ToEE Suggestions Thread

I know what you mean Jerry, but my concern with that would be how it would overly reward no-brainer decisions.

 

I see what you mean Zeb, and to prevent rampant "New Orleans style" looting on the part of a party, killing any shopkeeper not demonstrably a servant of evil should result in combat with the first badger they encounter, who would attempt to arrest them for murder and theft.

You know, I am envisioning another "Target of Revenge" or "Big Three" type of encounter would need to follow the defeat of the badger, which would give PCs a "fugitive from justice" reputation, and trigger the "Sherrif's Posse" encounter.

Imagine Rufus and Burne, with most of the badgers, reinforced by a call-up of the Homlet militia, to include Elmo and his father, as well as several other of the locals that the players have dealt with in the past. If they completed the correct quest, the tailer would be a member of this posse, and his shooting should be deadly accurate. If any posse member is a PC's father-in-law by this point it could result in the new bride switching sides in this battle.

If the PCs survive the Sherrif's Posse, they would be hunted by Otis leading a detachment of soldiers and law enforcement profesionals dispatched from Verbobonc.

Basic, real world consequences for knocking over a merchant without cause.

 

Well, part of the problem is the merchants in ToEE are much better stocked than the merchants in small little villiage like Homlett should be. They pretty much have to be in order to include all the weapons and armor types a player might want. Normally looting a shop in some rinky-dink villiage is only going to net you 100gp worth of stuff, at most.

 

I totally concur with the complaints about rat face. I frequently chop him down if no one else is around out of frustration that you can't do anything else. You should really be able to narc him out. Maybe Otis could reward the party with a gem. I also would like to see Otis get pissed about the pc's taking anything out of his stash. As it currently stands stealing his gems is just fine WTF is up with that. As to the Vegas style attitude of Hommlet many residents I too think they should take a freakin break once in a while especially at night. However I think B&E would be more of a headache for the modders than it would be worth in play value.

Ted: 2d6 liches. Where the hell are 2d6 liches ever going to hang out?

 

*smirk* One of the empty houses [just a picture of the exterior of a house] on the Hommlet map could be modded to be a jail. If caught and arrested with no escape made by the party, a fade and teleport could be done for the busted party to be located inside the jail in the modded house and, then, the end of game music plays and end of game screen displays and goes to the startup screen New Game / Load Game / etc.

 

Oddly enough I was discussing something similar with Spike earlier this week about consequences for actions. The original module actually says that should the party kill any of the agents for various factions, the head of that faction will arrange for an assassin (level 10) to visit the party.

I'm thinking of adding some karma for evil parties as part of the evil traders assassination questline. It's way beyond my present abilities to do what I want to do but I am eventually going to get there.

One thing which I was discussing with Spike which presents a problem is "what if the party wins?". To have any chance of presenting a challenge to the group, the NPC party has to be strong enough to capture or kill the PCs. And that implies at least some decent equipment. Monty haul time if the PCs win. Spike suggested having the NPCs run away which works for some encounters but perhaps not all.

Just some thoughts anyway.

 

After the encounter, the body could teleport back to the faction for resurrection. Along with all equipment.

 

It's an inside joke. This many liches are inside the mind of one of the forum's newest modders...one with LOTS of room inside his head...oke:

 

The last time I recall that any group was captured and imprisoned, there was an opportunity to escape the slaver's stronghold, but without weapons, armor, or other equipment. Perhaps a similar situation could play well here. I also like that that being pinched for a crime results in the end of game. Let's get some more opinions on that.

As for triggering a sheriff's posse, I think that robbing and killing any citizen of Hommlet would lead to that sort of response from the local authorities. It just seems most likely that a single badger on patrol would be the first person to confront the perpetrators of the crime, and that man would be duty bound to arrest them.

If upon exiting the scene of the crime a badger was within hailing distance then there could be an automatic conversation similar to how you can't duck talking to Elmo if you walk near the inn when he's there. That conversation could result in the PCs surrendering quietly (invoking the go to jail scenario discussed above), or it could result in combat with the badger as he attempt to force the arrest, which would certainly be a routine victory for almost any party. The death in combat of this badger would then result in the forces of law and order mobilizing as would any police agency that had an officer fall in the line of duty. The militia would volunteer to help and reinforce the badgers in the posse.

If we wanted to include social skills (good idea), the PCs could intimidate the badger into letting them leave, at which point he would run directly to the tower and report to his capatain. If the badgers are not on the scene immediately, then the scenario would most likely play out as a villager would see the PCs leave the shop and discover the crime, and then would run to the inn to raise the hue and cry, at which point the militia would mobilize first, and then gain the support of the badgers. Because the badgers are the major force, they would take the lead, so it would still be a Rufus and Burne operation with militia support.

Speaking of helping to punish wrong-doers, I'd bet that Calmert would be more than willing to dish out some retribution on behalf of the villagers, in the service of Cuthbert's sphere of law, so in addition to a major wizard and fighter, with the support of many troops, you'd have a strong cleric on the task force also.

 

I don't know if this belongs here.

I'm always looking at different weapon and npc's.
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I had once suggested the creation of the throwing axe. When I brought it up people discussed it but I don't know if anything has been done to that effect.
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I wouldn't mind seeing a masterwork battleaxe of the double bladed variety.
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I noted a Holy Avenger (Excalibur), Scather, Fragarach, and the Frostbrand. I wouldn't have minded seeing a Sun Blade (bastard sword) though I wouldn't know how the games engine allows for weapon creation. Initially it is a +2 weapon but becomes +4 vs evil aligned creatures and undead causing double damage to such foes. Perhaps this would be a cool chance to make a magical katana other than the Hatori Hanzo Steel created by Cujo. Perhaps to simulate its double damage effect just make it +4 and add holy and Flaming burst attributes to it. This weapon isn't like Fragarach or Scather which never miss their target. It's just a very potent tool against evil.
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I'm not a modder. I don't know anything about it but I always have suggestions. I'm running low on time now but I'd like to chat about more npcs that the party can hire since the mainstream hirelings for most good parties seem to be rogues (at least 4), one rather weak mage, and you have to marry somebody to get a fighter or a druid in the party. In my case I use an all female party so the marrying aspect doesn't work. I have an idea and if somebody would like to hear it I will check back later and run it by the modders here to see if it is a feasable idea.

I thank you for your time.

 

Mods that would be nice to see:

Add a few more shop keepers around town or re-distribute their items a bit. Then do as Jerry suggested in that if you kill one (say the Jeweler) that his inventory dumps to the ground. Doing so gives you an automatic and relentless serious of attacks from the Badgers though.

The suggestion of moving around the inventories a bit makes sense. An armorer / blacksmith would NOT deal in fletchery. But a woodworker might. Or we could add a fletcher to carry all amunition type weapons. The woodworker near the temple that currently sells wooden shields and clubs and such could have his inventory expanded a bit while shrinking Brother Smyth's.

Perhaps even making most of the inventory that the shop keepers have non-replenishable would be a good too? It would similate a much slower re-supply and be more realistic. After all, it's far easier to fletch new arrows or make a dagger than to create a new set of full plate armor.

As for modding Sammy, that would be great. Any time that I've played a good party, I've wanted to turn him in but couldn't. Of course, evil parties should be able to not only steal the stash but also turn him in as a double-cross. Maybe even a bluff check to tell Otis that the party was told that the stash belonged to Sammy and that he sold it to the group?

While I don't remember the original module much, having the entry level of the temple basically vacant is a bit odd - especially with all of those conveniant robes laying around for the taking.

I'd also like to see something done with the burned out farm house map and the western temple map (not sure what it's called but the one you find heading to the left from the main temple map). These just scream for attention or at least an encounter or investigation of what happened and why.

 

Ah Fong needs to sell his building in Nulb and move to Hommlet and do a store inventory expansion after moving to Hommlet.