Hi all,
After the kopru ruins assault, PC in my campaing hasn't been able to kill/arrest Skaven. When do you think it's the best moment for him to return? Maybe in the Lords of Oblinion?
That's where I'd add him. I try to replace as many as the "heh, here's a new random bad guy" in Oblivion with NPCs the players know.
The random bad guy syndrome in oblivion is a problem, that is why as a DM we have get these guys into the story line in small ways earlier. Some of the things I have done.
News letter with rumors of bad guy activity
Bad guy is a past enemy assosciate of a PC
NPC bounty hunter arrives trailing a bad guy.
All these serve to intro the random badguy in a small way, that the party will pick up on when they finally encounter him in LoO. It also helps continue the illusion that the world exists ouside of the PC's.
That's where I'd add him. I try to replace as many as the "heh, here's a new random bad guy" in Oblivion with NPCs the players know.
Fine. then he go to LoO directly. Did you just put it in or did you replace some bad guy?
IMC, Skaven also made it out of the Kopru ruins unscathed. I used him to replace Fetor Abradius and basically had him as double agent of the Ebon Triad and the Cagewrights.
He really was an insane worshipper of the Adimarchus who helped spread the madness throughout the Cagewright organization. IMC, not all of the Cagewrights were aware of Adimarchus, some mereley wanted to open the gate to Carceri for generaly anarchy (although Adimarchus madness was the true reason). Skaven also was charged with infiltrating the Ebon Triad, which he did succesfully. All without letting the leader of the Triad, (whose name I can't recall and who also was a double agent for the Cagewrights) figure out that he who he was working for.
I also did a little Bedknobs and Broomsticks maguffin. When the party encountered him, he cast enervation on one of their henchmen(zenith's brother, also a shackleborn) and then began to dimension door away. Unfortunately, his secret diary started to fall out of his cloak as he did so. The party wizard grabbed for it and a tug of war ensued. The book ended up getting ripped in half. Upon later inspection, the wizard discovered it was magically encrypted and required lots of time (and decipher script checks) to decipher. I used this information to give some background that the players would not be privvy to such as the history of the kopru ruins and some information about the monsters they had faced. However, I also hinted to some OTHER organization that Skaven was feeding information. I staggered the gain of information over the next few chapters (up to Test of the Smoking Eye), finally hinting that Skaven was actually not working for this sinsiter shadowy organization but some God like figure and his name is...that's where the book was ripped in half. >:)
This technique allowed me to foreshadow a lot of neat background information. Also, when the party eventually defeated Skaven in Karran Kural, they found the other half of his diary which detailed more background information (including some information about the Cagewrights, hints about Lord Vhalantrus true identity, some of the guests at LoO party, etc.) The party wizard (who invested a lot in this aspect of the story) really enjoyed being a font for this information...
Oh ya, I also used this diary to infect his character with some of Adimarchus' madness.
Whew, that was long. Hope it helps.
This technique allowed me to foreshadow a lot of neat background information. Also, when the party eventually defeated Skaven in Karran Kural, they found the other half of his diary which detailed more background information (including...
Sure it helps. Thanks. I thought of put him on scene in LoO, but I definitely like this Fetor subtitution idea. If you don't mind I steal it ;)
If you don't mind I steal it ;)
But of course. Gotta love these messageboards!
So Skaven has escaped (maybe) in my campaign as well. Here's what is going to happen:
The party wiped out all the guards in the southern part of the complex. It was the middle of the night though and, thanks to the stone walls, Skaven never heard the battle - he slept through it. PCs could not get the Arcane Locked door open so they couldn't go wake him.
In the morning, the PCs are in the North part of the complex when Skaven wakes up. Skaven finds all the guards dead, he's not a friend of Triel IMC, so he leaves. He finds the cage on the beach so he knows the attackers came in that way. He uses his gaseous potion to get to the top platform.
Skaven is now waiting in the winch room. When the winch starts moving, he'll turn invisible and go outside to see who is coming. Once the elevator gets close, he'll use Burning Hands to destroy the ropes and drop the whomever is in the cage into the lake (luckily, they've killed the Skulyn). Skaven then leaves to return in Lords of Oblivion.
Skaven is now waiting in the winch room. When the winch starts moving, he'll turn invisible and go outside to see who is coming. Once the elevator gets close, he'll use Burning Hands to destroy the ropes and drop the whomever is in the cage into the lake (luckily, they've killed the Skulyn). Skaven then leaves to return in Lords of Oblivion.
IMC, Skaven left unnoticed while a bunch of alleybashers and Hillfolks attacked the party. This scene happened more or less in the same way but involving Guterrut (the Quasit). A PC almost died in the falling...
This technique allowed me to foreshadow a lot of neat background information. Also, when the party eventually defeated Skaven in Karran Kural, they found the other half of his diary which detailed more background information (including...Sure it helps. Thanks. I thought of put him on scene in LoO, but I definitely like this Fetor subtitution idea. If you don't mind I steal it ;)
Great idea!
Here is my version of Skaven's diary. I borrowed the last entry from Jollydoc's journal. Some parts concerning the cagebuilders (Dugobras), Lord Orbius’ visit and the final delivery of the cages are encrypted (DC30 decipher script).
Skaven Umbermead’s diary
Dates from 671-676
• Hails from Sasserine
• Moves to Cauldron in 672 and for a short while is student magic of Maavu
• He loves his familiar cat Pywakit
• Obsession for mysteries
• Spell research, diviner
676 march
• Joins Ebon Triad, very impressed by female Leader Grehlia worshipper of Vecna
• Triel, cleric of Hextor: trusts her, has useful contacts with Last Laugh
• Tarkilar cleric of Erythnull: he poses as worshipper of Erythnull to sooth Tarkilar, appreciates his knowledge
676 april-dec
• Arrival in ruins, preparation of traps
• Peacemaker between Triel and Tarkilar
• Encrypted Decipher script DC30: Dugobras constructs the cages with mysterious purpose. The Ebon Triad were cleansing/preparing the finished product with rituals for preparation of the soulcage's creation.
676 dec- 679 aug
• Tarkilar’s bound a quasit demon to bid his service
• Tarkilar’ building the T-Rex
• Tarkilar experiments to become an undead, secret about which type
• Tarkilar’s journey into the jungle
• Triel’s determination to foster the Triad’s interests
• Triel’s intimidating behavior
• Triel’s appetite for men
• Triel’s beauty: secretly in love with her, despite racial issues, scries her bedroom
• Spiderkin have become his best friends and he often joins them
679 September-December
• Dwarves made treasure chest in cave for big reward: thereafter turned into spawn of Kyuss by Tarkilar (who harvested the worms from the “Spire”)
680 june
• Encrypted Decipher script DC30: Lord Orbius involvement checking progress cages
680 September 5
• Encrypted Decipher script DC30: Cages will be delivered to my mysterious benefactors. I will stay here to monitor the Triad’s progress. No one, save Grehlia, knows where my real alliance lies…
• Richly rewarded
• After Grehlia’s departure: Tarkilar takes leadership supported by Skaven
• Triel feels betrayed
• Lost control over waterdemon, feed him with victims of Cauldron’s alleys. They are first tortured by Tarkilar, Skaven enjoys his skills
680 Oktober 2-10
• Huge explosion in Tarkilar’s quarters. Something went wrong and Tarkilar changed in huevuca and is a raving lunatic
• The problem of group’s treasure, no one dares to enter cave anymore
680 Oktober 20-28
• Triels contacts with Last Laugh tell about Sarcem plans to make wands in Sasserine
• Triels’ plan to steal the wands from Sarcem and ransom them
• Skaven’s opposition
680 November1-januari 3
• Scrying on Sarcem’s progress, directly or through intermediate in Sasserine
680 December 13
• Tongueater and his baboons arrive
680 December 26
• Triel leaves to acquire weapons from Artus and supply them to Alleybashers (Firistir)
680 December 27
• Triel back
681 januari 3
• Sarcem leaves Sasserine
• Triel, Tongueater and Hillfolk leave to meet alleybashers and go to hideout close to the inn
681 januari 6
• Triel back, plan succeeded, divide the wands: 3 for me, she keeps the other 5
681 januari 7
I should have left the complex, now Triel and Tarkilar are dead. With her sordid and colorful past, there were any number of reasons why a band of mercenaries would be hired to find her. I had hoped that after disposing of her, they would have departed, so I could continue with my research uninterrupted. Alas, this appears to be a persistent lot, I guess they are looking for the wands. Triel was a fool to have taken them in the first place. Granted, we needed the ransom money, but surely there were less public ways to come by it. This is all about Triel’s ego, and her obsessive hatred of her former city for their perceived persecution of her. Never mind that she had earned it. I could, of course, just give the remaining wands to the mercenaries, but I doubt they will settle for just that. No, they will insist on dragging me back to the city to face some sort of trial and that I can’t allow. My research is far too important. I will be forced to kill them, and that will not prove too difficult. After all, I am not quite alone. No, not alone at all.
Here is my version of Skaven's diary. I borrowed the last entry from Jollydoc's journal. Some parts concerning the cagebuilders (Dugobras), Lord Orbius’ visit and the final delivery of the cages are encrypted (DC30 decipher script).
Skaven Umbermead’s diary
...
I've generated a full blown handout of this diary and put it on therpgenius.com website. Maybe someone wants to use it.
Nib
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Here is my version of Skaven's diary. I borrowed the last entry from Jollydoc's journal. Some parts concerning the cagebuilders (Dugobras), Lord Orbius’ visit and the final delivery of the cages are encrypted (DC30 decipher script).
Skaven Umbermead’s diary
...
I've generated a full blown handout of this diary and put it on therpgenius.com website. Maybe someone wants to use it.
Nib
i would love to see it; but I've always had trouble navigating the RPGenius site. I couldn't find the diary entry you speak of. I went to downloads, journals, and homepage - I couldn't find a link for it; could you please provide more direction.
Thanks
Robert
I love Skaven and my players love to hate him and his hook spider companion. :)
Chapter 3: He made a deal with the party to release the monk who had been caught by his sepia snake sigil. He told them that if they didn't let him and his spider go that he would have her killed by his air elemental. So they had to agree and he escaped.
Chapter 4: Skaven was one of the two prisoners locked up in Bhal-Hamtugn. The party refused to let him go and figured they would deal with him on the way out. When they later returned they found that Skaven had escaped and the hallway outside the prison had been filled with webs. There was a message scrawled in charcoal on the wall that said "LOSERS!"
Chapter 7: After their return from the Abyss the group returns to Cauldron. Security has been tightened in the city due to a rash of half-dragon attacks. The Stormblades are currently under the city dealing with the problem. Then one day a half-dragon half-minotaur shows up ready to kill the party saying that "Master Skaven" told him how they killed his Mother. (BTW Dhorlot the black dragon IMC escaped Bhal-Hamtugn and they never killed it.) No amount of reasoning could change the half-minotaur's mind and they had to kill the creature before it killed them.
Chapter 8: Skaven is replacing Finch.
Chapter 9: (provided he lives) Skaven replaces Kravichak
Beyond that I haven't put much thought into it. :)
i would love to see it; but I've always had trouble navigating the RPGenius site. I couldn't find the diary entry you speak of. I went to downloads, journals, and homepage - I couldn't find a link for it; could you please provide more direction.
Thanks
Robert
I've put it under chapter 3 (flood season) of the shackled city AP, obviously.
http://therpgenius.com/modules.php?name=File_Repository&op=getit&fi le_id=326
Nib
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i would love to see it; but I've always had trouble navigating the RPGenius site. I couldn't find the diary entry you speak of. I went to downloads, journals, and homepage - I couldn't find a link for it; could you please provide more direction.
Thanks
RobertI've put it under chapter 3 (flood season) of the shackled city AP, obviously.
http://therpgenius.com/modules.php?name=File_Repository&op=getit&fi le_id=326
Nib
This is GREAT! Thanks for sharing. I just read the PDF; what do you do if/when the PCs attempt to decipher the greek-looking words???
Robert
This is GREAT! Thanks for sharing. I just read the PDF; what do you do if/when the PCs attempt to decipher the greek-looking words???
Robert
I let them. One of them was really keen on getting straight to the task. If they don't want to do the puzzle, they can get clear text with a successful DC30 decipher script.
You can make this roll imperative, if you encode not only the characters with a different font, but the whole section with some sort of encryption scheme.
The encrypted parts are there to draw most attention as they foreshadow events to come. My players (on being given several pages of text) typically put the notes aside for later (and never use them. The fact that some is made extra important by obscuring it slightly was intentional to get them read at least those lines.
That's also the reason why I include the ODT file, so you can work with it yourself.
Nib