Wild beyond the witchlight adventure

[haplot]

In a couple of weeks I'm going to be running Wild beyond the witchlight adventure, and was wanting some handy hints to do it justice.

Obviously actually reading the book would be useful.

Any other tips?

BTW, doing it online via comms and for maps, so im assuming the mime person might be slightly challenging to do :D

[JLandan]

I'm running this now. The biggest thing to keep in mind with this adventure is that most encounters may be resolved without combat. If your players are the murder hobo sort, they will not like it. If they are they play-the-role sort of role-players, they will love it.

Don't bother with the warlock hook, use the lost things, and make it a bigger deal than the adventure indicates.

I found it helpful to add more combat-oriented encounters, just in case.

I find that the milestone advancement is better with this adventure too.

[haplot]

Many thanks for the heads up.

I was going to go with the warlock quest start, but I will do what you say and do the lost things start instead.

In a previous group I wouldn't have dreamed doing this one, because of the amount of roleplay involved, go figure for a rp group, huh? :smallsmile:

I'm kinda hoping for the lets think our way through from this lot though. As one of the players is my other half, should be able to get at least one sensible person at the table :smallbiggrin:

Thanks again!

[Unoriginal]

Many thanks for the heads up.

I was going to go with the warlock quest start, but I will do what you say and do the lost things start instead



Don't bother with the warlock hook, use the lost things, and make it a bigger deal than the adventure indicates.

I used the Warlock hook myself, my players were really into it and it helped introduce some of the adventures' trends/themes.

Some people may prefer the Lost Things hook, but many players I know would not like it at all. What's important is to know your group and see which they would prefer.



Any other tips?

Personally, I decided to introduce members of the League of Malevolence much earlier than the adventure indicated, for several reasons:

1) I like those characters a lot, so the PCs seeing them more is good

2) Having the PCs encounter them at lower level helps show how they're more than roadbumps

and last but not least:

3) Having them travel through the zones and do stuff adds dynamic events, when the hags are mostly "stay at home" bad guys.

Important part is to modify the adventure so it fits what *you* feel is the best.

[JLandan]

I went with Lost Things because it gave each PC a reason to explore the chapter their loss was in. You have to spread their losses out over all three zones. I didn't like the Warlock because there was no reason to explore any further after finding the guide to the next chapter. There is no reason to confront The Hourglass Coven at all.

[Evaar]

Change the name of Diana Cloppington to something not goofy. This is a character with a tragic backstory, I don't know what they were thinking with that last name.

The carousel puzzle could be fun but it doesn't really give enough information about what the players are even supposed to be thinking about in order to solve it. So name the carousel "The Turn Of Phrase Carousel." That's a little pun on the fact that it rotates, plus it gives a hint as to how to complete the puzzle.

Emphasize that while many of the encounters can be solved without combat, it doesn't mean the players failed if they end up with combat. If your players really like combat, you might even throw in a few extra combat encounters just to emphasize that.

[Unoriginal]

I didn't like the Warlock because there was no reason to explore any further after finding the guide to the next chapter.

What do you mean?

Exploring with a guide is still exploring, especially since the guides don't remove things like random encounters and the like.



There is no reason to confront The Hourglass Coven at all.

I mean, the PCs don't know what they need to do. How to save the Warlock's Patron is a mystery, one that requires exploring the various areas and talking with people, and PCs will often want to do something about the evil overlords having control over the territory.

There is also the fact the Hourglass Coven isn't going to let the PCs ruin their work. If they rush to the final area the hags are going to know and confront *them*.


Change the name of Diana Cloppington to something not goofy. This is a character with a tragic backstory, I don't know what they were thinking with that last name.

I assumed it wasn't her real name and it was part of her curse.



The carousel puzzle could be fun but it doesn't really give enough information about what the players are even supposed to be thinking about in order to solve it. So name the carousel "The Turn Of Phrase Carousel." That's a little pun on the fact that it rotates, plus it gives a hint as to how to complete the puzzle.

That is clever. It's a good solution to make this riddle less cryptic.



Emphasize that while many of the encounters can be solved without combat, it doesn't mean the players failed if they end up with combat. If your players really like combat, you might even throw in a few extra combat encounters just to emphasize that.

True.

[haplot]

thanks for all the heads up. Will go back and re read all the bumph again and make sure I understand it all, as I'm pretty sure I've missed a few things on the first and second read through

:smallsmile:

[JLandan]

What do you mean?

Exploring with a guide is still exploring, especially since the guides don't remove things like random encounters and the like.




I mean, the PCs don't know what they need to do. How to save the Warlock's Patron is a mystery, one that requires exploring the various areas and talking with people, and PCs will often want to do something about the evil overlords having control over the territory.

There is also the fact the Hourglass Coven isn't going to let the PCs ruin their work. If they rush to the final area the hags are going to know and confront *them*.



I assumed it wasn't her real name and it was part of her curse.



That is clever. It's a good solution to make this riddle less cryptic.



True.

My answer contains some light spoilers.

With the Warlock hook, the sole reason to do anything in chapters 2-4 is to get to the next chapter. Once the guide is found, it's off to the next chapter. None of the guides require confronting the hags to find. Some of them are the first encounters in the chapter.

With the Lost Things hook, the players have a reason to find all of the hags, to get their things back. By the time this is done, they should have enough emotional investment to take on the final chapter.

[Unoriginal]

My answer contains some light spoilers.

With the Warlock hook, the sole reason to do anything in chapters 2-4 is to get to the next chapter. Once the guide is found, it's off to the next chapter. None of the guides require confronting the hags to find. Some of them are the first encounters in the chapter.

With the Lost Things hook, the players have a reason to find all of the hags, to get their things back. By the time this is done, they should have enough emotional investment to take on the final chapter.

Again, that assumes the players somehow can solve the situation by rushing to the end.

They simply can't, unless they know how to solve the Prismeer situation without exploring the hag-controlled area and talking to the people, then fight both the League of Malevolence, the monsters and tricks of the Palace *and* the Hourglass Covent (because the hags aren't going to let them foil their plans without doing anything) all at once, as lvl 4 characters rather than as lvl 7 ones.

And that is not going into how two out of three guides are met at the same time as characters who need the PCs' help to confront the hags.


Even if the characters rush to the final area, they'll likely have to go back to the rest to accomplish anything.

As for being emotionally invested, I went for the Warlock hook and my players are invested both in defeating the hags and in saving Prismeer.

I'm not saying the Lost Things hook is bad, but it isn't somehow better than the Warlock one.

Heck, even with the Lost Things hook the PCs and players could decide to rush ro the end area because they assume what they lost is kept n the Palace or that the Archfey can use her magicks to give it back to them once she's rescued. Nothing in the Lost Things hook tells the players they have to search the hags' lair.

[JLandan]

Except when entering each of the parts, the PCs feel that their lost thing is in that part, but not exactly where.

I didn't mean to imply that the Warlock hook was bad in itself, I just think that Lost Things is far more engaging to the PCs. If I put out a Warlock-begs-you-to-go-on-a-quest-that-he-himself-will-not-do-nor-offer-assistance, my players would yawn and look for something else to do.

[haplot]

Sorry for late reply.

Thanks again for all the replies and whats been said.

I have a tendency to over think things (due to anxiety amongst other things), and having other people's help does help me, and therefore the players.

Much appreciation goes out to all of you!

[haplot]

Party so far: v human spore druid; tiefling fighter; haregon ranger and half elf twilight cleric

The fifth player is wanting to play a satyr bard. I was thinking that the satyr race is a little overpowered.

Whats peoples thoughts?

[Evaar]

Party so far: v human spore druid; tiefling fighter; haregon ranger and half elf twilight cleric

The fifth player is wanting to play a satyr bard. I was thinking that the satyr race is a little overpowered.

Whats peoples thoughts?

If you use the updated Monsters of the Multiverse version it's not so bad. Their magic resistance is nerfed to specifically advantage on saving throws against spells, so that doesn't include any monster abilities that are not specifically spells. Being a Fey is a wash, it'll hurt as often as it helps. And beyond that they have a few bonus proficiencies, a good boost to jumping, and an unarmed strike that's basically a ribbon. So they're fine. Advantage on saves against spells is good, but it's not game breaking at all. The removal of the "and other magical effects" clause brought that feature back down to earth.

[JLandan]

Party so far: v human spore druid; tiefling fighter; haregon ranger and half elf twilight cleric

The fifth player is wanting to play a satyr bard. I was thinking that the satyr race is a little overpowered.

Whats peoples thoughts?

I don't think Satyr is overpowered. I do think the party needs the Bard though. Unless you change the adventure to be more combat heavy, the other party members are not specifically skill monkeys, and one will be needed. The Bard should cover that nicely. I saw that the Druid is a Spore Circle. Are you starting at 2nd or are they that far along?

[haplot]

They aren't that far along yet, mainly because this last player has yet to finalise their character.

I believe the mythic odysseys source book has the satyr in that they were looking at. Haven't got to look at as yet the monsters of the multiverse. So I will look into that.

And yes, they could definitely use a bard, its just the race thats the sticky point I think.

[JLandan]

They aren't that far along yet, mainly because this last player has yet to finalise their character.

I believe the mythic odysseys source book has the satyr in that they were looking at. Haven't got to look at as yet the monsters of the multiverse. So I will look into that.

And yes, they could definitely use a bard, its just the race thats the sticky point I think.

There's also a Satyr in the Arkadia setting. Available on Drive-Thru RPG or whatever its called now. It's a quasi-Greek setting, not really a complete setting though. Some cool race stuff, and some really cool subclasses, one for each class. The subclass stuff is available separately for free, not the race material though.

[haplot]

Went ahead and okay'd the whole satyr thing, but they've changed their mind on satyr bard.

They are now wanting to do a centaur sorcerer - draconic bloodline (go figure!)

Now to try to work out where the wings go when he gets them at lvl 14...

... I'm assuming they appear on back of horse bit?

[JLandan]

Went ahead and okay'd the whole satyr thing, but they've changed their mind on satyr bard.

They are now wanting to do a centaur sorcerer - draconic bloodline (go figure!)

Now to try to work out where the wings go when he gets them at lvl 14...

... I'm assuming they appear on back of horse bit?

I would say on the horse part, pegasus style. Won't be until after the Witchlight campaign though. Unless you do a complete rewrite, it should cap at around 8th.

[haplot]

Yeah, figured it would be the horsey bit.

Got plans to do stuff after the feywild plot.

Higher powers than me have a better clue as to how off campaign this is going to go :smallsmile: