Les Ombres d'Esteren - Forum officiel

Clovis a écrit :Wow, pretty spooky! Looks like you went all out and didn't spare your Players anything. How cold-blooded.

Not that I disapprove, mind you

Yes, I was quite brutal to them. I wanted to indoctrinate them into a campaign where they genuinely feel that their decisions matter. They were fairly rash most of the time when it came to combat or conflict (not to say they were combative just jumping the gun), and at other times way too circumspect. They are testing the waters, and I wanted a kind of sink-or-swim moment.

It was cool to see how they realized with fear that the final encounter was indeed real and that they could die.

They immediately rushed to grapple the two apart and I'm having to keep them from being so tread-the-line passive in every decision. There are no official rules for grapple or knocking someone out, so I improvised.

There response to every situation was to subdue their enemies. Letting the wounds stack up and hurt is teaching them different. Not everyone is reasonable, and while it was possible for them to convince Verzal, the mercenary cut the smuggler short in his speech and took charge for the detriment of them all.

The smuggler tends to get over 20 on his Relation/Charm rolls most of the time. The party is having some conflict because I believe action tends to stamp out words when someone is trying to make his piece. One false move and you've dispelled any trust you had built.

Indeed, diplomacy can be a very delicate affair and, alas, not always a possibility. Sounds like your players were trying to strive for the best of both worlds (with apparently pretty optimized characters!), but that doesn't always work!

I hope you all liked it! Do you think you'll play more SoE, or was it more of a one-shot thing?

Clovis a écrit :Indeed, diplomacy can be a very delicate affair and, alas, not always a possibility. Sounds like your players were trying to strive for the best of both worlds (with apparently pretty optimized characters!), but that doesn't always work!

I hope you all liked it! Do you think you'll play more SoE, or was it more of a one-shot thing?

We will definitely be playing more of Shadows of Esteren for sure. It was fun to prepare props, scents, mood lighting, music to set the stage. The game itself as well as the atmosphere gives a deeper feeling to the involvement of the PCs, promotes more roleplaying instead of acquiescing to "best outcome" players.

I still have the other two scenarios in the intro book to work into the story, and then the huge scenario in Travels, and I'm sure to add in mini-adventures while fleshing out how the world (to me at least) works.

The biggest issue now is that the party might really want to travel to Reizh and I have little to go on except for what is mentioned of it in the Universe book. No adventures or scenarios to cover it.

I might be able to make it stretch until Book 3 is out. We are playing once a month about 8 hours sessions.

Well, the game also definitely advocates achieving success through well-laid plans, clever thinking, and intelligent use of the PCs' abilities, but it is indeed true that this isn't a universe where the party will necessarily be able to overcome all ordeals with flying colors!

Will your PCs be keeping the same characters? It seems that they've accrued so many Trauma points that they will be a handful to play and manage! Not that it can't work, mind you.

If you want a scenario in Reizh, you could always use "Say it with flowers", which fits, maybe include one or two canvases on the way there, like "Blood feathers" or "Night of Fright" (a very popular one!). And once they've gotten there, one of Reizh's towns can be a good starting point for "A Life Choice."

Thanks for the reports! It's really great to read this, as I want to run the scenario in two weeks, too. However one thing concerns me a bit. What if the players decide to immediatelly go back to the factory after they awakend in the camp? I really know my players and I know that they NEVER do what is expected by them

I thought of three possibilites:

1) They tavel to the factory but end up in Loch Varn. Troubles finding the way... But I think they will feel railroaded, even if I explain it later with the dream forcing them.

2) They tavel to the factory but do not find the entrance... But same as 1) I think they will feel railroaded, even if I explain it later with the dream changing the reality.

3) The factory is totally empty, exactly how Liam described it. I think this would be the way to go for me.

What do you think? Do you agree that presenting them an empty factory would be the best solution at that point?

WoeRie a écrit : What do you think? Do you agree that presenting them an empty factory would be the best solution at that point?

You can say them that they dont know where factory is. as you remember they was in factory in their "second level dream.

I was finish to running Loch Varn second time today.
We start it several months ago and played until PСs wake up.
And now we decide to continue.

The players had made their own characters and dont use pregens.

One of them was late adult blacksmith from osag village who was exiled from his clan and all his family was killed long ago for contacts with Magientists. He is expert in science and unusually educated for osag blacksmith. Now he is helping Nar in Melwan
Second was young girl from that village. She is varigal and traditionalist, good in fighting. Jaerom is her master. She is dont know that first hero form her clan.
And last was occultist from Reizh who came to Melwan in search of his brother Terent.

As in first time I run close to scenario.
We have big break between first and second part of scenario. When we continue I decide not to remind events of first session but tell events as it was in real life. But I decide that heroes knew all history of Verzal after their blackout in factory and tell them all history as is.

In last stand in Sanctuarity heroes was take Doern from Verzal and speak with them. Heroes doesnt like Deorn motivations and actions. One of them was personal survive in same situation in past (first player).

Doern summons swamp creature and all decides that was Gluta himself. Before battle one of heroes was give oath to Verzal that crimes of Deorn will be known and his work will be taken in Reizh. Verzal is leave and heroes and Jaeron was killing swamp creature.

Two of them went to secret lab and get Verzals work and Nimheil.
The heroes was holding their oath and tell about Deorn crimes in village then leave for Melwan for good.
There they was caching illness as events of Poison scenario was begun. Jaeron with Verzal work was going to Reizh and other stay in village until cured.... and hold Nimheil with them.

WoeRie a écrit :What do you think? Do you agree that presenting them an empty factory would be the best solution at that point?

I indeed think that this would be the best of both worlds, keeping PCs on their toes while remaining true to the scenario as it is intended to be played, all the while not railroading the PCs.

It might take some time to go through, but if you are okay with that, roll with it! It could even be a nice, suspenseful part, ripe with opportunities to lay clues here and there and offer Skill challenges.


Valenae, it certainly looks like the scenario was pretty brutal... as it is meant to be! I hope you and your players had fun!

Two reports from playing Loch Varn at conventions (RolePlayConvention and Feencon, Germany):

RPC:
5 Players signed in, all completely new to the game. Unfortunately due to some technical and administrational problems, we didn't have that much time for the session as I wished we had.
I started telling them a little bet about the rules, the ways, the resolution system, the world, the history and gave them pre-made character sheets with only the ways, a health chart, equipment and a picture of the characters on it, to decide whom they wanted to play. So the first question arose: "Can you tell us something about the characters?"; "No!" and they looked quite irritated . Told them, that when we start, they would see why not. So they discussed a little bet about the pictures, which character could be a fighter and so on, and finally choose their alter egos (Yldiane, Arven, Liam, Mor and Urvan).
We started in the ruin, when they blinked with their eyes, knew nearly nothing, saw only a few silhouettes from other persons (carrying weapons), and heard some maniac laughter coming from a little bet further down the darkness. When the first character made some light with a torch, it was shot out of his hand. He looked around at the other characters, thinking it was one of them, when more arrows came flying out of the darkness. So they moved carefully in the other direction, hoping to find some wall or a door. At this moment Liam saw a man coming up behind a pile of rubble, crossbow in his hand, aiming at him. When he cried for help, Arven wanted to shoot the man, but broke her crossbow ((rolled a 1)), so Mor came up in the last second and killed the man with his Claymore.
They picked up the amulett and the crossbow, went further on, shooting some bolts into the darkness, when they heard the attackers approaching.
The party came to a wall and found the remnants of a door, which opened to a small passage. Leaving the room, Urvan went last, took a final look behind him and became mad, when the feeling arose, that he is being watched....only him, and not from somewhere in the dark room, but from somewhere up above.
They came to the camp, expected another fight, but were greeted with the words "Oh, that was fast. Have you found the exit?" which confused them quite a bet. So the typical questions arose "Who are you? Who are we? What are we doing here?" etc. I decided to put Deorn in some kind of meditation trance, or so they were told by Jearon/Verzal, so that it was clear, he wouldn't speak to them.
Jearon also had the same clouded mind as the characters. He told them, he only remembered coming here with them, they were attacked and they went to find the exit, while he and the other warrior protected the old man. He didn't know their names (Verzal doesn't know the characters at all), but his name was Verzal. So when Yldiane made a successful check to see if he's telling the truth, she was quite surprised that he wasn't lying.
At this time, they heard the screams and some kind of squishing noises from the last room (something like the centipedes swarmed over their attackers and won) and decided that it was time to move on. Jearon/Verzal told Arven to follow her map, which confused her and made the others complain about her. She was at the edge of attacking them, when Deorn suddenly rose his voice and told them to move on and look for the cathedral, which holds secrets. He looked quite posessed so that the party didn't ask any further questions but moved on with a bad feeling. They came to the next room with to discover the great vats. Exploring and investigating the room, finding a little rest of Nimheil, they learned about the function of the whole structure. Curious Yldiane nearly climbed into one of the vats, convinced that nothing would happen, when she had a vision of someone being grinded in the vat. It lasted only a moment, so she climbed back to the others, telling them that there is nothing interesting in it....but was still curious about the vats and still thought about climbing into them.... if only to proof, that everything was ok.
They went to the extractors, looking around a bet. When Mor stepped on some kind of fluid, he thought it was also a rest of the Nimheil. Another looked showed, that it was more slimy and not amber, but white, nearly transparent. The same stuff suddenly dropped on his head. The whole party looked up, saw that the ceiling was darker than the rest of the room but with some shiny parts.....and it seems to move. Urvan, still under the influence, that all of the creatures looked at him, took the lead and ran crying and screaming out of the room. The rest followed as fast as they could, but didn't cry that loud.
The group ran in the direction of the supposed exit, only to find a wall and some more passages. Following one, they came to the small offices. A look behind gave them the feeling that the last room now seemed darker than before.
They found the activity reports and were confused, that these were signed by Verzal, the man who told them to find the exit. That's when something grabbed Liam's leg, to pull him further down the passage into the darkness. The others hacked at the tentacle only to be attacked by some more, when Yldiane throw her hurricane lamp into the darkness to see the main body of the carnivorous plant. Meanwhile Arven also was grabbed by a tentacle and pulled to the mouth of the plant. While the others freed Liam, they recognized that the passage behind them was filled with scuttling and smacking noises and became darker every second. Liam threw the collected Nimheil to Arven, which she threw on the plant. When she reached the mouth, she tried to burn it with a torch, but the flame was to small to ignite the creature at the moment. The rest shouted for her, defending against the tentacles and tried to get her. When she succeeded in burning the plant slashing frenzied and panicked at the heart, the fiery jaw opened to bite her, while an enormous number of centipedes swarmed over the others...... they awoke screaming.

The players looked at me, some already guessed it, but played along. It seemed they were a little bet frustrated for being pulled out of the scene. I gave them the complete character sheets, which they studied, discussing around who were connected to whom. I told them, what they remember of the past events and they discussed a little bet more (especially Liam and Urvan).
Unfortunately we had to stop here, because of the time. I told them the whole story, what they would have experienced and what was behind they're dream etc. They looked excited when I told them, that it would have been another dream part and they returned to the ruins, only to live through the events again but without any creatures or plants. But with an exit and the villain(s) ahead.
Although we played the first part too extensive and couldn't finish the scenario, the players loved it and the systemm especially that the players don't know about their sanity, and were thankful for the great adventure.

Two reports from playing Loch Varn at conventions (RolePlayConvention and Feencon, Germany):

RPC:
5 Players signed in, all completely new to the game. Unfortunately due to some technical and administrational problems, we didn't have that much time for the session as I wished we had.
I started telling them a little bet about the rules, the ways, the resolution system, the world, the history and gave them pre-made character sheets with only the ways, a health chart, equipment and a picture of the characters on it, to decide whom they wanted to play. So the first question arose: "Can you tell us something about the characters?"; "No!" and they looked quite irritated . Told them, that when we start, they would see why not. So they discussed a little bet about the pictures, which character could be a fighter and so on, and finally choose their alter egos (Yldiane, Arven, Liam, Mor and Urvan).
We started in the ruin, when they blinked with their eyes, knew nearly nothing, saw only a few silhouettes from other persons (carrying weapons), and heard some maniac laughter coming from a little bet further down the darkness. When the first character made some light with a torch, it was shot out of his hand. He looked around at the other characters, thinking it was one of them, when more arrows came flying out of the darkness. So they moved carefully in the other direction, hoping to find some wall or a door. At this moment Liam saw a man coming up behind a pile of rubble, crossbow in his hand, aiming at him. When he cried for help, Arven wanted to shoot the man, but broke her crossbow ((rolled a 1)), so Mor came up in the last second and killed the man with his Claymore.
They picked up the amulett and the crossbow, went further on, shooting some bolts into the darkness, when they heard the attackers approaching.
The party came to a wall and found the remnants of a door, which opened to a small passage. Leaving the room, Urvan went last, took a final look behind him and became mad, when the feeling arose, that he is being watched....only him, and not from somewhere in the dark room, but from somewhere up above.
They came to the camp, expected another fight, but were greeted with the words "Oh, that was fast. Have you found the exit?" which confused them quite a bet. So the typical questions arose "Who are you? Who are we? What are we doing here?" etc. I decided to put Deorn in some kind of meditation trance, or so they were told by Jearon/Verzal, so that it was clear, he wouldn't speak to them.
Jearon also had the same clouded mind as the characters. He told them, he only remembered coming here with them, they were attacked and they went to find the exit, while he and the other warrior protected the old man. He didn't know their names (Verzal doesn't know the characters at all), but his name was Verzal. So when Yldiane made a successful check to see if he's telling the truth, she was quite surprised that he wasn't lying.
At this time, they heard the screams and some kind of squishing noises from the last room (something like the centipedes swarmed over their attackers and won) and decided that it was time to move on. Jearon/Verzal told Arven to follow her map, which confused her and made the others complain about her. She was at the edge of attacking them, when Deorn suddenly rose his voice and told them to move on and look for the cathedral, which holds secrets. He looked quite posessed so that the party didn't ask any further questions but moved on with a bad feeling. They came to the next room with to discover the great vats. Exploring and investigating the room, finding a little rest of Nimheil, they learned about the function of the whole structure. Curious Yldiane nearly climbed into one of the vats, convinced that nothing would happen, when she had a vision of someone being grinded in the vat. It lasted only a moment, so she climbed back to the others, telling them that there is nothing interesting in it....but was still curious about the vats and still thought about climbing into them.... if only to proof, that everything was ok.
They went to the extractors, looking around a bet. When Mor stepped on some kind of fluid, he thought it was also a rest of the Nimheil. Another looked showed, that it was more slimy and not amber, but white, nearly transparent. The same stuff suddenly dropped on his head. The whole party looked up, saw that the ceiling was darker than the rest of the room but with some shiny parts.....and it seems to move. Urvan, still under the influence, that all of the creatures looked at him, took the lead and ran crying and screaming out of the room. The rest followed as fast as they could, but didn't cry that loud.
The group ran in the direction of the supposed exit, only to find a wall and some more passages. Following one, they came to the small offices. A look behind gave them the feeling that the last room now seemed darker than before.
They found the activity reports and were confused, that these were signed by Verzal, the man who told them to find the exit. That's when something grabbed Liam's leg, to pull him further down the passage into the darkness. The others hacked at the tentacle only to be attacked by some more, when Yldiane throw her hurricane lamp into the darkness to see the main body of the carnivorous plant. Meanwhile Arven also was grabbed by a tentacle and pulled to the mouth of the plant. While the others freed Liam, they recognized that the passage behind them was filled with scuttling and smacking noises and became darker every second. Liam threw the collected Nimheil to Arven, which she threw on the plant. When she reached the mouth, she tried to burn it with a torch, but the flame was to small to ignite the creature at the moment. The rest shouted for her, defending against the tentacles and tried to get her. When she succeeded in burning the plant slashing frenzied and panicked at the heart, the fiery jaw opened to bite her, while an enormous number of centipedes swarmed over the others...... they awoke screaming.

The players looked at me, some already guessed it, but played along. It seemed they were a little bet frustrated for being pulled out of the scene. I gave them the complete character sheets, which they studied, discussing around who were connected to whom. I told them, what they remember of the past events and they discussed a little bet more (especially Liam and Urvan).
Unfortunately we had to stop here, because of the time. I told them the whole story, what they would have experienced and what was behind they're dream etc. They looked excited when I told them, that it would have been another dream part and they returned to the ruins, only to live through the events again but without any creatures or plants. But with an exit and the villain(s) ahead.
Although we played the first part too extensive and couldn't finish the scenario, the players loved it and the systemm especially that the players don't know about their sanity, and were thankful for the great adventure.