Café de Nuit

I am shedding tears of admiration at the unparalleled osimosity of that adventure synopsis. Even just the three possible outcomes of the adventure are so groundshakingly brilliant that I have nothing else to say except

Publish the adventure damn your eyes!

And thus to fall to the ground in a fit of impotent weeping.

But seriously though, it sounds like outstanding stuff. The thing I liked most about the original I6 Ravenloft game was the varying endings, and the fact that PC's actions really did make a difference. For those PCs who were willing to do some research and noncombat efforts, they would reap benefits later on.

Was there any option to make the confrontations with the Horsemen any easier or harder based on PC knowledge? Were there plot options to allow non-combat-intensive PCs to research their weaknesses and/or predictable tactics?

Also, it would be interesting to see if the three Horsemen could be confronted in a different order.

Finally, if Azalin came back as a ninth-level lich wizard, could he still gain experience points up to level 18?

One of the things I like most about this adventure is that it does show the merits of Azalin's reign. Even though he is far from a kind and good leader, he is at least a just one - and if the options are a ravening vampire queen or a rapacious death elemental, then any sane character would opt to restore Azalin! The promise that Ravenloft, post-Domains of Dread, would see grim days that would make locals fondly remember the days of the Grim Harvest, seems to be entirely born out by this adventure outline!

I'd give Mangrum a hearty slap on the back, if I weren't convulsed on the floor crying aforementioned tears of admiration right now.

HuManBing wrote:But seriously though, it sounds like outstanding stuff. The thing I liked most about the original I6 Ravenloft game was the varying endings, and the fact that PC's actions really did make a difference.

Yeah, I definitely felt that when the PCs are actively deciding the fate of a third of the Core, they shouldn't just walk away at the end with a few more coins in their pocket; their rewards had to be more significant.

HuManBing wrote:Was there any option to make the confrontations with the Horsemen any easier or harder based on PC knowledge? Were there plot options to allow non-combat-intensive PCs to research their weaknesses and/or predictable tactics?

Yes, in a fashion. If you read the Horsemen's stats in the web extra I put out a while back, you'll notice the "antithetical tokens" to which they're vulnerable. The first time the PCs encounter a horseman (Famine, in the Rivalis market), it's completely out of the blue. The PCs don't know about the tokens, which makes Famine nearly unstoppable. Afterward, they meet Oldar and Balitor, who clue them in and at least give PCs a shooting chance.

Up until the adventure's final encounter, however, the Horsemen are intended to be an unstoppable force of nature.

*Shbang!*

(my lower jaw fell on the table)

---

Have to flee to a reunion. More noises and comments later.

sweet hells.....
it's like an x-mas of horror....

*jaw drop*

Reading all these posts in this thread ...

Mangrum wrote: The Heroes Victorious
Azalin quickly determines who were his friends and who were his foes during his dark days, and delivers fitting rewards and punishments.

Am I wrong or the punishments seem light? It seems quite like Azalin was expecting that he will be betrayed. Yes, we know that he believes Darkon cannot prosper without him, but to inform barons to hunt a traitor? To send PCs to Destroy Tavelia instead of rewritting her memory, deluding her to come to Avernus so that she can be captured and tortured for eternity?

PS. Fitting for his kind heart ... the rewards seem bad too. The moment Azalin rises he closes the borders. A few minutes later it is in all the adventurers best interests to teleport out of Darkon and never return...

HuManBing wrote:Finally, if Azalin came back as a ninth-level lich wizard, could he still gain experience points up to level 18?

My guess (and ruling) would be that yes, after he got rid of Tavelia.

HuManBing wrote:Even though he is far from a kind and good leader, he is at least a just one - and if the options are a ravening vampire queen or a rapacious death elemental, then any sane character would opt to restore Azalin!

Actually I believe the best option is for the PCs to enslave Azalin, spend some weeks in Darkon wiping out Death's influence, force him to be a more gentle ruler and to take a far more active role in hunting Death's minions (yes! You would give out all your magic items to adventurers we tell you off, and you all go out hunting undead!) and flee Darkon forever afterwards.

alhoon wrote: Am I wrong or the punishments seem light? It seems quite like Azalin was expecting that he will be betrayed. Yes, we know that he believes Darkon cannot prosper without him, but to inform barons to hunt a traitor? To send PCs to Destroy Tavelia instead of rewritting her memory, deluding her to come to Avernus so that she can be captured and tortured for eternity?

I figure that at the time, Azalin was either still unaware or unused to his ability to rewrite memories, or that he was too busy spackling and duct-taping himself back into working order to command Tavelia to return for her punishment.
Remember, Azalin only looks omnipotent and omniscent.

alhoon wrote:flee Darkon forever afterwards.

You think that makes them safe? Azalin's one of the few darklords whose influence extends far beyond his borders. Unless you manage to get some serious darklord protection (like say Strahd), If he's mad at you, once he retuns to power, he's just going to send Kargat agents after you to drag you "home" and rewrite your memories.

And the Kargat would be a threat to a group that:

- Managed to defeat the horsemen
- Defeated the leader of the Kargat (little Tavy)
- Is not even in Darkon?

Are you sure?

The moment Azalin rises he closes the borders. A few minutes later it is in all the adventurers best interests to teleport out of Darkon and never return...

If I'm not mistaken, teleport will not allow someone to cross a closed border. I think it takes a Plane Shift or similar spell.

I also think it's great great stuff that was made there.

Bravo!

LouisVendredi wrote:If I'm not mistaken, teleport will not allow someone to cross a closed border. I think it takes a Plane Shift or similar spell.

No mortal magic can provide transport across a closed domain border.

I did actually run this adventure tonight and the PCs struggled with the issue of restoring Azalin a lot nastier than this adventure implies they should.

"The Vampire Queen LESS PREFERRABLE? Are you dense? Who is responsible for the sorrow, the sadness, the HORROR, and the NIGHTMARE that Darkon has become but Azalin? Who murdered all of II Aluk for the sake of a plan that didn't even work? Whom shattered the domains with his insane ambition to escape this realm and brought down the wrath of Gwydion? Whom will immediately go back to trying to destroy reality when he is on his throne again!? AZALIN! He learns NOTHING from his experiences and he endangers all with his hubris."
-Rose Galan, Bard

and after it was completed.

"With all due respect your majesty, you can keep your rewards. You may awe the rest of the half-heroes of this reality and hunters or pretend you are the choice of evils but you don't frighten or confuse us.

We're aging men now when we were boys when we faced the Grand Conjunction, we were seasoned veterans when you slaughtered a city around us and condemned us to seeming eternal torment before the Appartus freed us of undeath, and we weren't impressed then. You have no armies, no minions, no tools to protect you and even if you raise all of the corpses here as your slaves they will not avail you if you think to fight us.

You are no King. A King does not ravish his domiciles for selfish gain and reckless ambition or try to return to one estate to abandon another. DON'T INTERRUPT YOU SACK OF BONES. You are the one who survived and the only reason we'll leave this place is because the people of Darkon are a broken lot whom could never survive freedom. Don't think you judge whom lives and dies in this land though. Like Strahd, you are beloved by the Night....but we are beloved by the Day and I swear to you by the Dark Powers that Rule this Dimension, we shall see you dead someday."
-Rose

I was so impressed I had Azalin just snort and walk away.

Willowhugger wrote: [snip]
DON'T INTERRUPT YOU SACK OF BONES.
[snip]
I was so impressed I had Azalin just snort and walk away.

Not very Azalinish, if I may...