Hello, I’ve been running a home-brew world heavily inspired by Athas, and am now in a perfect situation to run an adaptation of the Freedom module (players want to organize/join a rebellion to overthrow a sorcerer king!). Everything I’ve read from Freedom suggests it’s absurdly railroad-y and casts players as “side-show” to the novels. Does anyone have suggestions on how to “fix” this module or come across some great articles/instructions on how to do so?
This is a home-brew world so I don’t care about maintaining Athas cannon / timeline etc. I mostly want players to interact with the resistance, the templars, and culminate in likely a gladiator tournament that will position them to get within spitting distance of the Sorcerer King.
Any suggestions are highly appreciated!
When I ran DS1 with my current group of players, I was saved by one of the PCs (the Preserver) screwing things up so badly it was comic relief and a distraction for everyone else.
Divine providence notwithstanding, I ran the module with the PCs split into 2 - some enslaved and on the inside, some free and helping their colleagues. That broke some of the railroading up, gave 2 separate parallel storylines and helped everyone feel as though they weren’t an after thought to the main action. It did require a bit more work on my part to fill in the ‘free citizen’ blanks, but was overall worth it.
This is great advice! Yes I’m planning to potentially avoid the “you get captured” part (unless they do something obviously stupid/Nat 1 and can tell its their own fault) I’m leaning toward encouraging them to volunteer for the gladiator tournament somehow.
Where I’m really struggling is some “scene” / hook ideas for the resistance. They currently have found a safe house for some of the resistance members (granny’s house, where folks gather to “remember the old ways”) - what are some ideas for getting them involved in the local Underground?
Unite the network of disparate factions?
Change/improve (and lead) the resistance’s existing plot?
Run supplies? (heist at the weapons depot, eg)
Free the prisoners working the deep mines below the city? (Swell their ranks)
If you’re going to run DSQ1-3/DSE1 it helps if the PCs have their positions and reputations in Tyr by the end of Freedom. The enslaved/forced gladiator group largely ran as written (aided by the psionic artificer getting a crit and one shotting his opponent). I had the free PCs tying up with Sadira and Agis (and the Preserver escaping the slave pits when the VA wanted him there as an operative caused me no end of problems…) which let me engineer anti-Kalak sabotage missions and have them get a taste for the nobility and senate side of shenanigans. That came in handy with Road to Urik and the struggle to assemble the army.
I did this, roughly (based on Toucanbuzz’s adaptation):
- The Veiled Alliance recruits the players to purposefully incarcerate themselves to assist in the plot to kill Kalak.
- Their mission is to show that they are not just normal slaves, but could be great fodder for the gladiatorial show at the end of the year and get moved into the arena where security is less tight
- There, they are to sneak close to the wall one evening and receive a package (the Heartwood Spear), and place it in the weapons rack so that Rikus and Neeva can pick it up during the Gladiatorial show. The PCs are supposed to be a buffer here, so that in case they attract too much attention, at least Rikus and Neeva are never implicated.
- When they arrive at the rendevouz, they are approached by their VA contact who frantically states that they courier never arrived with the spear, and he convinces the PCs to come with him, sneak out of the compound and go find the courier. (In my version, I had the PCs teleported to a location outside of Tyr and ran the Marauders of the Dune Sea dungeon). Run some dungeon, e.g. in UnderTyr where they have some nice combat and eventually find the Spear.
- Return the spear to the rack and then run the gladiatorial event
- Multiple rounds, loads of fun, excitement.
- Final match, pairs, big pyramid, a gaj, some craziness, and then Rikus attempts to kill Kalak.
- In my version, I had Rikus and Neeva fail and get slaughtered, dropping the spear at the PCs feet. I gave them some “heroic time” to plan an awesome strike and basically just used the rule of cool to let them hit Kalak with the spear (or in a miss, it would still affect Kalak enough to push him into the Golden Tower). I had Sadira sacrifice herself to allow the spear to hit.
- They give chase with Agis and Tithian, go through the Golden Tower, underground, into the Ziggurat, fight a bunch of undead while Kalak eats orbs. Agis engages Kalak psionically in his weakened situation, keeping him busy. PCs attempt to break enough orbs to sabotage. Eventually Deus ex Machina arrives, the Dragon shows up to punish Kalak for his attempt to jump to lvl 30, and for skipping the Levy, stuns Kalak enough for the PCs to strike a killing blow.
I liked this approach because if puts the PCs front and center instead of as the audience. Even though it is still a bit railroady. I also followed Toucanbuzz’ approach and let the PCs find a piece of the Crown of Dust, and I added my own twist and had Yarnath (slither) also looking for the crown, ominously stalking them outside the cavern where they found the spear. Also, got rid of a ton of the main characters taking too much limelight! Muhaha. 
Thanks Freysi! This is the inspiration I needed.
I’ve never run freedom, but I have run a group through the killing of Kalak. I basically had my group find a different artifact, other than the heartwood spear, that is also needed to kill Kalak. They work with the major players and discover the tunnels beneath the arena. During the games, they are breaking into the golden tower and clearing the way for the others.
Rikus throws the spear, as written, and the PCs are the first to encounter Kalak. They fight and I have the book heroes show up when appropriate. The PCs kill him and Tithian takes the crown. The populace of Tyr gives Rikus all the credit for killing Kalak, much to the annoyance of the PCs.
As part of their reward, I awarded the PCs with a nice home, in the noble’s quarter. This ties them to Tyr, so they can take part in the war with Urik.
This is the way. Invest the PCs. I think this would be the normal approach. A cash gift would be rare indeed.
Since you already got some good answers, I’m just going to comment that the title of this post reads like, you are heavily pro-slavery.
Wow, i completely disagree. YMMV…
I apologize for any confusion/alarm. This is my first time posting and I’m not sure how to edit the title of the post. I had supposed in the context of a Dark Sun forum “Adventures” sub-forum, listing the name of the first / perhaps most well-known Dark Sun module (“Freedom”) would be communicated. Further context, my ask is to break the railroad of the original module and give players more agency in their lives, so I hope my underlying positive intentions can be read.
I personally think the title is generally fine, especially being under the heading of Adventures. It, at worst (IMO), is at risk of being misinterpreted by someone already looking to complain about the Dark Sun setting - such misguided folks only need an excuse, not a reason.
“Fixing the ‘Freedom’ adventure” might have been more clear, but…
@Kyle_Johnson the title is fine. If you’re a DS fan you’ll know what ‘Freedom’ is. If you’re on this forum I would surmise you’re a DS fan.
I reiterate: the thread title is fine.
Wow, I’m sorry, I was joking. Your title isn’t offensive, I was misreading it to apparently not so comical affect.
Totally missed the joke. Oh wells… 
No one can tell the difference because this is the kind of complaint we see all the time.
Looking back at it it was not a great idea to try to tell a joke like that with someone who was posting for the first time. I’m really sorry if I upset anyone.
@Ruhl-Thaun_Sage unfortunately with the brain dead rubbish coming out of Wizards on Dark Sun, it’s not easy to separate fact from fiction anymore! 
No sweat folks, misunderstanding in the written medium. This has been a phenomenally welcoming and responsive community on my first post. I’m already inspired for my next adventure! Thank you all.
Well, see, now you gotta tell us what it is - tease!