Hamiclar wrote:Hello, well I am starting the adventure Touch of death on Monday. Regarding sand zombies and moster lore, should I allow a character with Knowledge undead to get chance to discover what the zombies are or since its the 1st time they are ever encountered according to touch of death?
I plan with starting with the Vistani but having the group being separated and ending in tunnels with creatures with three toes with rubbery hides and eventually discover a way into Senmet's tomb which is empty of him but hold its guardians still. As the group goes through the tomb, I was planning on having the group accidently free a great deal of sand zombies which swim off into the sand towards the village. I was going to have the groups investigators discover though ancient Akiri that the sand zombies were amongst many of the reasons he was placed here in shame by Anhktepot and not buried in the valley of with the pharaoh. Than moving on with the group discovering the Vistani outside entrance as through they has just arrived.
Looking at the entry on sand zombies, they sound as though they can be a little difficult to figure out since they can wield weapons and cast spells devine and arcane as a sorcerer. I am planning on creating two one of each type that were the original sand zombies Senmet made, the others I was debating as warriors and commons people templates.
First of all: No, they should not be able to do that, since they dont know the creature. Desert zombies are exclusive creatures from Har'Akir (particularly from this adventure) and no outsider should be capable of knowing anything just by looking at them. I would do an exception if they can capture - or kill - one zombies and examine it (in that case Knowledge religion (Undead, gods etc), or maybe a more appropriate solution could be Int check (lower CD, something like 14 at most) should be fine - note: I dont know what version you are playing, i guess 3.5(?). You can also tell them "You dont know what in the cursed mists are those creature, they resemble zombies, but they have something different. - add brief description -. You think you could get some info if you menage to study those vile creatures."
If they do that check I would allow them having some information : If they fail i'll have them not knowing how the hell those zombies are made, or maybe give them totally wrong answer, up to you. If they succede by any means they will figure out what desert zombie are and more or less how they are made (i tend not to give too much information early on adventures. I will just make sure they will know everything by the end of the adventure, weather they succed some check, they find out by clues or they witness it.)
Ok, so if I got what you said: You'll have them divided from vistani and lost into Senmet tomb, then rejoin the vistani and start the adventure?
Honestly, i would not do it.
A great part of the plot is having them not knowing about Senmet, letting them think that is Ankthepot who raise zombies and kidnap people.
Part from that, AFAIK (I'm running the adventure myself, i just read it once - not even fully) the Tomb is closed untill it comes the day (you'll have to let the vistani read cards for your players, and some of the card will tell how many days they'll need to wait for the tomb to be opened). Obviously, as a DM, you can just remove that part and adjust the adventure as you like, but honestly i like the investigating part of this adventure. They will have to find out who actually is that mummy who is attacking them.
Said that, i would not do that this way. They will have information on Ankhtepot from Isu and she should mention Senmet at some point. They will figure it out for sure.
The tunnel part, i dont know, i feel it like it's forced. They should be in the desert, it's hard to think of tunnels in the sand.
Probably I'm one of those dm which focuses on the little things and he wants everything consistent and perfect as much as he can.
I dont know you, but I feel like ravenloft needs consistence.
The rest is up to you.
Remember it's your campaign, but since you asked i gave you my 2 cents. If you like it that way, and you think your player would enjoy it aswell, you should play it as you want.
I suppose i'm focused on consistence and coeherence because some of my player want that kind of depth in the NPC's and the stories.
If your player dont bother those kind of things, go easy on it and play it as you like.
For the Desert zombies, yeah, you should develop them as sorcers (one or two at most. In my opinion, magic should not be a common thing in har'Akir) and cleric (more, since Senmet kidnaps priests. Keep in mind that Har'Akir is a theocracy, a system of government in which priests rule in the name of a god, so religion is very relevant and is central, thus we will have many priests. - Note: Senmet afaik kidnaps priest who does not want to prey him as a god, thus Senmet's priest should be left in the templse with Isu. If i'm wrong feel free to correct me, as I said I just read the adventure once). rest of the zombies should be few warriors (guards of the city), and many commoners (town folks).
I keep those kind of things in mind when I build my adventures.