Hello!

Is there any given order combination of running all the Haarlock adventures? Can you deviate from it at all?

I was planning on running:

Edge of Darkness first, for beginning acolytes (freshly inducted), just because it's such a cool scenario...

Tattered Fates

House of Dust &c...

Damned Cities

Dead Stars

in that order, without any breaks.

Would it be possible to "wedge" in other scenarios, without disrupting the acolytes' experience balance?

Cool?

Thanks!

L

You are the Game Master. That implies you are Master of the Game. That meens you are in control of the game. You can "Wedge in" any scenarios you wish. The Haarlock Legacy in any order you wish so long as you and your party is having fun and it makes sence. I only throw in that point because I have played games in other settings that did not exactly make sense and my players did not appreciate the deviation.

While I see "level wise" why you want to play "Tattered Fates" before "Dust & Ash", I would suggest different. In his final moanings, the final opponent in TA makes a small reference to "D&A" which sounded to me like something that already happend.

In addition, pc should have some power before entering "TA". Otherwise, they are simply pawns pushed around by all the other npc. While some groups are fine with that, it leaves some bitter taste in the mouth of other. Finally, even if "TA" states it will be playable "for players of all leves", the players characters will have a hard time during the first element of "TA". And it is "live or death" their.

Talking about intersecting things:
I always thought about two self-writte adventures in-between which i simply never wrought down and/or finalized in my head

[The house that Sinderfell build/to be player before "Tattered Fates"] would make the pc start to investigate on Quaddis during the winter season. Their Inquisitor manged to captur a nefarious occutist and manson/architect who used to be part of Sinderfells "court" once. During "final interrogation" it was found out that same person was once ordered to plan and oversee the construction of manison on Quaddis in another nobles fief (a "gift" from Sinderfell to said noble). Since the building was not owned by Sinderfell nor build with their resources but simply the "master constructer" was lended as a "gift" this detail slipped the =I= by now.
Acolythes have a name and a year and must pay a visit to the now nearly-empitied winter-quaddis to search Administratum records and later get themselves some subtle entrance to the manison (to check it for "occult construction material" perhaps not listed in the plans). Since near to no nobles stay on Quaddis during winter, they mansion is likely only occupied by the staff. Which is true. But defenses are still up, some core guard and house staff is present, the hunting grounds around the Manison are still stalked with otherwordly dear and saber tooth creatures and the "Head Mistress of the House" is still present. A small affilation with the Spider Bride....

[He returned! / to be player after DA or DS] the acolythes are to investigate rumours that Erasmus Haarlock has returned! Some void traders say that he returned to a fringe colony holding near the border on the imperium. As the pc arrive, they notice a small palace brought back to life and number of unscroupelous man wearing the colours of the Haarlocks who are said to be paid by Erasmus himself. What first locks like a scheme gets a turn as they investigate in the citiy surround the palace with the colonist are between fear and awe as "Lord Haarlock returned!" The evening, he speaks from a force field guarded balcony from this palace..and the figure on top does look like Erasmus. His Seneschall, however, turns down any try for a meeting. If enforced by the rosetta, the pc might note that something feels wrong.
The truth: the palace is trap by Erasmus Haarlock to like the on from D&A. The "Erasmus" is a simulacra and the whole palace a death trap... one with some hints towards Mara, whatsoever (trap with trap within trap...)

SPOILERS!

From a narrative point of view, TF and D&A are pretty much the same: both are introductory adventures which revolve around a countdown to anarchy with some relevations about Haarlock at the end. TF starts with a story line that is unrelated to the Legacy and more or less accidentally lets the players come upon Haarlock's designs, which is kind of lame, especially once you have already played D&A. I think I would run D&A first and rewrite TF so that the acolytes do not turn up on Quaddis 'by accident'.

Damned Cities is the strangest and weakest part of the legacy. It's not about Haarlock. It's about a murder mystery in which the perpetrator in the end shouts out some obligatory doomsday prophecies about Haarlock. If you run this one after TF or D&A, your players will immediately focus on the tower called Haarlock's Folly, which in the script of DC is not necessarily a good thing. I would run DC first, make it the first reference to Haarlock that leads to the ongoing investigation in D&A. Ofcourse, you will need to rewrite the (rather quick and dirty) hook from DC to Dead Stars.

Dead Stars definitely needs to be run last in line.

Running Cities first, as the intro to the whole Haarlock situation, is a really interesting idea. I too am planning on running the Haarlock legacy campaign, and my plan was to run the missions from Purge the Unclean but rewrite them a bit to hints about HL, then do D&A. But running DC first as the original Haarlock connection, then going to D&A to strengthen it sounds like a much better idea.

Hi Laughing God,

I second to Golmorgoth.

I way trouble about the "obvious Haarlock hook" as well, but somehow I never came to the simple solution: run Damned Cities First!

I think I would then suggest

Damned Cities
House of Dust and Ash (it is an obivious choice, after the warning of the Daemon, to check the auction!)
Tattered Fates
Dead Stars

I would not change position of "D&A" and "TF" here. Simply because of the "omen" the final opponent in "TF" gives in his rantings....

The biggest difference between TF and D&A is that the second is about Haarlock from the beginning, and the other has the acolytes tied up accidentally in the Legacy. That makes IMHO that you can't run D&A first and then TF.

I would rewrite TF so that the acolytes' investigations bring them to Quaddis, and then they are captured by their adversaries and wake up in the Red Cages, perhaps sold off to the Beast House.

The Laughing God said:

Hi Laughing God,

I see things a little different here, at least if you work with the "one of the pc is a scion of Haarlock" option

It is during the auction at at D&A that it is revealed that the pc is a scion (or "the scion"). the writte "near coma scene" at the begining of TA implifies that the pc are chosen "for the cages" for a specific reason. The reason for "the Beloved one" to lead the pc through. Besides help against the final opponent (all on the assumption that one of the pc is the scion).

Thereby, it would be logical that the reason that the pc are abducted by the Pilgrims is that the Pilgrims somehow caught wind that those "survivors of the inccident at the house of dust and ash" include the scion. Otherwise, the whole kidnapping is completely random to begin with (as the DS event as well!)


Side Note: While I really disliked TF to begin with... it get´s a little more stomachable to me after all pieces are presented and one is able to rearrange them.

Hiyas!

Thanks for the input! Yeah, I was thinking more "level wise" more than anything, when running these. I do not want the adventures to be too difficult or too EZ. I was thinking of running HD&A second because I believe the adventure refers to acolytes' req. level 3-4 at least, to play it... Maybe I misred?

0-Edge of Darkness (welcome to the 41st millenium)

1-Damned Cities (hints of what's to come)

2-Tattered Fates ("Maybe this is all connected?" = acolytes get nervous..."Why the kidnapping? Why us?")

3-HD&A (the plot thickens - the enemy is revealed - maybe an acolyte is special; this answers some of the other scenario's questions; plus if some die, I can get OOG, a "replacement scion" without 'em knowing )

4-Dead Stars (the inevitable showdown)

How about this?

Thanks again!

L

LETE said:

Sounds like a good campaign to me ... but when I will run it, I will definitely include more adventures. The Haarlock Legacy is too good to play out too quickly. Maybe explore what's the story behind the Haarlocks, contact some hiding descendants, compete with more factions that wish to get their hands on the Legacy (noble houses, rogue traders, Commercia magnates, various cults), maybe find out what Haarlock has unearthed about the Slaught and/or Komus. I would definitely stretch out the festival of tattered fates thing, like a travelling circus with lotsa hints and doomsday prophecies and dark dealings, a bit like the Carnivale-series

Gregorius21778 said:

Yeah that sounds like a good, logical option. I agree with what you say on TF .. in essence it's really good but it needs some finishing touches!

"Sounds like a good campaign to me ... but when I will run it, I will definitely include more adventures. The Haarlock Legacy is too good to play out too quickly. Maybe explore what's the story behind the Haarlocks, contact some hiding descendants, compete with more factions that wish to get their hands on the Legacy (noble houses, rogue traders, Commercia magnates, various cults), maybe find out what Haarlock has unearthed about the Slaught and/or Komus. I would definitely stretch out the festival of tattered fates thing, like a travelling circus with lotsa hints and doomsday prophecies and dark dealings, a bit like the Carnivale-series "

Oops! I forgot to mention there will be 'inbetween' adventures ...depending on how the campaign develops...

Thanks!

L

...I forget...

I suggest running Illumination (from the core book) before running HoD&A . Although unrelated to the central plot, the end of Illumination is very related to some of the auction guests, and HoD&A is great time for a certain "father" to have some revenge.

I'm sad to hear about those Damned Cities. Looks like it needs alot of reworking now that I've done TF and am playing HoD&A.

Friend of the Dork said:

Hi "Friend",

actually, the adventure in itself does not need much of an overhaul. In fact, it is one of the view adventures on sale that I did not have an urge to "improve" it. But, as already stated by numerous forum members, the link to the Haarlock-Legacy is thin indeed.

You could change include a link with the following little trick:
The pc are sent (by basic mission design) to investigate a series of strange murders the Arbites ask help for. While it never plays much of role in the modul itself, it is mentioned that some off-world trade houses are indeed present in Sinophia (to claim depts and wrench the last bit of profit out of the system). One of the shards isn´t assigned, either.

How about having the Amaranthine Syndicate present? You do not have to use the name. It is simply a free captain (NOT a RogueTrader) and only if the pc investigate him they will find out that he is a part of the said Syndicate. The reason he is their is, of course, to find out more about Haarlock. Perhaps even one of his "masters" is with him. While his employee simply go about business, the free captain and his leutenants where able to purchase a mirror shard.

Sounds like a link, doesn´t it?

Socialisistic self-critic ahead:

,...of course, this only gives a link to the general happenings, not to "the Haarlock"

I haven't read it yet but you are probably right. At least in the second post

Well, I think it really works best if one play "Damned Cities" 1st, "Dust & Ash" Second, "Tattered Fates" third and of course "Dead Stars" last.

If one has to place a Haarlock Link into DC, I would think about leaving something in the thirteenth room of a cellar. Perhaps, the auction at "D&A" involved a "Manuscript of Unknown purpose; written by Erasmus Haarlock while he was already going mad". The manuscript was written while he was on Sinophia. If decihered correctly (by the pc or through inquisitorial means) it becomes clear that it describes the preperation of a room. Geological informations as well as architectual informations is given about this room. It has something to do with bending realspace around the room.

The room was, in fact, the reason "Haarlocks Folly" was build. It was there where Haarlock created the mirrors the daemon was bound into. Since he builded them their, the realspace-warpspace distortion enabled the mirrors to capture the daemon.

After studying the room (which is very slightly not in the position he should be if you see it from the outside of the room..through the doorway) the pc can learn that

- Haarlock needed the room to prepare an otherworldy device
- Something like that must had happen here.
- it explains why the tower is what he is

This will "feed" the players expectations (if this is not their first Haarlock-Adventure) and will divert them away ("found our clue here, no we have to find what it was and where it went")

"If they find out, they will want to destroy the hole tower/evac the Arbites!"
Make sure they understand that while the Tower ist the reason for the disturbance, it is know the only thing that stabelizes the area. If the tower would be destroyed, it would rip a tear into reality which would lead to a major warp incursion. Like blood would rush from a deep wound if you pull out the knife that caused it.
If the pc purpose an evac... let the arbites prepare an evac! By all the pc do know, haste isn´t needed. But if the pc think so, let it happen. The Arbites will move in 72hours. Skarmen is last to leave. And even then, he can return

The Serrated Querry Link
If one likes the serrated querry (me don´t) he could include that the techniques used to create cellar room 13 are the same that where used in "PtU".