without spoilers, I am running a game of CoS, and I have found two issues so far...
my party has yet to do anything with the fortunes (the main quests), and I don’t know if I should push it on them? Or just let them try to finish the path without them and let the dice fall blah blah
Also, my party has split up and nearly refuse to do any of the same “quests” and we end up having players sit in another room playing video games for three hours while I BS through a second session that I didn’t have time to prep and then swap and repeat..
apart from “take more time out of your schedule and just prep two sessions”, does anyone have any advice for how I can get the party working together without railroading or taking away their agency? Or am I just screwed lol
Barovia is dangerous. The should lament their hubris. Don't hold back. If 3 characters are running into a danger that 5 or 6 characters are expected they need to face whether they are going to run or die. Barovia has a very knowledgeable big bad guy with minions, striking while an adversary is divided just makes great sense. This is a tremendous time to set the bleak horror filled tone. Scare them.
They split up to do the Yester hill battle and the werewolf den... the werewolf team did about as expected and I let them leave for now
the Yester hill team woke up Wintersplinter (if I recall? Lol) but as they were escaping, the cleric let our blood hunter die and ran away instead of healing him, then knocked out our sorcerer so he could escape.... and I can’t figure out why he did either of them and am unsure how to handle punishing that cuz his deity is Zariel so she’s not exactly good... but idk
maybe this AP is too much intrigue and mystery and politics for my group and they are just snapping lol
thank for the reply! I’m gonna write up next session and try to put the scare in them
1) Have the cleric tracked down by Strahd or his minions and have him INVITED to join forces with Strahd.
2) Have Strahd arrange for the 2 sides to attack each other. In similar situations, I have made extensive use of doppelgangers and changelings in the service of the enemy to attack the party. It usually gets them working together for their own survival. If not, well there is always another party of adventurerers for Strahd to play with when he is done with the current group.
In one campaign I ran in Pathfinder (Golarion), the party argued and split up. One group insisted on sitting on the couch while I continued to run for the other group. The group who was playing ran into the other half of the party (doppelgangers) who proceeded to attack them. The Big Boss (one of the Runelords) had minions scrying both groups, and using this info, orchistrated simultaneous attacks on both groups. The couch potato group, who were getting hot under the collar at what "their" characters were doing to the rest of the party turned out to have issues of their own. An attack by a Rune Giant and a few spell casters. The couch potatos had no casters of their own.
The group that did not split off won their battle, barely. The couch potatos were not so fortunately. All but one were captured (he had to create a new character) the others were charmed/geas into serving the Runelord.
The sessions taught the group that workign together was not just a good idea, but a necessity in that campaign.
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Watch your back, conserve your ammo, and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!
without spoilers, I am running a game of CoS, and I have found two issues so far...
my party has yet to do anything with the fortunes (the main quests), and I don’t know if I should push it on them? Or just let them try to finish the path without them and let the dice fall blah blah
Also, my party has split up and nearly refuse to do any of the same “quests” and we end up having players sit in another room playing video games for three hours while I BS through a second session that I didn’t have time to prep and then swap and repeat..
apart from “take more time out of your schedule and just prep two sessions”, does anyone have any advice for how I can get the party working together without railroading or taking away their agency? Or am I just screwed lol
thank you for any help anyone has lol
Barovia is dangerous. The should lament their hubris. Don't hold back. If 3 characters are running into a danger that 5 or 6 characters are expected they need to face whether they are going to run or die. Barovia has a very knowledgeable big bad guy with minions, striking while an adversary is divided just makes great sense. This is a tremendous time to set the bleak horror filled tone. Scare them.
They split up to do the Yester hill battle and the werewolf den... the werewolf team did about as expected and I let them leave for now
the Yester hill team woke up Wintersplinter (if I recall? Lol) but as they were escaping, the cleric let our blood hunter die and ran away instead of healing him, then knocked out our sorcerer so he could escape.... and I can’t figure out why he did either of them and am unsure how to handle punishing that cuz his deity is Zariel so she’s not exactly good... but idk
maybe this AP is too much intrigue and mystery and politics for my group and they are just snapping lol
thank for the reply! I’m gonna write up next session and try to put the scare in them
1) Have the cleric tracked down by Strahd or his minions and have him INVITED to join forces with Strahd.
2) Have Strahd arrange for the 2 sides to attack each other. In similar situations, I have made extensive use of doppelgangers and changelings in the service of the enemy to attack the party. It usually gets them working together for their own survival. If not, well there is always another party of adventurerers for Strahd to play with when he is done with the current group.
In one campaign I ran in Pathfinder (Golarion), the party argued and split up. One group insisted on sitting on the couch while I continued to run for the other group. The group who was playing ran into the other half of the party (doppelgangers) who proceeded to attack them. The Big Boss (one of the Runelords) had minions scrying both groups, and using this info, orchistrated simultaneous attacks on both groups. The couch potato group, who were getting hot under the collar at what "their" characters were doing to the rest of the party turned out to have issues of their own. An attack by a Rune Giant and a few spell casters. The couch potatos had no casters of their own.
The group that did not split off won their battle, barely. The couch potatos were not so fortunately. All but one were captured (he had to create a new character) the others were charmed/geas into serving the Runelord.
The sessions taught the group that workign together was not just a good idea, but a necessity in that campaign.
Watch your back, conserve your ammo,
and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!
Wow
thats super brilliant and definitely gave me some good ideas
thank you both very much :)