsider they found themselves going to the Kai Masters with what they knew, that was most of the introduction to Enemy Mine
My opinion is that the Merchant's Task is a bit short & simple for Veteran Gamers to warrant a Rank, but combine it with Enemy Mine and it makes a fair to good intro adventure for Veteran Gamers, I did give them a seemingly random (but actual carefully planed) monster encounter on the way to the Mine, and when they came in the back way I had them have a run in with a custom Monster I called "the Spawn" but the players called "The Thing in the Dark".
I'll note this again, these are introductory adventures - not really designed for Veteran Gamers. I'm still curious why Mongoose split up the 3 adventures, combining the 2 in the LWMPGB and putting the 3rd in S&P. You can easily pep up the challenge for Veteran Gamers though, however you'll have to wait for Terror which Pete's written for a bigger challenge. I'm glad people are taking the core of these adventures and building onto them, Zipp's doing a fantastic job and his writeups are excellent, if you haven't read them yet, it's worth doing.
