I am getting ready to start Under a Black Sun. I was reading Act 1 and it seems way too easy for my group. How can I make it a little harder?

Act 1 is supposed to be easy. It's an adventure designed to introduce people to the game, and is also, "check out how awesome these heroes are!" Make them feel rad to start out, then bring the hammer down.

There are a couple things you can do if you feel your group is too advanced for this adventure:

1. increase the size of minion groups a little

2. add more minion groups

3. give rivals Adversary 1

Those are some pretty quick, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants methods to bump up difficulty on the fly, in motion even. No fiddling with skills or talents.

Act 1 is supposed to be easy.

It's supposed to be easy...for beginners. My group would almost be offended now if I ran it as-is

People run canned games as-is?

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

Storytime?

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

I must hear this.

People run canned games as-is?

Being a new GM (and new to RPGs in general) I try to just to avoid stupid new gm mistakes. I'm getting better though.

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

Storytime?

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

I must hear this.

Storytime, eh? Sure.

A short time ago, around a game table not too far away...

Previously, having been run through Mask of the Pirate Queen...we took her mask, and with it, control of her entire operation. That led us to Chronicles of the Gatekeeper.

On Arbooine, we used that as a means of getting an audience with Gel Marculf, trying to get the first crystal. We weren't doing too well, and part of our group was working on Plan B to steal it. My character had a heart-to-heart with him about his lingering anger at being abandoned by Warde, and between role- and roll-playing, he became open to considering that "breaking his promise" to return may have been out of Warde's hands. The GM had, for flavor's sake given the real-life season, established that it was Life Day season. And suddenly, I had an idea...an awful idea...my character had a wonderful, awful idea.

"What if," I started, "I were to use my Misdirect to have him be visited by three ghosts? The Ghost of Life Day Past, the Ghost of Life Day Present, and the Ghost of Life Day Future?"

He paused, and a look came across him that we've become familiar with and love seeing. It's the look when we've taken a sharp left turn from all of the contingencies he'd planned. Broken GM Face. "I'll...I'll allow it. But you're now committed to doing this."

So, I rolled to create an illusion for Life Day Past. I succeeded. So, I was tasked with narrating the ghost. It was Warde. Warde spoke to his former apprentice, apologizing for abandoning him, explaining that everyone's fates are beholden to the will of the Force, and beseeching him to let go of his anger.

I rolled for the Life Day Present illusion. He saw his corrupt security forces bursting in on a family enjoying their Life Day Dinner, ransacking the dwelling for anything of the merest value, confiscating it in the name of the Reeve...right down to the dinner. Laughing at the family's fear the whole time, they made one last jab as they left, breaking the crude cane used by the family's tiny, crippled daughter.

Finally, I rolled for Life Day Future. He saw his forces alongside the Empire, laying waste to any and all "resistance" against his rule, cutting down everyone in their path...including the young girl.

He immediately sought us out and personally handed over the crystal, banished the Empire from the planet, and pledged to work to better the lives of the citizens.

And Force be with us, every one.

*claps slowly*

That. Was. Awesome. I do so enjoy breaking a GM like that.

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

Storytime?

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

I must hear this.

Storytime, eh? Sure.

A short time ago, around a game table not too far away...

Previously, having been run through Mask of the Pirate Queen...we took her mask, and with it, control of her entire operation. That led us to Chronicles of the Gatekeeper.

On Arbooine, we used that as a means of getting an audience with Gel Marculf, trying to get the first crystal. We weren't doing too well, and part of our group was working on Plan B to steal it. My character had a heart-to-heart with him about his lingering anger at being abandoned by Warde, and between role- and roll-playing, he became open to considering that "breaking his promise" to return may have been out of Warde's hands. The GM had, for flavor's sake given the real-life season, established that it was Life Day season. And suddenly, I had an idea...an awful idea...my character had a wonderful, awful idea.

"What if," I started, "I were to use my Misdirect to have him be visited by three ghosts? The Ghost of Life Day Past, the Ghost of Life Day Present, and the Ghost of Life Day Future?"

He paused, and a look came across him that we've become familiar with and love seeing. It's the look when we've taken a sharp left turn from all of the contingencies he'd planned. Broken GM Face. "I'll...I'll allow it. But you're now committed to doing this."

So, I rolled to create an illusion for Life Day Past. I succeeded. So, I was tasked with narrating the ghost. It was Warde. Warde spoke to his former apprentice, apologizing for abandoning him, explaining that everyone's fates are beholden to the will of the Force, and beseeching him to let go of his anger.

I rolled for the Life Day Present illusion. He saw his corrupt security forces bursting in on a family enjoying their Life Day Dinner, ransacking the dwelling for anything of the merest value, confiscating it in the name of the Reeve...right down to the dinner. Laughing at the family's fear the whole time, they made one last jab as they left, breaking the crude cane used by the family's tiny, crippled daughter.

Finally, I rolled for Life Day Future. He saw his forces alongside the Empire, laying waste to any and all "resistance" against his rule, cutting down everyone in their path...including the young girl.

He immediately sought us out and personally handed over the crystal, banished the Empire from the planet, and pledged to work to better the lives of the citizens.

And Force be with us, every one.

Dear sweet stars, that's amazing. And a lovely example of why I love Misdirect.

Wow Sheer brilliance. I applaud your boundless creativity.

There should be a pinned thread of holiday themed games.

I had an idea for a session if we get tons of snow. In Empire you see Echo Base as a very developed base. My though is, "How did a rag tag rebellion put all this together? How did they even find this as a good place to build a base? Etc..." So while my group is with the rebellion, the rebels are looking for a new base. They know Hoth is a common hide out for pirates and smugglers. They then act as a scouting party to find a suitable place to build. They find a suitable place, but the problem is Echo Base is currently "Gundark Base" owned by pirates.

It's only about a third of the size we see in Episode V, but its a start. Thoughts?

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

Storytime?

People run canned games as-is?

Sometimes they try. (Mostly as-is, anyway.) Then, players get involved.

Our GM certainly didn't expect it when I managed to turn part of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into A Christmas Carol Saturday.

I must hear this.

Storytime, eh? Sure.

A short time ago, around a game table not too far away...

Previously, having been run through Mask of the Pirate Queen...we took her mask, and with it, control of her entire operation. That led us to Chronicles of the Gatekeeper.

On Arbooine, we used that as a means of getting an audience with Gel Marculf, trying to get the first crystal. We weren't doing too well, and part of our group was working on Plan B to steal it. My character had a heart-to-heart with him about his lingering anger at being abandoned by Warde, and between role- and roll-playing, he became open to considering that "breaking his promise" to return may have been out of Warde's hands. The GM had, for flavor's sake given the real-life season, established that it was Life Day season. And suddenly, I had an idea...an awful idea...my character had a wonderful, awful idea.

"What if," I started, "I were to use my Misdirect to have him be visited by three ghosts? The Ghost of Life Day Past, the Ghost of Life Day Present, and the Ghost of Life Day Future?"

He paused, and a look came across him that we've become familiar with and love seeing. It's the look when we've taken a sharp left turn from all of the contingencies he'd planned. Broken GM Face. "I'll...I'll allow it. But you're now committed to doing this."

So, I rolled to create an illusion for Life Day Past. I succeeded. So, I was tasked with narrating the ghost. It was Warde. Warde spoke to his former apprentice, apologizing for abandoning him, explaining that everyone's fates are beholden to the will of the Force, and beseeching him to let go of his anger.

I rolled for the Life Day Present illusion. He saw his corrupt security forces bursting in on a family enjoying their Life Day Dinner, ransacking the dwelling for anything of the merest value, confiscating it in the name of the Reeve...right down to the dinner. Laughing at the family's fear the whole time, they made one last jab as they left, breaking the crude cane used by the family's tiny, crippled daughter.

Finally, I rolled for Life Day Future. He saw his forces alongside the Empire, laying waste to any and all "resistance" against his rule, cutting down everyone in their path...including the young girl.

He immediately sought us out and personally handed over the crystal, banished the Empire from the planet, and pledged to work to better the lives of the citizens.

And Force be with us, every one.

<Standing Ovation> Wow!!! This was an inspiration.

And congrats to the GM for going with the flow.