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the_david
2013-10-27, 08:20 AM
When GMing a well known adventurepath, would you change the names of the BBEG so your players won't accidently stumble upon the plot online? I feel like doing this, but I'd also like it if they can boast about slaying that famous dragon that has been slayed by many adventurers all over the world.

Any help?

Slipperychicken
2013-10-27, 09:17 AM
When GMing a well known adventurepath, would you change the names of the BBEG so your players won't accidently stumble upon the plot online? I feel like doing this, but I'd also like it if they can boast about slaying that famous dragon that has been slayed by many adventurers all over the world.

Any help?

As a player, I don't think that would bother me at all. If the whole point is to keep us from using metagame knowledge of the adventure path, it's quite reasonable. If you want to let them brag about it, you could simply tell them which module it is after they've completed it.

archon_huskie
2013-10-27, 10:39 AM
Anagrams could be fun for renaming the bad gal.

Or make an anagram and then translate it into another language.

Jay R
2013-10-27, 10:43 AM
When GMing a well known adventurepath, would you change the names of the BBEG so your players won't accidently stumble upon the plot online? I feel like doing this, but I'd also like it if they can boast about slaying that famous dragon that has been slayed by many adventurers all over the world.

Any help?

As you describe it, the fake name has value during the game, and the original name has value after the game. So tell them the real name after (and if) they survive.

So let them believe they're entering the Home of Fluffy Pink Bunnies. When they're done, you can reveal that it was really the Temple of Elemental Evil.

Calen
2013-10-27, 11:36 AM
Use the villains lesser known name. Instead of hunting Jim Darkmagic you spend the entire campaign tracking James the IV. When you get to a point that you confront the villain he can reveal his better known name.

Remmirath
2013-10-27, 07:40 PM
It depends entirely on what I'm doing with the adventure. If I'm just running the adventure as a one shot game, I'll run it more or less as is (I might tweak a few things, especially if anybody in the group has had experience with it before).

If I'm integrating it into a series of campaigns I've already been running, then I'll make sure that it fits the world and change a fair amount of things to both make it fit in more smoothly and feel a bit different than the normal module. In fact, if I'm doing that, I'll probably just use the basic floorplans and concept and change most everything else.

You could certainly tell them what it actually was after the game, as has already been suggested, or you could leave just enough clues for them to figure it out at the end of the game. Personally, as a player, I would also prefer the villain to be actually a different character or have the same name, but most people probably aren't as picky as I am about that sort of thing.

It may hinge on how well-known the adventure series you're running is to your players. If you don't want them to guess what's going on, you may very well have to change a good deal of other details other than their name. Ideally, of course, players wouldn't be using metagame knowledge about the villain, but if that's a problem changing some details about them is probably a good idea anyhow.

Jay R
2013-10-28, 10:34 AM
Personally, as a player, I would also prefer the villain to be actually a different character or have the same name, but most people probably aren't as picky as I am about that sort of thing.

Ah, but what's "the same name"? I confuse players by actually using the character's name.

A recurring villain in my games is Lord Victor. He's the only one who can combine magic and technology, and wears a high-tech suit of plate armor in which he can cast spells. He also wears a green cloak.

Victor is his actual name - Victor von Doom. Nobody has recognized him as Dr. Doom during the game yet, although one person figured it out later.

sumptesh
2013-10-28, 01:50 PM
A villain of that kind of notoriety would probably have many names that they are known by. You could always just string your players along with more local names as to who the person is and part of the big reveal could be the actual name.