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This past week, I had a lot on my plate and I wasn't really able invest much time into my game I've been running. I placed them in a boring town that is walled and occassionally attacked by lizardmen, their primary resource is mining.
They are exceptionally protective because they've broken away from Cheliax so, they attacked the PCs, they got inside through many different means and accidentally let some of the lizardmen in.
My only thought is that they assume that some of the citizens saw the people come in and therefore notices that they were intruders. So, the guards did a small sweep and looked for them and naturally they hid.
That is it, how else do I make this interesting to the characters AND the players.
I have time now, so, it would be pleasent to have suggestions and advice on how to fix this problem. Here are a few things that I have thought of, but, I'm pretty sure my players won't take to them:
1) The mines are being worked by elves as slave labor.
2) The guards will notice a difference between the arrows that were fired on the guards when the PCs got inside and therefore do a thorough search of the city to look for them.
Does anybody have any idea how I can create some more interesting options for my players, they are generally explorers, however, I'd like some more adventure hooks before I continue with this course of action.
Thank you in advance! :D
1. The Beloved of Cheliax a secret society from Old Cheliax that wishes to return the town to the kingdom. They seek out the characters either to use them as direct agents or to manipulate them as pawns.
2. The guards post signs when they can't find the "intruders". They offer pardons for trespassers who track down and destroy the lizardmen. In the course of this action, the characters learn a secret: in order to break away from Cheliax the town had to make an alliance with the lizards, then they didn't honor their end of the bargain and the town owes the l-men BIG TIME!
3. The mines are actually a front for a vile cult that is also taking over people's brains in the town.
4. The citizens who saw the party enter give them asylum. In return, they beg the PCs to eliminate the guard captain who they suspect is secretly evil and oppressing them on purpose.
I hope these give you some angles to follow or at least give you some avenues to explore.
Okay! We have a:
Walled mining town
In conflict with local group of lizardmen
Revolted against their former lords (Cheliax)
Situation:
PCs are hiding in the town from the town guards, who are currently on the lookout for the PCs because the PCs have fought with some of the townspeople.
Lizardmen have gotten inside the wall due to the PCs actions.
SO!
Do the PCs know the lizardmen have gotten inside? If not, have them find out. What do they intend to do with that knowledge?
Are the PCs agents from Cheliax? Or tied to the country in some way? Do the PCs know that the town revolted?
Maybe agents from Cheliax come to town to demand taxes!
Right now, I wouldn't have the town guard do a full search; having the guard on alert while the PCs move about will be tension enough, and restrict their actions (or at least give them pause).
Other hooks:
What if the miners have found something really valuable in the mine? An ancient door, a rare gem, precious metal, treasure, etc.
What if the town wall is in disrepair, and most of the townsfolk don't know? I.e. it wouldn't stand up to any serious attack, but the town leadership pretends that it would? Perhaps the PCs can offer to help, or tell the lizardmen and help the lizardmen lay siege!
Maybe the town is running low on supplies; Cheliax may have issued an edict forbidding merchants from making trips to the town, so now they are running low on food and salt and the like.
hope this helps! :D
A few more for you:
The lizards that entered the town were looking for something specific – perhaps an item of magical or religious significance that was left there when the humans pushed them out and first established the town. Now the PCs have to either stop them from getting it or stop them after they have it from escaping with it.
The lizards have a secret ally in the town who is sheltering them from the other townfolk.
The lizards are appreciative of the assistance and attempt to contact the PCs to repay the favor. Your call on how nice or horrific their “thank you” is.
PCs begin to have a scrying sensor follow them around from time to time. Could be the lizards, could be the town, could be Cheliax, or could be someone or something they have yet to even hear about – but, something is interested in them now.
The lizards are found ritually murdered as if by an evil cult. This has never happened in the town before and the PCs now have to try to figure out who actually did it as they are suspects. Extra fun – witnesses saw the PCs do it!
The lizards poisoned the water supply. Even the PCs need an alternate way to get water. Extra fun – it’s not a poison, it’s some sort of mutagenic or hallucinatory substance.
The townsfolk have a wall because they aren’t what they seem to be and didn’t want to risk accidental discovery. Your choice about lycanthropes, demon cultists, dopplegangers, etc. Extra fun – now that the PCs (and the lizards) have discovered their secret, the PCs (& lizards) have to be transformed or killed to keep the secret safe!
The “Chelaxian representative” was killed at some point and replaced by a doppelganger or similar shapechanger / possessing creature. PCs are implicated in their machinations and have to somehow prove that they were unaware of the duplicity.
Good luck, hope that helps.
-TimD