This is also a good argument for bumping up that Charisma a few points and not making it the default dump stat. Selecting skill training in the social skills will likely provide greater rewards than training just the physical skills. When creating characters, players need to be aware that the entire adventure takes place in the city. I suppose this was due to time constraints during each week’s encounter, but I saw it as a real step backwards. However, there are only two encounters that have an actual structured skill challenge with real consequences for success or failure. PCs can use skills in most encounters, either in the role-playing before the combat or during the combat itself. I was a little bit disappointed that there weren’t more structured skill challenges. Very few encounters are set up as simple hack and slash. There are plenty of opportunities during almost every encounter for some good old role-playing. It certainly favours PCs that use weapons and armor, but there are a few changes that will make things a little bit more balanced for implementing-wielding spellcasters too. This season we’re back to the random treasure table. The other complaint was about the variety of magical items.
One big complaint over the past couple of seasons was that the PCs didn’t earn enough gold pieces and when they did they never had an opportunity to actually spend them. This season the PCs actually get some decent in-game rewards.
This means that indiscriminate killing should be strongly discouraged. Many of these people aren’t bad folk, they’re just following a leader who opposes the leader the PCs have sided with. DMs should remind players that this adventure takes place in the city and that most of the opponents they face are people and not monsters. In more than one encounter PCs can use Intimidate to have the villains surrender. One thing that I was very please to see in many of the encounters was an option for PCs to talk their way out of trouble. The PCs are caught up in the political intrigue and the physical battles. The underlying story is very interesting as a Lost Heir of Neverwinter emerges and tries to legitimize is rightful position as ruler of the city of Neverwinter.
Each week the PCs will be in peril, but rarely to the point where the party is likely to get wiped out (except for maybe encounters 2 and 14). One of the monsters can inflict up to 24 points of damage with a single at-will attack so players be forewarned.Īs I was reading through the adventure I really got the sense of a compelling story with challenging encounters. In fact the encounter for week 2 should be both fun and deadly. But don’t let that fool you into thinking that chapter one will be a breeze, because it’s not. Chapter 1 is only two encounters with chapters 2-4 all being four encounters long. The adventure is made up of 14 sessions (or 14 weeks).