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So, to preface, I completely gimped Kedward by forgetting that he had a permanent see invisible effect in place. My bad.
This is what happened. PC, Aramiel, sets up appointment with Kedward in order to purchase magic items. Player balked at 150% price and returned later while invisible and tried to cast Dominate Person on Kedward to get everything at standard cost. Mind Blank saved Kedward and I ruled that he noticed the attempt.
Next round Kedward tried an area dispel magic but failed to overcome the greater invisibility, and only managed to look around the street menacingly while brandishing his dire scythe. Aramiel then cast slay living on Kedward, who failed his fortitude save, and Aramiel stole his belongings.
The PC is CN. How would you handle this? An Alignment shift to CE? Let me know what you think. I am typing this as the PCs are dealing with the Mercane's in the Abyss.
Thanks in advance,
Tam
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Others will no doubt have far more in depth feelings on this....but I think an alignment change (which I would hand out) is the least of that PC's worries. Kedward had a familiar didn't he? Have that familiar escape and notify some of Kedward's "friends."
Kedward is basically the equivalent of an "upstanding citizen" in Scuttlecove - he's an intricate part of the overall chain and no doubt his absence will negatively affect others - they will be looking for revenge.
They might even capture the PCs (all of them....the whole party might now suffer for Aramiel's actions) and raise Kedward. (Imagine the party's surprise when they are badly beaten, captured, and confronted with an angry, raised, Kedward.)
OTOH, maybe Kedward had some contingency spell in place . . .
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Further thinking about it - and this depends on how much "payback" you think the PCs deserve - Kedward is a diabolist and regularly consorts with demons, maybe he had a standing pact with a demon to avenge him if he is ever slain?
You're right, but it's devils Kedward consorts with. He is a diabolist, not a demonologist. I would maybe have him use Greater Planar Binding to summon a Pit Fiend, then have the Pit Fiend exact some revenge. At the end of Serpents of Scuttlecove, the PC's are supposed to be 17th level, so have the Pit Fiend attack when they are 16th level and don't expect it, preferrably after a fight with someone else like the Crimson Fleet's pirates. At CR 20, a Pit Fiend will be a fearsome fight for 16th level PC's, and remind them there are consequences to assasinating powerful individuals of evil organizations.
Creative Director
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My take: Kedward is a pretty evil guy, and while killing him after this dominate person attempt went bad is certainly a chaotic act... I wouldn't call it evil. Kedward's one of the more powerful citizens in Scuttlecove—I wouldn't call him an upright citizen as much as I would call him a mob boss, though. His death will create a power vacuume that may or may not impact the PCs in their time in Scuttlecove; several of the other factions will certainly move fast to claim what Kedward controled over Scuttlecove's drug trade, for example. With no real centralized force of law in town, there's actually very little in the way of repurcussions the PCs will have to face. If word gets out that the PCs were the ones who did him in, though, the other factions in town will certainly galvanize and be forced to admit that the PCs are tough customers. At which point, all the factions will have to decide if they want to ally with or fight against the PCs.
The Crimson Fleet: They're one of the strongest factions in town, and are probably the ones who will end up replacing Kedward's role as chief drug peddler in town, given time. Yet their past with the PCs will keep them their enemies.
Monastery of Dire Hunger: This is the closest Scuttlecove has to police. While the monks mostly just care about themselves, they do fancy themselves as the rightful heritors of the city now that the Holy Triad is gone. They'll probably interpret the PCs assassination of Kedward as a threat, and will seek to ally with the Crimson Fleet and further spur the fleet on to fight the PCs. Consider adding more monks of Dire Hunger to the fights at the Crimson Fleet base.
Porphyry Hosue: Tyralandi will likely welcome Kedward's removal from the scene, as she's not really a fan of devils AND his drugs were competition for the city's escapism trade. She recognizes the PCs are tough if they killed Kedward, and that they'll need allies. Further... allies like the PCs would be good to have. If she hasn't approached the PCs yet for an alliance, Tyralandi does so soon after Kedward's death becomes public knowledge.
The Protectorate: These guys are still pretty down-on-their-luck, but getting rid of Kedward certainly makes the PCs seem like heroes to them. They'll be less wary about offering aid to the PCs as a result.
The Seventh Coil: As slavers, the yuan-ti often used Kedward's drugs to keep their slaves in line. With him gone, the drug trade in Scuttlecove crashes, and the yuan-ti make an attempt to get in and control the business. This creates a schism between them and the Crimson Fleet and puts strains on their alliegances. Feel free to plant hints of this growing schism; canny PCs may be able to use this to their advantage and turn the Seventh Coil against their one-time pirate allies.
Of course... if the PCs have already moved on beyond Scuttlecove... it might just be best to let it go. The PCs will soon enough have more than enough on their plates to deal with without having to worry about repurcussions of killing an evil druglord in an even more evil city.
i would honestly think that most of the factions would be smart enough to realize that the PCs are really just passing through, and have no long term interest in Scuttlecove. Therefore, it would be in their best interest to try to keep low profiles and avoid attracting the party's attention, while at the same time preparing to defend themselves just in case and subtly steering the heroes towards their enemies. They can ride things out, and once the PCs leave town they can start making moves to pick up the pieces and fill various power vacuums. The thing about villains is they often don't have very many friends. And i agree with James that in an anarchic place like Scuttlecove there won't be many consequences for taking down such villains.
I wouldn't push them hard on this one, as they'll have their hands plenty full with all the other nastiness going down.
I generally agree with the last two posts--first of all the point by point analysis is good but it is only relevant to the pcs if they stay awhile or return at some point. However good to have a plan.
I personally think that the real consequence is that they lost a potential ally. That's trouble enough in my books.
However there's one other aspect--it might actually serve as a distraction. First of all as said above a couple of times Bone dead results in a power vacuum and possible efforts to fill it. But more significantly anyone knowing the pcs did it might be totally thrown as to what they're up to. Are they power seekers themselves? Was it a drug deal gone wrong?
As for the OP
Assuming that the PC knew/viewed beyond reasonable doubt Kedward as evil and general threat to "goodness" etc. I personally wouldn't rule the act of slaying him as "evil". Things had come down to a "slay or be slain" situation and the character does not seem bound by a "code of honour". He also had presumably reason to fear Kedward responding with lethal force.
As for the act of dominating Kedward, to gain" normal" prices (instead of "dirt cheap" or "for free" ), chaotic as in against the laws, yes, but evil and selfish ? He wanted to enforce fair trade, not rob the guy....
so, definitely not !
Hence I would consider an alignment shift to CE forced on the player by you both arbitrary and unfair. He hasn't acted out of alignment. He hasn't done something so vile he can never be redeemed (like slaying the inncoent vorgin highpriestess of peace to find out what she is wearing underneath her robes say.... /just kidding ).
While the PC may have gotten some stuff for "free", he effectively sealed off that particular source of items for any further purchases, plus killing off a potential ally. He wil also have tipped off the powers-that-be of Scuttlecove as to the capabilities of the party, never a good thing. And in all honesty, how much magic wares is Kedward going to have on his person, ready for the take by a daring robber ?
As for outside revenge - I guess most people Kedward dealt with will not shed a tear over his demise and rather make sure the evil ba****d will not rise from the dead ! One less competitor / one less being you bore a strong grudge to / one less enslaver of the weak and unloved master..... And he has probably sold his mom, too, at a bargain price in all likelihood =)
And hell ? Why should they of all beings go and avenge themselves on his slayers ? He probably met his final doom far too early for his liking (and far too late for hell's ), so they now have his immortal and powerful soul at their beg and call sooner than they hoped for, ready to be devoured, traded or shaped into a a servant... because that is what infernal bargains are done for, from hell's perspective !
So why send a Balor to mess up the guys who did them a favour ?
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Thanks for the insights so far. I really appreciate them. Another couple questions.
Though the PC in question will probably not suffer an alignment shift, if he had would the proper shift be from CN to CE?
Also, I remember something about Druids being the only class able to be true nuetral. Was this something lost with the transition to 3rd edition?
Again, thanks
Tam
No, there has never been a restriction on the true Neutral alignment, it used to be that Druids were restricted to N but N have never been restricted to any given class.
If somehow a CN alignment were shifting toward Lawful, then theere could be an interim change to true N depending on how the DM wants to handle it.
Its easier to have a more dramatic swing from G to E than from C to L.
And I see no way for a CN to 'assassinate', as you put it, an NPC and take a Lawful shift toward true Neutral IMO.
With few exception, I tend to not shift an alignment based solely on one un-alignment-like event, the obvious exception would be a Paladin performing an act of Evil.
Now if your CN PC were making a habit out of murder, I might consider the slide and make a change.
Cheers!