The Adventure Continues .... 8. Well Hello Betsy! (Transition & Comp Area Enter Fixes)

Apart from a few relatively minor issues (akin to those we encountered before), the latest session played well, and we managed to play a good 1 hour 29 minutes (after starting later). Here is the latest report ...

The List of Fixes

1) CONVERSATION TRANSITIONS: We were troubled by a different version of the conversation transition we experienced last time we played. Again, it was a simple quick trip to the toolset to apply the fix and reload in under five minutes. Later, I went through the module searching for any other conversations that may suffer from the same problem and found two others. These have also been fixed now.

2) COMPANION DISAPPEAR ON LOADING: A strange one this one, in that it had not manifested itself before tonight, even though circumstances appeared unchanged. Basically, the companions would disappear the moment a player entered the game. A quick search revealed the "area clean-up" code "tidied away" the companions too. The link was that it happened in a new area, and that somehow, the companions faction had changed, probably not unlike Scraps did in the last report. So, the fix was similar: I had to ensure the companions were allocated a faction (when left behind on session exit), that would allow them to be preserved when the player entered again. Sorted!

3) GRIST NAME: This required a MODULE fix, which means the fix will NOT show on just the campaign being patched. Only games starting with Module v2.23 will be fixed. (However, it is a minor fault and does not affect gameplay.) I had obviously forgotten to remove the default string for GRIST in the area designed in the module, which meant Grist's name was showing as the default ("Axle").

The Heroes Learn More About The Sewer System

The Adventure Continues ... 8. Well Hello Betsy!

So this is where Doug was put!

NB: Contains spoilers for Option 1 background.

Melissa was the woman at the front desk of the Guild Hall, and Helden wasted no time in introducing himself. Discussions were cordial, and the heroes learned that Obi Sten was dealing with the sewer problem personally, and they should speak with him with regards to that. Other than that, Melissa helped the heroes to acquire two permits: The first basic work permit required they either cough up 30 gp or carry out three tasks: Pick up some litter, some poisonous toadstools, and solve a puzzle box. The heroes chose the latter, and went straight out to complete the tasks, with Myara putting her decoding expertise to the test once again with respect to the puzzle box. For the second (Smith) permit there was no escaping paying the 30 gp price. Karasten, however, made light work of the test after payment and secured the permit for the party.

Permits stowed away, the heroes decided next to pay Obi Sten a visit and learn more about the sewer task. The task was to search for the lost sewer hands, but more urgently for Obi (or so it seemed) was for the heroes to calibrate the sewer system as best they could, which would earn them extra pay. Obi directed the heroes to go speak with Grist in the Guild Hall cellar, to learn more about the system they were to fix, which they dutifully did. Fixing the sewer system was more involved than they first realised though, and required they study a book (that was lost and they managed to find), and acquire some "calibration crystals" from the sewer hands that were now lost somewhere in the sewers.

After working out what they needed to do, Myara suggested that they look for the sword called Betsy, mentioned in Josiah's letter, before they ventured into the sewers. They knew it was located near the fireplace located in the Guild Hall, and needed to activate a timer switch from the outside. So, as Helden managed to locate and flip the switch, Myara scurried ahead and quickly located the hidden compartment and removed the sword before the compartment automatically locked again. She handed the prized sword to Karasten, because it pulsed with a magik that she could not recognise. Even the learned wizard with his skill in lore ended up having to cast an identify spell to discern the sword's powers. Once cast, the heroes soon learned that the sword was a living weapon from the bygone age, and held a number of magikal properties. Helden quickly grasped the blade and with a broad smile said, "Well, hello Betsy!"

TOTAL SESSION TIME (UNPAUSED): 1 Hr 29 Minute. 
GAME TIME SINCE START: 11 Hours 22 Minutes.
QUESTS ACTIVE: 14 QUESTS COMPLETE: 8 (Ignoring Rule Info)