Crossing the Celduin *Spoiler alert*

[Khamul]

I am reading the part when they can collapse the bridge at village of Celduin. It states that a hero needs to swim to the middle of the bridge to smash the central pillars... why? so is it impossible to rope climb down from the brigde to that spot? or why not use a boat? Am I all off target or why would that not be alot better to do? Did your heros do the swimming part? I KNOW my players will find a better way than swimming in mid december in a swift running river...


Your thoughts, please!



/Khamul

[PaulButler]

Well, as for ropes, I basically suggested that as stone bridge building on this scale is rather a lost art, and none of the PCs were architects, or even had strong craft ratings, they could certainly try ropes... and that I hope they were confident enough in their demolition skills that the bridge wouldn't come down on top of them.

Which, I realize, could be argued for swimming out as well...
That whole idea just seemed a bit far fetched to me. I was willing to entertain it, if they came up with some clever additions to the plan, but it was a long shot.
My guys focused on barricading and training the townsfolk.

[zedturtle]

I'm not sure that any plan that involves collapsing the bridge whilst your hanging off of it (or underneath it) is a good plan.

My folks rounded up the boats and made a barricade out of them, preventing the orcs from ever being able to swarm the guardhouse proper.

[Láthspell]

Personally, I figured rigging the bridge to collapse was something that would have to be something done on the sly, hence the swimming checks. Given the portrayal of the Master of Celduin I doubt he would be terribly keen on the adventurers collapsing what is essentially his town's main reason for existence, even if they claim it is for the "greater good." Without the bridge (and with the means to rebuild it most likely lost to the ages), Celduin is likely to become a ghost town, something the master would undoubtably care to avoid. Therefore, he is unlikely to lend boats to such an endeavor and ropes dangling over the side of the bridge would quickly draw attention and reach the Master's ears in short order.

[Michebugio]

I'll take the thread beyond the part about the preparations since I just played the first assault, and it was a nightmare: 3 climbers made it to the roof of the barrier and opened the gates, so the wolves and the remaining orcs swarmed around the players and if it wasn't for the Light of the Stars of the elf (which made practically everyone flee) it could have been a disaster.

But now I'm preparing the second assault and I feel that it will be too simple: the Hill Troll has just 3D armor and I foresee that the Man of the Lake archer with his improved Greatbow (Injury 18) will bring him down in no time. What do you suggest to improved the difficulty of the encounter? I thought about making the armor 3D (improved plating on the Hill Troll made by the goblins), and/or adding volleys by the goblin beyond the bridge (any archer on the roof or melee combatants in open field will suffer 4 Damage on every Eye rolled on their attacks). Too much?

[Fridokind Wargaug]

My players had the clever idea of letting winter work for them. So they made holes in the pillars of the bridge and filled them with water, so when night came and temperatures dropped, the water froze the pillars cracked and the bridge collapsed. And all was possible because of the drawing of the bridge being all straight and such...

[Khamul]

Well I have a dwarf in my group who is a smith and a Stone crafter... guess he can come up with a plan to
collaps the bridge...if thats okay with the Master of Celduin town.

About the Troll, make it 4d and it will be alot tougher.

[Michebugio]

About the Troll, make it 4d and it will be alot tougher.

I want to make it tougher, not indestructible!

[bluejay]

You could make it a hill troll chief. They have 4d for their protection roll.

[Mytholder]

You could also give the players an easy win once in a while. Not everything has to be a ragged, desperate victory.