Sailors of the Starless TPK...
Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, michaelcurtis, Harley Stroh
-
- Far-Sighted Wanderer
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:43 pm
Sailors of the Starless TPK...
I'm hoping to run my group through this one next Thur, but when I read through it - wow.
Has any 0-level made their way from begining to end? This one has TPK written all over it. I think that's a standard for the zero level adventures when they make 'em: "On read thru, is there at least one moment when you think the entire party could easily die?" "Yes" "Perfect"
Has any 0-level made their way from begining to end? This one has TPK written all over it. I think that's a standard for the zero level adventures when they make 'em: "On read thru, is there at least one moment when you think the entire party could easily die?" "Yes" "Perfect"
- Raven_Crowking
- Cold-Hearted Immortal
- Posts: 3159
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:41 am
- FLGS: The Sword & Board
- Contact:
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
In my game, more than one 0-lvl made it from start to finish. And many more finished their lives on the Starless Sea!
SoBH pbp:
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
I had 6 survive of 17. If you level up on reaching 10xp your players will level before the final and hardest encounter. (We did not level up until the end and still had 6 survivors)
I have some very detail play reports. (See link in my sig) it will give you a good Idea where the TPKs can take place.
I have some very detail play reports. (See link in my sig) it will give you a good Idea where the TPKs can take place.
Scrying the land from The Tower of Zeiros
- Karaptis
- Cold-Blooded Diabolist
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 6:24 pm
- Location: The end of time.
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
Shockingly my players mopped the floor with beastmen. I'm still shocked at the astounding player luck. Only 3 of 12 died.
- Count Zero
- Far-Sighted Wanderer
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:52 am
- Location: Buffalo, NY
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
Yup, I had a similar experience. We just finished Sailors the other night and only lost 3 of 12. The finale was a bit more, um, unconventional than most people experienced but sometimes cool has to win out over the written word.Karaptis wrote:Shockingly my players mopped the floor with beastmen. I'm still shocked at the astounding player luck. Only 3 of 12 died.
I'm the quiet neighbor with the big freezer.
- reverenddak
- Moderator
- Posts: 768
- Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:04 am
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
I've ran it twice, had several survivors both times. There are a couple scenes that seem like they'd be meat grinders, they don't have to be. The tentacled beast is probably the toughest. I had a pretty close TPK in the beast-man room. The closing set-peace can be toned down depending on how you handle it. They should see the adventurers as "more sacrifices", and therefore want to "keep them alive". The closing scene is a good opportunity to take them out of their world and into some place like the Land of the Lost... Or in my case, the Isle of the Unknown.
Reverend Dakota Jesus Ultimak, S.S.M.o.t.S.M.S., D.M.
(Dungeon) Master In Chief of Crawl! fanzine. - http://www.crawlfanzine.com/
"[...] there is no doubt that Dungeons and Dragons and its imitators are right out of the pit of hell." - William Schnoebelen, Straight talk on Dungeons & Dragons
(Dungeon) Master In Chief of Crawl! fanzine. - http://www.crawlfanzine.com/
"[...] there is no doubt that Dungeons and Dragons and its imitators are right out of the pit of hell." - William Schnoebelen, Straight talk on Dungeons & Dragons
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
I've only TPK'd once, and it was because a player did something really, really dumb.
My Gaming Blog: The Earthlight Academy
http://earthlightacademy.blogspot.com/
http://earthlightacademy.blogspot.com/
-
- Far-Sighted Wanderer
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:43 pm
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
I have no problem with TPKs so tomorrow night should be a blast. I'm going to run it as is with 3 players running 5 funnel fodders each.
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
Awesome write up! Thanks!Zeiros wrote:I had 6 survive of 17. If you level up on reaching 10xp your players will level before the final and hardest encounter. (We did not level up until the end and still had 6 survivors)
I have some very detail play reports. (See link in my sig) it will give you a good Idea where the TPKs can take place.
Terry Olson
-
- Far-Sighted Wanderer
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:43 pm
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
Well, we played it. We had 4 survivors out of 16.
And that was with them skipping some encounters
And that was with them skipping some encounters
-
- Far-Sighted Wanderer
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 3:23 am
- FLGS: Tower Games
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
First time: 6/20 survived.. (started as 16 0-levels but they picked up some prisoners and what-not).screenmonkey wrote:Well, we played it. We had 4 survivors out of 16.
And that was with them skipping some encounters
Second time: Close to having 1-2 survivors at the end, but ultimately a TPK after TWO characters killed themselves on fumbles with the SLING OF DOOM.
- nerdwerds
- Wild-Eyed Zealot
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:24 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
I started the adventure last night and four characters nearly died just from confronting the vine horrors in the first area. Literally three characters were brought to exactly 1 hit point and yet everybody survived! Humbled and hurt, they decided to leave and return to the keep in the morning. We'll find out what happens next, next Sunday.screenmonkey wrote:I'm hoping to run my group through this one next Thur, but when I read through it - wow.
Has any 0-level made their way from begining to end? This one has TPK written all over it. I think that's a standard for the zero level adventures when they make 'em: "On read thru, is there at least one moment when you think the entire party could easily die?" "Yes" "Perfect"
"The Shamrock Shake is a frosty, minty symbol of all that we hold dear. It is shameful that we as a people cannot enjoy this proud, symbolic beverage any more than one week a year. Unless the British government loosens its iron grip on this most Irish of shakes, the streets will once again run red with English blood." - Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing.
- Sir Robilar
- Far-Sighted Wanderer
- Posts: 46
- Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:38 pm
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
In our group one out of ten survived and it was helluva ride.
- Ravenheart87
- Tight-Lipped Warlock
- Posts: 903
- Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:34 pm
- Location: Győr, Hungary
- Contact:
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
My players were quite clever and very lucky. They started with 12 PCs, 2 more joined after the tower to replace the fallen characters. From 14 characters 8 survived the adventure, but one had permanent damage and one was badly mutated. They also lost two companions, a chicken and a sheep.
Vorpal Mace: a humble rpg blog with some DCC-related stuff.
- nerdwerds
- Wild-Eyed Zealot
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:24 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
One third of the characters died during the last session and in the tower entrance to the caves the party was about to be killed but the wizard in the party took on corruption from his patron in order to get a boon during the battle which turned the tide, it was very epic. They managed to make their way down to the underground lake and heard the drumming and saw the activity at the temple across the lake then decided to head back to the nearby village.
I'm thinking of diverging from the module quite a bit now because the ritual was in progress and they left. The most Appendix N thing I can think of would be for some Neutral deity to be dismayed at the PC's lack of courage and so he sends them into the future to see the nearby village after it's been destroyed by the new beastmen army.
I'm thinking of diverging from the module quite a bit now because the ritual was in progress and they left. The most Appendix N thing I can think of would be for some Neutral deity to be dismayed at the PC's lack of courage and so he sends them into the future to see the nearby village after it's been destroyed by the new beastmen army.
"The Shamrock Shake is a frosty, minty symbol of all that we hold dear. It is shameful that we as a people cannot enjoy this proud, symbolic beverage any more than one week a year. Unless the British government loosens its iron grip on this most Irish of shakes, the streets will once again run red with English blood." - Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing.
-
- Deft-Handed Cutpurse
- Posts: 233
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:25 am
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
That's an awesome solution. Have they made it all the way out of the keep? If not, you could have them roll an intelligence check to notice that the stairway up seems longer than the stairway down did. At some point, it could start spiralling, and come out on a parapet of the rebuilt keep, where the avatar of the deity has them look out across the landscape now ruled over by Chaos.nerdwerds wrote:I'm thinking of diverging from the module quite a bit now because the ritual was in progress and they left. The most Appendix N thing I can think of would be for some Neutral deity to be dismayed at the PC's lack of courage and so he sends them into the future to see the nearby village after it's been destroyed by the new beastmen army.
BTW, I read your epic blog post on your years in gaming. Great job on that...lots of fun anecdotes, and several parts where I was genuinely moved.
Purple Planeteers:
Jingles Coinclink, Halfling, hag-hacked into haggis
Nurzual the Faceter – M Jwlr - Wiz - L
S 12 A 8 (-1) S 9 P 11 I 15 (+1) L 10
AC 9 HP 6 Mv 30 Init -1 Ref 0 Fort 0 Will 1
Chalk 1pc, 20 gp Gem, Backpack, 10’ chain, 10 sheets parchment, Kith pouch, small hammer, ray-gun, Rope 50', 5gp 10sp 274 cp
shortsword +0(1d6)
Ch Psn (no MM), Clr Spr 65, Force Manip 81, Rd Mag 12, Spidr Cl 69
Pl.Common (basic)
Snooth Inksplot Scribe RIP under cave-in, a crushing loss
Qort Quiddlegit M Hlr - Cler - N(C?)
S 11 temp 14 (+1) A 11 temp 14 (+1) S 6 (-1) P 5 (-2) I 6 (-1) L 5 (-2)
AC 10 temp 11 HP 8 Mov 30 Init 0 Ref t+1 Fort 0 Will -1
club +0 (1d4+1t) - hand mirror, holy wtr, wtrskin Kith drink 12 oz drunk, 31 cp
-2 Ms fire damage
Det Magic
Brandybland Shoetree F Coblr N
S 10 A 9 S 10 P 8 (-1) I 9 L 9
AC 14 HP 1 Mov 30 Init 0 Ref 0 Fort 0; Will -1
gldtr glaive +0 (1d10) - gldtr ch mail - Fe spike, shoehorn, 48 cp
Prof: dagger
Jingles Coinclink, Halfling, hag-hacked into haggis
Nurzual the Faceter – M Jwlr - Wiz - L
S 12 A 8 (-1) S 9 P 11 I 15 (+1) L 10
AC 9 HP 6 Mv 30 Init -1 Ref 0 Fort 0 Will 1
Chalk 1pc, 20 gp Gem, Backpack, 10’ chain, 10 sheets parchment, Kith pouch, small hammer, ray-gun, Rope 50', 5gp 10sp 274 cp
shortsword +0(1d6)
Ch Psn (no MM), Clr Spr 65, Force Manip 81, Rd Mag 12, Spidr Cl 69
Pl.Common (basic)
Snooth Inksplot Scribe RIP under cave-in, a crushing loss
Qort Quiddlegit M Hlr - Cler - N(C?)
S 11 temp 14 (+1) A 11 temp 14 (+1) S 6 (-1) P 5 (-2) I 6 (-1) L 5 (-2)
AC 10 temp 11 HP 8 Mov 30 Init 0 Ref t+1 Fort 0 Will -1
club +0 (1d4+1t) - hand mirror, holy wtr, wtrskin Kith drink 12 oz drunk, 31 cp
-2 Ms fire damage
Det Magic
Brandybland Shoetree F Coblr N
S 10 A 9 S 10 P 8 (-1) I 9 L 9
AC 14 HP 1 Mov 30 Init 0 Ref 0 Fort 0; Will -1
gldtr glaive +0 (1d10) - gldtr ch mail - Fe spike, shoehorn, 48 cp
Prof: dagger
- nerdwerds
- Wild-Eyed Zealot
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:24 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
I had a patron of my own design show up and send the characters into the future as a test. The players weren't very happy with the digression. One of them said it felt like an episode where Q shows up on Star Trek, and he's not a fan of arbitrary trumps. The cleric in the party made an appeal of Divine Aid to her deity (Cthulhu) and asked that they be returned to their own time, and she succeeded on her roll so I returned them to the time and place near the underground lake where they had turned around and left before.Bilgewriggler wrote:That's an awesome solution. Have they made it all the way out of the keep? If not, you could have them roll an intelligence check to notice that the stairway up seems longer than the stairway down did. At some point, it could start spiralling, and come out on a parapet of the rebuilt keep, where the avatar of the deity has them look out across the landscape now ruled over by Chaos.nerdwerds wrote:I'm thinking of diverging from the module quite a bit now because the ritual was in progress and they left. The most Appendix N thing I can think of would be for some Neutral deity to be dismayed at the PC's lack of courage and so he sends them into the future to see the nearby village after it's been destroyed by the new beastmen army.
Thanks alot!Bilgewriggler wrote:BTW, I read your epic blog post on your years in gaming. Great job on that...lots of fun anecdotes, and several parts where I was genuinely moved.
"The Shamrock Shake is a frosty, minty symbol of all that we hold dear. It is shameful that we as a people cannot enjoy this proud, symbolic beverage any more than one week a year. Unless the British government loosens its iron grip on this most Irish of shakes, the streets will once again run red with English blood." - Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing.
-
- Deft-Handed Cutpurse
- Posts: 233
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:25 am
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
Well, if they're going to complain about things like that, next time just let the Chaos Lords be reborn and ravage the local countryside. The party would just have to flee and come back later when they'd gained enough levels to clean up their own mess.nerdwerds wrote:I had a patron of my own design show up and send the characters into the future as a test. The players weren't very happy with the digression. One of them said it felt like an episode where Q shows up on Star Trek, and he's not a fan of arbitrary trumps. The cleric in the party made an appeal of Divine Aid to her deity (Cthulhu) and asked that they be returned to their own time, and she succeeded on her roll so I returned them to the time and place near the underground lake where they had turned around and left before.
You're welcome!nerdwerds wrote:Thanks alot!Bilgewriggler wrote:BTW, I read your epic blog post on your years in gaming. Great job on that...lots of fun anecdotes, and several parts where I was genuinely moved.
Purple Planeteers:
Jingles Coinclink, Halfling, hag-hacked into haggis
Nurzual the Faceter – M Jwlr - Wiz - L
S 12 A 8 (-1) S 9 P 11 I 15 (+1) L 10
AC 9 HP 6 Mv 30 Init -1 Ref 0 Fort 0 Will 1
Chalk 1pc, 20 gp Gem, Backpack, 10’ chain, 10 sheets parchment, Kith pouch, small hammer, ray-gun, Rope 50', 5gp 10sp 274 cp
shortsword +0(1d6)
Ch Psn (no MM), Clr Spr 65, Force Manip 81, Rd Mag 12, Spidr Cl 69
Pl.Common (basic)
Snooth Inksplot Scribe RIP under cave-in, a crushing loss
Qort Quiddlegit M Hlr - Cler - N(C?)
S 11 temp 14 (+1) A 11 temp 14 (+1) S 6 (-1) P 5 (-2) I 6 (-1) L 5 (-2)
AC 10 temp 11 HP 8 Mov 30 Init 0 Ref t+1 Fort 0 Will -1
club +0 (1d4+1t) - hand mirror, holy wtr, wtrskin Kith drink 12 oz drunk, 31 cp
-2 Ms fire damage
Det Magic
Brandybland Shoetree F Coblr N
S 10 A 9 S 10 P 8 (-1) I 9 L 9
AC 14 HP 1 Mov 30 Init 0 Ref 0 Fort 0; Will -1
gldtr glaive +0 (1d10) - gldtr ch mail - Fe spike, shoehorn, 48 cp
Prof: dagger
Jingles Coinclink, Halfling, hag-hacked into haggis
Nurzual the Faceter – M Jwlr - Wiz - L
S 12 A 8 (-1) S 9 P 11 I 15 (+1) L 10
AC 9 HP 6 Mv 30 Init -1 Ref 0 Fort 0 Will 1
Chalk 1pc, 20 gp Gem, Backpack, 10’ chain, 10 sheets parchment, Kith pouch, small hammer, ray-gun, Rope 50', 5gp 10sp 274 cp
shortsword +0(1d6)
Ch Psn (no MM), Clr Spr 65, Force Manip 81, Rd Mag 12, Spidr Cl 69
Pl.Common (basic)
Snooth Inksplot Scribe RIP under cave-in, a crushing loss
Qort Quiddlegit M Hlr - Cler - N(C?)
S 11 temp 14 (+1) A 11 temp 14 (+1) S 6 (-1) P 5 (-2) I 6 (-1) L 5 (-2)
AC 10 temp 11 HP 8 Mov 30 Init 0 Ref t+1 Fort 0 Will -1
club +0 (1d4+1t) - hand mirror, holy wtr, wtrskin Kith drink 12 oz drunk, 31 cp
-2 Ms fire damage
Det Magic
Brandybland Shoetree F Coblr N
S 10 A 9 S 10 P 8 (-1) I 9 L 9
AC 14 HP 1 Mov 30 Init 0 Ref 0 Fort 0; Will -1
gldtr glaive +0 (1d10) - gldtr ch mail - Fe spike, shoehorn, 48 cp
Prof: dagger
-
- Far-Sighted Wanderer
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2004 12:37 pm
- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
Can you attach a link to the blog post I would love to read it!Bilgewriggler wrote:Well, if they're going to complain about things like that, next time just let the Chaos Lords be reborn and ravage the local countryside. The party would just have to flee and come back later when they'd gained enough levels to clean up their own mess.nerdwerds wrote:I had a patron of my own design show up and send the characters into the future as a test. The players weren't very happy with the digression. One of them said it felt like an episode where Q shows up on Star Trek, and he's not a fan of arbitrary trumps. The cleric in the party made an appeal of Divine Aid to her deity (Cthulhu) and asked that they be returned to their own time, and she succeeded on her roll so I returned them to the time and place near the underground lake where they had turned around and left before.
You're welcome!nerdwerds wrote:Thanks alot!Bilgewriggler wrote:BTW, I read your epic blog post on your years in gaming. Great job on that...lots of fun anecdotes, and several parts where I was genuinely moved.
-Brogan
- nerdwerds
- Wild-Eyed Zealot
- Posts: 86
- Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:24 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
Re: Sailors of the Starless TPK...
I included a link to my blog in my profile on here - http://nerdwerds.blogspot.combrogan_a wrote:Can you attach a link to the blog post I would love to read it!
-Brogan
I believe the entry Bilgewriggler is referring to is this one - http://nerdwerds.blogspot.com/2012/01/epic-post.html
"The Shamrock Shake is a frosty, minty symbol of all that we hold dear. It is shameful that we as a people cannot enjoy this proud, symbolic beverage any more than one week a year. Unless the British government loosens its iron grip on this most Irish of shakes, the streets will once again run red with English blood." - Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, the IRA's political wing.