Forum

How do you run Weatherstone? With no map of the internal castle, how do you run the player's escape attempt after the undead are activated?

Like it seems like a running battle would be an awesome scene but with the tools we are provided, it would be extremely arbitray I would thing?

I've not played it yet, but I'm sure it says each numbered section is one Zone for the purposes of combat?

That said, it would make things pretty limited in terms of party tactics. I would perhaps split each room/area into maybe two or three zones to allow for some tactical movement, good use of cover and ranged attacks etc. Don't necessarily need to map it out extensively, but with a couple of different zones for each room, it would allow a little more in terms of interesting/challenging combat.

Yeah, the map provided isn't much use. It's a pretty picture, that's all. I've narrated much about ravines and buildings, parapets and breastworks clinging onto a big cliff split in half with bridges between them. The insides of the buildings I've very much hand waved. I think the lack of some more details did make it harder to run than it could have been.

But, if they get involved with the king in the tower, they will be in a building on top of a cliff with multiple dozens of undead behind them in the building and on the fort itself. Unless they can fly, or use the winch they are dead. I had a TPK as they fought the king in the topmost tower room, with their backs to the door, holding it shut against the undead piling on from the outside.

And that's another thing...how many undead should be there in the castle?

Too many to kill for sure. I used the map to show the players their progress and narrated the rest. I mean, the location is quite linear, but we had a lot of fun nevertheless because - like someone else who posted a long time ago here on the forums - I replaced the bard with one of the adventurers having left back at the tower to protect their belongings.

She was overwhelmed by the party, but one of my players secretly left a dagger with her so she could free herself... from there, it degraded quite quickly. Now, they have an undead king, sending his messengers (the revived harpies) through the forbidden lands in order to amass even more forces for his final assault on the living...

In the original version, the undead were already awake upon arrival, and the adventurers were given a potion that made them look undead for a period of time in order to blend in. The undead all turned agressive only if your cover was blown or you did something to offend them and they sounded the alarm. This might be a viable (!) option if you're so inclined.

In the original version, the undead were already awake upon arrival, and the adventurers were given a potion that made them look undead for a period of time in order to blend in. The undead all turned agressive only if your cover was blown or you did something to offend them and they sounded the alarm. This might be a viable (!) option if you're so inclined.

It might. Still struggling with how to run a fighting escape. I mean, assuming they can't kill all the undead (which is fine), how do they cut their way out?

When I ran it, the final scene with the king worked really well. The NPC adventuring party started fighting amongst themselves, the king very nearly killed one of them, the female assassin was killed by the PC, and the player realised the connection between the king and his picture. She destroyed the picture, freeing the king, who then thanked her and it ended peacefully. He may even return as an ally (though, perhaps not when he realises she stole the Nekhaka Sceptre)

As the PC is a druid shapeshifter, plan B was to change into a bird and fly out of the kings bedroom window. Shapeshifting is a pretty useful trick.

It might. Still struggling with how to run a fighting escape. I mean, assuming they can't kill all the undead (which is fine), how do they cut their way out?

How did your party do? Any tips on what went well and what not so well (in your opinion?)

My party has just met Rolk in his camp one hex away, and are about to head to Weatherstone themselves. I'd be interested to hear how you played it.

I'm going to be running Weatherstone on Saturday. This post got me thinking.

For a fighting escape, what I'll probably do: The exit to each zone/room is blocked by X number of undead. But behind them, X number of undead enter the zone each round. So they've got to kill the undead in front of them before the room gets so filled with undead that can't fight off. I doubt I'd do that for every room though, maybe just 3 of them. Would get tedious for every room/zone.