My group has run one session of SCAP and have now split up. One group, led by a player who's a junior member of the town guard, currently on hiatus to help find the missing children, is standing guard at the orphanage. The rest of the group plan to visit Keygan at sun-up to see if he will come and examine the locks at the orphanage.
Keygan is a LN character. His familiar is being held hostage by the denizens of Jzadirune. I've read and reread this encounter many times, and there are several ways this could go. My group is quite diplomatic, and I can see them convincing Keygan to accompany them to the orphanage. Why wouldn't he just say something like, "Examine a lock? Sure that's my specialty!", then leave the shop, confide in the PCs on the way there, and nudge them in the direction of the secret door in the back of his shop? I don't think the skulk will follow him if he leaves, or will he? Wouldn't Keygan see this as a chance to make things right, and perhaps even lessen any possible ramifications of his actions if the PCs are successful? Being lawful, he may feel inclined to hand himself over to their mercy, but if he's as shrewd as described, and sees a way to end his "captivity" and come out ahead, why wouldn't he take it.
Then there's the Ashmantle angle, mentioned in the HC. Is Ashmantle actively staking out Keygan's shop, waiting for him to screw up and spill the beans? Would he track them to the orphanage and then plug Keygan before he can talk?
Then again, maybe the PCs will notice the curtain, remember the note, and pay Keygan a visit once they are all back together and can get on the same page.
There are so many ways this could go, and not all of them involved beating up Keygan and looting his shop. I guess I just want to make their interaction with Keygan realistic and not so rigid and "by the book."
All your thoughts, and quickly as we will be playing on Sunday, are appreciated.
There are so many ways this could go, and not all of them involved beating up Keygan and looting his shop. I guess I just want to make their interaction with Keygan realistic and not so rigid and "by the book."
All your thoughts, and quickly as we will be playing on Sunday, are appreciated.
The encounter as listed in the book is designed to give an 'out' to DMs who can't get their PCs involved in any other way.
I love Keygan. In a lot of the SCAP games I've read, he has become a recurring NPC - IMC, the PCs actually bought up his shop after he was bankrupted by the cost of replacing all the locks he had designed, then let him stay there gratis.
Remember that there are several important aspects of Keygan's interactions:
1. Starbrow is kidnapped. He wuvs his widdle rat, and doesn't want harm to come to him.
2. The skulk will roll him if given a chance.
3. He wants to do what is right.
Give the PCs nudges that he has a secret, and isn't hiding it well. Let them try to draw him out - once they earn his trust, he can reveal what's happened. As long as the PCs don't let harm come to Starbrow, the gnome should be willing to help.
There are so many ways this could go, and not all of them involved beating up Keygan and looting his shop. I guess I just want to make their interaction with Keygan realistic and not so rigid and "by the book."
I just played the Keygan scene few weeks ago. My party came by night. After Keygan try to be rid of them once one Dwarf begun to declaim in front of the store with a *loud* voice about the poor safety of the locksmith goods bla bla bla bla. A very annoyed Keygan accepted then to let enter the dwarf and one gnome from the party. After that the action follows the way of the book and the skulk was killed and so on with a grateful Keygan...
In your case I think many options are still open. But first of all remember Keygan acts under a very threat. After all if it was so simple for him to make a choice he had been for long to the police !I think Keygan is clever even if a coward. He knows if he leaves the skulk behind him without giving a *very good* reason Starbrow will pay for that immediatly.
Also it implies two important considerations:
- The skulk who is watching is able to talk and understand the Common.
- and also he has two watchs - one for him one for Keygan - :)... perhaps "gnomish artifacts" infected with the Vanishing of course !
Have fun and be creative !
Ridolfin
What if Keygan saw the appearance of the adventures as a chance to make amends? The skulk is hiding up the stairs, out of *sight* of Keygan, so what if he dilly-dallied around and composed a note, asking to speak with the adventures out of the shop. Then he let them in on what he knows and sends them in to enter Jzaridune and rescue his familiar? This would be an interesting twist, help him save some face, and make some friends in the process.
I see Keygan as someone who wants to get out of this terrible situation, and will do what it takes to come out with some integrity intact. As someone wrote, he would make a great friend to have as the campaign progresses.
Keep the thoughts coming . . .