Felltower Status Update 2/4

Our next Felltower session is in a week.

Mapping

It's been a while since I did any new mapping, as I'm far ahead of where the players seem to be intent (and able) to take their characters. I've modified maps to reflect the adventures we've had though. This is why the "Best Practices" series has petered out - hard to learn new lessons when you don't need new levels.

I will say that some of the levels I've mapped have changed - not just from actions of the PCs. There is a lot of pencil marking on the maps, and some pen marks that show real permanent additions where needed. It's that kind of dungeon - it's never really "cleared" or "done."

Stocking

Same with stocking - I'm done stocking the places everyone can reach, with a few excepts I'll get to as soon as it's clear the PCs are turning that way.

Restocking is a little less systemic and more ad hoc based on the recent adventures - PCs have been messing with intelligent foes, so I've been making adjustments based on what those monsters know, how they act, and what they've got as plans and goals.

The PCs stocked one area with spiders, though, which is pretty funny.

PC-compatibility Flow Chart

What started as a joke - who adventures with whom - has actually turned into a real flow-chart. We have a number of PCs who really need to adventure separately, or have to. For example of a flow:

Vryce can't adventure with Gerry (same player), and if Vryce is coming and Dryst's player can play, then Hjalmarr can come. If Dryst's player does not, then Desmond can come (Desmond/Hjalmarr are the same player), but then the group needs a cleric (as Brother Ike is their only healer, and he's Hjalmarr's Ally).

If Gerry comes, then Mo's player's backup cleric (not yet run) can't come, as Gerry has skeletons and loves undead and the cleric hates the undead.

If Desmond comes, then the group really needs Vryce and/or Hayden, as that takes out a knight and a healer. Desmond can adventure with Gerry, but Gerry can't adventure with the only PC cleric, so if Desmond comes it's probably Vryce so the group can have healing.

And so on. It's starting to get complicated to plan, especially when you get areas that really could best be dealt with by impossible combos - like having Vryce to fight fodder and Gerry to Zombie them, or having Mind Control wizard Desmond but still have Brother Ike come to heal people, etc.

Like I said, it's getting complicated. Lucky for me, my style of GMing doesn't demand I plan around specific groups. It's up to the PCs to solve the problems I put down.