Den of the Destroyer
The Scales of War, part 5
by Rodney Thompson
The Scales of War Adventure Path continues when the PCs receive a strange summons from an unexpected source. It takes them back to Brindol and sets them on a quest that may change the course of their fates.
Talk about this article here.
I'm a tad confused. Sarshan wasn't willing to arm the Orcs, but was willing to arm the gnolls? That makes no sense.
Sarshan wouldn't arm the orcs because he didn't control them. He was able to manipulate the goblins and buy off the gnoll mercenaries, but the orcs' plans weren't part of his plans so no sale. The orcs just wanted to destroy Overlook and everything in its path; the gnolls and the goblins he could control with more precision.
That's pretty much the first thing that threw a "!" up in my mind.
I mean, mechanically, I understand. He's a solo monster... but when I think solo monster, I think Dragon, Lich, or other huge beastie. Putting that kind of oomph in the hands of a standard PC Race monster seems excessive to me.
Just struck me as somewhat out-of-kilter to see it.
Sarshan wouldn't arm the orcs because he didn't control them. He was able to manipulate the goblins and buy off the gnoll mercenaries, but the orcs' plans weren't part of his plans so no sale. The orcs just wanted to destroy Overlook and everything in its path; the gnolls and the goblins he could control with more precision.
Thanks Rodney.
I'd tweaked the adventures so that the Emissary (who I'd changed to Modra) did control the orcs. Given this adventure though, I can't see how that would work and still make sense, so I'll not make that change after all.
Players tend to look at mysteries at face value. They usually only see the first layer of the onion, and when they peel it away to find the second, they're usually content to stop there. "Revealing" Modra to be the Emissary is that second layer; he knew that there was an Emissary pulling the strings in the area, and that Sarshan "worked" for him. He took up that mantle since Sarshan wouldn't arm the orcs, and when that plan backfired, Sarshan used Modra as a scapegoat to throw the PCs off his tracks.
It's not GM fiat if the PCs aren't aware of where the plot is going in the first place. ;)
I mean, mechanically, I understand. He's a solo monster... but when I think solo monster, I think Dragon, Lich, or other huge beastie. Putting that kind of oomph in the hands of a standard PC Race monster seems excessive to me.
Think of it this way: as a bounty hunter that is out there collecting bounties on his own, he's got to be very tough, very cunning, and very survivable. He may not be the best shot in the world, but unlike the other bounty hunters who work in groups he's been around the block a few times and has brought in some big bounties, not because he's the best shot in Overlook with a crossbow (he isn't) but because he knows how to use his own speed and cunning to live through a long fight against mutliple opponents.
Plus, Thorn is supposed to be like the Boba Fett of this adventure. He shows up, badasses around for a little while, but in the end the PCs are probably going to throw him into a Sarlacc pit...er...work together to take him down.
"Revealing" Modra to be the Emissary is that second layer; he knew that there was an Emissary pulling the strings in the area, and that Sarshan "worked" for him.
I dunno. It feels kind of cheap to say to the players "you've killed the emissary" and then a couple of adventures later say "psyche :P"
Instead I think playing it as written so that Modra is an employee of the Emissary is much more fulfilling. I'll simply have to try to foreshadow that Modra is working for someone much more powerful.
Think of it this way: as a bounty hunter that is out there collecting bounties on his own, he's got to be very tough, very cunning, and very survivable. He may not be the best shot in the world, but unlike the other bounty hunters who work in groups he's been around the block a few times and has brought in some big bounties, not because he's the best shot in Overlook with a crossbow (he isn't) but because he knows how to use his own speed and cunning to live through a long fight against mutliple opponents.
Plus, Thorn is supposed to be like the Boba Fett of this adventure. He shows up, badasses around for a little while, but in the end the PCs are probably going to throw him into a Sarlacc pit...er...work together to take him down.
I still trying to get around the idea, remember that NPC you killed a while back. Well he is back in operation, I guess somebody raised him from the dead. I am not a fan of do not let this NPC die no matter what, however as a DM I clearly should know when an NPC is expected to reappear. So that if the NPC dies, I can bring up the NPC behind the NPC (even if just to raise from the dead) to make the story flow without last minute inventions.
The key issue was the first example of that, however a key is simple to deal with. NPCs coming back to life clearly more involved matter.
Thorn has an awful lot of Hit Points for an Elf.
I haven't read the adventure but I read your post and my first thought was of Prince Nuada from Hellboy II. The HP represents all his hopping around. ;)
Anyone else having the problem where the page numbers for Tactical Encounters don't actually match the "see encounter on page XX". (Don't know if it's my Acrobat being weird or if the page numbers being referenced actually don't exist.)
Not just you. I suspect the references were hard-coded text and not bookmarks and the article got moved to a different set of pages. For example the 'Kidnappers' encounter (first one referenced) says to see page 71, the encounter is actually on page 29. That's a 42 page difference so I suspect that they moved the articles around between when it was written and when it was compiled into the pdf.
Not just you. I suspect the references were hard-coded text and not bookmarks and the article got moved to a different set of pages. For example the 'Kidnappers' encounter (first one referenced) says to see page 71, the encounter is actually on page 29. That's a 42 page difference so I suspect that they moved the articles around between when it was written and when it was compiled into the pdf.
I was curious about this at one point. It's because it's a segment of the magazine as a whole. You'll notice that page 1 isn't called page 1 at its bottom.
This is a common error with WotC it seems as even in the print books we'll sometimes see them reference the wrong page or just have a 'see page xx' where the page number was never filled in.
We did the entire dungeon, ambush and all, without taking an extended rest. The last encounter was sort of scary in that we lost initiative to EVERYTHING, but after soaking up the first round of massively damaging bursts (ouch!), it all just sort of collapsed.
I think there might have been a typo in the mounted gnolls, too; the DM said that they had +23 vs AC, which seems sort of high for an 8th or 9th level monster.
"You get summoned completely across elsir vale. There a sword tells you exactly where to go, the full past and current history of that place, why you should go there, and what to do once you get there"
It just seems ham handed to me? Anyone else put some time into finessing this a little more?
In Sarshan's tower I planted some evidence for them to find, to get them interested in looking for the Gnolls.
They have received word that their presence is required in Brindol Immediately. There they will speak to they sword, but the sword will only tell them that a great disturbance between the planes has awakened her. She will tell them of a ritual that can be performed to complete her awakening, but that an immense source of power will be required. She will ask one of the PC's do carry her into battle, and that that person will know when the time comes to perform the ritual.
Basically the same deal, but the players should at least feel like the places they go and the things they do once there, are more or less their own ideas, and not the railroading of a ham fisted DM.
Thoughts?
Anyone else notice in this one there are no keys for the first two (I think) encounters? The maps are numbered....but nothing to say what the rooms are.
I've made up my own stuff, but really, we can't just fill in the info?