Hi folks,

I started the An Eye for an Eye scenario a couple weeks ago and I put together a guide/cheat sheet for the Clue Cards. Since there seem to be some requests for how and when to use the various cards I thought I'd put together my notes for the group. I was was hoping for some feedback.

I have some notes, a cheat sheet for the cards, and another for the locations. I found it nice to have the card sheet so I could keep track of what I'd handed out and the location guide was helpful for figuring out what the PCs might do at each location (only clue card related info, though, you still need to check the location descriptions).

I published a copy here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ICGV6U0q1olMfMCvHN_DIpja0J2VqweHHEevUn6MrHE/pub

If you have any comments I'd appreciate it and will try to incorporate any changes. I'll make a final version available.

Some thoughts that I recently had on the subject of EfaE for players new to WFRP (if they're coming from D&D/Pathfinder where you just march through a dungeon and the clues are 'handed' to you a little too easily):

Here's how I figured it out by the 2nd time I ran it:
1. Do not let them find stuff. That means the painting, the dungeon, and the ladder to the roof in the vines need to remain hidden.
2. I printed off a copy of the staff and have THEM quiz the players..especially the lesser staff..and have gossip. Obviously DON'T tell them which ones are cultists..just give them a list of the names and what their staff position is.
3. Get the kids out into the yard and have lots of red herrings and distractions. I had the dog handler feeding dead beastmen to the dogs.
4. Draw a map on the battlemat of the rough outline of the manner AND make sure you draw some outbuildings (like the doghouses, the stables, etc.)
5. Make them make LOTS of skill checks (use the Perform a Stunt for the results). SOCIAL skill checks are the most important. Remember, a charm check doesn't make a staff member suddenly open up and tell her life's story. It takes about 3 successes in a few rounds or else the staff person will wander away. SOCIAL checks are the BIG wake up call for Pathfinder/D&D players. Guaranteed none of those characters has a good Fellowship, so make them check it as often as you can. The same goes for any of their other weaknesses. If the pit fighter player thinks that he can just wander around and do everything, he's dead wrong. Stress and Fatigue ADD UP when they're failing (2d) and (3d) checks that they're no good at. There are consequences to making skill checks so, only make a player make them if they are attempting something meaningful.
6. I would SKIP observation checks almost entirely. Remember that they are in someone elses HOUSE. It's not a dungeon. They will be perpetually followed around by staff and watched. The staff doesn't know them from anyone else, so they're not going to get to just wander around the house and search through drawers. If they check a room, just tell them what's in there. OBSERVATION checks should be reserved in this situation for when the players catch a GLIMPSE of the painting..."Oh, you want to sneak off and start "observing" well, observe this! Bu ha ha ha..have an insanity!"
7. I killed off 5 characters because I did my best to get them to split up the party. I had one get murdered when the cook seduced him into the basement. 3 got killed by beastmen in the final battle. One, a thief, snuck into the bedroom looking for loot DURING the beastmen battle, so I had him get ambushed and killed off by three ungor that infiltrated the house.
8. The daemon in the painting can do anything. No matter what it says in the text, you need to have the painting come and go and appear and disappear throughout the house as needed to drive the characters insane. leave traces and whatnot for players to think that something is up. Once a character gains an insanity, pick on that character with periodic things that he THINKS he saw. For example: he is outside with his group talking to the people in the stables and thinks that he saw it again in the window..but then it's gone again!
9. There are beastmen outside the walls..they can periodically lob diseased animals inside the walls and help to split up the party. As that happens, you can have individual NPCs reveal clues to the individual players.
10. Regarding the characters you face, I recommend the following:
Bounty hunter - help him focus on tasks..have the NPCs quiz him a lot about his quarries in the past and ask him uncomfortable questions like, "So, if I pay you 10 silver will you go get the red-horned beastmen beyond the walls?"
Agent - let him shine with skill checks and social actions. Have the NPCs quiz him to find out who he is working for (he does have a noble or organization he's working for right?)
Pit fighter- get him involved with the guards of the manor; have some trophies on the walls with stories behind them for lord Aschaffenberg, etc.
Zealot- he will find a lot wrong with the place..and is already insane..DO NOT GIVE HIM ANY REASON TO BECOME AN INSTANT WITCH HUNTER. Just because he's a zealot doesn't give him any right to accuse people of being cultists, or anything like that. He'll have no authority if he gets crazy at the dinner (for example) and that's when the other NPCs will simply ignore him.
Here's a helpful list you can clip and paste:


Table 8-1: masTer npC index
name loCaTion oCCupaTion Wounded? poisoned? CulTisT?
Lord Rickard Aschaffenberg Master Bedroom Lord of the Manor √
Gregor Piersson Wanders Steward ✓
Vern Hendrick Master Bedroom Manservant Lightly wounded √
Gertie Hochen Wanders Servant ✓
Gunnar Wetzel Wanders Servant ✓
Hanna Dralst Wanders Servant ✓
Josef Vacmark Wanders Servant ✓
Konrad Voss Wanders Servant ✓
Todd Heistlenburger Wanders Servant Lightly wounded ✓
Dr. Stefan Sieger Hospice Physician ✓
Sister Sonja Hospice Zealot Blind
Korden KurganssonHospice Blacksmith Completely insane
Bertoldt Granhof Hospice Gardener Lightly wounded ✓
Astrid Slazinger Hospice Guard Critically wounded ✓
Helmut Zondervan Hospice Guard Critically wounded ✓
Otto Geizhals Library Librarian ✓
Karla Wagner Kitchen Chef ✓
Albrecht Krug Stables Coachman ✓
Hans Kurtz Stables Coachman Smashed Knee ✓
Franz Lange Stables Groom ✓
Olver Gand Kennels Hunter
Cpt. Anders Blucher Walls Guard captain √
Sven Bleuler Guardroom Guard Lightly wounded √
Ernest Bohne Watchtower Guard √
Manfred Klammerer Guardroom Guard Lightly wounded √
Pieter Koch Guardroom Guard ✓
Characters who have been poisoned count as if they are suffering from extreme fatigue, which adds ΔΔ to all checks based on physical characteristics, and add Π to all Observation checks.
Characters marked with a √ choose the venison at dinner, and become poisoned as a result.

..

I would only reward them for asking around, not searching. The clues can be revealed when YOU feel the time is right. Like you say, if they're used to just marching through a dungeon, you've got to help them think, more about people and clues than stumbling about until they solve the crime.

At the same time, keep having beastmen harassing the place. That will keep them distracted from the actual task.

..along those lines of you deciding when they find things, make sure it happens at the right time, not just because the PCs are pushing their way through a scenario.

..

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll have to review this and see if I can break the document into a section specifically for the clue cards and then another with more information with additional suggestions for other chapters. Some of the suggestions, of course, can't be used if you use the clue cards -- 1) Don't let them find stuff, locks out a lot of the clue cards. But I know what you mean when you are trying to break the players away from just observing and get them to act in order to complete the investigation. And I recognize now I used at least one Observation check in every clue series. But I was trying to find other skills to have them use. I didn't think of using "Perform a stunt" when doing the checks. I was just using 2 banes generates stress or fatigue and the reverse for boons.

I'm still running this scenario at the moment so I should still have some time to test these out on "real-live" players. Briefly,

1. I'm not sure I'd hide so much as complicate. The painting could move around, or disappear after the PCs first see it (Piersson grabs it). I think I'd make it uncomfortable for them if they tried to remove it -- or at least the cultists might recover it. I'm not sure about the dungeon. This is defintely an issue. I think you need to at least lock the doors or otherwise discourage their discovery until later. If they do find the temple, I'd quickly move to dinner, and then speed things up quickly to get the ritual started that evening. After all, just finding the temple (empty) doesn't implicate anyone. I'm not sure about the ladder, finding the symbol on the roof should just scare the crap out of the PCs as they don't know who to blame.
2. Absolutely. I actually have a Dramatis Personae I was going to include in the document. Just need to reformat it. I have Aschaffenberg give it to the players when he suggests they discretely interview the staff.
3. Yes. I try to describe all sorts of detail from the descriptions -- focusing on stuff that isn't all that helpful like the the intricate inlay on the crest of the coach. My players are trained from DnD to think that means something when I mention it.
4. Agree. I think the clue cards are very good at this, but you need to get the players chatting and describing what they're doing not just entering a room and announcing "everyone make an observation check". I didn't let the players find the wine cellar door because no one said they were searching around the wine racks. Later one of the players told me, "We really should have spent more time searching in the wine cellar." Indeed.
5. Yes. I mention this. I think a map and the list of actors really helps.
6. Agree. And I think I use Observation a little too much. Though to be fair it is an investigation so Observation is important. But there are lots of available skills.
7. My party split into groups of two -- I didn't have anyone attack them but ... good idea
8. Great idea. I think moving the painting or at least protecting it a little helps the scenario.
9. I'm no sure how I'd incorporate this but definitely a good idea. I think best to use it to distract the PCs when you want them to leave something alone. A sudden commotion outside, the guards yelling from the walls, beastmen flee in the shadows.
10. Good suggestions. I have an Agent in my group.

I think from the overall tone of my comments and yours, from a GM perspective, we think it best that the players investigate, get as far as they can, but fall short of actually stopping the ritual. Because that's where the fun really begins. You work the players up, and then drop the ritual and summoning on them -- it's a frightening and terror filled event. Then the beastmen attack. Mayhem!

Not that you couldn't allow the players to completely stop all the plans an wipe out the cult, but isn't it more fun if they are just a little too slow to stop it. Maybe even caught up arguing late into the night with Aschaffenberg and come out of his room only to find most of the staff missing.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. I'm still looking for comments about the text. I'll probably review it again this weekend and try to update it.

Also running Eye for an Eye on Sunday. This entire thread is very helpful. Thank you.

I thought I'd give an update on how my session went this weekend. So a little background, we've got an Agent (disgraced and on the run from his employer), an apprentice Amethyst Wizard, a Smuggler, and a Troll-Slayer. We just completed session three.

The first session we "rolled" up characters, worked on some background, and then I gathered the PCs into two groups -- having found their way to the Red Moon Inn they interview with Hendrick and agreed to head to Grunewald to investigate. The next day they traveled to Geissbach, and then they started out for the Lodge.

At this point they notice they're being followed but fail to investigate or prepare. They are attacked as they reach the gates. The group fights off the Beastmen pretty easily but the Smuggler suffers a head wound crit (which will hamper his Fel checks) and the Troll-Slayer gets a broken nose crit (his Fel was already going to be pretty bad). We end the session there.

Session two starts as the wagon rolls into the lodge. They meet Aschaffenberg, start moving boxes, and sneak around a bit for some "pre-investigation". They actually start discovering some of the clue cards before Aschaffenberg even talks to them. Finally, they talk to Aschaffenberg and he spells out what he wants them to do and that his wife will be there within the week.

Session two took longer than I thought. They broke into two groups to investigate the lodge, got started on quite a few clues, but the Hospice and the Library took a bit of time. They failed in both locations to maximize their investigation. The poor wizard failed a bunch of checks and then rolled two chaos stars and we agreed a bookshelf nearly fell on him and the Librarian chased them away. They also dropped into the cellars but didn't find anything except a box of papers and a nice bottle of wine they absconded with by sneaking past the cook. At this point they have an idea that something is affecting the staff, and that there might be something nefarious going on but they aren't sure what. We stopped here.

Session Three started this weekend. The group upstairs finished ransacking the dormitories, but not without being noticed by some of the staff members. They definitely have a good idea about the doctor now. They head downstairs to join up with the others and their next stop is the study and then the sitting room. They are clobbered by the painting and get a bunch of fatigue and stress. Unfortunately, they were just short of a temporary insanity. The wizard investigates a little further, but declines to keep rolling willpower checks after the first clue card. The Agent discovers the rungs to the roof and clambers up while the party discovers the chair and fingernail. At this point they have figured out that the painting is all part of the "Unblinking Eye" which the have deduced is a Chaos cult that has infiltrated the staff of the lodge.

They cover the painting again and head outside to investigate a little more. I mention the staff are starting to prepare for the dinner. They kind of of skip over the Gatehouse and the Stables in favor of talking to the Kennel master and searching the Forge and Shrine. While this is happening I declare a group of Beastmen are spotted from the walls and there's quite a bit of activity. They find the ladder and the Wizard climbs up it for a better look. He falls on the way down. The find the Gortisete growing in the garden. They find the hammer. At this point I decide they've spent enough time and I have them notice a couple staff members heading into the house. They realize that dinner will be served very soon.

They head into the house just in time to see the servants getting ready to serve dinner and different senior staff are appearing. They rush to Aschaffeneberg as he heads down the stairs and warn him to not eat the venison. Dinner begins. They all eat goose. Only Aschaffeneberg changes his meal plan, and Olver is called away. Dinner ends and I play it out pretty much as stated in the scenario. They see some staff dozing off and others talking and drinking brandy. They have a running list of who they think are "bad guys." Aschaffenberg invites them upstairs for brandy and they relate their discovery -- a short series of skill checks and he believes something is going on and asks them to find more evidence. They convince him to lock his room for the evening while they investigate. They don't know about the bookcase or any other entrances for that matter. They leave Aschaffeneberg and notice some staff heading to their rooms -- looking tired. Night has fallen, they head downstairs and it appears the table is cleared, and the hall is empty. They don't get a good feeling about how quiet the lodge sounds.

At this point we stopped for the night. My plan for the next session is that they catch an early glimpse of the servants hurrying about, but basically, the ritual will start very soon. If they go to the siting room -- the paining will be gone. I think they have enough intel to guess that the cellars or the library might have an entrance to some underground rooms (they found the "stonework" clues and have puzzled them out). Depending on how long it takes them to get down there, I'll decide how far the ritual has progressed.

Things that are going to cause problems for the group: the blunderbuss will make an appearance, and the staff are drugged so the beastman attack might get dicey. Also, they haven't found an entrance so I will probably penalize them time-wise and give them only get a few rounds before the ritual is complete unless they really hurry.

Things I'm a little unsure of at the moment: how many cultists to have downstairs and at what time the beastmen should attack. I'm worried that if I have too many cultists, they might not even attempt to try to stop the ritual. Which would be fine, but I'd prefer a roof-top chase. I think the Troll-Slayer will probably charge in any case and commit them to a battle in the tunnels. If that happens, I'll probably wait til they get to the roof before having the beastmen attack. If they decide to flee and not stop the ritual, I'll have the beastmen attack as soon as they get outside and the ritual will complete above the battle.

Looking forward to session four. The players are really liking this scenario and WFRP. It's been quite a difference from our previous campaign (DnD 4e) which was heavy fighting with only a little role-playing or investigation. Two full sessions without a battle was pretty interesting (I was worried) but they all had a good time. Surprising how fatiguing a long session of role-playing is. I've been exhausted after the last two sessions. I am looking forward to an epic throw-down after all this buildup of tension. Should be fun.

Comments and suggestions welcome. I'm still working on the "guide" so give me some suggestions and I'll put together another version this week.

[some edits for spelling]

Great session report.