MoN Sidequests

[Nvision]

I'm running through Masks of Nyarlathotep with my regular group and we're just finishing up the first ocean voyage from NY to Southampton. Starting in London, and in several other of the global locales, there are options for a series of "red herring" scenarios. When I played through MoN last time, our Keeper cut these out to keep the plot streamlined and things moving forward. I'm inclined to do the same, as our gaming nights are increasingly precious occurrences, and I think I'd prefer to maintain that forward momentum. Have any of you run through this before and utilised the side-quests? Do you think they added anything to the experience?

[Dr. Gerard]

I can't give great advice because I've never run it. But my guess is that if time is precious, stick to the main threads because you'll have enough trouble keeping things on track without the herrings.

But I wanted to add that I've been lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the pending Masks Companion, and it's going to be an incredible resource for keepers running that campaign. Great advice on how to run it, tips on pacing and NPCs to help move things along, and some really nicely written extra scenarios to throw into the plot if needed. Depending on how long you run the campaign, you might be able to buy it by the time you finish. I give it very high marks.

[KeeperMurph]

I agree with chad. Save the red herring scenarios for when the group gets bored. Ignore them entirely if time is an issue.

[Nvision]

I've been eagerly anticipating the MoN companion for...years. Everything that has been mentioned thus far seems incredibly cool, but I fear I may not survive long enough to utilise it. Hopefully, streamlining the campaign by excising the side-quest should help us finish sooner. We're up to six players, which really helps to keep things moving with the hell that is scheduling game nights.