Elthrandil
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Posts: 22
Joined: Fri 01 Mar 2019, 15:56

The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sun 10 Nov 2019, 00:56

Hey,

so my players are slowly getting an idea about the danger of the Protonexus/Zytera and the importance of the Stanengist crown and the stones. There are a lot of key players who are after the crown and the artefacts/stones - so I just wondered how they are supposed to search for them. No one knows where to find Stanengist and Maligarn since Merigall teleported them away. The Nekhaka sceptre is also quite problematic I think. The only obvious artefact the other key players could have heard about is the Blood Star Cloak Clasp.
Do you let the key players actively hunt for the artefacts? How do you let your players find the artefact - just by chance?
 
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Valyar
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon 18 Feb 2019, 22:41

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sun 10 Nov 2019, 09:22

My current game is homebrew mix with adventure sites from The Spire of Quetzel. But the principle I use for the adventure locations and the artefacts are the same - legends. Each has nice story that I try to provide to the players in one way or another, depending where they go and with whom they speak. I try to shape the story according to their actions and interests, so they have stimuli to go this way. 

The second approach is that I place the artifact at the adventure location. They can find it and by the description of the item in most of the cases they will see that something is different with this sword/dagger/item. A Lore check is the first step on the road to enlightenment on the nature of the item, providing either the legend or something vague that will motivate them to further find what the item is.

The free-form, location based nature of the Raven's Purge and the lack of solid timeline and suggested course of actions is indeed weak part in the campaign.
 
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Brior
Posts: 934
Joined: Sat 09 Apr 2011, 10:59

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sun 10 Nov 2019, 12:32

The free-form, location based nature of the Raven's Purge and the lack of solid timeline and suggested course of actions is indeed weak part in the campaign.
I just want to point out that these were the specifications for writing the campaign. Like it or not.
 
Elthrandil
Topic Author
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri 01 Mar 2019, 15:56

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sun 10 Nov 2019, 13:29

My current game is homebrew mix with adventure sites from The Spire of Quetzel. But the principle I use for the adventure locations and the artefacts are the same - legends. Each has nice story that I try to provide to the players in one way or another, depending where they go and with whom they speak. I try to shape the story according to their actions and interests, so they have stimuli to go this way.
I am doing it the same way and also give my player information about the artefacts a long time before they will actually find them.
The free-form, location based nature of the Raven's Purge and the lack of solid timeline and suggested course of actions is indeed weak part in the campaign.
I just want to point out that these were the specifications for writing the campaign. Like it or not
I think the free-form is a big strength of the campaign and even though it is a little bit more work, I really enjoyed preparing the campaign. But as I said I quite struggle with the key players. Arvia of Crombe wants the Hanging Stones for her research in stone magic. Zytera, Zertorme and Kartorda want the Crown to crown themselves. Empress Soria also might have plans for the crown.
I wonder how one could portray the hunt for the crown. How can the other key players/factions be a competition for my players?
 
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Valyar
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon 18 Feb 2019, 22:41

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sun 10 Nov 2019, 15:11

I just want to point out that these were the specifications for writing the campaign. Like it or not.
I like it and don't like it :) 
 
Tywyll
Posts: 217
Joined: Mon 30 Sep 2019, 15:08

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Thu 07 May 2020, 17:47

My current game is homebrew mix with adventure sites from The Spire of Quetzel. But the principle I use for the adventure locations and the artefacts are the same - legends. Each has nice story that I try to provide to the players in one way or another, depending where they go and with whom they speak. I try to shape the story according to their actions and interests, so they have stimuli to go this way.
I am doing it the same way and also give my player information about the artefacts a long time before they will actually find them.
The free-form, location based nature of the Raven's Purge and the lack of solid timeline and suggested course of actions is indeed weak part in the campaign.
I just want to point out that these were the specifications for writing the campaign. Like it or not
I think the free-form is a big strength of the campaign and even though it is a little bit more work, I really enjoyed preparing the campaign. But as I said I quite struggle with the key players. Arvia of Crombe wants the Hanging Stones for her research in stone magic. Zytera, Zertorme and Kartorda want the Crown to crown themselves. Empress Soria also might have plans for the crown.
I wonder how one could portray the hunt for the crown. How can the other key players/factions be a competition for my players?
I think the easiest way is to replace some random encounters with artifact hunters. Roving bands of adventurers, possibly allies, possibly enemies, hunting for X artifact. Maybe the first group is after a different artifact, maybe one the players don't even know about. Later, if they have one, maybe a group of bounty hunters come after them. None of this has to be on a time line, just having a few encounters letting them know that others are around, looking for the items.

Another possibility is have the players encounter a group that has discovered one of the artifacts and is racing back to whomever wants it. Let the players decide if they let it go, try to steal it, or help them return the item.
 
AndreasDavour
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon 19 Dec 2016, 23:20

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sat 09 May 2020, 18:07

Toss an important artifact in the lap of the players, then have everyone hunt them and they have a great incentive to search for lore, legends and other weapons to defend themselves. Nobody will of course belive them if they say they have lost or sold that artifact, even if it's true...

Now you've got a free form adventure, but lots of drive and impetus to act.
 
AndreasDavour
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon 19 Dec 2016, 23:20

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sat 09 May 2020, 18:09

I had the players find the crown and very clearly feel its magical power, but they was slaughtered by the hordes of undead in the keep with the undead king A.
 
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Konungr
Posts: 543
Joined: Mon 10 Jun 2019, 09:39

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sun 10 May 2020, 07:29

I think the free form nature is great. I think the presentation could use work.

As a DM it would be much more helpful to have some flow charts of key information along with 3 or 4 suggestions for how to implement the various aspects of the story. I don't want step by step directions because my players are going to go nuts and do things all crazy anyway. But a zoomed out view that gives me a quick and easy to understand map of the entire stories elements across a 2 page spread is much easier than reading a 200 page book and taking notes.
 
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Brior
Posts: 934
Joined: Sat 09 Apr 2011, 10:59

Re: The race for Stanengist and the artefacts

Sun 10 May 2020, 09:05

I think the free form nature is great. I think the presentation could use work.

As a DM it would be much more helpful to have some flow charts of key information along with 3 or 4 suggestions for how to implement the various aspects of the story. I don't want step by step directions because my players are going to go nuts and do things all crazy anyway. But a zoomed out view that gives me a quick and easy to understand map of the entire stories elements across a 2 page spread is much easier than reading a 200 page book and taking notes.
.
This sounds like a good idea. Since I'm currently structuring a similar (but hopefully different) campaign challenge for the Aslene expansion, I think I'll pick up on this and make a flow-chart suggesting how players MIGHT have pieces of information presented. The information may obviously be presented otherwise, but this would give the SL a structure to consider, as well as an overview of the different pieces.

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