In the last couple of days I have started to frequent these boards once again. I have just not had the time that I have had in the past with a new baby and a more demanding role at work to sneak in the hours I once did to write. But I'm sure you don't want to hear my sob story :'( ;D
So....what I'm looking for is a bit of help with a couple of side treks I have been planning on writing up for quite some time and which are fast approaching.
The first side trek adventure is the headquarters of the Last Laugh.
My party will have plenty of motivation to try and hunt down the LL and attack their headquarters and I am looking for ideas about how to proceed.
The party will enlist the aid of the Striders and Chisel in the attack plus the rogues small 'good' thieves guild -the Acquirers. I see the first step for the party is to plan the attack, find the headquarters and organise the groups.
I want the party to take centre stage with the Acquirers (good rogues) taking out the LL members who are out and about and the Strider & Chisel providing distraction so the characters can attack the main LL villians. The Cagewright Master and Last Laugh guildmaster -'The Fish' will be the final daunting challenge. Jil will be absent so she can be part of Chapter 8.
So what other ideas can you bring to the table?
What challenges can the party face?
What could the guildhouse look like?
What minor villians can the party face before meeting 'The Fish'?
Delvesdeep
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Somewhere they have stored the machine, where they mint their own coins. Where is it? And why is it that no one was able to find it earlier, since a mint is very loud?
Villains? Perhaps Arthur Shemwick, who is now a member of the guild? Or Hadamar Skellerang, the brother of Terseon Skellerang. He is the proprietor of the Rolling Barrel (in my campaign), the tavern where most of the guard go regularly.
I don't know when my PCs will storm the LL guilhouse under the Inn, so I will change the CR of the encounter depending on the PCs level.
I will use most of your implements for the AP, so only one Jester - Nulin.
The LL will be striken by a schism between two faction, one led by Nulin (following the Cagewright's objectives) and the other led by Jil, with Arthus and Maple want the LL be free from any external control.
At the beginning of Chapter 7 Jil faction will be defeated, with Arthus killed before he can contact the PCs and Jil dominated by Nulin with the help of the other Cagewrights.
At the end of this chapter a resurrected Todd will leave the Stormblades and join the Guild.
I'm still unsure about Nulin and Jil locations.
I added Gortio as a LL member and not a Lord V. follower.
Also in the guildhouse there is Velior Thazo, the second Harlequin of the Guild, and the favored one after Jil felt under suspicion.
I use the SEWER STRONGHOLD map from the Dungeon Map of Mistery as the LL guildhouse, with the following changes:
- Jil bedroom in area 4
- Olidammara shrine and Evard’s black tentacles trap in area 5
- Nulin 'Fish' Wiejeron quarters in area 6 and 7
- 2 training alarm traps in area 8
- 1 shaboath kopru guardian in area 9 pool, controlled by the guild with the help of the CW
- 3 Last Laugh thugs sleeping in area 11
- maybe Jil, apprentice of Nulin 'Fish' Wiejeron, female human rog5/ass8 in area 14
- Velior Thazo, male half-fiend human Erythnul clr7/rog6 in area 14
- 1 naga guardian in area 15
- cage trap dropping from the ceiling and spiked ceiling trap in area 15 corridor
- false treasure and imprisonment traps in area 15 vaults
Last Laugh record book with notes of corrupted officers and citizens (x Harlequins, 1 Jester, Adrik Garthun, Artus Shemwick, Beila Atcher, Echorn Aladar, Finch, Gortio, Ike Iverson, Kazmojen, Keygan Ghelve, Khyron Bonesworn and Necrotans, Kravichack Riolgh, Maple, Mergale, Morkaius, Orak Stonehaven, Patch, Pyllrak Shyraat, Skie Aldersun, Todd Vanderboren, White-Eye, Xendro)
- springing paralysing poison darts trap with floor trigger in area 17
- Gortio, male doppleganger in area 19
- Todd Vanderboren in area 19
- 2 Last Laugh thugs in area 19
- springing paralysing poison dart swarm trap with floor trigger in area 20
Thankyou nib, Oliver (great to hear you still haunting this forum :)) and Oceanstrider!
nib - your concept of having multiply LL divisions all over the city is probably the most realistic option, but I'm keen not to make this side trek too drawn out just because of all the other mini-adventures I have planned :) Perhaps three divisions, as you suggested, could be an option - one being the forgery, one for the slaves and the last the main headquarters but I think I will just make this all together under the Slippery Eel.
Sounds interesting what you did though nib. I'm sure you have plenty of insight into potential problems too after playing through as similiar themed adventure yourself.
Oliver - I will include a forgery and Artus in the guildhouse.
Oceanstrider - It sounds like you are well on the way with the specifics of the guildhouse. You refer to a Map of Mystery in a specific Dungeon Magazine. Which Dungeon is that?
Have you thought about how the part will enter the Guildhouse and under what circumstances?
Is there other LL members on another level, in the tavern or elsewhere?
Well done on preparing something already.
Delvesdeep
In my campaign the rogue of the group belongs to an organisation called the 'Cauldron Chapter of the Exploration and Acquisition Department of the Dorcementary Museum' or 'The Acquirers' as they are simply known.
They have only recently established a Chapterhouse in Cauldron after uncovering the multitude of ruins of the ancient civilisations in the frontier region. They are very small in number at the moment and not had any impact on the underworld activity that the Last Laugh has fought to monopolize.
Recently though the Cagewrights, and Vhalantru in particular, have begun to become concerned with the Acquirer alliance with other 'good' organisations in Cauldron such as the Striders, Chisel, St Cuthbert and even Skie. As a result he has asked 'The Fish' to mobilise his guild to destroy the Acquirers.
The guild responded in Chapter 5 when the Fish commanded the Chapters Houses 'sleeper assassin/spy' to awaken and dispose of the organisations leaders. The task was partially achieved with the Relic and Art Expert of the guild killed before the cook was discovered and overwhelmed.
The same night, unsuspecting members of the Acquirers were ambushed and attacked all over the city. Some returned to the Chapter but many were killed. During chapter 6 the Acquirers go into siege mode and recall all their members in defend the headquarters. Luckily for them the LL are distracted by another siege and the securing the last of the Shackleborn so they are given a short respite.
During Chapter 7 the party are asked to escort the rogues mentor to secretly meet with his way wood brother who is a member of the Last Laugh, at the Lakeside Pavilion.
This is where I am at in my game at the moment.
This is how I predict things will go next but you never know with my party :)
When they arrive they are betrayed and ambushed, the party is attacked by the assassins and the rogues Mentor is assassined by the Fish and teleported away with the distraught LL brother.
So, I'm imagining, the party will be keen to find the mentor and exact revenge against the LL and church of Wee Yas. The revenge against the church will go as written up in the hardcover but the attack against the LL needs to be created.
Delvesdeep
- Sorry Delvesdeep, I don't remeber the Dungeon Magazine, but the name was Sewer Stronghold.
- I really have no idea about how they will enter the stronghold.
- Some other guildmembers will be on the Safehouse, as written in Chapter 8, with some changes:
Morkaius, skulk
Xendro, female
Maple instead one of the nameless thug
Nulin 'Fish' Wiejeron and his duplicate; will flee to the Fiery Sanctum if brought to half his hit points.
Finch
I think the PCs' clash with the guild will be one of the most open-ended plot line in my game, and will depend a lot from PCs actions, dice rolls and choices. So I expext I will modify:
the CR of the encounters depending on PC level;
the presence/absence of LL named memebers depending if PCs will storm first the stronghold under the Slippery Eel or the safehouse under the Brass Trumphet.
Mario
Could you please scan the map and forward it to me? :)
My email address is michael(dot)farrell(at)optusnet(dot)com(dot)au.
Thanks Mario
Delvesdeep
Could you please scan the map and forward it to me? :)
My email address is michael(dot)farrell(at)optusnet(dot)com(dot)au.
Thanks Mario
Delvesdeep
Another option for the LL guildhouse is to use the map and some of the defense strategies of the Lotus Dragon guildhall from the first chapter of the Savage Tide AP in Dungeon #139, "There is No Honor". It's a great layout and can easily be modified for Cauldron. I had the smuggler's pond area open onto the lake in the center of Cauldron.
Hurm.
Did you receive it DD?
Ciao
Mario
Did you receive it DD?
Ciao
Mario
No not yet.
Just found it!
Thanks Mario that looks ideal!!!!
Now I just have to use your ideas above for the contents of the rooms and I will should have a great adventure.
You should write this adventure up and include the map and post it on theRPGenius.com site. I'm sure many other DMs would like to use it.
Thankyou
Delvesdeep
What I'm thinking of doing is having the party enlist the aid of their allies including the Chisel and Striders to complete a surprize raid on the headquarters. Artus (Snival in my game) can assist the party with his general knowledge of the layout of the stronghold and from that a plan of attack can be drawn up.
The target of the operation is to kill the Jil, Velior and the Jester before they can escape.
My idea is to have the parties allies suggest that they disguise themselves as LL members and descend into the Stronghold through the Slippery Eel cellar. While they are doing this Artus tells them of a back entrance (which leads into Romm 8 - train room) that the party could simultaneously enter and try and make their way northeast to the LL leaders rooms.
The adventure will be timed and dependant upon the parties stealth and actions. If they are too slow or make too much noise early then the Velior and Jester will escape before they can face him.
The parties allies will take case of most of the low level rogues while the party will get to fight a number of Harleiquins and hopefully Velior and the Jester. Jil will not be in the guildhouse when the battle occurs leaving her avaliable for Chapter 8(LoO).
There will be almost 50 low level rogues in the stronghold but the party should not have to face any of them of they attack with the add of their allies.
Regardless of whether the Jester escpaes or not this should be a telling victory for the 'good guys' of Cauldron at last.
Delvesdeep
Mario,
Have you come up with any possible treasure as yet?
What about prisioners?
Lets throw in a few links/clues to the Cagewrights?
Any ideas from anyone would be very helpful
Delvesdeep
One of the minor hooks, I used in my "alternate" LL adventure was the fact that Velior Thazo's "office" had a direct view to Vhalantru's office. It had been an established fact (through the "Foreshadowing of Orbius" (from the RPGenius series "delving deeper") encounter, I ran earlier) that the beholder had connections to the Last Laugh. If the party is clever enough, they might figure out that the connection between Vhalantru and Last Laugh is the exact same as between Orbius and the Last Laugh.
Cagewright hooks might come from notes about certain assignments.
Patrols to the Lucky Monkey finding merciless killings (conducted by Alurad Sorizan).
In the Last Laugh Loot the party could find items stolen from CW members (like a statue of a Minotaur god with faint magic, possibly prompting the party to use a legend lore spell).
Certain assignments to procure components for building a magical item (the emergency switch for the tree) signed by F.D.
Some LL harlequin, who only speaks broken common (native language: abyssal) and is a contact of Dyr'ryd, who likes to be kept informed about the town business from a second source (apart from Orbius, who he suspects of treason against the CWs which is not completely unfounded, Orbius is actively searching for the fiery sanctum)
Some of those suggestions may not work for you DD, as you have changed the CW's, but I thought, I'd post them anyway ;-)
Cheers,
Nib
Thanks for you suggestions nib. I like the idea of having some sign of Orbius in the stronghold. I too have Orbius connected to the LL and have used all the Delving Deeper articles because, of course, I wrote them. :)
I also like the idea of finding the plans for the Shackled Tree in the Jesters documents too.
Thanks for your ideas nib as always
Delvesdeep
Hi Delvesdeep
Sorry for not answering last week.
The Sewer Stronghold map looks realy nice also in my opinion.
I received last friday the 4e rulebooks, so I will start my conversion soon, and I was waiting to have the rules and the PCs ready before assigning treasure (that will be mostly party-specific).
As tresures PCs will find (only a raw list for now):
- one or more of the Volcanic gosling statuette from Tygoth's Old Things (I will link some side-trek adventure and powers to these items).
- the LL journal as written by the Jester (and PCS will need to find a way to decode it).
The journal will be one of the most revealing item ever find by PCs with hooks to almost every LL operations up to now (kidnappings of 1 chapter, smuggling of 2 chapter, Alleybasher defeat of 3 chapter, Gortio acting as Splintershiel partiarch in 4 chapter). The journal will also contain a list of corrupted officers, spyes, etc; and more or less the full LL background founded as a tool for the CW.
In my game I think I will have Gortio the doppleganger be an "evolved skulk" (the doppleganger race is the evolution of the skulk race, like dark creepers and dark stalkers), so Gortio is the leader of the tribe of skulks living in Jzadirune. He will be absent during PCs raid to the gnome citadel and when returnign and finding most of his tribesmen slayed will wov revenge over PCS, and to obtain this he will join the LL guild. During the AP he will secretly replace one of PCs frined/avdisor/lover, depending on PCs relationship with SCAP NPS (Shensen Tesseril, Ruphus Laro, Skylar Krewis, Skie Aldersun, Tygot Mispas, the PC chosen taven’s inkeeper, etc.).
PCS will find the replaced NPC in the LL's jails.
I like nib links for CW, but I've not idea about this yet.
Ciao
Mario