So, I had an interesting situation come up when I started this adventure last session, and I could use some advice.
As others have noted, I had a continuity problem with the adventure: at the end of HMM, the party is given a keep near the Storval Plateau and they've gotten the location of Jorgenfist from Barl Breakbones. Although I've stressed that they have months before any invasion will be ready, they insist on being proactive and heading right to Jorgenfist. Even the lure of a festival in their honor in Sandpoint wasn't enough to lure them back--"We have more important things to do right now than attend a party." A good point.
So off goes the party to Jorgenfist. As they are only 8th level, they are being exceedingly cautious, and scouting as best they can. Here comes the trouble.
The party's rogue is willing to scout the area. He is flying for 16 minutes and invisible for 8 minutes. He intends to make a sweep over the area and report back. The first building he checks out is the Black Tower, where two harpies are signing (and I decided the third was asleep). He fails one of the Will saves and is captivated. He flies into the roost atop the tower and just stands, helpless, right in front of the captivating harpy. The harpies don't know he's there...until the invisibility wears off. Suddenly a rogue appears right in their roost. So they attack (consistent with their tactics, they enter melee when they have an opponent alone). Because they are able to stun the rogue every single round, he doesn't even get a chance to flee or respond, and they have him unconscious by the middle of round 3.
What do the harpies do with the rogue? They aren't really allies of Mokmurian--they long predate his arrival at Jorgenfist and it seems that the giants and the harpies enjoy mutual defense, but leave each other alone. So a "march the prisoner to the leader" or even "take the prisoner to the brig" scenarios seem unlikely. They are Intelligence 6, sadistic, carnivorous monsters--I would guess they probably just eat him and divvy up his loot.
I know I've got the ability, as DM, to rule this whichever way I want. If I want the character dead, I can just say, "they kill and eat you." If I want to throw the character some mercy, I could rule that they choose to interrogate him, or turn him over to Mokmurian, or any number of plans in which he could engineer a cunning escape. But I'd like to be true to the intent of the adventure and its creatures, and ask what you guys think is the likeliest result here.
Me, being the heartless DM than I am, would probably have them kill and eat him.
"Death by Snu-Snu!"
LOL! Good one!
First we scalp him! The we tatoo him! Then we hang him! And then we kill him!
That or death by snu-snu. Either way works for me.
I honestly think this is the most intimidating and dramatic turn for the adventuring party. The scout who didn't come back certainly instills fear in the party. I don't see any way the Harpies wouldn't just eat the guy.
You take some chances, and sometimes you lose. That's D&D. If this guy had a character dying every other play session, that would be a problem.
If this guy had a character dying every other play session, that would be a problem.
Yes, this is only the second death in the campaign so far (another player lost a scout in the early levels), so I think I'm doing okay on that front.
Scouting ahead is usually a good idea. Scouting that far ahead is splitting the party, which is almost never a good idea. Never go so far that your comrades, especially the healers, cannot get to you.
Death by snu-snu.
If you feel like being generous, let the rogue live. But have him suffer massive charisma damage from the snu-snu ritual. Then let him use his rogue skills to escape. Later you can haunt him with a young harpy tracking him down, seeking out her "daddy".
If the rogue heard the singing and flew into charm range- consider killing him (all his own fault)
If the 2 harpies just happened to start singing when he was within range or you ruled that the singing couldn't be heard until within charm range (ie he had no chance to percieve to possibility of a threat before having to make a save) cut him a break (ish) --I reckon it is a bit of a tough call to have this happen
If he is from Sandpoint he gets given to the Sandpoint Giant expedition to torture for information about defences etc- they head off to Sandpoint- with him, he has a chance to escape and warn the others that there will be an attack on Sandpoint where there is something "vital' to the giants plans...
brings them back to Sandpoint.
Of course in a game sense the situation is more "The rogue doesnt come back (for at least a bunch of days)....what do the rest do?"
|
Yes Harpies are violent, sadistic, carnivorous beasts. But they aren't idiots. I mean, a Rogue just appeared transfixed in their midst out of thin air. Strange much? I don't think they'd just kill him and eat him right away.
If he's already helpless, I think they'd either take him to their master, the Black Monk, or interrogate him themselves and attack his friends.
And if they happen to eat a few of the Rogue's fingers in the process, well...they're Harpies. Whatcha gonna do?