HYPERBOREA / Beneath the Comet

**Posted by mabon5127** 4/23/2016 8:43 am

Just started this great adventure last night! I don't believe they are taking this as seriously as they should!!

**Posted by Blackadder23** 4/23/2016 1:11 pm

Nice coordination of shirt and module!

**Posted by Chainsaw** 4/24/2016 6:57 am

Very cool, Morgan. How did it go?

I first played this adventure at Gary Con 2014, but we didn't have time to finish. Someday, someday.

**Posted by mabon5127** 4/24/2016 12:34 pm

We got the characters to Bogrest and they launched into the Heath. They met the ghost girl and she took them to the home of the Alchemist. They are standing on his doorstep awaiting the next game in a couple weeks. It will be interesting to see how they handle this set of very interesting encounters.

**Posted by mabon5127** 4/25/2016 7:41 am

Actually I believe this to be a very challenging adventure to get through in a 4 hour time slot! I think it will be good for 3-4 3 and a half hour sessions. The characters are six 7th levels and 2 fourth levels. There are also several 5th level hirelings and a flesh golem. I will need to bolster a couple of the areas to challenge the characters. If Blackadder happens to see this I would love to get his opinion on good places to raise the challenge within the adventure (as the creator and all!).

**Posted by Blackadder23** 4/25/2016 1:03 pm

That's a huge party!
My first suggestion would be to enforce the morale/loyalty rules for hirelings and the berserk rules for the flesh golem. Properly played, followers can potentially be as much a hindrance as a help. If the golem does go berserk and survives, it will run away afterwards and probably be lost - unless the players want to spend a lot of time tracking it down, which could be an adventure in itself.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 4/25/2016 2:47 pm

Also keep in mind that there are numerous lethal features in Beneath the Comet that aren't mitigated by armor class or hit points, and only a little by level. Where monsters are involved, you might double the numbers in some cases.

True story: my wife, who likes nothing better than watching movies where people are chopped into human cole slaw or eaten alive by zombies, giggled sadistically the entire time she was reading the manuscript. When she finished she simply said (and I quote), "I don't see how anyone makes it through one of these things alive." Players take note!

**Posted by Chainsaw** 4/25/2016 7:30 pm

Coincidentally, I am working on something that involves a flesh automaton now... fun!

**Posted by mabon5127** 4/26/2016 7:56 am

Blackadder23 wrote:
Also keep in mind that there are numerous lethal features in Beneath the Comet that aren't mitigated by armor class or hit points, and only a little by level. Where monsters are involved, you might double the numbers in some cases.

True story: my wife, who likes nothing better than watching movies where people are chopped into human cole slaw or eaten alive by zombies, giggled sadistically the entire time she was reading the manuscript. When she finished she simply said (and I quote), "I don't see how anyone makes it through one of these things alive." Players take note!

They will definitely be snapped into shape after the encounter with the Alchemist! The flesh golem has a long history with the player character. He is actually pretty loyal as the character went on a special adventure to acquire a soul for the creature. Lurch as he is called often tends bar and bounces at the character's inn. I will add to the monsters slightly and improve the HP slightly for the NPC rival adventurers.

Thanks for the assistance.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 4/26/2016 8:34 am

You're welcome.
I wasn't sure if you were using the Rivals or not. Since you are, I would max out their numbers and maybe give them some henchmen. Also, you could play them a little smarter than you would if there were fewer PCs. Make full use of aerial reconnaissance, flying spell casters, punji stick pits with poison, etc. There is one "trick" by the Rivals included in the adventure, but there's no reason you couldn't add more along the same lines. Just try to gauge how many your players are likely to fall for.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 4/27/2016 7:46 am

And keep wearing that T-shirt!

**Posted by mabon5127** 4/27/2016 7:51 am

Blackadder23 wrote:
You're welcome.
I wasn't sure if you were using the Rivals or not. Since you are, I would max out their numbers and maybe give them some henchmen. Also, you could play them a little smarter than you would if there were fewer PCs. Make full use of aerial reconnaissance, flying spell casters, punji stick pits with poison, etc. There is one "trick" by the Rivals included in the adventure, but there's no reason you couldn't add more along the same lines. Just try to gauge how many your players are likely to fall for.

Adding a couple henchmen would help. Thanks!

**Posted by mabon5127** 4/27/2016 7:52 am

Handy Haversack wrote:
And keep wearing that T-shirt!

It basically gives me power.