Spawning in Hommlet? Expand it or drop it?

While I would love to take on a spawning in Hommlet just because of the modding challenge of it. I have read over the original module and the posts here and have to say what Spike has to say makes the most sense to me. If the orcs want to commit suicide they better have a damned good reason. It is not in the nature of orcs to be overly brave and thier chaotic nature makes them extremely poor commandos. IMO

 

I also think there's a danger of having too much going on. Ultimately, the game is about stopping the Temple of Elemental Evil from returning to power. Side quests are fine and dandy, but they should be side quests. Things the player can easily choose to ignore in pursuit of the main storyline. An orc invasion of Homlett is not something a player can easily ignore.

 

Good. So, we're back to a previous idea...that of limiting ToEE modding to fixes & non-plot additions like spells & items. KotB is aching to be finished, and QotS beckons...

...All in favor?

AYE!!!:rock:

 

Aye!!! I have to get to the bankers dialog for KotB, anyway!!!

 

The only thing changed in the Hommlet area was Liv's skeleton priest thing in the meadows. Otherwise, it hasn't changed since the release. There's hasn't been much interest since all the modding is geared to higher level, more powerful,(interesting stuff). If some ambitious soul cared to do few things in Hommlet, that would be a good thing. An orc, brigand, pirate invasion, nah. A few orc's with a gnoll leader, maybe.

 

About the orc scouting party being mised by 3000+ gnomes, maybe the gnomes at home are too distracted with their Verbo drow problem? Were I a gnome, I would be more concerned with attacking drow than suspicious orcs that are leaving me alone. And although it's after the deadline, I like this idea of a raid party followed by a war party. GO SCORCHED EARTH! :-D

 

My idea centered around the idea the the town guards are there only to kill you if you start being bad, there's no other reason for them being there unless you use you imagination, also the size of the orc party was sposed to be small enough for the armies of F&V to not be bothered but big enough to not think the raid was suicide - I recon a dozon or so orcs could make a quick raid on hommlet (or nulb) and do a runner without many problems if they got good rolls. and anyway its kinda like the moathouse - we've got a bandit problem, we know where they are and we've got a militia but, well, why don't you go sort it out for us eh?

anyway I just think it needs something, I mean it looks like they're expecting some sort of trouble.

 

Spike has everything dead on, at least in my view. What would make more sense is the orcs raiding townsfolk coming to and from Hommlet. A suitable sidequest would then be to take out this group of marauding orcs, perhaps by having the party masquerade as a group of old women or somesuch, and then accompanying some farmer from Hommlet along the road. That would make a more suitable sidequest.

Also, if the party wants to fight in Hommlet let them be evil and kill all the civillians themselves. It's more fun that way.

 

:imwithstu I'm all for moving more of our creative focus to the Keep, and a raid on Homlett strikes me personally as off (for the reasons already listed). However Cujo has a definite point. Just an idea but what if:

The locals were worried about the raids that had been going on in the area (by the scouting party) and wanted to do something about it. Now it's certainly not worth calling in the Viscounts troops for, but their a little nervous it's more than a couple of badgers can handle. Of course they don't want to send the whole militia out to stumble around the wilderness leaving the town unprotected. Once a group of able adventurers shows up they see their chance to hire them as mercs and send them with 3 badgers to resolve the issue.

That would give the milita a little more depth and bring them into the game, they'd also seem a little less chickensh*t. On the downside it would mean a lot of work, not just the dialogue and interaction of the expanded NPCs. There would also almost have to be 2 versions of the fight, depending on whether your accompanying the militia of flying solo.

It's a thought anyway,

Cuchulainn.

 

A compromise offering; Daddy like! My $.02, if this is going forward:

1. Leave the Orc troops as tough as they were created by Ruf
2. Let Elmo Join the group leading a squad of Badgers

It's just re-balancing the already tough orcs with a tougher pc force. Elmo is the son of the militia captain, and is a member himself. He'd be a logical choice, 'cause in spite of his rep of being overfond of drink, he'd have a rep as a "rufnredde" warrior, too. Ruf, did you change them yet?

Make it so Elmo has to be in the group before Nevets offers the aid of the badgers; otherwise, the pc's getted to fight the orcs solo, with all the consequences that entails. Or, make it so that once the pc's have met Elmo, he can't join them until the threat of the orcs is removed. They have to talk to Nevets, get the quest, enlist Elmo's help, the badgers are assigned by Nevets, then off to the cave. Afterwards, Elmo joins the party without Badgers. A lot of work, probably, but it addresses several issues people seem to want to add. In the conversation with Nevets, he can say that he fears that the orcs will see them as easy prey, and fears an orc invasion or something. This is a pre-emptive strike on the orc scouts!

Elmo = as is (non-swaying, if possible)
Badgers = 4 level 1 archers (longbow & longsword)
4 level 1 footmen (spear/shield/shortsword)

That's 12 more levels to balance out the tougher orcs. Kalshane...your turn!

And if it's not going forward, then Ruf already knows what must be done.