Keeping the funnel going?

[echoota]

Played yesterday for the first time with the funnel. I liked it. It seemed like it made for a better seed bed for "emergent" stories than focusing on just one PC all the time, mainly because it kept highlighting the fatalism and the continuation of the story even if someone died. I think it also helps tease more roleplaying out because there are more personalities and perspectives to play off of. I could see that if you had one player at the table that was a full blown role-player, surrounded by roll-players, they'd still have a medium in which to bring interaction and dynamism to the table, even if everyone else wanted to sit there mutely.

It would be great to see a developed way to keep the funnel going on throughout a campaign. Players always having several characters in the party.

Maybe something where each player gets to have one "leveled" character, but they have three other 0-level characters. You keep track of the xp for the 0-levels, and if the leveled character dies then one of the 0-levels transforms into a leveled character? Maybe the only thing the 0-levels gain from their xp would be 1d4 hit points, so that they have a little more survivability as things progress?

I just remember the fun of having lots of hirelings and henchmen back in the day, but we never did flesh them out all that much. The 0-level characters do a great job of blending that older tradition with the idea of emergent storytelling.

[finarvyn]

The only problem I see is that many times adventures with multi-level parties don't work so well. The 0-level characters would mostly hide behind the "real" ones just to survive and become 1st level, or they would be in the front where they would get mowed down by any significant challenge.

At least, I know that if I have some NPC hirelings hanging out with my PCs that's the way they seem to fit into the adventure -- just some cannon fodder to help the PCs get farther into the dungeon.

There must be some way to make this work, however, but I assume it would take careful planning.

[Machpants]

So I don't start A.N.Other thread a point came up on ENW. Some guidance on how to deal with players with all dead PCs and those with multi PCs left at the end/mid way through the funnel would be good. The funnel is a unique idea and thus needs more time spent on guidance using it for DMs and players alike.

[Harley Stroh]

The only problem I see is that many times adventures with multi-level parties don't work so well. The 0-level characters would mostly hide behind the "real" ones just to survive and become 1st level, or they would be in the front where they would get mowed down by any significant challenge.

At least, I know that if I have some NPC hirelings hanging out with my PCs that's the way they seem to fit into the adventure -- just some cannon fodder to help the PCs get farther into the dungeon.

There must be some way to make this work, however, but I assume it would take careful planning.

For me there is a romance to the grizzled veteran telling the kid to stand back, hold the torch and maybe a polearm. It gets dramatic when the vet drops and the kid jumps in to defend him. Does he kill the ogre and win the vet's respect? Or does he give his life in a futile effort? Fun stuff w/ mixed levels.

//H

[jmucchiello]

So I don't start A.N.Other thread a point came up on ENW. Some guidance on how to deal with players with all dead PCs and those with multi PCs left at the end/mid way through the funnel would be good. The funnel is a unique idea and thus needs more time spent on guidance using it for DMs and players alike.

One of the pre-beta threads indicated that if you run out of funnel characters before the adventure ends, you either roll a couple new ones up quickly or borrow a 0-level character from someone who still has multiples left.

[finarvyn]

One of Joseph's playtest modules has a spot where there are some prisoners to release, along with a note that essentially says "if you're running out of characters, this is a good time to restock."

[shadewest]

One of Joseph's playtest modules has a spot where there are some prisoners to release, along with a note that essentially says "if you're running out of characters, this is a good time to restock."

I think I know that spot. It didn't turn out so well since a bad spell fumble (on my part) took them out (along with myself) before the end of the session.

[ogbendog]

are there playtest modules available to use for our playtesting?