What I'm looking for are ideas on how to remedy an oops when we started the campaign. The players started out with 4! skill cards instead of the one they were supposed to. It's our first time playing and I can't convince the players to ditch the extra skills. Besides it would just feel strange to have characters change like that.

1. I need ideas on how to do skill upgrades considering it won't empty their coffers as much as if we had done things correctly.

2. I need some ideas on how I, being the OL, can counter getting stomped on by the players.

My players are ruthless and they watch me like a hawk so things need to be pretty legit or very very sneaky. Thanks!

The Critter said:

4 skills to start in rtl is vastly overpowered. Unless you completely re-write the entire game you are going to be hurting hard. I would say you could start out with a free monster upgrade, but then you will just own the heroes really badly early on. 3 extra skills apiece costs 1k and 20 for the first, 1.5k and 30 for the next and 2k and 40 for the third. Maybe they didn't get to choose them all, but we're talking about 18,000 gold and 90 xp PER HERO worth of upgrades. That's like starting out midway through silver...or at least early silver for the heroes.

My advice is to start over and do it right, or make the heroes pick one, since IT'S IN THE RULES THAT WAY. Just because your heroes don't want to, doesn't mean you should play a game you have almost no hope of winning. If they're gonna be ridiculous, then you should just buy 90 xp worth of free upgrades to start the game. I would buy silver monsters (just get eldritch if you have that much), a bunch of treachery and maybe lts/siege engines. But realistically, if you do that...it's going to be nothing like the rtl experience of slowly growing power for either side and it's just gonna suck.

I'd like to start with 4 skills, gold treasure and 3 fatigue upgrades...but that ruins the whole point of having to earn gold/cp(xp) in dungeons and having to choose whether to buy dice or skills or fatigue upgrades or equipment. If they already have 4 skills...they can just go for dice and a secret training and will breeze through everything.

EDIT: somehow, I managed to double-post the same thing. Ignore this one...and start over. You can let them keep characters and re-draw skills if you want. Or just let them pick one of the four they have. That's how the game works.

Do not carry on playing like this. Heroes with 4 skills at the start will completely break the game and make it a complete walkover.

If your players refuse to give them up, then either find new players, or just upgrade all of your monsters to gold to try and compensate.
Seriously, the game is a game. People need to play it right and when mistakes are made people learn and move on. Major mistakes like this need to be rectified. Otherwise, you are playing for no reason at all, since the game will be too easy for them.

Paul Grogan said:

+1

edroz said:

+2.

Tell your players they are being peckerheads if they refuse to give up a skill or draw new ones. If they still refuse, I suggest sending any and all Lts immediately Tamilir and razing it as soon as possible to end the game. Then start a new one.

Thanks for the advice. I'm actually doing exactly what Big Remy has suggested. The heroes don't see it coming either. Like I said it is our first time so they're just learning what Rumors and the other aspects of the game just like I am. Being a 'rules nazi' this is their way of 'slipping one by me'. I've been gaming with these guys for over 10 years and I'm not really looking for a new group so that option is out. Thanks again to all who replied!

big remy forgot to tell you its hard to do that, especially if they know they lose if you kill tamalir. and 10 years or no, that doesen't give them no right to do that, rules are to be enforced by all sides.

One thing you 'could' do to even it out, is sum up the amount of xp used for the ekstra skills, which should be 120xp. Give them to you as well, and give you the opportunity to buy upgrades. This 'may' take you into Silver Level. This would be a small blend. If the OL goes 1-1 (s)he is probably loosing, but better than being 'waaay' behind. Not only are you behind now, but since they each got three skills for free, you will 'never' get ahead in that campaign if you keep going like that. If you have played with these people for ten years, they should be old enough to understand that the game is much more fun if the OL and Heroes run on a balance. Otherwise it's just pure onslaught from one side.