To be clear, those are the costs of bribery to make the charges go away, right? Meaning they might be higher than the fines associated with them if it doesn't get bribed away, in exchange for not being arrested, jailed, and tried - not to mention the real punishments after trial.
The noble happened to miss the session. He's wondering if he can buy them as slaves. Otherwise two are former slaves, and the third a low class orphan from Isger. They killed an employee of the slave market. They knocked out two other employees, and a dottari. They attacked but failed to knock out a noble (min damage). They freed one slave by breaking a lock on their cage. They broke a door. They also gave another slave a knife and told him to fight for them. I think they will be resistant to new characters. The only one who would be okay with it even told me don't worry, just do what Cheliax law would do. But I should mention new characters as an option to gauge a reaction of the others. Other options I've thought of.... Serve as slaves to those they hurt in some way, or sent off to the silver mines for X time (6mo, 1-2 years). Causes a fast forward in time, although would force me to adjust the campaign timeline. Public lashings followed by branding and possible limb loss (finger... hand!?, eye, etc). Doghousing let's them be rescued, unless I make it heavily protected. But the remaining PC may be under the impression a rescue is possible, then. If it wasn't for that murder... ugh.
First of all, I always appreciate a post from one of the twin titans, zimmerwald and roguerogue, in helping me think about and adjust this AP. Call me ignorant and cynical, but it seems to me people across time and society tend to punch toward whatever is easiest - usually downward. Although the nobles/big bourg may not love Thrune nor especially Barzillai, it's easier and safer to accept it and find wiggle room than try to overthrow the system and risk everything. Similarly, the petty-bourgeois don't want to lose their tenuous grasp on wealth and comfort, and it seems they are more likely to agree to tightly grip their coins and kick at the working class than join with them against those that control them both. I hope to make Barzillai ans his agents busy boys, not just courting Aulorian but also speaking with other interest groups (or perhaps rather reminding them of their comfort and wealth with a gentle if ominous reminder of what happens when you cross this feudal system and Thrune itself). As he gets more publicly cruel and fails more and more... well, that still fits with the story that he loses most support eventually. How do you suppose the Hellknight orders, specifically the Rack in the city, react to the goings-on here? They're not obligated to help or save Barzillai, and likely see justice in his growing failure to tamp out rebellion, but they're still upholders of the law and don't need Barz's or even the Queen's permission to step in and punish the unlawful. The same goes for the Church of Asmodeus, and any inquisitors about. I am thinking of expanding one of the gangs, or creating another one (or mafia). I hope they can present an interesting moral dilemma, like our generally romantic view of pirates, in that they're a nuisance to society, yet are willing to stick to the man as much as the general population - thus a potential ally when it comes to thwarting blockades, getting around unnoticed, handling arguably needed dirty work, etc. As for my last paragraph about a third party... I just think it adds more to most stories, not specifically this AP necessarily. HR is pretty straight-forward. Barzillai is the BBEG, appears in the very first session, and there's no red herrings, twists in the main story, surprising enemies-turned-allies, anything. I wanted an additional, prominent subplot. Now, politics itself, if you really flesh out all the politico-economic groups, is quite the subplot. If you cannot unite enough groups, you can still take out Thrune, but it won't accomplish much. I think may players will like this, yet a more exciting subplot still feels needed to me. (I say feels because I'm hours away only from my second session). But maybe a parallel group that disagree with the way the SRs are accomplishing the revolution (too bloody/not bloody enough, too slow/too fast, too lawful/not lawful enough) - still with the same goals in mind (unlike the CCG), but in conflict. And/or a group who is "helping," and fights fire with fire by bringing in a devil or demon that totally isn't subtly corrupting them to aid them... or perhaps Norborger or Zon-Kuthon. The players thus need to form a coalition with them and cave to some of their goals and tactics, talk them down, or unfortunately disperse/destroy them - proving to everyone this isn't a cutesy non-violent, egalitarian revolution where everyone holds hands and wins together.
*This isn't the GM's reference thread, so friendly spoiler warning for all books. I have fully read and begun to GM Book 1. I have fully read Book 2 and skimmed 3-6, taking notes. Excuse any ignorance despite this. The adventure seems a bit 2D politically. There are many potential factions mentioned, but they do not seem alive. Barzillai as the BBEG has some reactions. Everyone else, however, seems frozen in time and merely a brief backdrop. Please correct me in all ways I am wrong, but I am looking for ways to make the campaign a bit more reactive and proactive, living, and 3D. The cultists of Mathallah sit at the anchor and do nothing until slaughtered by Thrune. The (separate? Aware of one another?) cultists in the Lucky Bones also just have their own sacrifice parties. (I also notice the lore on Math is pretty light). The Skinsaw Cult is also missing from most the campaign despite being next door. I don't know enough about them to know what they might be doing before the SRs peeve one of their members in Vyre. The gangs (Red Jills, River Talons, and Luncafex) are all small-time and don't feature much. The noble houses are generally left out until you need to recruit them (there's one or two encounters with individuals before then, but otherwise they seem to ignore what's happening). Does the Court of Coin ever do anything? The Order of the Rack seems strangely absent for most the campaign? The Church of Asmodeus and the Hellknights seem to have judicial and extrajudicial power, but they seem content to let Barzillai handle (or fail to handle) everything. I don't know if they are worried about the Silver Ravens at all and/or if they're fine with watching Barzillai fail. Other groups have gone aground, so that's a reasonable reason why they're missing (Archivists destroyed, Rose of Kintargo and Bellflower Network in hiding, the followers of Calistria, Caden, Desna, and Sarenrae silenced). Although then they just seem to fall in line after being aided by the PCs. I know it's not their affair, but the Nidalese don't seem to intervene in any way, even in secret. The local temple's priestess features in later books, but just to pummel the players on behalf of her boytoy, not interact with them. The Iomedaens/Glorious Reclamation are left out on purpose, I believe a book note says, because their targets are elsewhere and they're more center stage for Hell's Vengeance campaign. Still could have a tiny involvement, though. The Aspis Corsortium is strangely missing despite being featured in nearly every Pathfinder Society mission that even passes through Cheliax. The Eagle Knights, if any, probably wouldn't target Kintargo much for sabotage, I imagine, especially when they realize they are rebelling, but still a potential option. I don't know if any other devils or devil cults would be interested in getting involved. (Mathallah is a "recent" convert and seems more interested in herself than the diabolism of Hell or Asmodeus). The later contract devil does get involved a little, but that is PC-driven - not by taking notice of or approaching the PCs himself. I am interested in any way any of you have spiced up your games. I really want to have the world moving around the players, whether they act or not... and then actually react to the PCs, not wait their turn to be discovered and beaten to a pulp. This is just spit-balling, but I am also trying to think of a side/third party that gets involved. A devil who tries getting ahead by helping or hindering the PCs, a deeper Mathallah or Skinsaw group with some grand goal, an infiltrating Nidalese vampire cult trying to influence Kintargo/Ravounel, a growing countryside rebellion that eventually comes at odds with the Kintargo-grown rebellion, a disinterested archmage/lich/someone who uses the PCs to get at something for a book or two... or something like that. What have I missed, and what ideas have you had or even enacted in your Hell's Rebels campaigns? |
