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OK. My players just completed "There Is No Honor" but not the way I had hoped. Now I am in need of some tips about how to advance the story to tie in with Bullywug Gambit and other future adventures.
The PCs disguised themselves as Lotus Dragons with tattoos, entered the hideout through the taxidermist shop after a short battle with lookouts/snipers perched on rooftops, and made their way straight to Rowen's room without alerting anyone in the complex. I tried to get Rowen to make her escape as soon as battle erupted but failed. The PCs killed her. The female swashbuckler PC had the rogue PC disguise her as Rowen so they could make it out safely with Rowen's body and loot stuffed in a wardrobe. I should have pulled a "DM cheat roll" on the PC's bluff attempts on the few Lotus Dragons they encountered on the way out but I thought the PCs plan was just incredible and figured I could fix things later. They told the Lotus Dragons they encountered on the way out that if Vanthus returns, kill him because he is trying to kill Rowen and that they're taking Rowen and some of her stuff to a safehouse. The PCs carried their loot safely back to Vanderboren manor and immediately set out for Kraken's Cove.
I was thinking of having Lavinia get the other adventurers in her employ to clean out the Lotus Dragon's hideout but then how do I get the assassins during the carnival to go after the PCs and not the other group of adventurers? I was thinking of having Rowen's sister as the stowaway on The Sea Wyvern or maybe just delete that encounter entirely. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
One thing you seem to have missed is that eliminating Rowyn alone does not defeat the Lotus Dragons. At the least, they need to eliminate around 2/3rds of the other thieves, or the Lotus Dragons will simply continue their intended campaign under new leadership.
The PCs may have successfully bluffed the thieves into believing them, but for a thief, believing someone and trusting them are two different things. Maybe a few of the sneakier thieves trailed the PCs on their way back to Vanderboren Manor, and have now figured out what's going on. They plan to attempt to eliminate the PCs during the festival (the stiltwalker attack), and also to mount a rescue mission while the PCs are away.
When the PCs manage to get back through the festival to Vanderboren Manor, they find that it's not only been invaded by the Bullywug attack, but by a large group of Black Lotus thieves trying to get their mistress back. The two groups are battling each other throughout the house, and are just as happy to fight the PCs once they show up.
If the PCs defeat the stiltwalker attack and both groups at the Manor, then they will have eliminated enough thieves to end the threat of the Lotus Dragons.
...I tried to get Rowen to make her escape as soon as battle erupted but failed. The PCs killed her...
I had the same problem. But I came up with an easy solution. The Killani family is rich. After the body is turn over to the watch and eventually turned over to the family, they simply pay to have secretly resurrected. This give the Killani’s an easy way to find who was behind the destruction of there plans when it come to hiring the assassins in “Bullywog”.
In my groups case, the leader of the party, Black Widow Poe (played by my wife), cut off Rowyns tattoos and carved her symbol into Rowyns forehead(Wow, I spleep next to this woman).Anyway,its going to make the dethroned guild leader look pretty gruesome for “Sea Wyvern”.
I had the same problem. But I came up with an easy solution. The Killani family is rich. After the body is turn over to the watch and eventually turned over to the family, they simply pay to have secretly resurrected. This give the Killani’s an easy way to find who was behind the destruction of there plans when it come to hiring the assassins in “Bullywog”.
In my groups case, the leader of the party, Black Widow Poe (played by my wife), cut off Rowyns tattoos and carved her symbol into Rowyns forehead(Wow, I spleep next to this woman).Anyway,its going to make the dethroned guild leader look pretty gruesome for “Sea Wyvern”.
Mine (as can be read about in the STAP Glories thread) did as well. Two incredibly good rolls and done. On the plus side, I need a side adventure as I have one player who missed most of the No Honor section and has a grand total of 780 XP. I can't see throwing him into the Bullywug Gambit at 1st level. So one option for a side adventure is that the Kellani Family tricks the PCs into going into the jungle to retrieve X Plot Device to help raise Lavinia's parents, or the Harbormaster. Either way, the person giving them the task is a disguised spy/rogue hired by the Kellani Family to not only get the means to raise Rowyn, but to get the party to do it for them.
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When the PCs manage to get back through the festival to Vanderboren Manor, they find that it's not only been invaded by the Bullywug attack, but by a large group of Black Lotus thieves trying to get their mistress back. The two groups are battling each other throughout the house, and are just as happy to fight the PCs once they show up.
If the PCs defeat the stiltwalker attack and both groups at the Manor, then they will have eliminated enough thieves to end the threat of the Lotus Dragons.
The two groups fighting at the manor is a great idea but why would the thieves attempt a rescue of their mistress when they were told she was being taken to a safehouse?
In order to keep the adventure on track I'm just going to assume that the Kellani family paid for powerful divination spells to figure out what happened to Rowen after not hearing from her in several days. The spells obviously lead the Kellani family to the PCs. The funny thing is that the players didn't tell me what they did with Rowen's body after returning to the manor. They just divided up treasure and then immediately set out for Kraken's Cove in their search for Vanthus. So she's still stuffed in the wardrobe!
What did the party do with Rowan's body? Could she have made a deal with a wicked Outsider to be raised should something like this occur?
My group killed her too, but they left the body to go continuing exploring the hideout... when they came back to get the body.. It was gone.. Behind the scenes.. a wandering lotus dragon found her body and secreted out with it. now she will be raised and ready for revenge.. LOL
RPJ
In my group's case, the leader of the party, Black Widow Poe (played by my wife), cut off Rowyns tattoos and carved her symbol into Rowyns forehead(Wow, I spleep next to this woman).Anyway,its going to make the dethroned guild leader look pretty gruesome for “Sea Wyvern”.
That's freakin' awesome!!! "Black Widow Poe"... I love it. You're a lucky man, Sir Dave!
Last night my group started "Bullywug". They beached a little west of Kraken’s Cove and hiked the rest of the way. They came up to the cliff overlooking the walkway. The Halfling barbarian says, “how far down is it? Maybe we can just jump into the water.” The Gnome bard, pushed the Halfling over the cliff into the water and yelled down, “how far is it?” The Gnome mentions later that it was payback for all the short jokes.
Man, I tell ya’, I got a bunch of figgin comedians.
Just take all the Lotus Dragons that they *didn't* kill on their way through the hideout, and add them to the assassination attempt during the Wormfall Festival. Hooray for 20 mooks out of nowhere!
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Just take all the Lotus Dragons that they *didn't* kill on their way through the hideout, and add them to the assassination attempt during the Wormfall Festival. Hooray for 20 mooks out of nowhere!
Ah-ha! And I was planning a side trek for the missed experience from the Lotus Dragon Hideout! This will be much easier. Thanks.
Or a TPK! Kill em all!!! HAHAHAHAHA Arghhhhh