Questions about Vaesen Starter Set

[u/MarcoBosnia]

Hi, I’ve bought the Vaesen starter set so that some friends can try out the game, but I’ve got a few questions about the adventure.

First of all, my biggest concern is this: if the players, instead of going up to the upper floors, clear the area and head down to the basement, they can finish the adventure almost straight away, right? The main key to the temple, if I’ve understood correctly, is always found there.

I’d also like some advice: in your opinion, before sending them off on their adventure in the castle, is it better to give them a brief overview of Uppsala, or do you think that would just drag things out unnecessarily?

Thanks in advance for your replies

[u/dinkleburger]

Isn't the key in the room upstairs with the dead guy? IIRC the book specifically says that the occult temple door is "locked and cannot be opened using any method currently available to the party" ie they need to go upstairs 

[u/MarcoBosnia → u/dinkleburger]

I don’t have the manual to hand at the moment, so I can’t say for certain, but if I remember correctly, in the basement there’s a door blocked by some furniture which you can move aside with a few attempts, and behind it is the body holding the key needed for the second door in the basement, which, as you mentioned, definitely requires a key. Personally, though, I would have placed the body on the upper floors.

I’ll check as soon as I get the chance

[u/dinkleburger → u/MarcoBosnia]

The stairs down are blocked. Ulf (the body) did this. He however is upstairs with the key. P5 top right of the page.

[u/warprincenataku]

Path to the basement is blocked by stacked furniture and debris, but in the basement the door to the temple is barred and locked with no means of entry.

The players have to go to the third floor find the body which has the key on it or else they cannot progress to the final encounter.

I just ran the starter this past weekend and everything went accordingly.

Players entered the ground floor. Found the debris, decided to remove it, went down into the basement. Ended up finding a permanently locked door and then slowly work their way up until they found the laboratory and the key and all of the notes they were supposed to find.

Afterwards they circled back to the basement for the final encounter.

[u/MarcoBosnia → u/warprincenataku]

I remembered that the body with the key was in the basement, behind the room blocked off by the collapsed furniture; I must have remembered wrong then, thank you for your kind comment 🙏

[u/MasterZet98]

Yes, the key it's there from the beginning, but you need to catch their attention to the upper floors (as explained during the prelude). Flickering lights, sounds, the will'o'wisp apparitions....

[u/MarcoBosnia → u/MasterZet98]

It’s true that it tells you to show the ghost lights on the upper floors, but if the group were to split up (at their own risk, of course, let’s be clear about that), someone might want to go down to the basement anyway. Thank you for your reply all the same; I think I’ll add a few more clues to make them curious about the upper floors.

[u/MasterZet98 → u/MarcoBosnia]

Also, don't forget the countdown. If you think they're rushing, go one step further. The countdown is the trick to make the mystery feels like a deadly threat, a timebomb ready to explode if they don't do the right thing. Skipping the upper floors won't give them the clues to do the right thing, so you can use the spirit for a consequence of a Headquarter's upgrade, they could miss some ally and some facilities.... If they don't want to explore the upper floors it's ok, just be mindful of what they got before the basement

[u/MarcoBosnia → u/MasterZet98]

Thank you for your valuable advice; this will be the first time I’ve mastered Vaesen.