From the moment they first met, my group suspected the Scarnettis of unsavory doings. I expect that the opening of Skinsaw (probably this week's game) will see them investigating the suspicious nobles' estate.
I expect that this could really derail the Adventure Path in interesting ways, as the "Heroes of Sandpoint" come into conflict with this family of ruthless, greedy gentry. Antagonizing the Scarnettis will make them a variety of interesting friends and enemies, especially since I've previously emphasized the Scarnettis' heavy connections in town and in Magnimar.
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The Scarnettis have become antagonists in my game as well - and in another friend's game. I'm not sure what makes the family so provacative, but they inflame an emotional response, moreso than Nualia or Aldern Foxglove. I've had to flesh them out to keep up with the players' interests. This is what I've added:
Titus Scarnetti has a young wife, Bluminda, who is a graduate of the wizard academy in Magnimar (I forget the name). She's also five months pregnant. This is driving the players nuts, as they can't imagine harming her, but they believe she's Titus' secret strong-arm ("Being knocked up is better than Mage Armor, dammit!"). They also suspect she's behind Tsuto's suicide, as some strange pollen was found on the bars of his cell. The sorceress PC is convinced it's a component to an enchantment spell.
The Scarnetti's invited the PCs to dinner where they promised 3k gold if the PCs can convince Ameiko to sell them the glassworks. Serving the meal were some rather browbeaten halflings whose presence convinced one of the PCs that the Scarnetti's were evil incarnate.
Titus was late for the dinner (he was out riding), but this was the same night the Skinsaw man struck the sawmill, so naturally he's a suspect. Coincidently, one of the male characters had invited Shayliss Vinder to this dinner (as an apology and way to restore her reputation after the 'rat' incident). It was an intense scene when Mother Vinder practically broke down the door of the Scarnetti manor looking for her surviving daughter.
It was later the same game that the lights went out, irl, when I was screaming like a madman as Grayst, in the Sanitarium. The players were on edge for hours. It was awesome.
Selk, I had considered letting the PCs ride right into the opening scenes of Skinsaw, but now I'd rather lift your entire Scarnetti scene and invite them to dinner first!
Thank you!
It was later the same game that the lights went out, irl, when I was screaming like a madman as Grayst, in the Sanitarium. The players were on edge for hours. It was awesome.
Dude, your lights went out while you were DM'ing a horror themed adventure? At the momment you were playing a guy with ghoul fever?
That Rocks!
I can imagine why the players were edgy. You're lucky they all came back!
Reminds me of the time I played in a Call of Cthulu LARP at a convention. I was attacked by a Ghoul in darkened hotel room about 5 minutes into the game. Someone's gotta be the first to go, eh? I screamed so loud that hotel security came running and several players who were waiting to start changed their minds and dropped out. I think the other folks in my "party" (all strangers, I think) just ran away. We came in last place, but I got a prize for good roleplaying.
Selk
It sounds like you are a DM+5 (especially compared to me) Can you elaborate on the mechanics of how you run a scene like the Scarnetti dinner with browbeaten halflings et al?
Much Thanks
DK
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My PCs (the giantkin goblinoids) had an encounter on the Scarnetti manor grounds where they ended up in combat with the house guards. My players are living in fear of Scarnetti retribution.
Most recently the party was captured and had to be rescued, but they lost all of my stuff. Instead of bringing down the Scarnetti hammer on top of everything else, I thought I'd have them invited to dinner by old Titus. He'd have one of his guards apologize for a recent slight, feed them well, and offer to help them re-equip (offering a selection of masterwork weapons, all engraved with the Scarnetti house crest).
My thought is that some of the Chelaxians might view some of the "lesser" humanoid races as servants to be exploited rather than monsters to be destroyed. I'm thinking that it might be similar to the old Suel who had quite a good relationship with orcs, though never one of equals. Titus might be inspired by stories of the old days, and so he's trying to help these goblinoids find their feet so that they can know their place. Maybe he'll even offer them jobs as guards.
I'm hoping that this will worry my players more than just having them harassed by the Scarnettis would.