King of the Autumn's Harvest

[Babarock]

Cool! Your already cooking on it. Sorry, I read the 'keep' post before I got the idea, but forgot to put 2 and 2 together. This is all good stuff.

The 'module cover' was nothing more than a fun exercise. I do stuff like that all the time. I just wanted to see the little idea grow up and look like the big boys. It was fun, but now we're taking it seriously and that's not a bad thing, I guess. I'd love to see your work not only completed, but ascend to a rewarding position of notoriety and use. I'll be standing by to be of any assistance I can.

Since we know that the inside content must be in grayscale, and the illustration I did is only a small scene from the 'first chapter', I'm thinking we move it, without color, to the inside of the 'book'. Say, under the title for chapter 1. Once the story is complete, we pick a much cooler moment and draw that one up for the main cover, now that were talking about packaging 4 adventures into one module (if indeed, that is what were talking about).

I really love the nonlinear 'sandbox' approach to get the players warmed up to Autumnpeak and rack up some 'deserved' EXP. Obviously, we need to allow for beginning players (which the first adventure is written for) to grow up a little before the encounter at the island. I hope your up to it and I'm not just helping you make a mountain out of a molehill. This was a cute and compact, bite-size little adventure that could well blossom into a small campaign setting. Is that what you want?

Finally, I want to be clear on your permission to work on what we are now dubbing 'part 2'. I had some opening ideas, but you were already working on some as well. How would you like to play this? As far as the finale, maybe some clue uncovered earlier in the adventure helps the players understand that there is something more at the tower. Maybe an artifact, or maybe the tower was reconstructed on an ancient ruin. Then you could have your ghost and only clever players will survive by going after the real source instead of the red herring.

I remember reading elsewhere as well about you wanting to see the players actually use the keep for what it was designed for. An epic potential climax to the 'Autumpeak Cycle'. If we wrote some kind of overshadowing threat into the previous adventures (not the first one), perhaps even something that plugs into all this other drama in some way, then the players will anticipate the 'full scale invasion' required to see them firing ballistae with a team of soldiers from town against oncoming marauders in ships from the mainland (or orcs, or merfolk, or mounted dragons, or whatever). Haha. We're going to be working on this for a year.

If you would like to carry our brainstorming phase out from under the spotlight, we could shoot PM's back and forth or email or even phone. I'll be working on some connecting ideas.

[Dustinian]

now that were talking about packaging 4 adventures into one module (if indeed, that is what were talking about).

I believe it is!

I really love the nonlinear 'sandbox' approach to get the players warmed up to Autumnpeak and rack up some 'deserved' EXP. Obviously, we need to allow for beginning players (which the first adventure is written for) to grow up a little before the encounter at the island. I hope your up to it and I'm not just helping you make a mountain out of a molehill. This was a cute and compact, bite-size little adventure that could well blossom into a small campaign setting. Is that what you want?

I am up for it, and it is what I want! Babarock, your work on this has inspired me and pushed me, and, creatively, that feels great!

Finally, I want to be clear on your permission to work on what we are now dubbing 'part 2'. I had some opening ideas, but you were already working on some as well. How would you like to play this?

I'm very comfortable scrapping my 'part 2' in favor of yours!

As far as the finale, maybe some clue uncovered earlier in the adventure helps the players understand that there is something more at the tower. Maybe an artifact, or maybe the tower was reconstructed on an ancient ruin. Then you could have your ghost and only clever players will survive by going after the real source instead of the red herring.

I really find myself shying away from this, for some reason. I think I'm worried that if the Keep is too foreshadowed, then the Keep itself won't be terribly fun. HOWEVER, I do take your point about adding more backstory and throught to the keep. Rather than adding it to the adventures before the keep, perha's we add it to the keep adventure itself? A scrawled note? Tattered orders on one of the bodies in the lower floor of the tower (where the Plague Hound is)?

I remember reading elsewhere as well about you wanting to see the players actually use the keep for what it was designed for. An epic potential climax to the 'Autumpeak Cycle'. If we wrote some kind of overshadowing threat into the previous adventures (not the first one), perhaps even something that plugs into all this other drama in some way, then the players will anticipate the 'full scale invasion' required to see them firing ballistae with a team of soldiers from town against oncoming marauders in ships from the mainland (or orcs, or merfolk, or mounted dragons, or whatever).

I love this idea. Perhaps in interactions with the mayor or the captain of the guard, they mention some overseas threat coming "sooner rather than later." Let me toy with that. I REALLY want to take on all the "adventure seeds" I talked about before. I think I can drop in some good dialogue there about a threat.

If you would like to carry our brainstorming phase out from under the spotlight, we could shoot PM's back and forth or email or even phone. I'll be working on some connecting ideas.

Sure, I'm good with that. I work best via e-mail. dustinian@gmail.com

Babarock, as much work as you've done on this, you should make some piece of Autumpeak your own. I'd really encourage you to do something totally different for your "part 2." Don't feel devoted to foreshadowing or leading into what I'm doing in "part 4" or what I've done in the Keep! There are those two light towers and that cave under the southern light tower! Maybe there's a diabolical ring of smugglers denying Autumpeak of much-needed tarriffs in this time of diplomatic crisis? Or something else totally different!

[Metroknight]

I'm going to be using this for my beginning of my play by post here. I will of course be editing it to reflect my game more but this is my take on it.

It is going to start out as a modified grinder (characters are 0 level) so that when they reach the conclusion of the Harvest they will have a natural progression of knowing which class they will become then I will be leading into the next adventure but it will be pulled out of the AA1 (beneath Brymessan). I feel that due to kobolds being the main villain in the Harvest Adventure there is a natural link between the two (kobolds stealing the gold in the Harvest Adventure and the Kobolds on the run for stealing from their chief a large amount of gold) that they should go well together.

[Dustinian]

Metroknight, that's great! I'll watch the PBP, but I'd love it if you posted your thoughts back in this thread as you have feedback!

[Metroknight]

Sure no problem with post feedback but understand it will be based on what I had to change to make it fit my campaign. As a stand alone the Harvest works as a great lead in introduction to many good adventures that are for 1st level characters but it works great for a grinder.

[Babarock]

Hey, I'm working on more detailed layout of Autumnpeak. Its critical to have a more fleshed out map before setting up any 'side adventures'. We're settling in and every session makes the place more 3 dimensional. I've rolled up the current Captain of the Guard and begun playing him as my own. His name is Gillian Tarkel ('Gil' for short). Some other local details are:

• - Madam Mimm and her elderly husband Tanaha of the Glittering Sea Inn

• - The nearby Glavendale mountains (home to a subterranean elvish kingdom)

• - A Kobold/Goblin alliance in the forests to the south

• - A little known and reclusive halfling society beyond the woods to the north, dug into the side of an ancient hill that used to be the site of a fallen temple

Anyway, wanted to run these things by you. Are you OK with me fleshing out the city, or are you already on that?

[Dustinian]

Hey, I'm working on more detailed layout of Autumnpeak.

Let me work on curating the current map and my thought around it for you tonight. Look for it on here late tonight or early tomorrow.

Its critical to have a more fleshed out map before setting up any 'side adventures'.

Agree totally.

I've rolled up the current Captain of the Guard...

I'm great with Gil.

Madam Mimm and her elderly husband Tanaha of the Glittering Sea Inn

Awesome.

The nearby Glavendale mountains (home to a subterranean elvish kingdom)

I dig that they are "subterranean" elves. Do they look different from "normal" elves? See my answer below about the halflings and the fallen temple...

A Kobold/Goblin alliance in the forests to the south

Awesome.

A little known and reclusive halfling society beyond the woods to the north, dug into the side of an ancient hill that used to be the site of a fallen temple

This is fun! But one caution point... humans should be fairly new to this (un-named) continent.

I think of the continent as sort of: "What if medieval humans began settling a continent populated entirely by non-core races?" What I mean by "core" races are Humans, Elves, Halflings, and Dwarves. So, in my mind, any Humans, Elves, Dwarves, or Halflings on this continent... either they came from overseas (from their "home" continent), or their parents or grandparents or great-grandparents came from overseas.

Now having said, I'm not pooh-poohing your halflings. But could we tweak them slightly? Perhaps they are descendants of a previous, lost colony on this continent? Sort of like the Roanoke Colony?

One final note... even though the core races are in the process of settling this continent and fighting off the Kobalds, Goblins, Hobgoblins, etc. that currently live there... I want to avoid any parallels to Europeans and Native Americans. This ain't "Avatar."

Anyway, wanted to run these things by you. Are you OK with me fleshing out the city, or are you already on that?

I'm good with everything you have above, with the (hopefully) slight teaks mentioned. I'll curate a map of the city later tonight with my (broad) thoughts! Thanks again for collaborating!

[Babarock]

This is fun! But one caution point... humans should be fairly new to this (un-named) continent.

I love this idea. It sets the stage for mystery and danger everywhere and really helps to build the overall paradigm of the area. My daughter was the one who declared her elvish character to have originated from a kingdom 'under the mountain'. I think that it goes very well with the setting:

• The elves traveled here long ago to seek a new land where the unusual philosophies of their forefathers could be held in peace. However, instead of peace, they found a savage land inhabited by hostiles. Merely desiring privacy and solace, they found a vast, untouched cavern paradise lush with strange plant life and undiscovered creatures. There they settled, generations ago, and have remained reclusive ever since.

As for the halflings, all I can tell you is that they are in trouble. My son is playing a young halfling runaway that left her home because of poverty and want:

• The halflings of Grasta Hill fear to leave their domain. All that is left of a once thriving clan that settled grasslands far to the East, the Britehart Hobbits have taken up their residence in a large, smooth mound which is riddled with stone passageways underneath. The mound of Grasta Hill is actually the site of an ancient temple, dating back to before the Great Purge, long since forgotten and covered over by earth and time. What is troubling the halflings remains unknown.

Perhaps some 'diplomatic' or 'rescue' adventures are in order to walk the characters through the delicate art of diplomacy and to warm them up to being heroes and coming to the aid of troubled neighbors. I don't know. Maybe that's getting too complicated. All this being said, I better understand now the 'frontier' image you were trying to project from the beginning and, although anything can be worked into the story, understand very well if you'd like to sweep all the friendly races from this wild, undiscovered place and leave Autumnpeak to stand alone.

[Dustinian]

All this being said, I better understand now the 'frontier' image you were trying to project from the beginning and, although anything can be worked into the story, understand very well if you'd like to sweep all the friendly races from this wild, undiscovered place and leave Autumnpeak to stand alone.

Keep what you have and work them in! It's rather like discovering that the continent you thought was "brand new" had been previously landed on by Lief Erikson, and possibly even Chinese explorers. And even though I say humans and demi-humans are "fairly new" to this continent, Autumnpeak has been around for over a hundred years. It's just that prior to Autumnpeak... no humans or demi-humans... at least not that the more civilized kingdoms back east over the sea are aware...

Anyway, here is the curated map!

Autumnpeak.png (412.64 KiB) Viewed 6949 times

And I got your e-mail! I'll stop posting here, and start working with you via e-mail! But since I said on here I'd post the map, I wanted to go ahead and post it. I'll e-mail it to you as well!

[SerGavin]

Hey guys.
I just ran the autumn festival with my group as level zeros, with a few house-rules to better fit the way that we play the game, at first I was Unsure whether or not they would like it, as we normally play more combat oriented high level campaigns (they seem to like it that way, either I'm not a very good storyteller or they just want to fight lots) but I'm happy to say that it went fantastically! They loved it, and one of them even told me it was their favourate session to date! I have some suggestions for possible improvement, but I'll ask my players some questions first. Thanks for making this, it was a pleasure to DM, very nicely laid out and easy to read. Did this with nearly no prep.