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I was wondering if anyone had any quests or ideas for quests regarding the Sable Company?
I'm planning on running CotCT as a very long campaign for my group once the hard cover is out. I've already added all of the adventures/modules listed in the "books to have" thread.
However I really want some quests to help bring Marcus Endrin to into the game and have my players know more about him and the Sable Company.
I've considered having him present during a few of the mission briefings from Kroft as a way of showing their friendship and having him around, however it would be nice to have some flavoured quests working for him directly.
These would fit in and around the quests in chapters 1 & 2.
If I write up any custom content of my own I'll be sure to come back and post it for others.
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He's a very basic introduction quest I've managed to mock up. I'll warn you it's very rough as I've not done any editing passes on it yet.
Hippogriff Down!
After the first meeting with Cressida Kroft and just as the PCs are leaving Marcus Endrin bumps into them entering Kroft’s office.
Kroft introduces them and they all chat, then when Endrin explains that one of his marines has gone missing after chasing a group of looters over North Point and was coming to ask if the guard had seen anything, Kroft mentions that the PCs were going to North Point to look into something for her and volunteers them to look into it whilst they’re in the area.
Once in North Point it’s a DC5 Diplomacy or Knowledge (local) check to get information about seeing a sable company marine swooping low close to Dead Shoanti Way and not coming back up again.
The rider and its mount were actually tricked into a trap by a very lucky group of thugs, they dismounted the rider with a rope trap sending him and his mount crashing through a nearby warehouse roof.
The thugs are now inside with the sable marine tied up and are tormenting the injured Hippogriff by stabbing at it with their knives which they lashed onto the end of ten foot poles.
Looter Thugs (6)
When the Looter Thugs notice the PCs three break away from tormenting the Hippogriff and move to attack the PCs. Once two of the looters go down the remaining three join the fight.
If the Sable Company Marine is freed from his bindings (rope; 2 hp, hardness 0, break DC 23) he joins the PCs in the fight taking a round to retrieve his bow from a nearby crate.
The Hippogriff is badly injured and currently on 10hp, if healed enough to bring it back above half hitpoints it stands up with a roar (screech?) and attacks the looters.
Once rescued the Marine thanks the PCs and says he’ll return to the Great Tower to report in, he mentions that the PCs should come by and see Endrin some time as he’s bound to reward them for their work.
Looter Thug CR 1/2 (modified Brigand NPC Codex)
XP 200
Human warrior 2
NE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +0
Defense
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 15 (2d10+4)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Poledagger -1 (1d4/19-20) or dagger +3 (1d4/19-20)
Tactics
During Combat The Looter Thugs attack the PCs with their “poledaggers” laughing at anyone they manage to hit. If a PC closes into melee with a Looter Thug he drops his poledagger and draws his second dagger to fight.
Moral The Looter Thugs are cowards and if reduced to below 4 HP they try to flee or beg for their lives in cornered.
Statistics
Str 13, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 14
Feats Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Stealth)
Skills Intimidate +4, Stealth +6
Languages Common
Gear leather armor, 10’ Pole, Daggers (2), 1gp 7sp
Still looking for some ideas on expending the Sable Company within the campaign.
Right now I'm planning on running the above as a quick quest to introduce Endrin then have him replace the NPC's normally giving out quests for the PFS modules I am adding (veteran's vault, portent's peril, green market).
I really am interested in others ideas and solutions used to fleshing the Sable Company out a bit more.
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You can make a whole run of adventures out of (say) "take out a smuggler/pirate nest operating down the coast" -- maybe link this with Seven Days to the Grave and the mysterious ship that came in, or after Seven Days when Korvosa is still under quarantine lockdown and the Queen is trying to keep the city isolated.
Have them deal, at some point, with a band of Shoanti raiders -- this will give them some advance preparation for the Cinderlands. This could be as simple as "track and defeat this band of raiders", or a harder more diplomatic quest (e.g., "get the captives/hostages back without letting any of them be killed" since they are members of a powerful city family, your pick which. Secretly Ileosa wants some of the hostages for the Grey Maidens.)
The Dwarves at Janderhoff need some help defeating a band of sky pirates that has been attacking their caravans. (Numerian tech? Goblins mounted on harpies? Ogres on rocs? A pack of young dragons? The Dwarves don't know, but they know that the caravans have been attacked by flying things, and the Sable Company has hippogriffs, and Korvosa is an old ally, so...)
Try to infiltrate the Citadel of the Nail and get some dope on what the Hellknights are up to... without getting caught.
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Here are some basic ideas, that could be used in the first installment of the AP:
- Commander Marcus Endrin is no fan of queen Ileosa. Why? Because seneschal Kalepopolis, a former Sable Company officer, told him that she changed for the worse, quite recently and quite suddenly. Kalepopolis was investigating the situation himself. Commander Endrin asks the PCs to try and find the seneschal, or – if they cannot – retrace his steps during the last few day before his disappearance. The PCs find out that he has been investigating the mysterious suicides of various artists in town, who suddenly lost their ‘muse’. This coincided with Ileosa’s change. The PCs might find the seneschal’s research notes in the Leroung library and go about the city to learn more about the suicides.
- Endrin’s mistrust of Ileosa extends to how she initially made her way into Eodred’s life. He asks the PCs to find out where Ileosa came from and how the manipulated circumstances to gain the king’s attention. The PCs will learn that she indeed staged her accident (possibly through someone who aided her in this conceit), which allowed her to meet the king. Although this proves her past scheming in making it to Korvosa’s queen, it does not reveal her recent schemes. Endrin just wants this information as a ‘weapon’ against a queen he does not trust. It will also give the PCs some nice background information, and serve as a reminder not to trust the woman on the throne too much.
- Since the Sable Company guards over Korvosa’s sky and waters, they are responsible for finding and stopping smugglers. Since the problems in the city require all the Company’s attention, Endrin needs the PCs’ help to stop a gang of smugglers who are shipping food illegally into the city, which they sell at a stiff price. At the same time, the smugglers might hit existing food suppliers, like bakers or butchers, to put them out of business and take over their markets.
- The Sable Company has never been friends with the Hellknights. The warriors of the Order of the Nail have been ruthless in their efforts to squash any and all signs of protest in the city. On one such an occasion, two Sable Company marines interfered with Hellknight ‘justice’, to save the lives of several citizens. They succeeded, but were captured as a result and are now being held prisoner in the Hellknight barracks. Endrin wants them out, but cannot send his own men, so he asks the PCs free these two captured soldiers in secret.
- The hippogriff stable master is missing. The PCs have to find out what happened to him. Maybe he just stayed at home to protect his family in the troubled times that befell the city. Maybe he was (wrongfully?) arrested in the riots and the PCs have to get him out of jail by proving his innocence or pleading his case in front of a judge (nice opportunity to introduce judge Zenobia Zenderholm). This might even be an opportunity for the PCs to get a job working in the stables for one of the lambs they saved from Gaedran Lamm.
Thanks to you both, those are some great ideas I'll look at fleshing out.
Here are some basic ideas, that could be used in the first installment of the AP:
...
- Commander Marcus Endrin is no fan of queen Ileosa. Why? Because seneschal Kalepopolis, a former Sable Company officer, told him that she changed for the worse, quite recently and quite suddenly. Kalepopolis was investigating the situation himself. Commander Endrin asks the PCs to try and find the seneschal, or – if they cannot – retrace his steps during the last few day before his disappearance. The PCs find out that he has been investigating the mysterious suicides of various artists in town, who suddenly lost their ‘muse’. This coincided with Ileosa’s change. The PCs might find the seneschal’s research notes in the Leroung library and go about the city to learn more about the suicides.
- Endrin’s mistrust of Ileosa extends to how she initially made her way into Eodred’s life. He asks the PCs to find out where Ileosa came from and how the manipulated circumstances to gain the king’s attention. The PCs will learn that she indeed staged her accident (possibly through someone who aided her in this conceit), which allowed her to meet the king. Although this proves her past scheming in making it to Korvosa’s queen, it does not reveal her recent schemes. Endrin just wants this information as a ‘weapon’ against a queen he does not trust. It will also give the PCs some nice background information, and serve as a reminder not to trust the woman on the throne too much.
- Since the Sable Company guards over Korvosa’s sky and waters, they are responsible for finding and stopping smugglers. Since the problems in the city require all the Company’s attention, Endrin needs the PCs’ help to stop a gang of smugglers who are shipping food illegally into the city, which they
Wow man. I so wish I could generate ideas like this. I am great at fleshing out encounters, and making fairly interesting combatants. But, damn, I suck at the framework. Which is part of the reason I am going to run CoCT...and tinker with it.