AMBUSH!


Advice


In my next session I want to ambush the party and kidnap one of the characters. Specifically, someone high up in the city takes an interest in the party orc, and wants to speak with him. The party will be 5th / 6th level probably, so how would you go about setting this up in an urban adventure? I dont know the rest of the party make up yet - we just had 3 characters, a friendly construct and an animal companion die after a particularly fraught combat last game, so we need some reinforcements. I do know that the orc will be by far the toughest and the party's main fighter.

I was hoping to take him out with nets, poison bolts (with sleep poison) and stuff like that to immobilize him, and drive the rest of the party off somehow. Are there any low ish level spells I can do to separate them? I.e. wall of wind (but I think they can pass through that). Alternatively I could just make it so that they are outnumbered and have to retreat, but I imagine my party would rather fight to the death than retreat and abandon their beloved orcish friend. Thoughts?


Sleeping poison, sleep spell, hold person.

If they want to fight, cause fear and have them run.


Ummm...why do you need to kidnap them specifically?

Players really don't like when the lose control of their characters, like being knocked out and drug someplace for the GM to have some sort of exposition or forced into the next part of the plot.

Why not do something that isn't going to rub against the players...have someone leave a note. Or fire a single arrow/bolt with a note attached at the player in question. That should get their attention. Especially if the purposefully miss.

Then you can draw them to a place a person for whatever you need to.


It is important to the plot that this particular character is the focus of lots of attention. Im not going to make it a definite kidknap, I will give them the chance to escape. But I think it would be fun for them. The character will be approached various ways first, and the ambush is just if he turns these offers down.


1: teleport him? (Igor's 'i wish you were here' card).

2: start a bar drinking contest. everyone who fail enough saves get passed out,sooner or later they will all pass out. and have him wake up in the room with the one who wnat to talk to him.(or better yet, in the BED with her).

3: 'fetch' - have some very big craeture(ROC? or Golem) go(or fly) around the corner and pick him up. ignoring any damage delt to it.
(a variant of this can be a horde of very nasty littile cretures.)

4: sorta 1+3 - telekinesis fetching.

5: cast sugjestion "go to the zoo. enter the empty lion cage and turn left into the tunnle"

something to spice up all of the above. have the npc actuly get him by mistike (maybe he actuly wanted to talk to the wizard? or maybe there is an other orc in town and what ever method used got mixxed up?)


zza ni wrote:

1: teleport him? (Igor's 'i wish you were here' card).

2: start a bar drinking contest. everyone who fail enough saves get passed out,sooner or later they will all pass out. and have him wake up in the room with the one who wnat to talk to him.(or better yet, in the BED with her).

3: 'fetch' - have some very big craeture(ROC? or Golem) go(or fly) around the corner and pick him up. ignoring any damage delt to it.
(a variant of this can be a horde of very nasty littile cretures.)

4: sorta 1+3 - telekinesis fetching.

5: cast sugjestion "go to the zoo. enter the empty lion cage and turn left into the tunnle"

something to spice up all of the above. have the npc actuly get him by mistike (maybe he actuly wanted to talk to the wizard? or maybe there is an other orc in town and what ever method used got mixxed up?)

I would rather have the encounter as a fight. They are walking through a seedy part of town when suddenly a group of rough looking fellas emerge from the shadows with nets and spears shouting 'get the animal'.

I will have two net throwers and three crossbowmen with poison bolts (sleep poison, possibly drow) to try and subdue the orc, puls a few fighters to take on the rest of the party and a wizard for some crowd control to try and separate the party. The wizard will be 5th level, so that gives me 3rd level spells to play with. Suggestion 'run away' on the rest of the party is the best idea so far.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I'm not sure what the goal is...but if I were in the PCs' shoes being ambushed and kidnapped would not inspire much in the way of trust for a potential employer.

If someone wants to recruit him fine...kidnap a dependent, cousin, whatever of his. I would advise against targeting the PC unless the players knows in advance that it's for a good story and is cool with it.

But if you have to do it:

Mundane:
Smokestick for cover for ambushes (stay just inside and you get concealment on defense but don't suffer penalty when attacking).
Tanglefoot bag. Great debuffer.
Sleep poison as mentioned above.

Magic (low-level):
Command.
Grease.
Sleep.
Color Spray.
Fear.
Silent Image (fake walls to cover ambushers).

But really the more resources you throw at them it kind of begs the question why do they need to hire the PC?


As for how to do it, look for the guys weakest save, and cas a spell that incapacitates him via that. Provide some thugs to tie up the rest of the party in combat, and some thugs to carry the orc off.


Its not voluntary employment as such. The orc wakes up in an arena about to fight for his life, I think. That's what I have so far anyway, it might change. But essentially it is a random encounter to spice up the city for them that may or may not happen, depending on other choices, and may or may not work, depending on how well they react to the ambush.


But try PM'ing with the player if they're ok with it.

My GM had, during our camping, a hag disguised as a nymph come up to my fighter and cast charm person. He was on 1st watch and being a fighter, has low will saves.

Short version: i end up in their cabin, the others wake and come find me and convince me there's a pressing matter to tend to.

A bit later the hag and sisters (and summoned animals) come after the party.


josh hill 935 wrote:
Its not voluntary employment as such. The orc wakes up in an arena about to fight for his life, I think. That's what I have so far anyway, it might change. But essentially it is a random encounter to spice up the city for them that may or may not happen, depending on other choices, and may or may not work, depending on how well they react to the ambush.

This is exactly the sort of thing I would resent as a player. Please talk to your player about what you would like to do before you do it.


While I agree with many of the cautionary posts, I'd also like to help your original request: The ambush should include 4 archers, with blunt arrows for non-lethal damage, and 1 big, Bad Larry tank wall. Bad Larry's job is to keep the Orc off the archers, and deliver some heavy lethal damage for the big knockout.
Have the Wizard cast Aqueous Orb on the party healer, then other front-line combatants, then any spell casters, then ranged combatants - in that order. Suggestion works great when it works, but there's no try again button. The surprise round of the ambush leaves the Orc flat-footed, and 4 Archers with Rapid Shot will punch 8 Arrows into him.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Also based on what I just read, this is a lot of prep for a story fork that may or may not happen.

You are the storyteller. Decide if it is going to happen or not. Then fluff it out.

Since you are going with an Arena...why not have the entire party wake up there? Avoids the Netrunner diving into the Matrix problem. (one guy get to play, others sit out.)

I'd leave the exact methodology of capture a bit vague.

GM: "Your group has vague memories of snipers from shadows, perhaps a hastily uttered spell or two. One or two of you had just enough time to call out before being overwhelmed. You awaken lying down in a pit of sand...all around you hear the roaring of a crowd." etc...


You could get a caster behind the group, and have that caster cast scare. Then the orc would run through the lines of the ambusher and would be picked up by a second crew with saps that are a run action down the allyway.

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