silentarcher00 said:

I don't think that not looking for missing docker gang boss halts things as long as they are looking for other missing folks.

A few thoughts, admittedly ill organized, steam of consciousness.

First, using the Winds of Change approach I mean use a "time clock" where narrative time means each player gets about 4 chances a day to do something worthwhile.  You poke around, ask people who know nothing, waste time etc. then have one chance etc. I don't mean using the events of that adventure just the time clock appproach which I have used in other adventures without complaints of it being "repeating", it's just a system like initiative etc.  So). trying to get to see Mauer is one of the 4 things to do for example (a delay roll means of course 2).

If it was my game, checking out Jurgen's movements takes them to the mudflat and they learn that high water since the time he vanished would have removed traces, indeed there was high water that night.  Jurgen was last seen leaving the White Horse (it being the taven on the stinky way [if you put the names of the wegs through google translate] it's where a Fisherman gets drinks), but 'it was raining so weather was not fit for man nor beast" so no witnesses to him.  Olga and he don't live in her stall of course, they live in a ramshackle tenement a block further inland.

The real clues to find are the timing of vanishing and rain (high water), the odd report of a strange figure.  There is fun opportunity to confuse "the black cowl" with the mysterious figure on the docks (skaven).

If they don't help the dockers, you can have docker gang fights breaking out and causing trouble.  

They can get the rumours about strange figures on docks at night.  Then they nap in day to stay up at night.  If it's not raining of course, they only run afoul of warring gangs and criminals.

The merchant in trouble on day 2 is also a good way to involve them in an action scene and bring the criminal activity on stage, they might even witness the murder that night of the body found day 3.

On day 2, Mauer won't have more to say than he does on Day 3 when another body found.

On day 2, it didn't rain last night, the Skaven were not dragging victims around (just killing someone whose body is meant to be found as part of intimidating underwold).  The weather gets miserable as day goes on, making it bad time to be out and about anyway.  If you have Gathering Storm you can borrow weather effects (or just note that Heavy Rain means all Observation and vision checks - including ballistic attacks - suffer a misfortune die beyond medium range).

The night of day 2 Ute is taken (it's raining).  A key thing to make sure is that they meet Ute first.  Ute should be lovable and when she goes missing it should tweak them.

If they try to put together rain and vanishings, that takes at least 1 turn of the clock for example to come up with the fact that people have vanished every night it was raining hard and river swollen.  If it was Call of Cthulhu, they would be thinking Deep Ones.  In any event "something coming out the river" might be suspsected and someone seeing a shaggy shape emerge from the water (a skaven of course) could add to that (being rats I consider them good swimmers, it's the only bath they get).

If worst comes to worst and they find the Skaven lair have them "already cleared out" (to a secondary lair).  Leave traces of their presence, or create some "gutter runner" expendibles but make it clear the real ones have left.  Keep Skrabb at least around to steal the artefact.

You can play up the criminal underworld events.  Use it as a red herring even, create some more thugs and cut throats who are part of the Black Cowl's network, in my game this will be "the Brotherhood" a new criminal organization that is a shadowy network.  They may try to scare PC's off as being unwelcome in the docks.  Ultimately this is related of course, as the skaven and criminal network have same master.  Perhaps the wizard if corrupt is part of the criminal network now and even if found turns out was "doing some research work for someone about strange ratmen bells".  This way their interests lead them back to the stirring pot.

Also, I would not feel wed to things happening on the Days given.  Move up or back bodies found, even the coach trip etc.

Thanks, there are some good ideas here. I especially like the 'monster in the water' red hearing, might hint at that a little bit. My players have already done the witch's song and always seem to expect the dark elf to appear around a corner riding a flying giant bog octopus! So this might get them thinking about that. Am going to use the clock too, however have just read through book 3 of the campaign and it fits an awful lot of stuff into one day so a little worried it might clash a litte with them doing less per day at the begining of the adventure. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

I also didn't think about the dockers constantly brawling with each other after the first day, will have to add that in a bit more.

Glad to help.

If you're up to posting reports on your game please do start a thread.  I find reports on things I'm going to play inspiring and often useful to read.

Another three general comments for folks:

1.  More map features

A watch station is mentioned for the docks.  This is not on the map.  I think it's logical to actually use the Toll House location card and put it at the north end of Griffon Bridge.  Given that the North Bank is the "outside city" area (technically Stirland) having a toll station there to ensure goods brough over pay duties would make sense.  It might have a little jetty for a boat or two as the river is likely the real way contraband comes over.

I would mention fishing boats, barges and vessels being docked - even use counters or something.  Otherwise the map makes it look like there are none.  It is a "in game map" of course so it wouldn't show them but players may think "this is what you see".  Emphasize, it's a map not an artist likeness.  It doesn't show the fishwife's stall, the barges (one of which will be on fire shortly) etc.  If the heroes figure out that people are vanishing at river/into it etc. they may want to interview barge owners etc.  If relevant, I would say Adolphus Stark's barge arrived a week ago (day after Rolf disappeared, after Jurgen did) so they are not witnesses or suspects.  They might have seen the barge floating down river on day 6.

2.  Another group to meet if poking around at night.

River smugglers, moving goods late at night, might make another good source of information that is reluctant to talk easily (don't want to admit why they were out on the river and saw a figure in black dragging a man to the river the night someone vanished - assumed at the time it was just dockers settling scores or similar and didn't want to poke nose in).  They can add that they know no other boats were out that night (they were crossing in the bad weather precisely because they figured no one would see them).

3  Agitator broadsheets

Thinking about it, I believe the content of the agitator handouts I've created is all pretty generic warhammer information from various sources, so if someone wants me to shoot them pdf or word version pm me.

Happy Gaming

Rob

silentarcher00 said:

It is narrative time so you can expand or contract actions.  In Interludes I may give only 1-2 notable actions between adventures for example even if it's a couple of weeks.  Conversely you could explain how being such high Rank characters they fit more into a day etc.

My prep work startet already. I'm looking forward to a fresh start with shiny new characters. The Backbround Cards get my players involved already at character generation.

My four player group have chosen:

Gently Born Dilletante: His father died in the third Battle of Black Fire Pass. His Stepmom hates the PC an he is searching for a chance to get made in Averheim.

Battle-Scarred Shallya priest: He was involved in the third Battle of Black Fire Pass and badly injured. He did some work for the Gently Borns father in the past.

Academic Celestial Wizard: She is an arrogant academic with a knack for insects. At the moment she is the only PC with no connection to another one.

Outcast High Elf Swordsman: He was a bodyguard to an elven envoy during the third Battle of Fire Pass. His master died (at the side of the Gently Borns father) and now the Swordsman is an outcast who seeks to redeem himself. Luckily there will be some elven connection in the later adventures.

I love the creativity in those - if your players came up with that you're a lucky GM.  Battle-scarred Shallyan - so logical once said but never occurred to me!  Explaining an "inexplicable swordsman of Hoeth tooting about on non-Hoeth business" so well.  Great stuff.

Are people doing draw 3 pick 1 or just letting players pick?  I'm doing "draw 3" but just like redraw if not race appropriate redraw if no trait shared with background.

Also giving -1 to starting creation points as the background benefits are generally worth same as a CP (before conidering the extra in-game ability).  Effectively, the background cost 1 CP.

My players have come up with the ideas themselves, with some fine-tuning by me. My group usually picks their careers at character creation. No drawing. I also let them train one non-career basic skill for fluff. Like the insect interested celestial with one training in natural lore, or the shallyan priest with coordination trained (for Acrobatic Strike, to disarm people).

My two player's characters are:

Battlescarred Zelot (i.e. witch hunter apprentice) - Was part of a body guard for a bright wizard at Third Black Fire who misscast and killed several soldiers, wounding the PC. He blames the wizard for what happened and now has a hatred for all magic users. Recently he heard the wizard had been seen in Averheim, and that a witch hunter was also in the city.

Outcast Wood Elf Wardancer - In self exile searching for anything or anyone who can help fight off the beastmen pushing harder into the woods.

I quite like the background cards as the players both have their own personal quests and backgrounds that can tie nicley into the story line.

Some more thoughts.

Couple of folks have received my version of the agitator's writings, feedback on them welcome.

I've used Strange Eons to create some little NPC cards (inspired by Edge of Night, using the "condition card" template) for the NPC's at the Menagerie, a location card for the Marquee etc.  A bit frustrating the latest version doesn't let you edit after saving - did a few before I decided I should put social class (Gold, Silver, Brass) on all NPC's since we're using the Lure of Power etc. social rules.

In doing this realized couple of things and tweaked.

A couple of the exhibits aren't really Southlands (Norsca White Bear?  How off course did they get?) so I replaced them with a captured lizard man and a "southlands goblin" (really a baboon).

It's also "interesting" that there is no one who was on the expedition mentioned being in Averheim.  Yes, Templemann died on the return voyage (killed by an agent of the BC) but no one else to relate thrilling tales sure to enhance the sale value of recovered items?  The elven navigator is still in Marienburg (or so is thought) but what of the rest.  Sailors etc. also still in in Marienburg but there were mercenaries etc. (the people the other 2 suspects helped choose etc.).  I've decided a Tilean artist accompanied the expedition to sketch wonders (no camera crew so you need a charcoal sketch of the Great Kong), Luis Dalmotti.  He is high strung and has nightmares about the creatures encountered in the jungle and visions of great lizards rampaging about (did I mention a giant egg will be part of the display - just a red herring for heroes who have seen too many lost world movies).  He has a bit of a cough he has never recovered from (some southern illness).  He will at the "garden party" to speak to his sketches (a big map showing the route they took will also be up).

The returning mercenaries are all members of the von Kragsburg Guard (Heraldry and Uniforms of the Empire, page 17), which is based in Averheim.  The "Dirty Duke" himself is elsewhere on mercenary service but Captain Viktor Elbing of the Guard commanded the soldiers on the trip.  He is not part of the events at the Averburg as "his duties are complete and not required now".  It would not suite BC to have him around and doesn't suit Kaufman to have anyone telling tails of bravery that undercut his prestige as backer.  That the formidable mercenaries were guarding things up to the point they were off-loaded in Averheim helps explain why the effigy wasn't removed earlier.

Either of these characters, if interviewed, could reveal some of the information on pagae 28-29 (bad reputation of the effigy among the crew, one reason so many signed off in Marienburg and didn't come up-river rest of the way).  Elbing even knows that Templemann was probablly not all he said he was etc. (though is personal attitude is "but who is").

One other person came back of course, the BC agent who murdered Templemann.  He will be a thug now down on waterfront, newly arrived and suddenly a major enforcer in the "Brotherhood" criminal gang.  Bischoff is his name, he doesn't know who his boss is just that the Master of the Change wanted Templemann to keep secret what he alone saw in the chamber where he got the effigy.

All those on the voyage (artist, soldier and thug) have a tattoo of a dolphin - all the crew got them in Sudenberg and it's a way of identifying people who were on the expedition.

Thanks for keeping this thread up to date, been reading the book and it is nice to see people had the same reservations I did - and nicer that people have already put some thought into good work arounds!

I'm interested at having a peek at Valvorik's agitator pamphlet. Valvorik could you please send it to dieterdemey@hotmail.com?

Basically ANY extra's and props would help…  as I find TEW2 (just) a bit lacking…. This thread though has been most inspirational in 'pimping' the long awaited campaign (e.g. Valvorik's winds of change initiative clock).

 I've only read through the Intro and Book1. I do like a lot of what I've read but I am missing some fundamentals:

-Averheim gazetteer/citymap: would there be a 1ed or 2ed scenario with more details on the city or a published citymap? 

-the PC backgrounds are nicely done but the presented pc's motivations for investigating the docks disappearances are a bit meager ('Getting started' pg 29):

why would a gently-born (i.e. affluent) pc or a foreign messenger bother with 30shillings for info on Rolf Haller? ok it's quiet a bit of money (5 days of pay for a skilled artisan) but come one, why all the fuss over a missing docker.

Alsoo: Graf Friederich, Lum Mauer or Cpt Baerfaust asking the PC's to look into the matter basically rules them out as the BC. For why would they ever attract attention to their own shadowy business?

By that same logic the PC's commission with the Red Arrow rules Graf Friederich out as the BC, as well as any engagement in the plot of silver or gold tier PC's

… and excluding wealthier PC's from TEW result in a new problem: why would the noble Clothilde ever bother to intimately interact with low born characters -as proposed during the coach ride and at the menagerie… 

A more organic introduction of the PC's into the noble's circles would work much better in my opinion. E.g. the scenario's set around Ubersreik hinted at just such an approach (PC's getting a noble patron). As it is presented in TEW it seems a bit artificial/brusque. Perhaps integrating elements of Edge of Night, Eye for an Eye and Mirror of Desire into TEW might be worthwhile. 

Veteres said:

I will send it off tonight (that's 12 hours from now local time).

Veteres said:

I'm not showing Players the "flip side" questions and doing versions tailored more to their race, actual career etc.  The gently born will not have access to ready funds nor the foreign messenger.  Both will be "ahem" somewhat embarassed by their lack of funds to maintain standing.  Each will have a reason to look around docks and all may in fact have fought at Black Fire thus be comrades etc. (wars make great backgrounds for unlikely comrades).

This also allows me to only do them once we've established "so are you a gang of lowlife thugs and outcasts, including down on luck noble etc. scrabbling for shillings." or are you "well-dressed socialites slumming down in the docks on a lark for a friend".

The Jurgen and "missing friend" links are important.  I intend to have one of the better off NPC's have a positive link to Amalie Steiner (from the Hedge Maze etc.) to give some extra urgency to finding her in the hedge maze when monster gets loose (if they save her and take off blindfold she smiles, "I was hoping it would be you….")

BTW, in my version Amalie plugs her hears with some handy beeswas as part of her game - so no one will accuse her of modulating her singing or otherwise hinting in response to shouts.  Otherwise once it goes to pieces and people are screaming, she would hear it all and stop singing.

Veteres said:

I think there are some notes about that in text.  GM likely has to do a bit work whoever is BC.  The official reason is the BC wants the Skaven eliminated after they make the bell for him.  He likes "using and then tidying up afterwards" as a theme (e.g., what he does with the Red Crown) and sees the heroes as useful fools to do his clean up work..

If Graf Freidrich is the BC, another reason he might use them with coach job is to slow down their investigation.

Overall, however, I think it works better if the heroes are (as you say below) organically motivated to get involved at first due to personal connections, desire to avoid a docker gang war etc.  You don't want it to have been the classic "we should just have killed the first person who made us a job offer, that would have solved all of this up front" reaction at the end to a "evil patron".

Veteres said:

Chlotilde is on a "slow burn" campaign for Elector (as it turns out later) so chatting up the common folks is part of her public image (and she is genuinely concerned for the little people, even if they do get silly ideas about Free Towns and such at times - which is why she thinks she will make the best Elector).  Similar to Countess Marlene riding along on goblin hunts.  Oh those down to earh Alptraum women.  

Veteres said:

Neat ideas.  I always like slow build ups if they can be worked into campaign.  Meet in advanture 2 the NPC who figures in adventure 4 etc.  I plan to try running the dock investigation as if it is the "regular getting to know each other adventure" and encourage heroes not to imagine it's all tied together as much as it really is (if I could hide fact it's all coming from one book I would but they aleady know that).

It was all going so well… and then I tried to run the garden party with hardly any preparation as my friends refused to go home and it was our third day straight of gaming without me having a chance to really plan anything and I was tired so I ended up just talking for most of it and boring my players so they didn't really want to interfere with stuff happening between NPCs or investigating and seemed to get a little frustrated when the scaven just ran past them!

So my first point is don't do that!

However the adventure had gone pretty well up to this point, this being our 4th session. The PCs were suspicious at the amount of disappearances that were going on. They had also seen a cloaked figure late one night, and thinking it might be the Black Cowl had tried to follow it, but lost it on the river's banks. They paid off Beatrice Knox's debts at the last minute, and followed her to the Upright Pig, where she handed the money over to an individual who then slipped through a door into the cellar of the inn. However when they tried to follow they were met by several thugs at the door, and after a long  stand off decided they didn't have any evidence that the disappearances were to do with them and they would probably get murdered if they tried to fight their way inside.

But then we came to the part I hadn't been expecting to reach until next week!

So in hindsight, this is what I think I should have been trying to include during the party:

Information about the current political climate. With all the nobles around this has to be the main topic of chat. The reason the Black Cowl may consider Clothilde Von Alptraum a threat could be worked into this part. This could either contrast with the power struggle in the docks or reflect it, in a more civilised way.

Rumours about Kislev having to fend off more marauder raids than usual and that they might be assembling an army for an invasion would be good to fit in here, otherwise the war that breaks out a few days later might seem like it's come out of the blue.

More ways for the PCs to be involved. I've not done a scene like this before and it ended up with the players just listening to me as I waffled on about what they saw. Maybe writing out a few events that can happen, like at the ball in 'Edge of Night' would help anyone planning on running this part. I know this might not be much of a problem for some GMs, I've been in games where all the players just make any scene their own, which can be a great time for mischief and mayhem. However my party consists of two players that I lost the attentions of early on in the session.   :(

So the action for this bit is designed to be confusing to the PCs. They don't know exactly what is going on. Screams are coming from the hedge maze which one of them may have seen a large creature shamble into. Anyone who stays within the tent may have to deal with panicked nobles as well as the smoke bomb going off. (This was what happened to the Witch Hunter, who was expecting someone to try and steal the jade face, so stayed in the tent and tried to clear everyone out of it by firing his pistol. Chaos star caused the crowd to panic and rush past him, forcing him outside.)

The trouble is it can get very confusing for the GM and the players too! So here are a few tips of things I would do different next time.

1) MAKE A LARGE PRINT OF THE HEDGE MAZE THAT YOU CAN DRAW ON!! Can't stress how useful this would have been.

2) A sketch of the grounds layout would be good. Struggled to picture how it was supposed to be layed out, and how far things were apart (i.e. the tent from the demigryph cage and the cage to the maze, the distance from the front of the tent to the back and maybe even how many manoeuvers it takes to circumvent the tent. The distance from the tent to the hedge the scaven makes a bolt for). These would be very handy to have written down for quick reference. Also think about how many entrances the tent has, and what you can see from looking out of them. In my opinion the PCs shouldn't be able to see the demigryph cage or the entrance to the hedge maze just from the tent entrance, and would need to move closer to discover what is happening.

3) Moving around in the tent after the smoke bomb has gone off should be very difficult. No only can you not see but there are probably plenty of other people who are trying to escape, tables and chairs and other hazards that need to be taken into account. Either a location card like the 'Bandit camp' or a skill check needs to be used to find the PCs way to the exhibits. The sudden sound of breaking glass or the groans of the bodyguard that gets stabbed could help.

4) Any characters who do succeed in passing the Toughness test to stay in the tent, or do what one of my players did and run around the outside, discovering the hole in the canvas as they go should be given the chance to 'stop' the theft. I was thinking of adding an accomplice to Skrabb, just a normal gutter runner. The 'Smoke bomb' action card will help Skrabb escape and it doesn't matter if the gutter runner is killed and the PCs recover whatever unimportant item it was trying to steal at the time. Of course it's body dissolves before any of the NPCs in the area get a chance to see it, and it just occurred to me that this could implement the PC in the theft of the item! Ha-ha!

5) The Demigryph is a tough opponent. Without the whole part there it would be hard to take down. If the Party happens to be combat orientated then this could turn into a fun monster hunt. If the party is not all there, or not particularly combat orientated then it would be interesting to watch the PC's trying to distract it from eating people while not getting disembowlled in the process until the Greatsword guards arrive to help out. (I like the suggestion of Amalie using wax ear plugs, might make the PCs realise she is in danger and try and find her before the demigryph does).

6) If players don't feel like charging into the maze after a large beast then this could partly turn into a social encounter as they try and calm down the crowd and organise runners to be sent to fetch a healer and the Greatsword guards… atleast until the scaven strike. As I mentioned the Witch Hunter attempted to make everyone leave, slightly disastrously (if he'd failed the check someone would probably have tackled him.)

Anyway, those are my sugestions. I don't know if anyone else has run this bit yet but if not this seems to be the first bit of the campaign that really needs a little more extra work from the GM (unless your players have done something off the rails, like mine almost did trying to demand entry to the Upright Pig cellar). Am interested in anyone else's thoughs to running this bit.

Thanks for sharing those thoughs.  In my own prep working through things the Garden Party etc. has struck me as likely the trickiest thing to run.  I like your suggestions about it.  In part my concern is that the PC's don't seem to really "win" or "earn" much till the last bit (fight etc.)  - they are not expected to stop the theft (indeed should be encouraged to go save Amalie).

I have scanned the maze card and will print off blown up and have sketched the layout of the grounds etc (will put display backing onto the surrounding general hedge to help skaven plans) but your suggestions are good ones for topics of conversation etc.  The sense perhaps of Kaufman angling for Chlotilde's hand, she being a key player etc., good to develop.  Overall I want the events before then to give heroes a chance to earn favour or show their alignment (Leitdorf, Alptraum) etc.  Something more than the one clue about an odour that doesn't definitelfy lead to tannery (and isn't supposed to just yet).

I've done little cards for each cage and the marquee to help with layout.

Rob

Hi,

Very nice thread.

Valvorick, I'd love to get a copy of your pamphlet too if thats possible. You can mail me at luke.rose77@gmail.com, I've been doing a little sheet of NPCs for Averheim to throw in during TEW1 if youre interested.

Was thinking about the "earn" factor, I have two wealthy noble player characters to deal with. The things I think are most useful are to play up to are 1) getting the PCs buy in through sympathy for the poorer folk. 2) The desire to win favour of the higher ranking nobility featured in the story.

I can see my players sniffing at a random guard duty for a handful of shillings….   and then doing a quick about face when they realise they'll be guarding Clothilde von Alptraum! ;)

Loving the adventure so far though…