Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Law 04-12-06, 03:33 AM	Hi guys, I'd like some advice on how to make the horse chase scene and the embassy in Whispers of the Vampire's Blade more... epic. First, what we have in the party: - a House Phiarlan female elven bard - a Boromar Clan human male rogue - a warforged fighter - a Silver Flame human male paladin - a human female artificer - a human male sorceror Horse chase scene For the horse chase scene, I'm predicting that the players might try some of the following: - rogue will try to jump from his horse onto the carriage (he doesn't have decent ranged attacks) - the artificer and the bard might try and open fire with x-bow and bow (small chance of hitting due to penalties for fast moving mounts though...) - the sorceror might use his scroll of lightning bolt, and scroll of melf's acid arrow to damage the carriage - the warforged fighter doesn't have a ranged weapon, so he might try and jump onto the carriage too (or run next to it, and try to smack the wheels with his greatsword) - the paladin is also a bit limited in options, with no ranged weapon I'd like to make this encounter as exciting as possible. 1.) I've made a double map with Dundjinni (two A3 pages, end to end, high resolution maps...) which I'll use for the relative and local mapping. 2.) I've got the Sharn: City of Towers CD so I'll play a tune from there that sets the mood. 3.) I'm going to have Grilsha toss a fireball at the party when they're within long range, to show them I mean business :) 4.) Grilsha will also have a lightning bolt for medium range, and magic missiles for short range. 5.) Lucan will be summoning 3 bat swarms. The bat swarms don't fly as fast as the PC horses run or the carriage, but I'll let them come from the forest and then 'swarm' three of the PCs for one round, before they get moved off the map (due to being outrun) I'm looking for additional things I can do? Any suggestions? Perhaps... 6.) Perhaps have Grilsha throw barrels / objects off the coach when the PCs get close, forcing them and their mounts to jump over them or take a fall? 7.) Any other ideas? The embassy In our next game, the players will prolly end up in the embassy encounter. I'd like the PCs social skills to really shine here, and would like good use of Diplomacy and Bluff. I've also made a new map using Dundjinni, and I'm considering using some orchestral music (to simulate the band). I was thinking some of the following events can happen: 1.) If the party bard doesn't approach the band by herself, someone can ask her to dance and say things like "the band isn't bad, pity they don't have a vocalist." 2.) All of the PCs with bluff skills (the sorceror, bard and the rogue) get asked to dance. They then get asked "so what do you do?" They'll need to bluff, else admitting they're adventurers will result in the dance partner calling the guards. 3.) They can use their Diplomacy skills to ask guests about Lucan /Grilsha / Neya's details as per the adventure's suggestion. 4.) At some stage, when they've got enough info to ID Lucan, I'd like Lucan to be dancing, center stage, with Areyndee, a House Thuranni assassin (who's also looking for Lucan). The whole room looks at them, and they dance gracefully as they casually chat. Then Areyndee says something to Lucan, and he realizes who she is and combat starts. 5.) The band members, who are also members of House Thuranni, draw daggers and combat starts. 6.) The PCs will be unarmed (except maybe the rogue, who always hides daggers on his person) so they'll need to disarm the band members if they want to stand a chance against Areyndee, Lucan and Grilsha. Does anyone have any additional things I can do for the embassy? To make it more epic, and especially to bring in more social skills? So far the Forgotten Forge, Shadows of the Last War and Whispers haven't had many places for PCs to use social skills, and I'd like the embassy to be a prime place for them to use those skills they've invested in. I was thinking... 7.) The warforged gets mistaken as a waiter (there was one warforged waiter due at the event, but he never made it to the embassy due for whatever reason - perhaps the players even see the guards dragging a warforged off the embassy grounds before they enter?). Then when he's spotted at the gate, a waiter runs up to him and says "where were you, you're late! Come quickly, you need to get dressed..." and he then has to play waiter all night. I can perhaps allow him to gather some info the others can't because he hears all the stories in the kitchen, what do you think? 8.) Perhaps someone at the bar tries to pick up the sorceror (he's a bit of a ladies man), thinking he's a duke or baron. This can lead to a 'off-scene' romantic scene, and perhaps he can gather some additional info too.
cancerousmango 04-12-06, 12:24 PM	could you maybe post those maps? they'd be really useful for a lot of people. :)
Dakron_Tundrick 04-12-06, 01:16 PM	I had to advance Grilsha and Lucan, because of the number of players and their level. But I ended up having Grilsha casting Cloudkill as the PCs approched from behind. The group was close enough together that all but one the their mounts died. Wasn't much of a chace after that, but worked rather well.
super-ninja-squirrel-king 04-12-06, 01:24 PM	I'd like some advice on how to make the horse chase scene and the embassy in Whispers of the Vampire's Blade more... epic. i ran this myself, and it was awesome. i dont see why you need to make it MORE epic....but epic=awesome, so what the hell ill give it a shot i think that an important thing to do is to remind the players that action points are for using, and let the players know that there are not all that many encounters in this adventure, but they are all important. i mean, honestly, high speed horse chase, socially exciting event with ambassadors, crashing an airship, battling the lightning rail to a stop, and FIGHTING A FRICKIN VAMPIRE!! these are more than 3/4 of the encounters that will be remembered, and should get the PCs in more than a few newspapers. this DESERVES the thick application of action points Horse chase scene For the horse chase scene, I'm predicting that the players might try some of the following: - rogue will try to jump from his horse onto the carriage (he doesn't have decent ranged attacks) this means that he will present himself as the first target for ranged attacks. it should be very difficult to get onto that thing, and if he gets on, i would say that the first thing to happen would be lucan or grilsha(or perhaps a few dominated minions that lucan is bringing along for the ride) pushing him off, which brings me to... - the artificer and the bard might try and open fire with x-bow and bow (small chance of hitting due to penalties for fast moving mounts though...) this means that they will be hanging back a bit, probably being annoying with ranged weapons, while the rogue hits the ground and they have an opportunity to scoop him up. but this is up to them, and if all they want to do is be a boring annoyance, it is up to them. - the sorceror might use his scroll of lightning bolt, and scroll of melf's acid arrow to damage the carriage - the warforged fighter doesn't have a ranged weapon, so he might try and jump onto the carriage too (or run next to it, and try to smack the wheels with his greatsword) my characters tried this....it wasnt easy to damage it to such an extent that it will get disabled, first you need to hit the axle, then you need to deal enough damage, and those axles are engineered to have the weight of a carriage on them for hundreds of miles, so i would up the hardness at least, if not the hitpoints(perhaps even use densewood or metal). this will force the PCs to get up close and personal with the ground zipping past. or you could have a great crash, horses flying everywhere, bats appearing simultaneously....that would be pretty sweet, but short-lived as far as excitement, because grilsha will fly away(and doesnt want to waste that) and lucan will get away quickly, as well. - the paladin is also a bit limited in options, with no ranged weapon as long as he is 4th level....he can turn undead, but that might only have the effect of pushing lucan away...if he does this, i would make it look like he is the reason that lucan runs away...otherwise, i dont know how to help on that 1.) I've made a double map with Dundjinni (two A3 pages, end to end, high resolution maps...) which I'll use for the relative and local mapping. i personally just used a battlemat. a good tip is that most automatic pencils are 30 ft(if you have 1 inch = 5ft) 2.) I've got the Sharn: City of Towers CD so I'll play a tune from there that sets the mood. i found the music found on that disc to be adequate, but sub-par. i suggest going to newgrounds.com and checking out the audio portal, artists i suggest: edgen (http://newgrounds.com/audio/view.php?id=1344836&sub=32800) xylence (http://newgrounds.com/audio/view.php?id=1358637&sub=39494) djdarkangel (http://newgrounds.com/audio/view.php?id=1444371&sub=42760) you'll have to try out a few of their tracks first, but most of the good stuff builds up to some good fast excitement, especially djdarkangel's 'the strangest thingU heard' (newgrounds id = 41453) also look for other artists...lots of skilled people there you will have to deal with lots of popup ads, but it was worth it for me 3.) I'm going to have Grilsha toss a fireball at the party when they're within long range, to show them I mean business :) 4.) Grilsha will also have a lightning bolt for medium range, and magic missiles for short range. good idea, especially the fireball, just dont kill them...yet 5.) Lucan will be summoning 3 bat swarms. The bat swarms don't fly as fast as the PC horses run or the carriage, but I'll let them come from the forest and then 'swarm' three of the PCs for one round, before they get moved off the map (due to being outrun) this is a good idea, but you might want to save one or two of those to help grilsha get out of melee range so she can cast fly I'm looking for additional things I can do? Any suggestions? Perhaps... 6.) Perhaps have Grilsha throw barrels / objects off the coach when the PCs get close, forcing them and their mounts to jump over them or take a fall? 7.) Any other ideas? the throwing things would be good, force a few ride checks, etc. just dont turn it into a donkey kong boss as far as other ideas, i really like the idea(that i didnt use) of a few dominated minions riding along, so the PCs will have a danger of falling off the carriage The embassy In our next game, the players will prolly end up in the embassy encounter. I'd like the PCs social skills to really shine here, and would like good use of Diplomacy and Bluff. I've also made a new map using Dundjinni, and I'm considering using some orchestral music (to simulate the band). just getting in was quite fun for me, all by itself. most of the players went down the street to get some ridiculous costumes(i turned it into more of almost a rave....but with ballroom dancing...sort of... it was very confusing, whenever we needed to dance, it was slow enough for it, but at most other times it was too ridiculous for a formal event) and then they had to bluff past guards, beat someone up to get an invitation(who was found unconscious later.....), sleight of hand to make it look like the rogue put the invite in the box, but not really(and another to get that invite to another character) I was thinking some of the following events can happen: 1.) If the party bard doesn't approach the band by herself, someone can ask her to dance and say things like "the band isn't bad, pity they don't have a vocalist." knowing bards...i dont think you will need to offer an invitation 2.) All of the PCs with bluff skills (the sorceror, bard and the rogue) get asked to dance. They then get asked "so what do you do?" They'll need to bluff, else admitting they're adventurers will result in the dance partner calling the guards. that's a good idea, asking them directly, but wait until they have resigned to just sit next to the bar, let them be the ones to ask to dance my PCs also singled out the major NPCs on their own 3.) They can use their Diplomacy skills to ask guests about Lucan /Grilsha / Neya's details as per the adventure's suggestion. this is prescribed in the adventure, i think, but make sure you let the PCs have lots of fun before this...one of my characters, when dancing with Neya(the aundairian ambassador) was cut in by lucan. my PC had a falcon mask, so was already nervous about lucan's eagle mask, and after a moment of eyeing lucan deliberately(without knowing who he was) actually punched him in the face. and subsequently was knocked across the room(vampire strength) and got kicked out. 4.) At some stage, when they've got enough info to ID Lucan, I'd like Lucan to be dancing, center stage, with Areyndee, a House Thuranni assassin (who's also looking for Lucan). The whole room looks at them, and they dance gracefully as they casually chat. Then Areyndee says something to Lucan, and he realizes who she is and combat starts. i thought it was someone casting charm? or is that areyndee that does that? 5.) The band members, who are also members of House Thuranni, draw daggers and combat starts. 6.) The PCs will be unarmed (except maybe the rogue, who always hides daggers on his person) so they'll need to disarm the band members if they want to stand a chance against Areyndee, Lucan and Grilsha. one of my PCs made a b-line for the weapons cache once combat started, so they had weapons 2-3 rounds in. also, do NOT down play the crowds, they are great to slow the encounter a bit(so weapons can he re-claimed) and it was great when one of my PCs was trying to get through a crowd, got knocked down and when the crowd moved on, he was laying on the floor next to an NPC with a weapon, who was about to fight lucan. my PC hit this person, and lucan came and owned them both. Does anyone have any additional things I can do for the embassy? To make it more epic, and especially to bring in more social skills? So far the Forgotten Forge, Shadows of the Last War and Whispers haven't had many places for PCs to use social skills, and I'd like the embassy to be a prime place for them to use those skills they've invested in. I was thinking... 7.) The warforged gets mistaken as a waiter (there was one warforged waiter due at the event, but he never made it to the embassy due for whatever reason - perhaps the players even see the guards dragging a warforged off the embassy grounds before they enter?). Then when he's spotted at the gate, a waiter runs up to him and says "where were you, you're late! Come quickly, you need to get dressed..." and he then has to play waiter all night. I can perhaps allow him to gather some info the others can't because he hears all the stories in the kitchen, what do you think? 8.) Perhaps someone at the bar tries to pick up the sorceror (he's a bit of a ladies man), thinking he's a duke or baron. This can lead to a 'off-scene' romantic scene, and perhaps he can gather some additional info too. in my game, the PCs made these opportunities for themselves. just make sure to pick up on when you can make an awesome social realization and whatnot. good luck
REN 04-13-06, 08:54 PM	This was one of THE BEST adventures I have ever had the pleasure to run. As far as making it more epic, try to have exciting chase music once the party catches up to the vampire. I used some music ( I THINK.... ) from the movie Hildago. The ballroom scene was an entire night of comic relief along with edge of your seat action, all the way to the lyrander air tower where the chase continued. A few things I did to make it more epic were to create a HUGE map using 1" grid paper that made the ballroom about 3 feet by 21/2 feet on my table. I used a bunch of pennies to stand in for minis for the crowd. I had a big band area and I played alot of big band type music and then a waltz t the end of the night just before the fight began. One player was having fun getting drunk on the free liquor, another was mistaken for waiters and quickly ushered into the back kitchen where they had to go with the role or risk getting kicked out. And yet another got whisked off his feet by his girlfriend who appened to be at the embassy. So they all kept pretty busy making it difficult for them to actually spot Lucan. When the dancing player bumped Lucan and relaized what happened, all hell broke loose. Suddenly the pennies started moving towards the door making it impossible for the drinking character to get to the scene of the fight. The character with the GirlFriend ran with her to protect her, while the other two waiters dropped their trays and got involved in a 4 way battle. I even got the band involved. There were chandelier swinging, ceiling walks, magic missles being cast, electricity bolts being blasted everywhere, all the time more pennies rushed out the small door. Oh yeah... I also had the mucis suddenly stop and screaming began along with some exciting action type music. It was AWESOME. Try to make the scene extend into the tower scene without any break in between. This will keep the pace up until they are actually on the vessel. The battle on the air ship was no less exciting and involved the party having to fight through gaurds and nearly missing the jump from the towe onto the airship. Actually, one player did miss only to re-appear moments later crawling over the railing... having just missed the elemental ring and landing on the elemental wing. He came over the top just as the rest of the party was about to be thrown over board! HAHAHA! THAT WAS GREAT! Whatever you do, just try to picture it as you being the directot of this crazy movie. I've heard alot of bad things about this module, but a creative and fun group can have a blast with it. Enjoy it! Here is a write up of my campaign for this module.... http://rpgmtl.com:8080//phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=141&start=0 I've tried to write summaries of my games but in recent months have had no time. It's not the best writing, but maybe it will give you some ideas. later... Ren