How best to use S:CoT? [Archive] - Wizards Community

How best to use S:CoT? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Soloran
09-19-05, 11:19 AM After DMing around Eberron, I found that most of my adventures take place in Sharn. In order to supplement my game, I bought S:CoT several weeks ago. However, I am at a loss on how to use this book to its full capacity. I mean, the book was a great read but I've had difficulty actually using it during a game or during game preparation. (Despite the errata, the lack of an index bothers the heck out of me.)

Anyways, since everyone says that S:CoT was such a great and wonderful book, how did y'all go about using it? (Examples would be wonderful ;) .)
darkwarlock
09-19-05, 11:36 AM well, the first thing i would do if i were you would be to check here http://bossythecow.com/sharnindex.htm at keith baker's personal website where he has compiled an index for the sharn book. helps things greatly.

next, i'd incorporate all the little mini-rules sprinkled throughout the book ["a friend at the bar," etc.] into game play. make the rules ideas a way for the players to become attached to the city and its specific locales.

also, i incorporate npcs and locales straight from the book: the adventurers plan to venture into the upper cogs? engineer a social encounter at the red hammer. or have the party come across a couple of bugbears [straight from the MM] beating several members of the watch [stats on p. 136]. the party may choose to intervene on behalf of one group or the other [and who is to say that the watchmen are not corrupt bigots being taught a lesson for some foul deed or words?] got a gnome in the party? certainly, s/he'd know about daca and her watch. make obtaining info or a clue to solve a puzzle part of the story arc.

anyway, those are some concrete little things that i add straight from the book to my game. in addition, there are countless adventure ideas [the mind flayer exploring the fallen citadel of the closed circle, for example], conspiring groups [the lords of dust, various quori puppet groups, etc.] that can be expanded and fleshed out for adventures of full-fledged campaign-arcs.
MysticTheurge
09-19-05, 12:30 PM Yeah I use it to give the world a more alive feel by using the personas and places listed in it for a variety of social encounters and backstory stuff.

It's a great source for Plot Hooks to get your characters to the next adventure you want them to do.
pilias_simber
09-19-05, 12:31 PM After DMing around Eberron, I found that most of my adventures take place in Sharn. In order to supplement my game, I bought S:CoT several weeks ago. However, I am at a loss on how to use this book to its full capacity. I mean, the book was a great read but I've had difficulty actually using it during a game or during game preparation. (Despite the errata, the lack of an index bothers the heck out of me.)

Anyways, since everyone says that S:CoT was such a great and wonderful book, how did y'all go about using it? (Examples would be wonderful ;) .)

This is a specific example of how I am using the book in my game, as asked for:

My game is mostly an intrigue game entirely based in Sharn, I imagine at some point my players will want to leave and go elsewhere, I've been sowing the seeds for a Xen'drik journey, but so far they are very content in Sharn.

Having read the book, and being the only person to read the book I wanted to give my players an opportunity to use things out of the book so I made what I call a Sharn Information Guide, specific for each player based off their Race, Class, Knoweldges, and interests. The guide was a handout that I gave everyone citing specific entries from the book and their impressions (written with their voice in the wording to make it feel more personal) of each place. Now instead of the players asking me questions like "Do I know of a good place to eat in this part of town" they look at their information sheet and say "I want to go have an Omelette at the Ellfate’s Eatery." The book has made the city real to them and they love it.

Also whenever they come to a new area or district I read the text at the beginning that describes the area, or if it has stuff I don't think they know I modify the test, but it makes it much easier for me to give them a feel for their surroundings, and each place seems different to them, almost like they are traveling around the world, but they never leave the city.

The party has also ran into several NPCs from the book and have started some interesting adventures involving these NPCs.

I'm planning on doing something with the Crystalfall Celebration soon as they are finishing up an adventure involving part of the tower.
Cloud Divider
09-19-05, 12:40 PM For me, S:CoT was essentially most useful as an idea mine.

You'll definitely want to do at least one decent read-through. You'll most likely find people/places/events/etc that catch your attention. You may find that you really dig the Deneith "situation." Or what's going on with the Inspired. Or the big undead power-players. Or maybe that gang-war between the Boromar and Daask.

Once you've hit on a few good ideas, you'll likely go back through a second time, and try to find connections you can bring in. Like the Boromar connection to the Sharn City Council. The Sharn index is helpful, but not quite perfect. You might get a hit on a name or a reference, but it's not an answer sheet like "Boromar: Influenced by x, y, z." Or the connection between the antimonarchists and a restaurant that specializes in...omelets.

Getting the couple readthroughs is probably handy in the long run, as well. For instance, let's say you've got a upcoming contact who wants to meet the PC's at a concert hall. Whether the meeting occurs at the venue near Morgrave (I forget the name, but it's a very high-class venue), or one of the other possibilities (in the theater district, or in a nightclub) will change the flavor. But the readthrough will at least let you know "Oh, hey, I seem to remember reading something about that theater district in Lower Menthis..."

So the general knowledge will really come in handy, IMO.
zambuka
09-19-05, 08:25 PM Sharn is a big place.

Pick 2 or 3 districts and focus most of your efforts in there. Almost every district in Sharn has everything you need, taverns, entertainment, shops, seedy encounters, greedy landlords, mysterious alleyways and forgotten nooks and corners.

There is plenty for a group of adventurers to do in a small number of areas particularly if your focus is on the lower regions of the towers. (read the novel The City of Towers for ideas, KB focuses on only 2 or 3 districts but still has plenty of things happening).

Treat the rest of the city as nothing more than one of those big painted backdrops they used to use in movies until they need to go somewhere new. Note the use of the word need here, if they want to go somewhere "just to see" then you have lost them. That doesn't mean foce them to stay in one place, and certainly don't deny them the pleasure of visiting the bigger market places, just keep any information and contacts they have reasonably localised.

As you do more and more you can slowly expand what parts of the city they visit as needed.
realdm
09-23-05, 06:34 AM take inspiration for a campaign set in sharn from the gta series.
several patrons, multimissions, different powergroups that sometimes are allies and sometimes are enemies and lots of sub quests
Eronthar
09-23-05, 07:17 AM During my MI series games took place in Sharn. As everybody said the book is great. When i's preparing my story, i took dictricts that my players should visit. But a detective story is contains a chain of clues. So players can't get out of the line.

Otherwise if you read the book from cover to cover, just as i did, you can know what the possible outlook of the ward or district.
Hellcow
09-23-05, 12:45 PM The Sharn index is helpful, but not quite perfect.
Given that Ellen and I put it together on our own time, going through the book by hand... I'm afraid you get what you pay for. ;)
Altaris13
09-23-05, 06:35 PM Given that Ellen and I put it together on our own time, going through the book by hand... I'm afraid you get what you pay for. ;)

And I have to say that without it, I'd probably be insane. :D KB, I cannot ever say it enough. You. Kick. Balls. :bow:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Soloran 09-19-05, 11:19 AM	After DMing around Eberron, I found that most of my adventures take place in Sharn. In order to supplement my game, I bought S:CoT several weeks ago. However, I am at a loss on how to use this book to its full capacity. I mean, the book was a great read but I've had difficulty actually using it during a game or during game preparation. (Despite the errata, the lack of an index bothers the heck out of me.) Anyways, since everyone says that S:CoT was such a great and wonderful book, how did y'all go about using it? (Examples would be wonderful ;) .)
darkwarlock 09-19-05, 11:36 AM	well, the first thing i would do if i were you would be to check here http://bossythecow.com/sharnindex.htm at keith baker's personal website where he has compiled an index for the sharn book. helps things greatly. next, i'd incorporate all the little mini-rules sprinkled throughout the book ["a friend at the bar," etc.] into game play. make the rules ideas a way for the players to become attached to the city and its specific locales. also, i incorporate npcs and locales straight from the book: the adventurers plan to venture into the upper cogs? engineer a social encounter at the red hammer. or have the party come across a couple of bugbears [straight from the MM] beating several members of the watch [stats on p. 136]. the party may choose to intervene on behalf of one group or the other [and who is to say that the watchmen are not corrupt bigots being taught a lesson for some foul deed or words?] got a gnome in the party? certainly, s/he'd know about daca and her watch. make obtaining info or a clue to solve a puzzle part of the story arc. anyway, those are some concrete little things that i add straight from the book to my game. in addition, there are countless adventure ideas [the mind flayer exploring the fallen citadel of the closed circle, for example], conspiring groups [the lords of dust, various quori puppet groups, etc.] that can be expanded and fleshed out for adventures of full-fledged campaign-arcs.
MysticTheurge 09-19-05, 12:30 PM	Yeah I use it to give the world a more alive feel by using the personas and places listed in it for a variety of social encounters and backstory stuff. It's a great source for Plot Hooks to get your characters to the next adventure you want them to do.
pilias_simber 09-19-05, 12:31 PM	After DMing around Eberron, I found that most of my adventures take place in Sharn. In order to supplement my game, I bought S:CoT several weeks ago. However, I am at a loss on how to use this book to its full capacity. I mean, the book was a great read but I've had difficulty actually using it during a game or during game preparation. (Despite the errata, the lack of an index bothers the heck out of me.) Anyways, since everyone says that S:CoT was such a great and wonderful book, how did y'all go about using it? (Examples would be wonderful ;) .) This is a specific example of how I am using the book in my game, as asked for: My game is mostly an intrigue game entirely based in Sharn, I imagine at some point my players will want to leave and go elsewhere, I've been sowing the seeds for a Xen'drik journey, but so far they are very content in Sharn. Having read the book, and being the only person to read the book I wanted to give my players an opportunity to use things out of the book so I made what I call a Sharn Information Guide, specific for each player based off their Race, Class, Knoweldges, and interests. The guide was a handout that I gave everyone citing specific entries from the book and their impressions (written with their voice in the wording to make it feel more personal) of each place. Now instead of the players asking me questions like "Do I know of a good place to eat in this part of town" they look at their information sheet and say "I want to go have an Omelette at the Ellfate’s Eatery." The book has made the city real to them and they love it. Also whenever they come to a new area or district I read the text at the beginning that describes the area, or if it has stuff I don't think they know I modify the test, but it makes it much easier for me to give them a feel for their surroundings, and each place seems different to them, almost like they are traveling around the world, but they never leave the city. The party has also ran into several NPCs from the book and have started some interesting adventures involving these NPCs. I'm planning on doing something with the Crystalfall Celebration soon as they are finishing up an adventure involving part of the tower.
Cloud Divider 09-19-05, 12:40 PM	For me, S:CoT was essentially most useful as an idea mine. You'll definitely want to do at least one decent read-through. You'll most likely find people/places/events/etc that catch your attention. You may find that you really dig the Deneith "situation." Or what's going on with the Inspired. Or the big undead power-players. Or maybe that gang-war between the Boromar and Daask. Once you've hit on a few good ideas, you'll likely go back through a second time, and try to find connections you can bring in. Like the Boromar connection to the Sharn City Council. The Sharn index is helpful, but not quite perfect. You might get a hit on a name or a reference, but it's not an answer sheet like "Boromar: Influenced by x, y, z." Or the connection between the antimonarchists and a restaurant that specializes in...omelets. Getting the couple readthroughs is probably handy in the long run, as well. For instance, let's say you've got a upcoming contact who wants to meet the PC's at a concert hall. Whether the meeting occurs at the venue near Morgrave (I forget the name, but it's a very high-class venue), or one of the other possibilities (in the theater district, or in a nightclub) will change the flavor. But the readthrough will at least let you know "Oh, hey, I seem to remember reading something about that theater district in Lower Menthis..." So the general knowledge will really come in handy, IMO.
zambuka 09-19-05, 08:25 PM	Sharn is a big place. Pick 2 or 3 districts and focus most of your efforts in there. Almost every district in Sharn has everything you need, taverns, entertainment, shops, seedy encounters, greedy landlords, mysterious alleyways and forgotten nooks and corners. There is plenty for a group of adventurers to do in a small number of areas particularly if your focus is on the lower regions of the towers. (read the novel The City of Towers for ideas, KB focuses on only 2 or 3 districts but still has plenty of things happening). Treat the rest of the city as nothing more than one of those big painted backdrops they used to use in movies until they need to go somewhere new. Note the use of the word need here, if they want to go somewhere "just to see" then you have lost them. That doesn't mean foce them to stay in one place, and certainly don't deny them the pleasure of visiting the bigger market places, just keep any information and contacts they have reasonably localised. As you do more and more you can slowly expand what parts of the city they visit as needed.
realdm 09-23-05, 06:34 AM	take inspiration for a campaign set in sharn from the gta series. several patrons, multimissions, different powergroups that sometimes are allies and sometimes are enemies and lots of sub quests
Eronthar 09-23-05, 07:17 AM	During my MI series games took place in Sharn. As everybody said the book is great. When i's preparing my story, i took dictricts that my players should visit. But a detective story is contains a chain of clues. So players can't get out of the line. Otherwise if you read the book from cover to cover, just as i did, you can know what the possible outlook of the ward or district.
Hellcow 09-23-05, 12:45 PM	The Sharn index is helpful, but not quite perfect. Given that Ellen and I put it together on our own time, going through the book by hand... I'm afraid you get what you pay for. ;)
Altaris13 09-23-05, 06:35 PM	Given that Ellen and I put it together on our own time, going through the book by hand... I'm afraid you get what you pay for. ;) And I have to say that without it, I'd probably be insane. :D KB, I cannot ever say it enough. You. Kick. Balls. :bow: