Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Mirtek Aug 17, 2013 16:25:41	Just received my copy of Murder in Baldurs Gate and want to share my thoughts on what is happened there and about the "we players can shape the sundering" idea. If you want to avoid spoilers, don't read any further. Show 1. Bhaal is back (you get it, I am really unhappy about that) This is not open to be decided, that's definitive happening and actually happens before the heroes get to do anything of note. It's the secret premise of the start of the adventure 2. Bhaal is weak and looking for a chosen Here the players actions come into play and depending on what they do they can decide who from among a list of candidates will be Bhaal's chosen (and then slay him immediately :confused or have one of them become the chosen instead (and then be slain by his former party members :confused This I think confirms what many people thought about the extent of us being able to shape the sundering. IMHO it was always clear that we don't get to call the really big and important shots, because WotC simply needs to prepare them too far in advance to have to wait until our feedback decides major plotpoints just a few month before the novel releases. The novels simply need to have the major plot points down much earlier. So our feedback can't stop/help Bhaal, but we get to decide which NPC will be his chosen (I think the PC as chosen option won't make it into canon, even if that were the majority outcome WotC would just select whichever NPC scored second). So I can't say I am surprised about the impact we can have on the new realms and I am not displeased (except that Bhaal is back )
#2 LordManshoon Aug 17, 2013 17:39:45	Well, that is about what I expected when his symbol started showing up. RE: Point #1 Does the module explain just what set of circumstances allowed Bhaal to return, or is it a handwaved "lo and behold, dark Bhaal returned from the dead and the Realms trembled" sort of explanation?
#3 Mirtek Aug 17, 2013 19:14:00	Show Abdel was wrong, there was another bhaalspawn left beside him. After decades of planing that bhaalspawn finally attacks him. The PCs can intervene or maybe even Abdel wins on his own (if the PCs do nothing and the DMs uses the provided quick rules for resolving their duell) but in any case the outcome is the same. With Bhaal's essence finally united in the last Bhaalspawn the spawn get's no say at all in the matter when Bhaal just erases him and takes over his body (transforming him into a weaker form of his slayer avatar to be killed by the PCs, but killing this first weak corporeal manifestation is meaningless at this point Bhaal is still back, although the PCs might not realize that and believe they have just prevented his return)
#4 Stigger Aug 17, 2013 20:24:16	I'd be more surprised if all that many people were truly surprised by this turn of events, or how it was handled, for precisely the same reasons you mentioned Mirtek.
#5 GreenKnight Aug 17, 2013 22:36:49	Wait, Bhaal is back? Bhaal is BACK?!? YEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!
#6 The_Silversword Aug 18, 2013 2:49:40	Just picked it up, I mostly got it for lore on the city instead of the adventure. Flipping through the book so far it looks pretty kool. I wish the DM screen/map was bigger, but all in all it looks pretty kool, I really like the Tavern and NPC name generating tables, I'll definitely get some use out of those.
#7 sfdragon Aug 18, 2013 12:20:55	so who are the npcs that we have the choice of offing for the great bhaal???? the lord of murder shall perish, in his wake shall score a mortal prodigy, so sayeth the wise aluando. the lord of murder has perished, the true lord of murder has returned.  Come Cyric, come get murdered
#8 The_Silversword Aug 18, 2013 17:38:24	Well you could kill any and all NPCs for Bhall if you wanted to. But the main ones in the adventure are Rilsa Rael-a high ranking member of the theives guild; Torlin Silvershield-leader of the city's greatest patriar house, duke on the council of four and head priest of the city's grandest temple; and Ulder Ravengard-A high ranking officier in the Flaming Fist and Warden of Wyrm's Rock. It is one of these 3 that will be the Chosen of Bhaal, unless one of the PCs prove to be more ruthless and bloodthirsty than those three, then that PC will be Chosen of Bhaal, whether he/she likes it or not. You can dounload thier stats for 3.x,4, or 5e here.
#9 Mirtek Aug 18, 2013 17:43:04	so who are the npcs that we have the choice of offing for the great bhaal???? Note that the PCs are not knowing what's going on or that Bhaal is back or even looking for a chosen the lord of murder shall perish, in his wake shall score a mortal prodigy, so sayeth the wise aluando. When I think of Bhaal a different quote comes to mind. The part of him being forcefully dragged throughout all the lower planers to finally come down broken and bleeding for all the powers of the lower planes to laugh at the lord of murder has perished, the true lord of murder has returned.  Come Cyric, come get murdered I guess Cyric could use a lapdog for his amusement
#10 mvincent Aug 19, 2013 12:53:14	Well, that is about what I expected when his symbol started showing up. RE: Point #1 Does the module explain just what set of circumstances allowed Bhaal to return, or is it a handwaved "lo and behold, dark Bhaal returned from the dead and the Realms trembled" sort of explanation?
#11 Mirtek Aug 19, 2013 17:38:31	Well, that is about what I expected when his symbol started showing up. RE: Point #1 Does the module explain just what set of circumstances allowed Bhaal to return, or is it a handwaved "lo and behold, dark Bhaal returned from the dead and the Realms trembled" sort of explanation?
#12 mvincent Aug 19, 2013 18:18:30	These were written long after LFR became non-canon Yup. Just seemed like an interesting coinicidence, 'sall. Indeed the latest occurance will likely be unsurprising to my LFR players.
#13 mykesfree Aug 21, 2013 15:48:14	Looking to run this adventure for my home group, and it is a very dark adventure. Almost GoT dark. My big question is how do you keep your players in the city if they did not want to become involved in city politics after the first few encounters. I think adventurers would make more gold plundering a Dungeon than being an enforcer and on someone's pay roll.
#14 The_Silversword Aug 25, 2013 15:32:45	Looking to run this adventure for my home group, and it is a very dark adventure. Almost GoT dark. My big question is how do you keep your players in the city if they did not want to become involved in city politics after the first few encounters. I think adventurers would make more gold plundering a Dungeon than being an enforcer and on someone's pay roll. Theres lots of ways to keep them interested in staying in the city, one way that I often use is to place the adventure during winter or perhaps hard rains or something, "the roads arent fit for traveling, so looks like youll all be stuck in the city a while longer". Bribes might work in keeping them in the city, promises of fame, fortune, and perhaps even title and/or rank can go a long way.
#15 Gonchar Sep 12, 2013 19:20:10	The_Silversword wrote:
#16 sfdragon Sep 12, 2013 20:05:47	get the DM to let your table play two characters.... and play them against each other.   say turning the new guy in charge of the fist against the thief guild bimbo and see them both rise to be the chosen of bhaal......
#17 Imruphel Sep 15, 2013 22:50:18	One of the other clues to the seeming demise of Cyric and thus the opportunity or need (?) for Bhaal's return is contained in Elminster's Guide to the Forgotten Realms. Bane et al get extensive write-ups; Cyric gets a couple of paragraphs that are fairly dismissive in tone as if he's no longer of any importance to the Realms. So, yes, Bhaal is coming back and it would be a safe bet that we might see Myrkul too. I wonder if this means that the Dark Three will go on tour?
#18 sfdragon Sep 16, 2013 13:05:19	that is unlikely as Myrkul was  content not being a deity. and to get a body now, he'd have to take over the corpse of the dead god of necromancy.
#19 Mirtek Sep 16, 2013 13:25:41	Imruphel wrote:
#20 sfdragon Sep 16, 2013 21:24:05	Mirtek wrote:
#21 Stigger Sep 16, 2013 22:11:10	Only to get ganked by Leira emerging from behind the curtain where she had been hiding the whole time, just waiting for the opportune moment to strike...
(Reply to #21) sfdragon	all this and more on tonight's episode of " A Day in the Life of Your Forgotten Realms!   commentation by Lord Elminster the Sage of Shadowdale special effects by Storm Silverhand
#23 Zireael Sep 30, 2013 12:21:24	Eurgh, did I see Abdel mentioned here?   And why didn't the Bhaal takeover thing happen to our Bhaalspawn in the BG saga?   (sorry, don't know how to do spoilers with this newfangled forum)
#24 sfdragon Sep 30, 2013 21:43:30	cannon bhaalspawn was Abdel......
#25 Stigger Oct 01, 2013 7:09:58	Yet another bit of canon that I feel completely comfortable simply ignoring...
#26 Plaguescarred1 Oct 02, 2013 3:27:33	In case anyone missed it, WoTC released the Murder in Baldur's Gate Launch Event adventure for free this week;
#27 Hutchimus Oct 02, 2013 4:10:50	Nice!  Thanks WOTC! It would be great if they could release a downloadable version of the map of The Wide that goes with it too.