Before I run the first game. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Before I run the first game. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Xeraph
10-05-04, 03:18 PM So ive seen others post their adventure ideas before they run the game, and ive seen some great responses... being that i am the only one in my fello rpg'er ring that knows anything about Eberron, and that I am the dm and really cant discuss my adventure idea with the players, I ask for your IMO's. :rolleyes:

First, the Houserules Action Point system.

I didnt like the idea that you only, to start with, have a certain amount of APs per level, that dissapeares forever after they are used...
I never like items with charges that cant be restored either. :)
I would rather see a "void" like system, if you know L5R??? Anyways, in my homebrew system, that is simular to the L5R system, you get a certain amount of APs to use. You can restore your APs by a full days rest, cant remember the exact medical term but we are talking bed rest for 24 hourse or so. The maximum capacity of APs per level is shown below.

1-2 (1 pts)
3-4 (2 pts)
5-6 (3 pts)
7-8 (4 pts)
9-10 (5 pts)
11-12 (6 pts)
13-14 (7 pts)
15-16 (8 pts)
17-18 (9 pts)
19-20 (10 pts)

The certain Prcs still give bonuses to this table, And you still get to use more than one AP per round as the normal table in the ECS... as shown below.

1-7 (1 pts)
8-14 (2 pts)
15-20 (3 pts)

Over-/Underpowered? :confused:

Know here's the remake of the ECS introduction adventure and SotLW.

The group consists of:
1. A shifter monk from Droaam, whos a troubled soul searching for spirituallity in other shifters so he can tach or be tought in the arts of the monk.
2. A dragonmarked (Thuranni) elven rogue from Aundair, whos has been summoned to Sharn by his sister, to operate in house Phiarlain as a spy.
3. A human transmuter, who is a respected member of Morgrave University, and both a scholar and a duelist.
4. A halfing bard from Talenta, who went out in search of greater adventure and landed in Sharn after days and days on the road. Either that or hes hunting a band of Abberations that has slaughtered some of his clansmen... or maybe a mix. :confused:

Now, they all meet a rainfull day in the twisting towers of Sharn. :whatsthis

The Elf's sister, whos a respected member of Thuranni, has found a heirloom, which she dont know what does, all she knows is its magic and it has a faint transmutation aura. With the heirloom theres a map, she has found out that this map is depicting sewege lines under a specific part of Sharn, showing buildings from before her house split into two. And she knows that this heirloom is somehow connected to house Phiarlains new alligiance with the Emerald Claw. So she contacts Morgrave University, and respectively our Wizard, whos a transmuter, to solve the riddle.

She sets up a meeting with the wizard in a random bar in one of the towers, where she first meets up with her younger brother, our elven rogue, and later on the wizard, to discuss his progress with the heirloom. Unknown to her at this time the wizard, our wizard, has already solved the puzzle, the heirloom is a key that can only be used proberly by a Shadow Marked person, and hes heading for the bar to meet her...

On his way thru the twisted passages of Sharn he sees a body laying on one of the bridges between two towers, he quickly examines the body only to find out its a bluff, and the victim really is alive. Confused he doesnt realize theres a second culprit behind him, and before he knows it hes struck by severe pains in his back... he feels his body go fluid... posion works its way thru his nerve system and he falls unconcious...

Earlier the shifter comes to sharn, he ventures thru the wet rainy towers. He reaches the edge to The Hilt, looks for an horizon but sees none other than black clouds and thunder... as he glares for a horizon, a horizon of hope, a gang of cutthroat goblins tries to size him up... he kills them. quickly, wonders what have become of him, is he nothing but a beast?... and loses hope... all he sees are the waves, he wonders that maybe he should become one with them.. take that last step... And then a Halfling drops by (this guy who plays the halfling is the type of person that can sweet talk a hellfirewyrm), he has found a den of dolgrims, in the lowest parts of Sharn, and is figuring out a way to kill them, when he sees the troubled shifter, and sees the slaughter he brings. The halfling knows he has found his mercenary.

On their way over to the den, they see a clutched figure laying on a bridge... a good spot checks reveals a cloaked figure jumping of the ledge and into the shadows below the bridge... they run over only find a paralyzed wizard soaked in blood, but with a pulse beating.. before they know it... the culprits are over them... they see their enemy... a dolgrim and a larger cloaked figure sporting two tentacles from under it... a dolgaunt.

After the killing, they find the heirloom and the notebook, Dolom comes running, they argue or talk or whatever, and either end up in jail or at the bar with the two Thuranni elves. Here the adventure continues as normally... with a few exeptions.

1. the Lord of blades is switched with Cult of the Dragon Below cultists, the dolgrims and dolgaunt. Who works below Mournland where madness reaings surpeme... they have found the center pice of the schemas and a trying to find the rest.
2. they may side track to kill the den of abberations in sharn, only to find out they left, back to Mournland to contemplate with their alien master...
3. The allied house Cannith is house Thuranni.
4. The opposing house Cannith is house Phiarlain.
5. The schema is still some weird artifact, though not from house Cannith but a remnent (sp) from the old house phiarlain before they split that is able to do marvelous things if its rejoined with the other schemas, dont really know yet.
6. Lady Elaydren (sp) is now our Elven Rogue's sister.

In my campaign, Thuranni are the underdogs of the Shadow mark, and Phiarlain holds much power in most cities, so Thuranni work openly to promote that they dont deal in assassinations and stuff, to get accepteance, but are definatly outnumbered, and they have a hard time in the courts where Phiarlain are much stronger.
With some Thuranni luck , the sister of our dragonmarked elf, knows that Phiarlain has found a schema that looks like something she has seen before. Searching thru her family jewelry she stumbles unto the heirloom and a map... she knows it from her childhood but didnt know of its significance (sp) so she hires the wizard to solve it.
Thru contacts Phialain finds out, and tries to catch the group and their part of the schema thru betrayals, assassins, spells and the Emerald Claw. But dont opperate openly against Thuranni, for that is not accepted by the codes of the twelve.

...

So... apart from changing certain encounters here and there, the adventure almost stays the same. So wha'd'ya think?
Save-vs-DM
10-05-04, 04:15 PM Overall it sounds quite cool. Just be careful that you don't railroad your characters too much in the beginning with all this setup - I can see a large degree of possible variations in the setup. Other than that your changes seem quite cool. Good job.

Cheers,
Save vs DM
Saurenda
10-05-04, 04:37 PM Overall it sounds quite cool. Just be careful that you don't railroad your characters too much in the beginning with all this setup - I can see a large degree of possible variations in the setup. Other than that your changes seem quite cool. Good job.

Cheers,
Save vs DM

There are indeed a great number of things that can happen. Unfortunately overwhelming your players with so much possiblities might detract from the game a bit. One can't put too many things into the players faces, and then have the campgain fall out form under them without a fight now can we?

It would be a shame for things to never get underway.

Lady Eladryn is now her sister eh? My that girl does get around!

Sounds very interesting and there are great possiblities for the High Inquisitor PC class. So you have replaced the Lord of Blades completely with the Dragon Below Cult? Are you interested in making the Dalkeyr return with all these abberitions about?

I'm quite interested, please share with use what happens =D
Xeraph
10-05-04, 05:33 PM Lady Eladryn is now her sister eh? My that girl does get around!

Oh, you have no idea... :D

Overall it sounds quite cool. Just be careful that you don't railroad your characters too much in the beginning with all this setup
Unfortunately overwhelming your players with so much possiblities might detract from the game a bit.
I hear you both, and thanks for the replies. Glad you like it. :)
Yes, it might be to tailored, but this will change after the start... hope I dont strangle them to early this time. :rolleyes:
One good thing is they dont know jack about Eberron, havent given them permission read in the book, really only certain pages. So i have the freedom to change things as we go, making up for holes and stuff. Hate it when players are like: "What? Im sure I read somewhere that Storm Silverhand is a Harper"... Im like: "You die, no save." :rolleyes:

Sounds very interesting and there are great possiblities for the High Inquisitor PC class.
Huh, never heard of it? Where might I find that?

I'm quite interested, please share with use what happens =D
But ofcourse, first play day is this Friday... lets see if they buy it.
Solarious
10-06-04, 01:57 AM Hey, awsome plot you're starting up. Love the personal touch you gave it ;) Do expand on what happens when you run the campaign, we're all drooling to hear more. :drool:

And... I think Saurenda is refering to the PrC 'Master Inquisitive', in which a character gains abilities that excell in gathering information, especially to solve crimes.

And the Action Point system you propose seems rather overpowered. I would suggest that if you *really* don't like having the concept of running out of AP and never getting it back, you can just give them half the max AP possible back at the beginning of the session (no going over the max AP limit). Most adventures should have characters level up in one or two sessions, so it should allow them to use it semi-freely and still make it a valuable commodity. Alternatively, you can award APs for good roleplaying or creative solutions. The latter option is probably prefable.
Xeraph
10-06-04, 04:07 AM Hey, awsome plot you're starting up. Love the personal touch you gave it Do expand on what happens when you run the campaign, we're all drooling to hear more.

Ahhh, thank you very much, love that kind of feed back. :cloud9:

And... I think Saurenda is refering to the PrC 'Master Inquisitive', in which a character gains abilities that excell in gathering information, especially to solve crimes..
Ahh, I see.

And the Action Point system you propose seems rather overpowered. I would suggest that if you *really* don't like having the concept of running out of AP and never getting it back, you can just give them half the max AP possible back at the beginning of the session (no going over the max AP limit). Most adventures should have characters level up in one or two sessions, so it should allow them to use it semi-freely and still make it a valuable commodity..
Surely if my homebrew AP system is overpowered I will remake it, but I will let our first session decide that.
Cause I agree, it does seem rather powerful in the end. 10 regainable APs... :eek:

Alternatively, you can award APs for good roleplaying or creative solutions. The latter option is probably prefable..
Thats a good idea. Bonus APs.... I like that :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xeraph 10-05-04, 03:18 PM	So ive seen others post their adventure ideas before they run the game, and ive seen some great responses... being that i am the only one in my fello rpg'er ring that knows anything about Eberron, and that I am the dm and really cant discuss my adventure idea with the players, I ask for your IMO's. :rolleyes: First, the Houserules Action Point system. I didnt like the idea that you only, to start with, have a certain amount of APs per level, that dissapeares forever after they are used... I never like items with charges that cant be restored either. :) I would rather see a "void" like system, if you know L5R??? Anyways, in my homebrew system, that is simular to the L5R system, you get a certain amount of APs to use. You can restore your APs by a full days rest, cant remember the exact medical term but we are talking bed rest for 24 hourse or so. The maximum capacity of APs per level is shown below. 1-2 (1 pts) 3-4 (2 pts) 5-6 (3 pts) 7-8 (4 pts) 9-10 (5 pts) 11-12 (6 pts) 13-14 (7 pts) 15-16 (8 pts) 17-18 (9 pts) 19-20 (10 pts) The certain Prcs still give bonuses to this table, And you still get to use more than one AP per round as the normal table in the ECS... as shown below. 1-7 (1 pts) 8-14 (2 pts) 15-20 (3 pts) Over-/Underpowered? :confused: Know here's the remake of the ECS introduction adventure and SotLW. The group consists of: 1. A shifter monk from Droaam, whos a troubled soul searching for spirituallity in other shifters so he can tach or be tought in the arts of the monk. 2. A dragonmarked (Thuranni) elven rogue from Aundair, whos has been summoned to Sharn by his sister, to operate in house Phiarlain as a spy. 3. A human transmuter, who is a respected member of Morgrave University, and both a scholar and a duelist. 4. A halfing bard from Talenta, who went out in search of greater adventure and landed in Sharn after days and days on the road. Either that or hes hunting a band of Abberations that has slaughtered some of his clansmen... or maybe a mix. :confused: Now, they all meet a rainfull day in the twisting towers of Sharn. :whatsthis The Elf's sister, whos a respected member of Thuranni, has found a heirloom, which she dont know what does, all she knows is its magic and it has a faint transmutation aura. With the heirloom theres a map, she has found out that this map is depicting sewege lines under a specific part of Sharn, showing buildings from before her house split into two. And she knows that this heirloom is somehow connected to house Phiarlains new alligiance with the Emerald Claw. So she contacts Morgrave University, and respectively our Wizard, whos a transmuter, to solve the riddle. She sets up a meeting with the wizard in a random bar in one of the towers, where she first meets up with her younger brother, our elven rogue, and later on the wizard, to discuss his progress with the heirloom. Unknown to her at this time the wizard, our wizard, has already solved the puzzle, the heirloom is a key that can only be used proberly by a Shadow Marked person, and hes heading for the bar to meet her... On his way thru the twisted passages of Sharn he sees a body laying on one of the bridges between two towers, he quickly examines the body only to find out its a bluff, and the victim really is alive. Confused he doesnt realize theres a second culprit behind him, and before he knows it hes struck by severe pains in his back... he feels his body go fluid... posion works its way thru his nerve system and he falls unconcious... Earlier the shifter comes to sharn, he ventures thru the wet rainy towers. He reaches the edge to The Hilt, looks for an horizon but sees none other than black clouds and thunder... as he glares for a horizon, a horizon of hope, a gang of cutthroat goblins tries to size him up... he kills them. quickly, wonders what have become of him, is he nothing but a beast?... and loses hope... all he sees are the waves, he wonders that maybe he should become one with them.. take that last step... And then a Halfling drops by (this guy who plays the halfling is the type of person that can sweet talk a hellfirewyrm), he has found a den of dolgrims, in the lowest parts of Sharn, and is figuring out a way to kill them, when he sees the troubled shifter, and sees the slaughter he brings. The halfling knows he has found his mercenary. On their way over to the den, they see a clutched figure laying on a bridge... a good spot checks reveals a cloaked figure jumping of the ledge and into the shadows below the bridge... they run over only find a paralyzed wizard soaked in blood, but with a pulse beating.. before they know it... the culprits are over them... they see their enemy... a dolgrim and a larger cloaked figure sporting two tentacles from under it... a dolgaunt. After the killing, they find the heirloom and the notebook, Dolom comes running, they argue or talk or whatever, and either end up in jail or at the bar with the two Thuranni elves. Here the adventure continues as normally... with a few exeptions. 1. the Lord of blades is switched with Cult of the Dragon Below cultists, the dolgrims and dolgaunt. Who works below Mournland where madness reaings surpeme... they have found the center pice of the schemas and a trying to find the rest. 2. they may side track to kill the den of abberations in sharn, only to find out they left, back to Mournland to contemplate with their alien master... 3. The allied house Cannith is house Thuranni. 4. The opposing house Cannith is house Phiarlain. 5. The schema is still some weird artifact, though not from house Cannith but a remnent (sp) from the old house phiarlain before they split that is able to do marvelous things if its rejoined with the other schemas, dont really know yet. 6. Lady Elaydren (sp) is now our Elven Rogue's sister. In my campaign, Thuranni are the underdogs of the Shadow mark, and Phiarlain holds much power in most cities, so Thuranni work openly to promote that they dont deal in assassinations and stuff, to get accepteance, but are definatly outnumbered, and they have a hard time in the courts where Phiarlain are much stronger. With some Thuranni luck , the sister of our dragonmarked elf, knows that Phiarlain has found a schema that looks like something she has seen before. Searching thru her family jewelry she stumbles unto the heirloom and a map... she knows it from her childhood but didnt know of its significance (sp) so she hires the wizard to solve it. Thru contacts Phialain finds out, and tries to catch the group and their part of the schema thru betrayals, assassins, spells and the Emerald Claw. But dont opperate openly against Thuranni, for that is not accepted by the codes of the twelve. ... So... apart from changing certain encounters here and there, the adventure almost stays the same. So wha'd'ya think?
Save-vs-DM 10-05-04, 04:15 PM	Overall it sounds quite cool. Just be careful that you don't railroad your characters too much in the beginning with all this setup - I can see a large degree of possible variations in the setup. Other than that your changes seem quite cool. Good job. Cheers, Save vs DM
Saurenda 10-05-04, 04:37 PM	Overall it sounds quite cool. Just be careful that you don't railroad your characters too much in the beginning with all this setup - I can see a large degree of possible variations in the setup. Other than that your changes seem quite cool. Good job. Cheers, Save vs DM There are indeed a great number of things that can happen. Unfortunately overwhelming your players with so much possiblities might detract from the game a bit. One can't put too many things into the players faces, and then have the campgain fall out form under them without a fight now can we? It would be a shame for things to never get underway. Lady Eladryn is now her sister eh? My that girl does get around! Sounds very interesting and there are great possiblities for the High Inquisitor PC class. So you have replaced the Lord of Blades completely with the Dragon Below Cult? Are you interested in making the Dalkeyr return with all these abberitions about? I'm quite interested, please share with use what happens =D
Xeraph 10-05-04, 05:33 PM	Lady Eladryn is now her sister eh? My that girl does get around! Oh, you have no idea... :D Overall it sounds quite cool. Just be careful that you don't railroad your characters too much in the beginning with all this setup Unfortunately overwhelming your players with so much possiblities might detract from the game a bit. I hear you both, and thanks for the replies. Glad you like it. :) Yes, it might be to tailored, but this will change after the start... hope I dont strangle them to early this time. :rolleyes: One good thing is they dont know jack about Eberron, havent given them permission read in the book, really only certain pages. So i have the freedom to change things as we go, making up for holes and stuff. Hate it when players are like: "What? Im sure I read somewhere that Storm Silverhand is a Harper"... Im like: "You die, no save." :rolleyes: Sounds very interesting and there are great possiblities for the High Inquisitor PC class. Huh, never heard of it? Where might I find that? I'm quite interested, please share with use what happens =D But ofcourse, first play day is this Friday... lets see if they buy it.
Solarious 10-06-04, 01:57 AM	Hey, awsome plot you're starting up. Love the personal touch you gave it ;) Do expand on what happens when you run the campaign, we're all drooling to hear more. :drool: And... I think Saurenda is refering to the PrC 'Master Inquisitive', in which a character gains abilities that excell in gathering information, especially to solve crimes. And the Action Point system you propose seems rather overpowered. I would suggest that if you really don't like having the concept of running out of AP and never getting it back, you can just give them half the max AP possible back at the beginning of the session (no going over the max AP limit). Most adventures should have characters level up in one or two sessions, so it should allow them to use it semi-freely and still make it a valuable commodity. Alternatively, you can award APs for good roleplaying or creative solutions. The latter option is probably prefable.
Xeraph 10-06-04, 04:07 AM	Hey, awsome plot you're starting up. Love the personal touch you gave it Do expand on what happens when you run the campaign, we're all drooling to hear more. Ahhh, thank you very much, love that kind of feed back. :cloud9: And... I think Saurenda is refering to the PrC 'Master Inquisitive', in which a character gains abilities that excell in gathering information, especially to solve crimes.. Ahh, I see. And the Action Point system you propose seems rather overpowered. I would suggest that if you really don't like having the concept of running out of AP and never getting it back, you can just give them half the max AP possible back at the beginning of the session (no going over the max AP limit). Most adventures should have characters level up in one or two sessions, so it should allow them to use it semi-freely and still make it a valuable commodity.. Surely if my homebrew AP system is overpowered I will remake it, but I will let our first session decide that. Cause I agree, it does seem rather powerful in the end. 10 regainable APs... :eek: Alternatively, you can award APs for good roleplaying or creative solutions. The latter option is probably prefable.. Thats a good idea. Bonus APs.... I like that :)