Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JohnLynch 03-31-08, 10:11 PM	I was working on my first adventure for a campaign and I realized that if players don't complete the adventure the first chance they get, the bad guys of the adventure will grow in power very quickly so that a TPK would occur if they hesitated too long. Now the players would have plenty of time to retreat and then attack the bad guys separately (and win), although if they wait a few weeks before doing so, the bad guys will simply become too powerful for the players to handle at all, and could very well become bad guys that they defeat at the end of the Campaign. Is it a bad idea to have the first adventure spiral out of control so quickly? Now to me waiting 4 IC weeks before you try to complete the first adventure simply seems silly (especially when their characters would have agreed to complete it BEFORE the game begins). But a player could do that. Must they have the ability to complete the first adventure, no matter what they do?
LeeAlucard 03-31-08, 10:38 PM	Players are going to screw up. Whether they do it on their first adventure or their fifth, you've got to be prepared for it. I agree that taking too long on an adventure could and should have dire consequences, but it should always be something that they are able to overcome.
Auspex7 04-01-08, 12:55 PM	if the natural outcome of their play is that they fail in adventure number 1, so be it. perspective is a great thing for maintaining flavor in a game. let them fail sometimes, if that's what their play results in. succeeding in adventure 2 will be that much more sweet after swallowing the bitter pill of defeat. (woa, i just gained a level in bard with that rhyme)
JohnLynch 04-02-08, 02:03 AM	Thanks guys :)
TheGreaterBad 04-04-08, 08:58 AM	My players failed their first adventure. They were sent to recover an artifact from an ancient temple that had been infested by psychic goblins (the Blue out of XPH). They realized that a whole tribe had moved in and that they were way too unpredictable to defeat. Really, most of the Blue were women and children. However, they failed to scout out the temple (which would have clued them in). Them failing actually developed the party much more than if they had succeeded. The party's wizard wanted to go about things in a civilized manner, while the ranger decided he wanted to kill them all. Bitterness over this incident remains a factor. As for the Blue, they're outta the picture for now. At least until the party can stop a rather pesky group of Tieflings. Later on, I intend to bring them to bear and put the party in a rather...difficult situation. Anyways, defeat really does a lot to develop characters (everyone loves a loser). Also, it gave me some really cool ideas for a group of enemies that was supposed to be a twist on an old classic. (killing goblins at level 1).
Orchomenos 04-04-08, 10:33 AM	You could always send hints to the players to tell they must hurry. Have the cleric or paladin dream of his patron deity, whom is talking about "...a bad omen, and that dealing with it must be done in a matter of days or years, but nothing between." This way, they should understand that if it's not dealt with in time, it will be very hard to deal with it thereafter. Or this could be a nature spirit or fey who tells this to the druid, or a fallen orc who tell this to the barbarian who just dealt him a fatal wound... But then, that shouldn't prevent you from running the rest of your campaign. You can keep these long-term villains, have the players meet them in totally unrelated quests, perhaps with similar or concurrent goals. And also, have them attempt to murder the PCs or their friends and famillies...