Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Miles 08-17-04, 06:48 PM	A few weeks ago, I started an Eberron campaign, using the included adventure, The Forgotten Forge, and then moving to Shadows of the Last War. We only had three PCs (their choice), but they went and hired a Halfling of House Jorasco (Crazy Eddie), for all their healing needs. The first adventure went well. I enjoyed it a lot. The players did very well, even with one character sacrificing his life to hold Saber back while the others escaped with the schema. The next adventure was less successful. We had a new character, and the group hired Crazy Eddie once more. Everything went basically smoothly, until they fought skeletons on a boat to Darguun, and lost one of the original party. The group decided to continue without another character (down to 2 player characters, and 1 hireling). After a small ruckus with two bugbears that went pretty well, the group made their way to Rose Quarry, where they decided they would take on the entire Emerald Claw Camp. Honestly, they may have won, because of the slippery glass which caused the villains to fall every round. The problem monsters being the two magic users. Without armor, they could handle the glass pretty well. One cast a spell which caused their healer, Crazy Eddie to flee. Then, the other used her wand of Magic Missile to a very good degree. And then there were none. Game over man, game over. Sigh. Miles.
Greyson 08-17-04, 10:35 PM	Hey, Miles. Well, that happens sometimes in D&D. So, what will your PCs do now? New characters? Dungeon has a few 1st-level adventures that can fit well in Eberron. Issue 105 has an adventure called "The Stink," that I think fits well in Sharn, in the Cogs, perhaps. Maybe your PCs can start there with new characters, and then make their way back to Shadows of the Last War (SotLW). My PCs are working on "Queen with Burning Eyes" from Dungeon 113, then we'll hit SotLW. Anyway, let us know what your plans are now for your campaign.
ChrisTheS 08-17-04, 11:14 PM	I personally think that SotLW is a little too much for 2nd-level characters, even if you run away from almost every battle (as the adventure seems to recommend). At least, it is if you play it as a standard adventure. It becomes easier if you have creative players with a flair for the cinematic. Battles can be made easier by not thinking of foes purely in terms of hit points--for instance, if a character notices a skeletal hand reaching over the side of the boat, he can give a yell to warn the others and negate the surprise round, pull out his sword, hack the hand off, and kick the skeleton in the head as it comes up, sending it plunging back into the water and reducing the number of the enemy by one. Spellcasters could be disrupted by making ranged called shots to the hands as they're trying to cast their spells (if I were GM, I'd make the called shot automatic if the normal attack hits, and negate the spellcaster's Concentration check just 'cause it's a cool action). If you don't have someone with a ranged weapon, just throw a rock at them. The end battle can be neatly sidestepped (without seeming lame) by convincing Failin to come along for the trip with the landcart, holding off the remaining guards long enough to get to it, and then running a few of them over with it as you escape. I have one group that's almost creative enough to think like this. I wish that my other group would be more like them (and would also let me run Eberron instead of being infuriatingly committed to my least favorite setting, the Realms). With time and training, I think I can convince players of all my games (not just Eberron) to play like that, which I think would make the game a lot more fun.
SornDuskryn 08-18-04, 12:16 AM	After looking at Shadow's of the Last War, I have to agree that it seems a bit much for a party of 2nd level adventurers. I'm planning on starting a PnP Eberron campaign once I move into my new place. Starting with a small personal intro adventure to get the group together, then Forgotten Forge, then Queen of Burning Eyes (Dungeon 113), then SotLW. After that I'm planning on developing something to further the Schema plot. I'm not a big fan of using Modules, but these look so well done, plus being new to Eberron it will help myself and my players to truly get a good grasp on the setting.
Miles 08-18-04, 03:28 AM	Well, honestly, I think I'm going to try running another out of the book campaign, only this time dragonlance. If it kills everyone, then I'll move back to Eberron, and just write the adventures myself. Miles.
ChrisTheS 08-18-04, 03:36 AM	I just noticed your icon and sig :) Long live Happy Noodle Boy!
Zagumus 08-18-04, 05:12 AM	Are they making good use of thier action points, my players were falling behind the curve until I stated asking them "do you want to use an action point on that action" Then things got a lot better.
q'afuu 08-18-04, 05:37 AM	Originally posted by Zagumus Are they making good use of thier action points? Very important point. It's the same in Modern: challenges seem to be set specifically with the use of action points in mind (and why wouldn't they be, after all?).
Radiating Gnome 08-18-04, 09:55 AM	In my own campaign, here's what has happened so far: 1. Four PCs went through Forgotten Forge. The final battle with Saber was hairy for them -- an amusing round-robbin of PCs feeding each other healing potions to keep each other upright. They did finally beat him, but it was a very close thing. 2. The same four PCs, now 2nd level, were joined by two new first level PCs for Queen of the Burning Eyes (dungeon). With this group -- now up to 6 pcs, and a total of 10 character levels for the group -- I found the mod was a little underpowered, and in several cases I beefed up the numbers of opponents the PCs faced. In most cases this worked out pretty well -- the fights were dramatic and challenging without being super-deadly, although the party's habit of picking fights with more than one group of enemies at a time caused a few problems, when a beefed up Grimlock ambush took out two PCs in two rounds. The second of those PCs, the Shifter Ranger/Bard who was trying to help the first level warforged monk (the first to go down), was hit so hard and fast by the three grimlocks that he was killed outright, rather than just bleeding out . . . and I got all soft for a moment and offered to let him trade in all of his action points to be stable but at -10. And that was what reminded them that the HAD action points in the first place. Then they started to use them. They've almost completed the adventure -- they only have to deal with the ambush at the very end of the adventure. They only started to remember to use their action points at the very end of the adventure. I wish that the two adventures so far had been a little less dungeon-crawlish, but other than that we've been having a pretty good time. -rg
ENHenry 08-18-04, 10:41 AM	For my first Eberron Adventure as DM, The characters fought in the second-to-last battle of the Last War. (My storyline: There were TWO battles fought on that day, but the only one anyone remembers popularly is the Field of Ruins, because of circumstance and the publicity of the explorer who found it.) They were losing a huge (1000 vs. 500) battle against Karrnathi skeletons... and then came the flash of light... and the explosive winds... and the fog... Our next game opens 4 years later, after they spent nine months as prisoners of war, and wandered for a couple of years doing odd jobs. Now, they have no money, and need to know what to do next... They seemed to love it.
mandingo 08-18-04, 02:25 PM	I constantly ask my players if they want to spend action points even if the total roll is a success. Remember, don't announce success or failure until after the player has decided whether or not to use the action point. I started with the Forgotten Forge and from there to the SotLW. Now I am putting them through a modified version of the Queen with the Burning Eyes.
LordofIllusions 08-18-04, 02:40 PM	Originally posted by Miles A few weeks ago, I started an Eberron campaign, using the included adventure, The Forgotten Forge, and then moving to Shadows of the Last War. We only had three PCs (their choice), but they went and hired a Halfling of House Jorasco (Crazy Eddie), for all their healing needs. The first adventure went well. I enjoyed it a lot. The players did very well, even with one character sacrificing his life to hold Saber back while the others escaped with the schema. The next adventure was less successful. We had a new character, and the group hired Crazy Eddie once more. Everything went basically smoothly, until they fought skeletons on a boat to Darguun, and lost one of the original party. The group decided to continue without another character (down to 2 player characters, and 1 hireling). After a small ruckus with two bugbears that went pretty well, the group made their way to Rose Quarry, where they decided they would take on the entire Emerald Claw Camp. Honestly, they may have won, because of the slippery glass which caused the villains to fall every round. The problem monsters being the two magic users. Without armor, they could handle the glass pretty well. One cast a spell which caused their healer, Crazy Eddie to flee. Then, the other used her wand of Magic Missile to a very good degree. And then there were none. Game over man, game over. Sigh. Miles. Ouch! TPK. Are you going to be letting them start over with new characters or is that just it for their particular group ? ~~~
JoAT 08-18-04, 02:40 PM	Actionpoints are vital, but even with their use, I'm finding that the Eberron adventures are slightly more deadly than normal. Then again it might be the groups composition (1st time around - Artificer, Monk, Psi-rogue and Barbarian. Monk died and was replaced by a Psi-warrior). I'm thinking it's a good thing, then, that my group are up to level 3 in time for SoTLW - finishing off Forgotten forge with only 3 members gave them their second level, and then the shock and betrayl of The Queen with Burning Eyes have just finished granting them number 3...
xnrdcorex 08-18-04, 03:32 PM	um stlw was incredibly easy for my 3 lvl 2 pcs.
Radiating Gnome 08-18-04, 04:01 PM	Play styles may vary, of course, and that may make a big difference when trying to sort out whether an adventure is too hard or too easy. Queen of the Burning Eyes says it's designed for 6 characters of about 2nd level, and I needed to beef up the challenges for my party of 6 (4x2nd, 2x1st). I expect I'll need to do the same when I run Shadows of the Last War. But that's my game, and I like the fights to be white-knucle rides, and I have a pretty smart bunch of players (often smart, anyway). A lot also depends on class choices. My PCs could probably cut their numbers in half without making too big a change to the party's overall effectiveness in combat -- because not all of the PCs have a strict combat focus. And, really, the PC Adamatine-Bodied Warforged Fighter who is maxed out for doing two-handed damage could probably wade through most of the encounters on his own. The Shifter Ranger/Bard, on the other hand, likes to mix it up but almost always gets himself hurt for getting into combat. But two of those warforged tanks, with an artificer to piece them together between brawls, would tend torun roughshod over most of the encounters they're put up against in the mods. -rg
Teslacoil1138 08-18-04, 04:36 PM	I keep hearing about Queen of the Burning Eyes. Where is this module?? Is it a bonus in SotW?
Miles 08-18-04, 04:53 PM	Queen with the Burning Eyes is in Dungeon magazine, number 113. Miles.