Lizardfolk Attacking - Nobody thought to ask a member of the militia or a villager anything about it.
Theoretically, assuming they didnt all die AND as refugees they came to Avalon, they might still be around.
Tattoos on Lizardfolk/Knowledge - Nobody rolled any kind of knowledge check throughout the duration of the quest.
There is a difference between puzzling something out deliberately and simply recognizing something by your expertise. One of the things I ask myself when Knowledge comes up is, should I ask them to roll, or should they seek to apply their knowledge in this particular case?
If you are a music major and you hear a symphony you might not consiously think about but you might recognize it (hence "anyone who has knowlege History/Local, please roll it" or) or depending on how many ranks you have the DM could simply say YOU know/notice this. This is different from having to consciously apply your knowledge in the same situation, hence realizing for example using that knowledge History/Local to realize that the music is subtly played in a different but meaningful so that it contains a secret code (maybe also requiring a listen check and the knowledge). Sometimes you should ask for rolls, and sometimes you shouldnt.
There's also the matter of "Well what do our characters ICly remember?" if we saw the tattoos, the question is, is it impossible for us to remember them and perhaps roll knowledge later OR do research? Or describe them to someone else?
Saving Innocents vs Rushing to Temple - Saving innocents meant that you missed out on catching some 'red handed' stuff.
That's true. I wanted to go to the temple myself buuuuut…I didnt want to leave the rest of the group behind. It's (at least in my past experience) generally frowned upon to split the party. Whether that measn "going your own way" or "jumping ahead" and having your own "adventure". I'll compare it MAYBE to Evelyn threatening to hurt the NPC, but not actually doing it (maybe because they REALLY didnt want to hurt him, OR maybe because they didnt want to do it, with some party majority in agreeance)
HOWEVER just to [http://therafimrpg.wikidot.
com/a-warrior-of-unfortunate-proportion reference another quest] I'll bring up that Rhine as soon as he heard there were "innocents to save" his character got up from the table and hurried off leaving HALF the party behind, found the BBEG and rather than sneak or plot anything BOLDLY challenged him outright TO. HIS. FACE. And instigated the fight. This is particularly bold heroic action, which fits with him later NOT only giving away all his quest reward BUT PAYING MORE out of pocket to save two people .
This importantly lead to TWO different scenes going on simultaneously WHICH DM Scathien was willing to support right up until the end. DMs (in my past experience) as well as players would have greatly frowned on splitting the party. Now in YOUR quest I already showed some 'defiance' against party majority by decided to skip protecting the inn, because I thought staying was a bad idea AND because I wanted to know what was going on outside. Good idea, because I saw the Lizardmen putting torches to the buildings and gathering to break into the church first, and so I was able to tell people about it.
And lastly, let me just tell you in brief about my first DnD party ever. Now these people had been gaming for years while I was totally new, but they flat out told me "You never go against the party, if thats what the party majority wants to do." after a series of…."incidents" For example-we go in a tomb and I want to open the Sarcaphogai, and I do…the rest of the party does not even to the point of attacking and grappling me as I try to do this. SO….later on when they go to the next room, I REALLY wanna know if there's stuff hidden in there, so I go back and I with some effort (shitty Sorc strength) I manage to open it and they hear it AND a trap go off, which actually pisses them off. So they go back in and attempt to man handle me. "But wait why would they trap these things? I mean you have a sarcophagues of NOTHING but finger bones maybe we should sear-"
Well later on during the night while the party went back to town was sleeping. I go back in alone convinced we had not learned all the mysteries of the tomb. Well I start popping open sarcophagi and you know what? I get hit by THREE more traps (thankfully I had some pots) and you know I found some minor but still valued loot to keep for myself-albeit that last knocked me out and was a pretty resounding sonic trap…so loud that some of the part in town was awoken by it.
So what do they do? The go in, find me, stabalize me, CART ME OF TO JAIL and say "Uh, constable we found this really crazy violent magician blowing shit up. I wouldnt trust anything he says" *bluff checks**
Well in the morning, the Paladin actually awakes and goes "Where's Versago?" And everyone else is like "We dont know." and he's like "Well dammit we just met him and he's a rather independent sort and maybe he did just go off to follow his own will but DAMMIT! We're not leaving until we know for sure."
And then paladin eventually finds me in the town jail, here's what happened, convinces the jailor that he's pretty sure I'm not a danger to anyone and then just looks at the rest of the party (the other 5) "You men are despicable." (now this is a supposed party of neutrals, save me CG and the paladin LG)
WELL….later on after the pally left, I would be killed by that party after the paladin left when I tried to diplo a devil who actually made me feel sorry for him, and in between then many times be knocked out by the pyromaniacal monk & co when I wouldnt hand over my oil to burn things in the name of "cleansing evil". My second character would die in simlar fashion arguing over prisoners. The of course lead to the long walk outside in the December night, smoking, and the "Well you see, you should never go against the party. Its just always a bad idea, I wouldnt have done it."
Albeit that was pretty wacky as I can well tell looking back, it pretty much killed my interest in doing things without consulting and having the agreement of everyone else …until here, in which without "persistant" parties, I felt more free to do and pursue things, at least offquest. But like scathien which surpised me, if you're willing to support split party play, you should let me people know.
"Ya can hoot, ya can holla-make any noise ya like! But if ya cant chant, oh if ya cant chant, well…ya no cult o' mine!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7movKfyTBII
~Ishkokum Mes Mosof She'res~
"Congratulations, you can link to TV Tropes. This does not mean you have special insight into the storytelling process, much less the author's mind. Stories don't need to fit into neat boxes, you know.
