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The shadows are dark in Westcrown, the dottari are in the pockets of a criminal noble class, and the people cry out for a hero.
They got four.
Arokora Arokora aka The Blackbird a stryx stalker vigilante.
Phillip Fathom aka The Deep Sea Detective a gillman Avenger vigilante.
Piotr Miles aka The Crimson Spider a human warlock vigilante.
Morgo aka Not Morgo a goblin zealot.
Tonight's Adventure The Lost Hobo!
Our heroes began the adventure patrolling the streets of Westcrown, shadow monsters stalk the streets of the city, and innocent citizens are getting attacked.
A scream from a nearby allery alerted our heroes to danger. A young woman trapped in the clutches of a Shadow Mastiff CR 5. Blackbird and Deep Sea Detective had surprise, their Startling Appearance having little effect, except Blackbird getting some extra damage (foes are already flat-footed when they are surprised. It spent its first turn baying so the -4 to attacks didn't come up).
The fight ended in three rounds, with a small amount of damage to the Deep Sea Detective.
Our heroes learned the young woman, Betti Bala, was on the streets looking for a homeless lady named One Eyed Nancy, a local fixture and Hobo fortune teller. Our heroes volunteered to find Nancy once they escorted her home.
Arokora and Morgo changed identities to see if anyone in the Dustbins or Goblin infested sewers knew anything. Deep Sea Detective searched the alley for clues, while Crimson Spider tracked the hound through the sewers. Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perception and Survival were rolled with brief RP interludes. Our heroes came together to share what they'd learned.
One Eyed Nancy split her time between the cardboard shack in the alley and the abandoned temple of Aroden. She'd been kind to goblins and they watched out for her, but shed been missing a while. Her shack was scrawled in diabolic prophecies about the fall of Cheliax and the return of the true master. Interspersed with prayers to Aroden. The shadow Mastiff came from an area marked by a gang called the Bastards of Erebus, trouble causing tieflings.
Our heroes, all back in heroic personas headed to the temple of Aroden. An impressive ruin, it seemed to be infested by Bastards (5 lvl 3 rogues. NPC codex). They set off a debris slide trap, but none of the heroes were trapped by it. All of our heroes used their turns to Intimidate the thugs into surrendering, Blackbird used his mockingbird ability to convince the Tiefs thery were surrounded. Crimson Spider used his wrist tattoo to catch up with a fleeing bastard by activating his Expeditious Retreat wand.
The players found out Nancy was buried in a nearby graveyard. The Bastards led the PCs to where she was, and our heroes dug her out, she was still alive, barely. The PCs learned the Bastards were under new leadership. A tieflings by the name of Revengi, had taken over the gang, and was expanding its power base.
Revengi was known as the bodyguard for a merchant prince recently moved to the city buying many ruined properties though not yet developing them.
That's where we had to stop.
Player feedback:
Startling appearance doesn't do enough for an ability you can only use once.
5 minutes is too much time to switch identities unless the GM specifically designs the adventure around it.
Mockingbird is rad, don't change a thing.
Fist of the Avenger could use a boost. (1/3 a level?)
Phillip Fathom's player remarked that a one level dip in Vigilante and 5 levels of Stalker would be more effective.
Zealot is okay, but comes across as cleric lite.
Wrist tattoos are rad.
Social ID needs more buffs.
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The player of Crimson Spider said might retrain his Spymaster in Kingmaker as a Vigilante, so he could separate his public persona from his wetwork persona. He's a bard at the moment and would likely only dip to get some goodies.
We're in book 5 now so scryproofing is actually useful.
In fact the vigilante is more appropriate to a spy or secret agent than crime fighter.
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Also they felt it might be terrible in a mixed group, if bad stuff goes down at a party, a market, a tavern, etc the Vigilante needs 5 minutes to become useful.
What if you're a heavily armoured vigilante? Does taking the time to Don your armour add to the 5 minute change time?
I suggest full round, standard, move, swift progression for ID change.
If combat breaks out you need a round to find cover and go stealth to maintain your cover anyway.
I approve of the Vorkosigan reference with Piotr Miles. Admiral Naismith was an awesome vigilante!
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A badass space mercenary admiral that was actually a cover for a noble to participate in clandestine intelligence service for his government because his body is too frail to join the regular military.
The Vorkosigan Saga is a pretty great read. The main character (for most of the series) is named Miles. But he was originally supposed to be named Piotr Miles after both grandfathers.