BF1 Morgansfort

[Metroknight]

Really enjoying the module. I've altered the module somewhat to suit my group but it works great for a stable base of operations. I've turn the module into the campaign and was wondering if anyone has made more maps and regional area info.

[Solomoriah]

Not at present. However, let me point out once again that JN1 The Chaotic Caves works well in concert with Morgansfort. Also, some of the AA series modules can be used (but they aren't all ready for prime time yet, so proceed carefully).

[SmootRK]

Of course, one could draw from other game editions (ahem) to flesh out a campaign. Keep on the Borderlands obviously works well or one could place the Palace of the Silver Princess somewhere in the near environs. Moving things forward a bit (higher levels), the Slave Lords series of adventures seems to fit just about anywhere one might want to place it.

[Solomoriah]

Well naturally, if we're going up the levels, I think BF2 is a good follow-up. But I might be biased. Actually, Fortress of the Iron Duke is pretty good for a party around 3rd level.

[Metroknight]

I took the basic module and added stuff to it. It gave me a good solid base to start with. Thanks for the module.

[Blazeguard]

This may be a silly question but for the random encounters are there a finite number of monsters? For example, once they have encountered and killed the 3 Caecillia is that it or do I keep adding more?

[Solomoriah]

The number is finite. There is only just so much room in the dungeon for monsters; when you kill 'em all, you move on.

HOWEVER, the GM should consider restocking the dungeon if the player characters leave for a significant time period (a couple of weeks minimum, I'd suppose). The longer they are away, the more monsters find the dungeon and move in.

[DamageCtrL]

I ran my first Basic Fantasy dungeon crawl a couple of weeks ago. I used the Morgansfort campaign and started my adventurers at the Old Island Fortress. The players consisted of 3 guys whose experience in RPGs range from none to once over a decade ago. Their characters consisted of an Elven thief, Dwarven cleric, and an Elven Fighter/M.U.

We had a lot of fun as they explored the first level areas of Rooms 1, 3, and 4. However, the Elven Fighter/M.U. died from the pitfall in Room 12 and the dwarf died from the adult Stirges in Room 3. The thief managed to survive this last encounter by running and hiding in Room 4.

As the game session came to a close, I was able to introduce 2 new player characters for the guys who lost their initial characters. I had them take on the roles of two adventurers who became prisoners of the goblins from a caravan ambush and were left in the cells of Room 4 to rot. The Elven thief freed them, gave them food and weapons, and the session ended at that point.

My question for Solomoriah and others is the difficult level of the encounters in this dungeon. It seems the odds are stacked against first time players in terms of hit die for the monsters. I don’t want to “balance” the game to help players win every encounter. I think the survival aspect of old school rpgs is what distinguishes them from 4e. However, I don’t want to frustrate my players too much (by continually dying) if they're outclassed in these first encounters. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Solomoriah]

The key factor is willingness to run away. You state that the two deaths happened in different places; unless the second happened while they were retreating after the first, I'll suggest they were foolish. Lose a man out of the party, and you should retreat.

Having said that, I do think I should have said "4 to 8 beginning player characters" rather than "2 to 8." If I ever issue another version, I'll do that.

Incidentally, as you are a relatively new GM (or so I assume from your post), let me suggest that you apply a multiplier to the XP awards to advance the PCs faster. The easiest way is to deduct one or two from the number of PCs before dividing experience; if three leave the dungeon, divide the XP by two, or just hand the full total to each. BFRPG has deliberately slow advancement; it's always easier to give more than less, after all.

[DamageCtrL]

Sorry, if I was little unclear on how the deaths occurred. The first one happened as the full party began to enter Room 12 from the West. The Elven Fighter/M.U. fell into the pit and died. The other two decided to go back to Room 1 and explore towards the west. They entered Room 3 and the Stirges attacked. After the first combat round, they decided to retreat. As they ran, the dwarf was killed. The thief managed to escape.

I'm not sure I would state they were foolish, rather just inexperienced. They didn't check for traps and the pit traps as designed don't give clues to their presence. Maybe I needed to give them some subtle warning to help them. After the pit encounter, they began to check along the passageways from Room 1 after figuring out how their friend died.

Also, I think the odds were not in their favor with these monsters. They were 1st level party with hit points of 3, 6, and 5. While the monsters' hit points are about the same, their group size is enough to make the player characters have to retreat from most encounters. Was that the intended design?

I appreciate the XP suggestion but do you have some thoughts on how help them initially? Maybe scale down the number of monsters (thinking of groups) until they reach Level 2? Or reduce the monsters' hit points by some factor? Do you (on average) rescale dungeon encounters if the player number is one or two players short of the design? You mentioned 4 to 8 players as an update. I could have them encounter a friendly NPC to increase their party size.

You mentioned that if one loses a man out of the party that they should retreat. Are you referring to retreating from the encounter or leaving the dungeon?

Also, if the entire party dies and the players want to explore the dungeon with new characters, how do you reconcile the players' knowledge of the location with the characters' ignorance?

Sorry for all the questions. I appreciate all the advice so far.