Melora Chabert |
I'm currently running a VERY laid back Rise of the Runelords AE campaign, first time ever running content I didn't make. To that extent, the party is three gestalt characters;
1.) A shadow summoner/impossible sorcerer
2.) An overwhelming soul blood kinetisist/Aldori swordlord fighter(with Aldori prestige class)
3.) An inspired blade swashbuckler/elemental master arcanist.
My group has deviated from the book's content on several occasions, but it's all in good fun so I'm just rolling with it. I don't enforce strict rules, I mostly just try to keep the story moving, focus on role play, and don't railroad anything.
The latest shenanigans are a plan to infiltrate Jorgenfist. After the failed raid on Sandpoint by the stone giants and learning what they were there for, they decided that they want to take a piece of the Old Light to Mokmurian themselves. Using both Form of The Giant and Monstrous Physique spells imbued into magic items, they plan to go in as an ogre and two lamia, give Mokmurian a piece of the Old Light, and infiltrate/sabotage from the inside.
I honestly love this idea, and I'm looking for feedback on how to run this particular tangent. I'm looking for anything really; NPC interaction ideas, things that could go in their favor, things that could backfire on them, etc. Again, we're a role play focused group, so I'm mostly hoping for feedback with RP applications, but I appreciate any input.
Thanks!
Tinalles |
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Hmm. That's pretty cool, but it's going to be tough. Let's just walk through this.
If they wind up camping with the ogres, one of the ogre raiders develops a crush on the PC disguised as an ogre. Does the PC reject their advances, potentially triggering a fight? Delay, and hope to escape before it can come up again? Accept, and then have a dreadfully awkward time explaining why they can't take off this one bit of shiny gear (their disguise item)?
If the patrol discovers them, though, I'd run this as a combat encounter, more or less as written -- the PCs need to prevent those stone giants from reporting in, or their cover will be blown.
If the PCs are smart enough to observe the watchtower closely from cover before approaching, let them realize that Cinderma takes off in the evening. That leaves it in the hands of her Runeslaves, who are dumb as a bucket of rocks. If the PCs say they're here on Mokmurian's orders, the Runeslaves will probably just let them pass.
The ogres of the Red Shield and Nightshade clan may potentially be interested in your ogre-impersonating PC, as this is logically someone to join their contingent. They'll probably have questions like "What your clan?" "You join Red Shields, yes? We strong! Much stronger than Nightshade pansies." "No, you join Nightshade. We smarter than Red Shield buffoons. See? We know word 'buffoon'!"
He'll want to know all kinds of things:
1) Who are you?
2) How did you get in here?
3) What do you want?
4) You weren't part of the party I sent to Sandpoint. How did you get involved?
5) What happened to the rest of them?
He doesn't have a great sense motive, but I would impose a significant penalty on bluff checks, because he knows exactly what was going on, and the PCs probably don't have all the details.
If they straight up fail to persuade him that they're legit, roll initiative.
If he's wavering and unsure whether they're legit, he'll demand to see the ogre's Sihedron brand. Unless the PCs have figured out that they need one, then that will give away the game -- and roll initiative.
If the PCs have managed to persuade him that they're legit: "Hrm. Well done for making the best of a bad situation, and completing a mission that wasn't even yours. Give me the stone, and then get yourselves some food in the kitchen before you head back out to the camp." If they try to persuade him to let them stay with the stone all the way to Mokmurian, that probably raises his suspicions. "I gave you an order, soldier. Hand over the stone, get back to camp, and wait for further orders." If they still won't do it, roll initiative.
But if they do, then ... well, at that point I'd say they have effectively infiltrated Jorgenfist, and you'll have to play it by ear from there.
The two lamia sisters are going to be a problem. They'll probably be very interested to meet these two lamia they don't know. Perhaps they want to swap gossip about happenings in Xin-Shalast (that the PCs won't know). Or maybe they want to invite their new sisters to join in a celebration of Lamashtu, complete with all the squicky bits that make Lamashtu so fun -- you know, eruptive childbirth, ritual sacrifice of prisoners for the greed in their souls, crossbreeding with monsters, the usual.
If they avoid that, someone is likely to notice that they're wearing magic gear, unless they go to extraordinary measures to conceal it (making it muddy and tattered, and using Magic Aura to conceal its magical properties from Detect Magic.)
Ultimately, there is no way that this can go on for very long. Sooner or later, somebody will figure it out, and then they'll suddenly be up the creek. They will need an escape plan. If possible, perhaps Conna can intervene and show them a way into the redcap tunnels to escape. Perhaps they can teleport out. Perhaps one of the dwarf prisoners from the armory has been working on an escape tunnel, and they can hide there for a bit until things quiet down. I don't know. You're going to wind up playing it by ear.
It could be awesome. But they definitely need some kind of escape plan, otherwise when things go south they will be in deep, deep trouble.
Melora Chabert |
Those are some great suggestions! I love some of the ogre interactions, particularly the encampments, good RP fuel. They may skip the cattle rustlers though. Pre-campaign, two of them have been to the storval stairs and they're planning to teleport and walk from there. That'll make the hill giant encounter interesting!
Their cover story is actually really good, though not airtight. They all have HIGH bluff/diplomacy/sense motive. Our games are always VERY social.
The PC disguised as an ogre is a Kreeg ogre from Hook Mountain and was sent by Barl to assist with the raid on Sandpoint due to his magical talents and "powerful shadow demon"(he's fond of bluffing the bad guys into thinking his eidolon is a demon). He got to Sandpoint as the raid was failing and Teraktinus gave him the stone before he died, telling him to take it to Jorgenfist.
The two disguised as lamia are his babysitters, more or less. Lucrecia enlisted their aid and tasked them to keep him in line; one of them watches him, and the other is responsible for his eidolon. After all, ogres are unpredictable dimwits, so one with power is worth being concerned about. They're still in the planning stages, but I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to pretend the lamia have him charmed into obedience.
On another note, they did take Lucrecia prisoner and managed to get quite a bit out of her(LOOOOONG story). They know ABOUT Xin-Shalast, but not where it is, how to get there, or too much else at this point. Small details mostly, but they know lamia are from there.
Since the two masquerading as lamia will be doing so matriarchs (Xanesha and Lucrecia are the only lamia they've ever encountered) I'm tempted to see if they attempt to "pull rank" at all. Perhaps treat the ones in Jorgenfist like they're not worth talking to. That could make for interesting interactions. On the other hand, not knowing any better, they might react to the them with subservience or reverence and tip them off that something is wrong. Despite their cleric powers, what matriarch would defer to a common lamia so quickly without some display of power?
As for escape, since they have means to teleport, they're not too worried about that. I have a feeling they won't plan for escape at all, relying on that method, whether it's teleporting outside to take out enemies without being surrounded, or teleporting back to Sandpoint should things go very badly.
Again, thanks a bunch! Great stuff here, and it's given me a bunch to brainstorm and run with.
Tinalles |
Ah yes. Teleport. I keep forgetting about that. My party's wizard went arcane trickster and is three caster levels behind a straight-classed party. They'll finally get access to it at level 12, which is coming up soon-ish.
Let's see. Perhaps some character backgrounds for some of the smaller characters in the fortress?
Sister Ecstasia, the youngest and most carefree of the group. She sings high alto, and revels in using her captivating song. If she has someone in her thrall and is not immediately in danger, she is likely to lead them far afield rather than pressing her advantage, merely for the sake of having an audience. She is vain about her plumage, which resembles that of a peacock. She dislikes Mokmurian, and would be happy to see him go, even though she would miss having such a huge selection targets to beguile.
Sister Morvalia, by far the most serious devotee of the Black Monk. She admires his unending discipline to a point that borders on worship. She believes that the Black Monk banished her and her sisters as punishment for some failure of discipline that he has declined to explain to them. She takes her guard duties very seriously, and hardly sings at all any more unless it is in combat. Her feathers are matte black, and she disapproves of Ecstasia. She aspires to achieve undeath in time, in imitation of her master.
Sister Perowyn, the eldest of the three. She understands a little more of the Black Monk and of Mokmurian than her sisters. More than anything, she wants to understand the mysteries of the Peacock Spirit. Because the Black Monk's order emphasized wizard-monks, she believes that the path to this understanding lies through knowledge of the arcane. She has secretly been attempting to teach herself wizardry, and is intensely frustrated that she has so far failed to master even a single cantrip. She has a heavily thumbed spellbook containing all the cantrips from the core rulebook, and made a bargain with Longtooth for access to his lair as a place to study privately. He charged her heavily for this, and she has had to resort to killing a few giants here and there for the gold to pay her tithe to the dragon. Her plumage is dark brown mottled with white spots.
Jaansk, the elder, is somewhat exasperated with his lovesick little brother, and spends little time interacting with him. He has spent his time attempting to brew a proper jug of mead for himself, but has been frustrated by having insufficient supplies of honey. Periodically he will go out vainly seeking hives to plunder in the surrounding region, only to find the mountains do not favor honeybees. So now he waits in the Bear's Hall, sharpening his weapons and wishing he had a proper drink.
Now the mental and physical losses that affect her kind during extended stays on the material plane have taken their toll. Her fey abilities are almost gone. She can no longer change shape. She has lost her shears, and clutches her ladle in token of the dim memory that once she had a shining tool. She no longer remembers her name; but she knows it is not Grumelda, and answers to that grumpily because it is not hers. She no longer remembers her mission, but finds herself compelled to stay near the Sihedron because she knows there is something she must do about it.
She no longer remembers her sisters. But she dreams of golden threads, of quiet love, and shared purpose -- and every morning wakes weeping to make more gruel for Mokmurian's minions.