I'm digging through TTT In anticipation of running it for my play group (I was going to start with TEW, but I think the themes/investigation work in TTT fits their style better) but am finding quite a few references to Gossip skill checks. I'm seeing Gossip convert over into either Charm or Guile depending on the circumstances/information sought.

Is that how you've been doing those checks?

Have you had any trouble with the party not doing what they're supposed to be doing in chapter one? I.e. setting out straightaway for the Crusade instead of investigating the cult's/Child's origins? I know sometimes parties metagame bits, for example, when I ran the Witchfire Trilogy for the Iron Kingdoms as soon as the party encountered the first raven-haired girl with long hair they immediately compared her to the one on the cover of the book wielding a sword and immediately went into overdrive interrogating her. I'd like to avoid that with this adventure, but I'm sure a couple will want to set out directly for the Crusade after hearing the ex-Abbess's or the Witch Hunter's stories.

keltheos said:

I'm currently running TTT and we're done with chapter 1-3. I am converting everything using custom trackers for different situations (card games, relationship to locals) and I have created gambling rules with room to cheat etc. I have created custom NPCs with custom actions (and some standard ones too of course). TTT is great if it's modified a bit to be more coherent. Especially chapter 2 can be downright silly in it's basic shape and form. I also introduced Gotrek and Felix to the story as there are a dwarf and a human noble in the group and they are mistaken for the colourful and famous couple. My players have never read the books, so it didn't feel tacked on. F&G don't have any real impact on the campaign, but I use them to add spice and weave some of their tales into the campaign to give the players more info and some extra background. F&G don't travel with the players, but they bump into them a few times durring the campaign.

As for the players acting rashly... my players don't. If a player threatened a noble or important person I would have no issued with having the fool hung by his neck... the world is harsh and if the players know that, they act accordingly. Sometimes my players are actually too diplomatic and friendly against less noble NPCs where a more direct approach would be better. This was one of the reasons for me to introduce Gotrek and Felix... to show the players how both approaches can work and how both can cause problems.

As for gossip I use either guile, charm or folk lore, depending on the specific situation.

Here's an example of my players and acting out: in Hedge Wizard's excellent introduction adventure, they were supposed to negotiate with the townies for two casks of ale for the orcs. The player who did the negotiating told them they needed four...and got them, hid the other two in the woods until they could come back for them.

I thought folklore might apply as well.