Remixing Avernus (Early Access PDF - v2020-03-25)
Added 2020-03-26 02:36:22 +0000 UTCThis update includes Part 3: The Vanthampur Investigations and Part 3B: Lore of the Vanthampur Investigations.
Reminder: Our next Alexandrian Hangout Club is April 26th @ 4pm CDT.
Comments
I'm planning to do a thing with Flame Zodge where Blaze Portyr comes back sooner. Zodge gives them an angle on Portyr, which gives them direct insight into the post-Ravengard ducal political jockeying in Baldur's Gate. This is important for a few reasons: 1. It clearly sets the stakes for what the PCs are doing. 2. It helps establish Ravengard's role and importance before they go to Elturel. 3. It explains why it's OK for the PCs to murder Duke Vanthampur; they're politically shielded. In an ideal universe I'd like to: - Establish Blaze Portyr. - Have the PCs learn the Duke Portyr is being targeted for assassination. - When the PCs rush to save him, they arrive too late or just as the assassination is being carried out. - Have Blaze Portyr support their action against the Vanthampurs because it will remove another Duke from the table. (Portyr is very specifically telling them to go assassinate Vanthampur... like, for justice or whatever. But make sure she's dead.) This final beat also makes it structurally easier to push them out of Baldur's Gate: "You just killed a duke. Thanks, but it might be best if you weren't in town for awhile. Why don't you head to Candlekeep to follow up on this puzzle box." But I'm not sure there's a good way to structure that. Realistically you'll get a maximum of one check-in with Zodge per node (so after the dungeon, after Amrik, after the manor). This likely means they meet Portyr after the dungeon. You'd then want to trigger the threat on Duke Portyr from the Amrik node, but that's not really a good fit (as opposed to, say, the dungeon where you'd logically have orders sent to get the Dead Three cultists to do the hit). So maybe they get the threat against Duke Portyr and THEN meet Blaze Portyr. But that's less ideal because you really want to establish who Duke Portyr is BEFORE you threaten to kill him. Eh. I'll play with it.
Justin Alexander
2020-03-26 17:50:52 +0000 UTCZodge feels like a clumsy hack to me. He’s Captain Exposition, present only to tell the PCs “your adventure starts over there.” The thread where a popular caravan refugee gets murdered and the PCs hunt the killers seems like a preferable Plan A. If PCs go to the fist while investigating, then Zodge can be, “you want justice? I don’t have the men, but here, I’ll deputize you.” Elfsong Tavern can be a fourth node in the investigation.
colin r
2020-03-26 12:52:24 +0000 UTC
