Ian Watt's page

Evil party's work. They have to be built appropriately, and the whole crew has to agree to the blueprint. One type:

- A Charistmatic leader others are willing to follow. Best bet is Cleric, Rogue or Bard here. Make him a scion of nobility with the desire to rule the country/world/temple.
- A brutish thug who is the Leader's enforcer. He does what he is told because he loves/worships the Leader PC or doesn't have the imagination to betray him. A smart Leader keeps this guy happy by delivering virgins to sate his baser lusts. Barbarian/Fighter works very well here.
- The assassin/spy type. This is the trickiest type. It works best if romantically involved with the Leader, or maybe as a family member who recognizes his best shot is to hang around the well loved leader. Ranger/Rogue works awesomely here.
- The ammoral brains behind the throne. He wants power, but doesn't want to deal with the trapping s and responsibility. Hooking up with the Leadre and enforcing his agenda leads to wealth/power/willing sacrifices for his research. Cleric or Wizard works well here as well.

Curse of the Crimson Throne would work well here. Just make the family of the Leader the only worthy threat to the Queen is a succession, that the rabble would rally around. Then the Queen would try to get rid of them as a preventive maneuver, setting the party against her from the start. Their only hope is to fight back, and the heroic NPCs could be dilluded into following them because they are less of an evil (maybe), or because the Leader is good at dissembling his evilness to the public.

Remember, the party can appear to be good while been deeply evil. Many dictators have been deeply loved by the masses wh were unaware of their villainy.

The above is just one blueprint of many that might work. Evil party's are very effiecient in the sense that they ar very self motivatedf for power grabbing.

If you really want to blow his mind, have the name be the cleric's own...

Where can I find info identifying terrain types for the Hex map? The legend doesn't seem to clarify it.

The situation facing Westcrown in this adventure is chaotic enough that "deputizing" the PCs might not really have much of an effect, even if it WERE legally done. The Mayor DOES have that power, though, although it's not a permanent deputization until the paperwork with the national government is filed and signed in triplicate.

I've been very carefully illustrating how bureaucratic everything is in Cheliax. Had one of the PCs mentors be arrested for operating a school without the proper license. Things escalated from their...

They had to deal with the Justice system, which requires hiring a cleric of Asmodeus to study th law. By paying him enough, he will find, or have the temple write up, exemptions and ameliorating circumstances to just about any case (except forging, demon consorting).

If you want to motivate PCs into reforming a city, there is nothing betetr than making them hate bureaucracy. :D

Yes, this is awesome! I'll be using some of these ideas as well.

Nice!

4) Saria Roccin (Durotas of the Dottari)
4.1) Is under Investigation by the Hellknights.
4.2) Knows which CLeric of Asmodeus to approach when somebody needs to negotiate a penalty fee.
4.3) Has lost family to the Hellknights in the past.

5) Scasi Bolvona (Durotas of the Condottari)
5.1) Is keeping the news of the Canal Ripper quiet.
5.2) His wife, Adelna Dioso, doesn't know he is a philanderer.
5.3) A newly arrived lovely half-eleven actress has been seen visiting him often these last few weeks (It's actually his bastard daughter).

6) Durotas Arik Tuornos (Durotas of the Rundottari)
6.1) Has survived more than one assassination attempt.
6.2) Won't investigate events unless they affect a native Wiscrani.

7) Durotas Lhiana Strikis
7.1) Had an affair with the Duxotar to gain her position.
7.2) Is rumored to have gathered a vast wealth through extorting bribes.