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mordulin
Skirmisher
37 Posts
    
 | | 07/17/2006 2:03 PM |
| Well, I'm about 3 weeks away from beginning the Shackled City Adventure Path. Just wondering if anyone out there has run it and if so what should I beware of that may cause problems or what was memorable moments that I can steal for my game. Just so you know I have 6-7 players, had them create their characters with 28 point buy in Greyhawk setting but I gave them Eberron style Action Points.
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IanB
Commander
3112 Posts
| | 07/17/2006 2:11 PM |
| I'm using action points in mine and it is working out well. I hesitate to discuss any specifics of what the adventure contains as a bunch of my players read these boards and I don't want them to get spoilers, though.
Send me an email via the boards and I can impart my limited wisdom though, we're only through a few sessions thanks to my own busy schedule. | |
Anson on WotC boards | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 07/17/2006 2:11 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by mordulin
Well, I'm about 3 weeks away from beginning the Shackled City Adventure Path. Just wondering if anyone out there has run it and if so what should I beware of that may cause problems or what was memorable moments that I can steal for my game. Just so you know I have 6-7 players, had them create their characters with 28 point buy in Greyhawk setting but I gave them Eberron style Action Points.
Some of them are a little out of wack... The finally of the first scenario has ended in TPK for 3 out of 5 groups that I know. Our group ended with 3 out of 7 players dead and they started at 3rd level.
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"Are you not entertained?" 
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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Snappa
Sneak
77 Posts
| | 07/17/2006 2:17 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Malin Lug
Some of them are a little out of wack... The finally of the first scenario has ended in TPK for 3 out of 5 groups that I know. Our group ended with 3 out of 7 players dead and they started at 3rd level.
Yeah the first adventure can be extremely tough if parties get "lucky" and find their way to the tougher stuff first. My group had some very close calls, but no deaths. You may want to add a side-adventure, or a few encounters foreshadowing the second adventure to make sure your party is at least level 2 before they hit the end part of the first adventure.
Besides the mortality rate of the campaign, Shackled City is one of the best-written adventures I've read. I DM'd the first 3 adventures before the group fell apart due to scheduling problems. I have 3 players of that campaign in another one now, and they'd all like to pick it up again when this one runs its course. | |
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Venport
Sergeant
739 Posts
| | 07/17/2006 2:28 PM |
| | Very very Dangerious campaign... But very fun... I have finished running it from start to finish if you want to send quetion ect.. send me an e-mail | |
Sacramento DDM http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16854
New world Project http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20745
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Rising Dragon
Sneak
91 Posts
| | 07/18/2006 8:37 AM |
| I would suggest checking out Paizo message some time, they have section just for Shackled City. There lots tips and modifications that can be fond there.
http://paizo.com/dungeon/messageboards/shackledCity | |
My webcomic: http://www.sentimentalhorde.com Bringing world peace by conquering on nation at time! | |
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Skyscraper
Sergeant
659 Posts
Montreal
| | 07/22/2006 3:44 PM |
| ** SOME SPOILERS BELOW **
I've started to run it as a solo campaign for my girlfriend (she has 3 NPS and a black panther companion, plus the aasimar template for her own PC).
Anyway, here are a few thoughts.
There are suggestions for character generation at the end of the book, i think it links the characters to the storyline better, if you wish to use it.
Giving a free toughness feat at the outset is not a bad idea (being sneak-attacked at level 1 is hard to survive).
The initial plot that takes the characters to Ghelve Locks is a bit flaky in my opinion (or perhaps i simply didn't understand something correctly). Indeed, the characters are supposed to arrive at the (obvious?) conclusion that the locksmith has something to do with the kidnappings. However, in D&D, picking locks and using the knock spell to open doors, or using other types of magic to circumvent a locked door, is very frequent, e.g. gazeous form, etc... so i fail to see how that would be the obvious conclusion.
To partly solve this, i had the kid that had bad dreams overhear someone opening the back door with a key at night after he woke up from a nightmare. This strongly suggested that the kidnappers used a key.
Also, i had the half-orc janitor own a key in addition to the headmistress (the old halfling), but he had a witness overhearing him coming in through the front door that same night (back from having a few drinks, while the kid heard the back door open). This didn't entirely get him off the hook, so an insisent questioning occurred, which led him to confess that he'd been paid by one member of the Last Laugh to keep an eye on the Shackleborn kid (not his words of course since he doesn't know he's Shackleborn), but he swore he had nothing to do with the kidnapping. I also made the half-orc janitor to be a real kid-lover, he went out to play with them and they all jumped on his back and stuff, so the feeling was that he really wouldn't want to harm anyone of them.
Have fun!
Sky
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The wise man doubts often. The ignorant, sometimes. The fool, never. | |
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Puggins
Sergeant
622 Posts
| | 07/22/2006 4:52 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Skyscraper
The initial plot that takes the characters to Ghelve Locks is a bit flaky in my opinion (or perhaps i simply didn't understand something correctly). Indeed, the characters are supposed to arrive at the (obvious?) conclusion that the locksmith has something to do with the kidnappings. However, in D&D, picking locks and using the knock spell to open doors, or using other types of magic to circumvent a locked door, is very frequent, e.g. gazeous form, etc... so i fail to see how that would be the obvious conclusion.
*** Spoilers ***
The main hook that's supposed to get the character to Ghelve's place is the result of Jenya's divination spell. The first sentence of that prophecy states "the Locks are the Key." Characters are then supposed to do a bit of investigation regarding the locks, and find out that ALL the victims had locks that had been created by Keygan Ghelve. If anything, I thought it was a bit too easy. My group took one visit to the orphanage to figure it out- the next morning they wre at Keygan's place. | |
References: http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7231 | |
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Skyscraper
Sergeant
659 Posts
Montreal
| | 07/23/2006 4:29 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Puggins
*** Spoilers ***
The main hook that's supposed to get the character to Ghelve's place is the result of Jenya's divination spell. The first sentence of that prophecy states "the Locks are the Key." Characters are then supposed to do a bit of investigation regarding the locks, and find out that ALL the victims had locks that had been created by Keygan Ghelve. If anything, I thought it was a bit too easy. My group took one visit to the orphanage to figure it out- the next morning they wre at Keygan's place.
Hmm. Maybe it's be more obvious than i figured it was. I read the adventure and knew the answer before trying to figure it out, so my personal impression might not really be as valid.
However, you state that the investigation regarding the locks should lead them to find out that all the victims had locks that had been created by Keygan Ghelve, while your players only investigated the orphanage to arrive at that conclusion. They might have focused on the first sentence of the divination result, while my girlfriend focused elsewhere (she kept trying to find a meaning to every sentence).
Anyway, that's how it worked out for me, it's a good thing if most of the groups are thrown in the right direction immediately by means of the reference to the locks.
Sky | |
The wise man doubts often. The ignorant, sometimes. The fool, never. | |
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zoroaster100
Sergeant
873 Posts
| | 07/23/2006 10:11 PM |
| | I've been running this adventure path from first level and the party is currently mostly 11th level. The party started out with six characters, grew to 7 characters for a brief time around 2nd and 3rd levels, and then went back to 6 characters. It seems that six characters is just about perfect for the challenges of the adventure. | |
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