Drow war 1 - Saragost timeline of adventures

[Graphil]

So the general idea is that you go up one level per chapter. However the Saragost chapter has got an awful lot of adventures and potential XP available. It also mentions the players should ideally go on to the lost villages after delivering the warning. There seems to be an awful lot to fit in in before the attack with a tight time scale.

So my question to those who has run up to this point is what adventures did you run in what order and did you get the leveling up roughly right between getting to Saragost and the start of the attack?

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

I haven't seen it but it sounds like there's a lot to do, you won't be able to do it all but you should be able to do enough to warrant gaining a level before the next chapter begins. What you do during that chapter would probably depend on which ways the Gm pushes the group/what the players like.

Of course I could be wrong.

 

[Mark_Gedak]

So the general idea is that you go up one level per chapter. However the Saragost chapter has got an awful lot of adventures and potential XP available. It also mentions the players should ideally go on to the lost villages after delivering the warning. There seems to be an awful lot to fit in in before the attack with a tight time scale.

So my question to those who has run up to this point is what adventures did you run in what order and did you get the leveling up roughly right between getting to Saragost and the start of the attack?

When we tested, we delivered the message and got out of town to the hidden villages. We had trouble with Vannondale and with some bad rolls turned things nasty for the party making them feel like they might have been underpowered.

To go through again I would do:

Mailed Rider
Ambush
Message
Research (starborn)
Node if any have fallen
Alchemist Warehouse
Ratmasters
and either Hounds or Horror
and 1 drow plot to encourage the PC to find as much additional help as possible.

 

[Bomberg]

So my question to those who has run up to this point is what adventures did you run in what order and did you get the leveling up roughly right between getting to Saragost and the start of the attack?

When we tested, we delivered the message and got out of town to the hidden villages. We had trouble with Vannondale and with some bad rolls turned things nasty for the party making them feel like they might have been underpowered.

Well, judgeing by the EL's of the Lost Villages chapter, that wouldn't surprise me.

But in the same context: is there any (proposed) timeline? I didn't find one. And if there ever was an adventure where time is of the essence, this one is it.

I assume the people of Chillhame to at least set up a messenger service to keep informed of the situation. In Saragost the Council would have a good picture of the situation.

But when does the D(row)&D(uergar) invasion start? How much ground will the army cover?

Furthermore, I assume the PCs to need one day per way to and from Vannondale and Chalksmere. With some adventuring on the premises and resting, these sorties easily take up one week. I propose having Crastik sending them on these quests early on to get them out of the way. This would have the nice effect of the PCs returning to Saragost when frantic preprarations have set in.

But in this scenario, the PCs might be too low of level to achieve victory at the Lost Villages.

Anyone who has already played it care to comment? :?

Huldvoll

Baron von Bomberg

 

[El Cid]

I notived Victory Points being earned from time to time.

Is there a place where their use is described?

Sidney

 

[Mongoose Gar]

Yep - check out the chapter where Saragost is besieged.

 

[El Cid]

Yep - check out the chapter where Saragost is besieged.

Could you give me a page refference?

I still can't find how they are used.

Sidney

 

[Mongoose Gar]

Page 121, Battle Statistics: Troop Strength Bonuses.

 

[El Cid]

Page 121, Battle Statistics: Troop Strength Bonuses.

Thanks. I kept missing it.

Sidney

 

[Caelinae]

My party is just now arrived in Saragost and I am mostly going to let them decide what the order of events are. However I have decided that the invasion starts in 10 days as stated in the adventure. But that means that the army surfaces in Bronce then and I figure since it took my PCs @4 days to get to Saragost from Bronce, it will take the army about 8 days.

So far they have encountered the mailed rider and the ambush. I plan on warning the council and then doing one or more events (possibly the ratmasters) during the day the council holds its emergency session before calling the PCs back before awarding them the badges and gold.

However the PCs just killed Severin and the guard is coming and I think that the guard will first arrest the group for killing an officer of the guard and then hold a trial. During the trial I was thinking Crastic might hire a "witness" that will give a false account of the vents. The PCs might notice Crastic in a side hallway talking to this 'witness' before the trial starts.

 

[Mongoose_Ade]

But that means that the army surfaces in Bronce then and I figure since it took my PCs @4 days to get to Saragost from Bronce, it will take the army about 8 days.

Good call. There are all sorts of reasons why the drow and duergar would take twice as long as the Players, or longer, to cover the same territory. The main reasons are: they are all on foot, the terrain is unfamiliar, they have huge numbers to co-ordinate, they can only move as fast as the bulk of the duergar troops (base speed 20 ft., remember!) and the populace of Chillhame will be doing their best to slow them down.

Assuming the Players actually warned the villages on the way, of course.