H1 Keep on the Shadowfell : Some questions - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

H1 Keep on the Shadowfell : Some questions

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
shin_okada
May 14, 2010 15:41:38 Hi. Sorry if those are silly questions. But I am not sure how this adventure is meant to be run.

1: Regarding Quests (Hooks)

There are 3 rather big quests shown in this adventure. Non of them seem to be minor quest. As a DM, how am I meant to handle those 3 quests?

A: Use only 1 of them and let all the PCs involved with that one quest. Then give the same amount of XPs if they achieve it.

B: Use 1 or more quests, even all of them, and let all the PCs eventually involved with those quests. Then give the same amount of XPs if they achieve it.

C: Use 1 or more quests, even all of them, but let each of PCs involved with only one of them. Then give XPs of each quests only to the PCs involved to that particular one. So at the end of this adventure, some of the PCs may have different amount of XPs from the others.

I thought 4e is trying to avoid letting PCs level up at different timing. So I guess C should not be the answer but not sure.

2: Regarding "Burial Site"

It seems that unless I use "Hook: Missing Mentor", PCs can't find any reason to go there. Am I missing something?

The adventure says

If the adventurers decide to investigate the disappearance of Douven Staul and the mystery of the dragon burial site (either because they found out about this matter in Winterhaven, or because you used the “Missing Mentor” hook)....

But if I don't use the Missing Mentor hook, how are the PCs meant to know about the disappearance of Douven Staul?

#2
lionlemur
May 14, 2010 16:27:03 Well I don't know regarding a "right" way to do it, but what I did:

I'm using the FR conversion, so the party started out with the Gevarn's Plea hook. I also gave one of the PCs the Missing Mentor hook.

My party just rescued Douven, so I divided the xp between all of them. At the end of the adventure I'll give them the xp for the Gevarn's Plea hook, once again divided between all the party members. I'm thinking of having Valthrun the Sage offer the quest of mapping out the keep. If I do so, I'll once again divide xp evenly between all party members.

If you don't use the Missing Mentor hook (though I would) you can still have the townspeople talk about some crazy archaeologist who was on his way to the Burial Site and disappeared.
#3
Neutronium_Dragon
May 14, 2010 17:12:25 A or B - whether you want to use more than one is up to you, but regardless of how many quests are in use, the XP is shared among the party when one is completed.

As LionLemur suggested, even if you're not using the default quest you can still bring those areas into the adventure by making reference to them elsewhere; the townspeople might mention Douven, and Irontooth might have notes about the burial site among his things when the party bests him, suggesting that there's something important going on there. (I took the latter approach when I ran it.)
#4
shin_okada
May 14, 2010 18:21:37 Thanks.

I know I can, and I should, always modify some part of published adventures (and I actually do, usually).

But it just seemed a little bit odd that there is no built-in route to the Burial Site other than one of the hooks.
#5
yellowdingo
May 17, 2010 10:34:28 I applied the subsidence rules to the Keep. in the end about 80% of the upper level has fallen in and the lower level is cut off from The Surface. So when the PCs go to investigate they find area 1. This and its adjacent tunnels are the only part that hasnt collapsed in...leading down to the Caves in the South East portion of Level 1 where the monster Lair is. basically Unless they notice that the Kobolds have been moving dirt to allow the BBEG access to the lower level, they will think-wow! we killed these Kobolds who are sheltering in this remains of a Dungeon, then we crushed the monsters lairing in the lower cave.

Job done lets go home. Only six months Later the BBEG is victorious and the Keep is rebuilt by Cultists who enslave the local town. What the hell would the PCs know? They cleaned out the Kobolds - pretty much what they encounter through the whole adventure.

Basically they might as well think that killing the Kobolds cleared the way for the cultists to clean out the rubble and rebuild.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 shin_okada May 14, 2010 15:41:38	Hi. Sorry if those are silly questions. But I am not sure how this adventure is meant to be run. 1: Regarding Quests (Hooks) There are 3 rather big quests shown in this adventure. Non of them seem to be minor quest. As a DM, how am I meant to handle those 3 quests? A: Use only 1 of them and let all the PCs involved with that one quest. Then give the same amount of XPs if they achieve it. B: Use 1 or more quests, even all of them, and let all the PCs eventually involved with those quests. Then give the same amount of XPs if they achieve it. C: Use 1 or more quests, even all of them, but let each of PCs involved with only one of them. Then give XPs of each quests only to the PCs involved to that particular one. So at the end of this adventure, some of the PCs may have different amount of XPs from the others. I thought 4e is trying to avoid letting PCs level up at different timing. So I guess C should not be the answer but not sure. 2: Regarding "Burial Site" It seems that unless I use "Hook: Missing Mentor", PCs can't find any reason to go there. Am I missing something? The adventure says If the adventurers decide to investigate the disappearance of Douven Staul and the mystery of the dragon burial site (either because they found out about this matter in Winterhaven, or because you used the “Missing Mentor” hook).... But if I don't use the Missing Mentor hook, how are the PCs meant to know about the disappearance of Douven Staul?
#2 lionlemur May 14, 2010 16:27:03	Well I don't know regarding a "right" way to do it, but what I did: I'm using the FR conversion, so the party started out with the Gevarn's Plea hook. I also gave one of the PCs the Missing Mentor hook. My party just rescued Douven, so I divided the xp between all of them. At the end of the adventure I'll give them the xp for the Gevarn's Plea hook, once again divided between all the party members. I'm thinking of having Valthrun the Sage offer the quest of mapping out the keep. If I do so, I'll once again divide xp evenly between all party members. If you don't use the Missing Mentor hook (though I would) you can still have the townspeople talk about some crazy archaeologist who was on his way to the Burial Site and disappeared.
#3 Neutronium_Dragon May 14, 2010 17:12:25	A or B - whether you want to use more than one is up to you, but regardless of how many quests are in use, the XP is shared among the party when one is completed. As LionLemur suggested, even if you're not using the default quest you can still bring those areas into the adventure by making reference to them elsewhere; the townspeople might mention Douven, and Irontooth might have notes about the burial site among his things when the party bests him, suggesting that there's something important going on there. (I took the latter approach when I ran it.)
#4 shin_okada May 14, 2010 18:21:37	Thanks. I know I can, and I should, always modify some part of published adventures (and I actually do, usually). But it just seemed a little bit odd that there is no built-in route to the Burial Site other than one of the hooks.
#5 yellowdingo May 17, 2010 10:34:28	I applied the subsidence rules to the Keep. in the end about 80% of the upper level has fallen in and the lower level is cut off from The Surface. So when the PCs go to investigate they find area 1. This and its adjacent tunnels are the only part that hasnt collapsed in...leading down to the Caves in the South East portion of Level 1 where the monster Lair is. basically Unless they notice that the Kobolds have been moving dirt to allow the BBEG access to the lower level, they will think-wow! we killed these Kobolds who are sheltering in this remains of a Dungeon, then we crushed the monsters lairing in the lower cave. Job done lets go home. Only six months Later the BBEG is victorious and the Keep is rebuilt by Cultists who enslave the local town. What the hell would the PCs know? They cleaned out the Kobolds - pretty much what they encounter through the whole adventure. Basically they might as well think that killing the Kobolds cleared the way for the cultists to clean out the rubble and rebuild.