!!insidediv!!



Being the Official Discussion Forum for HYPERBOREA®, a role-playing game of swords, sorcery, and weird science-fantasy


Visit us at the HYPERBOREA web site!


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

5/21/2019 2:01 pm  #21


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

I ran Rats in the Walls in my ongoing campaign several years ago. I was able to drop it in easy in the port town the players were in. Perfect and the players loved it.

 

10/10/2019 10:05 am  #22


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

A Decision

I kicked off my new play-by-post game using "Rats in the Walls" with some minor changes.  As I write this, the party is in the basement and things are rolling along.  (Their rippling thews were unequal to the task of opening the iron trapdoor, so now they're rigging up a block and tackle that they bought on the wharf!) 

So here's my dilemma.  The party's cleric is a chaotic good Amazon who worships none other than Aurorus!  Coincidence, right?  Like some of you, I too realized the sub-basement could make a nice base for the PCs, but I worry that the shrine of A. would be too much of a 'gimme.'  I feel that it's really there to be a source of mystery and, perhaps, temptation to use its dark powers -- not to be a ready-made chapel / divination booth for the PCs to move into.

Of course being CG, the cleric would stop short of human sacrifice (the neutral magician has fewer scruples).  This could trigger some alignment play which is fine and dandy, but I want the focus of the game to be on exploration and gritty derring-do --not so much on brooding about moral dilemmas, which we can delve aplenty in other games.

Do you see my point?  So I'm thinking of changing the shrine's object of worship to Mordezzan, Khalk-Xu, or Kthulhu (the latter is not my top choice, but would tie-in with the idol in the pirate treasure next level down).  Thus making the shrine somewhat forbidding and perilous (short of inimical) to the players, as I think it was meant to be.

Or, I could just leave it as is and see what the players do…  what do you guys think?

~ sub

 

10/10/2019 1:06 pm  #23


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

I would roll with it! 


HYPERBOREA- A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Science-Fantasy
 

10/10/2019 10:17 pm  #24


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

I would also leave it up to the players. That's the beauty of this game; there's lots of built-in leeway for alternative possibilities.


"Could you fancy me as a pirate bold?  Or a longship Viking warrior with the old gods on his side?  Well, I'm an inshore man and I'm nobody's hero.  But I'll make you tight for a windy night and a dark ride."--Jethro Tull
 

10/11/2019 6:20 am  #25


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

I'd leave it, too: see what the players do with it, many a fine campaign has spun off an extemporaneous party decision.


"It is all very well to point out that the man lacks facility; as he asserts, sheer force can overpower sophistication."
Jack Vance, Rhialto the Marvellous
 

10/11/2019 8:19 am  #26


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

Yep, I would leave it too - what a great opportunity! Who knows what strange secrets might be imparted to the cleric via visions, dreams and voices. Adventure hooks galore!


Blackadder23: Insanely long villain soliloquy, then "Your action?"
BORGO'S PLAYER: I shoot him in the face
 

10/11/2019 9:32 am  #27


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

Wow, looks like it's unanimous!

I shall run that part of the adventure as printed.  The Shining One awaits!

 

6/03/2022 9:03 am  #28


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

Hated to revive this thread but, I have questions also....

At the end of the adventure, the PC's wanted to use the inn as a base but were concerned over the skeleton hanging in the cage.

After killing the daemon rat, that problem is solved. However...does the swine demon's spirit just hang around waiting for another host?

If the daemon skeleton needs to be removed, how is it  done? I don't see any spells for exorcism or banishment and I don't think you can just throw it in the trash.

If the shrine of Aurorus is to be used again, I sure some sort of cleansing ritual with a mandatory sacrifice is needed.

Thanks, any help would be appreciated.
 

 

6/03/2022 2:27 pm  #29


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

In my campaign the group had to pay Xill to "clean things up".

It also helped that one of the party (well....they died at the hands of the skeletons) was a paladin of Aurorus and there was an effort to get the statue removed and taken to their temple.

Xill is also doing some renovations with the rent the party is paying. Mostly digging and making stairs from the ground level to the sub-basement. The the dungeon was converted to living quarters for the party and the skeleton room is a lab for a PC.


What? Me worry?
 

6/03/2022 4:54 pm  #30


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

Thank you, that is actually a good idea!

 

6/04/2022 7:32 am  #31


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

Yeah, I figured Xill didn't want folks tromping through the kitchen, into his basement, and then into the sub-basement :-)

Plenty of space there for stuff.

The demon skeleton room can be a velvet roped champagne room or something :-)


What? Me worry?
 

6/07/2022 7:57 am  #32


Re: Rats in The Walls (spoilers)

In the basement there is a shrine devoted to Aurorus, “The Shining One” and a statue of a three faced women.

Would this be based on Hecate?
 

 

Board footera






© 2009-2024 North Wind Adventures, LLC. “HYPERBOREA” is a registered trademark of North Wind Adventures, LLC. “Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea,” “AS&SH,” and all other North Wind Adventures product names and their respective logos are trademarks of North Wind Adventures, LLC in the USA and other countries. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.