Castles Forlorn

Discussing all things Ravenloft
Post Reply
User avatar
Joël of the FoS
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 6644
Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2003 1:24 pm
Gender: Male
Location: St-Damien, Québec

Castles Forlorn

Post by Joël of the FoS »

I'm reading again this adventure/accessory these days. Again, I'm struck with the richness of the background and cool possibilities offered by the time shifts.

But while reading it, the lingering question Stu of the K asked is: what good reason to send your players there? How to make them involved in the story and make them learn about the past background of the place?

Without a good reason to send your PCs there, I don't see how you can get players really interested in it.

Joël
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
Jonathan Winters
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 431
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 8:23 pm
Location: Montreal, Quebec

Post by Jonathan Winters »

Hi Joël!!!

Castles Forlorn is amazing!

I have to re-read it myself to get ready for my next game (in a few weeks!)...
What I remember (from my games being on hiatus for a few months now)...

My players are going there because they are running after one of their nemesis and all clues point to him having entered the castle...

What they don't know is that he was captured by Tristan who is looking for a way to break his curse (this NPC might have it).
Also, they will need his help to leave the castle and continue their adventures...

I have to go.

I hope I was clear, and as soon as I think of something else, I'll let you know!

Patrick
Keith Senkowski
Conspirator
Conspirator
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:51 pm
Location: Wauconda, IL
Contact:

Post by Keith Senkowski »

Joël,

I can't really think of any reason to go besides being chased there or chasing someone. Maybe a better route to go with it is to have it come to them periodically. What I mean by that, is regardless of where they are at have them suddenely find themselves being a part of the events of that domain, play out those events and then find themselves back exactly where they were before and not a minute has passed.

It serves two purposes this way. One is that it allows you to break up your regular game to change the pace a bit. The other is that it adds to the dread that they never know when they might get sucked into this place where they are not sure if it is real or a dream.

At least that is how I would use it, and may now add it to my game now that I think about it.

Keith
[url=http://www.bobgoat.com/conspiracy/]Conspiracy of Shadows: Revised Edition[/url]
Everything about the game, from the mechanics, to the artwork, to the layout just screams creepy, creepy, creepy at me. I love it.
~ Paul Tevis, Have Games, Will Travel
User avatar
Kessler
Agent of the Fraternity
Agent of the Fraternity
Posts: 59
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 12:32 pm
Location: Estonia
Contact:

Post by Kessler »

I love Forlorn!
In my campaign there have been many different reasons:
1. as simple as need for one specific plant (from Gaz 1)
2. one PC was druid from FR, had no idea about RL and its dangers and venured to Forlorn to meet other druids
3. players got lost in way from Barovia to Kartakass (didn't listen to cartographer and took a wrong turn)
4. Tristen's plot: PCs were imprisoned by goblyns in Barovia and brought to Tristenoira. In order to get free they have to: find all druid hideouts, catch as many druids alive as possible. He managed to convince PCs that Forlorns current condition is due to druids and promised them money and stuff - to make agreeing easier. Lated PCs discovered that he's inhuman, but he still managed to convice them that druids fauly. Wishful thinking.
P((hρ (A)- ρ/<έ) →n-∞1 (∑>0)
P(x=k)=(n/k)ρk(ˇ1-ρ)n-k
P(x≥1)=(10/1)•(1/6)•1(1-1/6)10-1+…1
+(10/10) : (1/6)10(1-1/6)0
=0,8385
jestyr
Conspirator
Conspirator
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:48 pm
Location: Oconto, WI

Post by jestyr »

This is indeed one of the best Ravenloft products released.

The last time I ran this adventure, one of the characters had the Red Headed feat which manifested in visions of Tristan's daughter imprisoned in the dungeon in timeline A.

Being a good-aligned group, the players didn't like the idea of a young woman lanquishing away in a cold stone cell. A quick consultation with the Vistani had them pointed towards Forlorn.

I think the best part was the fact that they didn't realize the visions were from the past. Of course, given the unique natue of the Castle, this is an obstacle that can be overcome...

Have fun.

Jestyr
User avatar
Charney
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 659
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2003 12:04 pm
Location: Montréal, Québec

Post by Charney »

Since the castle essentially time travels, one could hope to travel in time in order to change something in the past (like fighting Strahd when he was less powerful or something). Of course, if I remember correctly, you can't exit the castle in the past so the players would have a nasty surprise.
De retour dans les Brumes, enfin!
User avatar
Jester of the FoS
Jester of the Dark Comedy
Jester of the Dark Comedy
Posts: 4536
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2003 12:19 am
Location: A Canadian from Canadia

Post by Jester of the FoS »

There is almost no story and no real plot. This was a dungeon crawl for parties hunting treasure for groups who make their own motivation (get gold and phat lewt).

Or, viewed another way, it is a guide to a previously undeveloped land and lord and the source of information for anyone wanting to go the the Castle.
Unlike other 'adventures' that have a heavy plot and only describe where they think or want parties to go this box just gave all the info for dungeon masters who decided to send their party there for some reason.

Why to send them there? It's hard but there's always a reason. Lost item/ artifact/ treasure, a way to travel through time, to fulfil a prophecy, rumours of a way out of 'Loft, resuce the trapped daughter, chasing someone. simple curiosity...
User avatar
Joël of the FoS
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 6644
Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2003 1:24 pm
Gender: Male
Location: St-Damien, Québec

Post by Joël of the FoS »

Hey, thanks for the answers. Yes, I had figured that kind of reasons to make them enter the Castle (and you added a few more that I didn't think of).

Let me rephrase my question:

Now that you have these PCs inside the Castle for a specific goal not really related to the Castle background, how do you have them interested in the rich background story of the place?

Joël
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
User avatar
Jasper
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 562
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2003 7:10 pm
Location: A cultural wasteland known as WV.

Post by Jasper »

By looking at the map Castle Forlorn isn't that far from the Barovian boarder. In that case you could have the castle be the ravenloft verson of the creppy old house on the hill. The Barovian youth spread a urban legend style tail of the ApBlanc clan that was murdered one fatefull night and how the ghost of Tristan still haunts it this very day. It has become a right of pasaage ritual to spend the night in the shadow of the ruins but never to go in. The tales tell of young Willy Gladsmith who went into the castle and never came out! *cue spooky thunder*

Any Pcs delving into the legend can find clues to its authentisity and clues to the ApBlanc clans true history.
"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish it's source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings."
Anais Nin
User avatar
BlackBoxGamer
Agent of the Fraternity
Agent of the Fraternity
Posts: 69
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:04 pm
Location: Eugene, Oregon (Hippieville)

Post by BlackBoxGamer »

Now that you have these PCs inside the Castle for a specific goal not really related to the Castle background, how do you have them interested in the rich background story of the place?
One technique that an old storyteller of mine for Ars Magica used to do was reveal only as much as would whet our appetites. He also used to throw us into confusing, screwed up situations and then let us assemble the pieces after he subtly pointed us to a couple seemingly unrelated events that had some tenuous connection. After a few of these adventures we began to really see the big picture/story arc of his campaign.

I plan on running Castles Forlorn similar to this. Lead the characters into Tristenoira with only mystery and legend to guide them, and then confuse the hell out of them by having the temporal shifts, multiple Tristans, visions and spirits all happen in a haphazard sort of fashion. When the characters realize that they can't leave (I'll probably be running it so that the characters have to all be together in the current time period to leave, but can shift to any time period on their own), then I know several of my players are going to try and figure out how to get out of there and will most likely start to really analyze their surroundings and the history of the place. It will also hopefully get them to stay together. :)

And if they don't, then maybe I'll have Raul give them a not-so-subtle clue, maybe along the lines of "Only by understanding the past, may ye escape repeating it."

BBG
So many differing fancies have mankind,
That they the master-sprites may spell and bind.
jestyr
Conspirator
Conspirator
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:48 pm
Location: Oconto, WI

Post by jestyr »

My players really got into the story and background because of the way I portrayed the various ghosts. By really role-playing their motivations, I drew the characters into what had happened, what was happening, and what might happen.

The group was especially moved by the ghost of the little boy who had been ripped apart by wolves. (I forget his name, but I believe it was Tristan's first son.)

As with any campaign, it's up to the DM to make the setting interesting enough that the players want to learn about it. I've found that NPCs are always the best tool for that. In Castles Forlorn, most of the NPCs are ghosts, so it just lends itself to these tragic, sorrowful stories, and history has shown us that people like tragedies. The players will want to know...

Jestyr
User avatar
Joël of the FoS
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 6644
Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2003 1:24 pm
Gender: Male
Location: St-Damien, Québec

Post by Joël of the FoS »

As David said up a few posts, my main grip with this setting is that there is no plot in this Castle.

Of course, I will describe the things slowly, bits by bits only, so the players need to built the puzzle (as those following my campaign know I ususlly do). But still I feel the adventure boils down to "a cool story told by the DM to the players", without real changes players can provoke.

Joël
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
User avatar
Jester of the FoS
Jester of the Dark Comedy
Jester of the Dark Comedy
Posts: 4536
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2003 12:19 am
Location: A Canadian from Canadia

Post by Jester of the FoS »

I have no problems with the lack of a plot. As someone who buys adventures for world information and detail on an area I'm more than happy with a big plot-less adventure.
I'd never run an adventure exactly as written (save House of Strahd/Ravenloft I6) anyway, I'd always customize and personalize to work it into a campaign.
Jonathan Winters
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 431
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 8:23 pm
Location: Montreal, Quebec

Post by Jonathan Winters »

Hey Joël!

Once you get your players into the Castles (Insert quest here.), once they are in one of the past Castles, you get Tristan to ask them for help in getting rid of Rual. He loves playing the victim and has good Charisma to pull it off. And once they finally (or do they?) figure out Tristan is the bad guy they can try to set things right.

I think Castles Forlorn needs to end with heroes leaving the Castle with things as they were OR after having killed / incapacitated Tristan, another ghost becomes DL and things are still pretty much the same. It ends up as a Pyrrhic victory for the PCs.

Maybe just have them save Brangain though, so they don't feel like it's a total fiasco on their part?
Getting Brangain out of Forfar is a very good side quest.

Just some random thoughts...

Patrick
Keith Senkowski
Conspirator
Conspirator
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 2:51 pm
Location: Wauconda, IL
Contact:

Post by Keith Senkowski »

Joël of the Fraternity wrote:Now that you have these PCs inside the Castle for a specific goal not really related to the Castle background, how do you have them interested in the rich background story of the place?
Well I guess that is the fatal flaw with the background. Unless the Players have a vested interest in it, they are just going to ignore it or get pissed that they have to sit through it. I think the key is to allow them to make changes to the events that occur, otherwise they are just passengers along for the ride.

Keith
[url=http://www.bobgoat.com/conspiracy/]Conspiracy of Shadows: Revised Edition[/url]
Everything about the game, from the mechanics, to the artwork, to the layout just screams creepy, creepy, creepy at me. I love it.
~ Paul Tevis, Have Games, Will Travel
Post Reply