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So the Paladin leader is the target of an assassination attempt. :)
Party composition can vary from session to session, but usually there's decent coverage for the four "basic" areas. There's a *usually* tank, a healer, an arcane caster, and a sneaky type, although there have been sessions with no access to arcane casting.
Group size can vary from 4 to 6, as well.
If the group is 4 or 5 strong, I'll be using a CR6 assassin. If there are six players I'm not so keen on bumping up the CR of a single enemy, but would probably rather use multiples or an assistant.
Since this contains potential spoiler information:
They rolled trolls and then rolled for max number appearing (8) so they're a bit freaked out by trolls at the moment. They've heard all the troll stories from their subjects, and have ZERO interest in helping out with the problem right now. They're not super brave.
So here's the deal. They haven't explored west or south at all, and I'd like to get their mind off trolls for the time being and I think the assassination attempt is a perfect time to hint at future First World troubles, maybe sending some fey assassins.
So I was thinking maybe a redcap. The paladin would have ample opportunity to fight off the attack between smite evil and the redcap's Irreligious quality, but I fear it's even weaker given the party's access to bane. I want it to feel deadly--PC death isn't the goal, but it should feel that way.
Other CR6 fey I have considered is the blodeuwedd, eliminating smite evil as an option, but as there's a potential that the party could be melee heavy I run the risk of a TPK with entangle, spike growth, and deep slumber.
tl;dr -- I want to use a fey assassin, but it seems like one may be a pushover and the other could potentially destroy the group and take away one of the major advantages the targeted player should have during a critical (but still random) part of their adventure.
Any thoughts on alternative baddies to use here that are more likely to fall in the sweet spot between potential cakewalk and campaign wrecker?
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Could use a hand on this if anyone could offer up a quick suggestion.
Just wondering if the fey I have in mind might work, or if there are alternative fey around CR 6 that would be worth a shot.
Paladin is the target of assassination, so I want a challenge that won't be wholly owned by a holy smite beatdown, but I also don't want an assassin that completely invalidates his class choice.
Thanks for any assists on this!
One option to consider is to attack the paladin when no one else is around. Have a private session with the player (either in person, or via phone/IM/message board) where he needs to fight off the assassin (or survive for X rounds you determine ahead of time, when everyone else would show up to help). That'll eliminate some of the variableness, and let you target it for "What can this paladin handle alone?"
I did that with my kingdom's royal assassin (who had an attempt on her) - she freaked out and started rolling up a new character, and then I hijacked the character (with her permission), added a level or two, and used it as the assassin. Both survived (the newcomer ran away when help started to arrive), but it was very touch and go, and a great way to introduce the start of the next session: "Runners come up to you to let you know your city is on fire, and Genevive is calling for help."
Not that that's viable if you want to use fey, but the idea of doing it solo could work really well.
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I'm debating the solo assassination...may not have time and definitely don't want to hold the rest of the table as a captive audience.
Although...maybe that's how I make the redcap work. I don't think he'd be able to figure out the irreligious quality (no nature knowledge) without metagaming, so smite evil and LoH should work nicely enough for him for a few rounds, where the party can either be cavalry or arrive on scene as the Paladin is wrapping up the attack.
I don't know why I like the redcap so much here...maybe it's just the complete lack of subtlety, seems to fit the same style as the two major villian encounters (thugs and beasts, mostly) but sends a bigger hint that these encounters aren't just happening around them on accident or because they fit a woodlands/plains/hills theme.
Really I just like the redcaps because they're so foul. :)
I may just go with a more standard assassin and make it a straight-up humanoid NPC, because I think it could increase the tension of the upcoming Grigori event and give the party a few more sub plots to explore or consider.
How about a Quickling dervish. He could swoop in like a ninja warrior on speed.
add a few fighter levels to it to gain the dervish feat. Provide a few doses of an appropriate poison. He becomes a fey assassin.
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How about a Quickling dervish. He could swoop in like a ninja warrior on speed.
add a few fighter levels to it to gain the dervish feat. Provide a few doses of an appropriate poison. He becomes a fey assassin.
May use that later on, thanks!
LOL fair enough, I had forgot about that.