Goodman Games

Hi all,

I noticed that in DCC #11 (Pact of the Dragon Fiend) Welwyn is referred to as a "small town" - which is a term from the rulebooks, concering population density, assets and the like.
In the Web Enhancement for Welwyn the place is referred to as a "hamlet". It's just a small thing (no pun intended), but it makes me wonder.

Another thing: Lady Arabella is described as having "the political savvy of an otyugh". But her write-up in the Welwyn web enhancement shows her of having skills like "Diplomacy +15, Bluff +10, Sense motive +10, and the skill enhancer feat "negotiator". Well, if you ask me, this sounds not at all like a naive, trusting girl which is (quote) "easily manipulated by the town's cleric and magistrate" (who in turn only has Diplomacy +3 and is on par with Bluff +10). Or is this just a case of interpreting skills scores?
Either that or otyughs are terrific politicians!

I'm always one for interpreting stats rather loosely so they'll fit the character as I'd want to play it, either as GM or player -- i.e. a fighter could have an amazing to hit bonus, but he's actually a bumbling fool a la Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther fillms. I wouldn't do that all the time, but the general idea makes a change of pace.

As this applies to the Lady: maybe she has oodles of natural charm and unexpected, untapped 'wisdom' (in the general sense), but as stated, knows nothing of politics, per se. Little knowledge of the outside world, not much book learning, etc. Don't we all sooner or later discover we're good at something we had never previously considered trying...?

As for being manipulated by the cleric, she's grown up around him, n'est pas? Why shouldn't she trust him?

What do her knowledge skills look like? That may have some bearing, too....

As this applies to the Lady: maybe she has oodles of natural charm and unexpected, untapped 'wisdom' (in the general sense), but as stated, knows nothing of politics, per se. Little knowledge of the outside world, not much book learning, etc. Don't we all sooner or later discover we're good at something we had never previously considered trying...?

As for being manipulated by the cleric, she's grown up around him, n'est pas? Why shouldn't she trust him?

Right, I catch your drift. And I will readily agree that you can always interpret stats - in the end its only numbers. Nevertheless, I find it a bit odd for the Lady to have such a high Sense Motive skill while at the same time described as being naive. And Bluff +10 also doesn't really fit the bill, while Diplomacy can be interpreted as having a natural persuasiveness by being so charming and open.
Her only knowledge skill is "Local" at +6. But she has also Iron Will and Skill Focus (Diplomacy).

Hmm, sounds like there was an 11th-hour plot reworking, and one aspect or the other was left over.... Either I never noticed that or shined it on.

When I ran it, I just made her a bit hesitant to accept the 'crazy' theories of the PCs, but willing to defer to them unless it contradicted her long-held views (the cleric is a good guy, if a bit creepy, etc.).

You can be a great diplomat with a blind spot ot two....

You can be a great diplomat with a blind spot ot two....

Oh, absolutely! It is not my intention to promote this as a glaring error on the author's part. T'was just something that struck me as a little bit odd. Nothing more, nothing less.

Maybe the author Chris Doyle is reading this and reveals his intentions behind this.
Another reason forme pointing this out is that I have recently completed the translation of DCC #11 and thus read it carefully from cover to cover...

Had another thought on this....

Since her description of naive is in the published module, and her stat block with the Diplomacy and the big numbers and all, is in the pdf expansion, and the expansion is mainly meant to be used if you want to use Welwyn as a base of operations, maybe her eyes are opened by the events of the Dragonfiend Pact and she thereby realizes her potential, thus justifying the stats she is shown with.

If you run the module straight up, she's naive. If you use Welwyn thereafter, she's more effective....

"What do you think, sirs?"

Well, I am tempted to say that your reasoning is reasonably reasonable. At first glance. However, Magistrate Malchor still shows up in the listing of important npcs. Which he wouldn't if the Welwyn enhancement it meant to show the hamlet after what transpires in "Pact of the Dragon Fiend"...