All spoilers, all the time:
After watching Kalmarene for two days, my players are ready to attack the battle market. They've seen the patrols in town but that's about it. They've rescued Fellipad, they know that human merchants recently came to the market and are inside, they know about Kardswan being the leader (but didn't connect that to the info I gave them from the book). So with that, they are planning to ask Almah for the mercenaries, her guards, and to make a direct attack on the market.
Normally, I'd let the players hang themselves with their own rope. Almah could talk them out of it - "Are you crazy? Risk my entire force on a attack when we know nothing about the enemy?", but I hesitate to have an NPC take such a direct role in where the adventure goes.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Almah could always send the mercenaries on a diversionary attack to draw gnoll defenders away from the town, thereby providing a 'weaker' force for the PCs to have to get through. In actual gameplay, this would not affect anything in the AP, the PCs will still have the exact same encounters, but story-wide this should make sense.
The Pactmaster guards of course will not be am element on any attack. Their job is to guard Alamah and Garavel so they are not available for any sort of attack unless Almah herself is involved.
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A somewhat related question...Since you didn't get to Nigth 5 your group hasn't had the opportunity to get a few gnolls to help on the assault.
My question is: has any other groups used these gnolls to help the party on the assault of Kelmarane? I'm curious how they can be used effectively in case my group crosses paths with them.
Thanks.
Have they met Kezurkian yet ? From your description I suspect they probably havent, and they havent seen him either. Depending on the group's capabilities you could have them bump into him before they hit the market - or the mercs get decimated by him if they want to take a scouting role in front of the inept PC's ( depending on what kind of standing the mercs have with the PCs ). Might make the players think twice about rushing in headlong seeing the mercs get shredded, or themselves a bit dinged up. If the group is highly capable make Kezurkian a bit more hardy... They may fight him, and decide not to press on immediately.
Also the mercs may not be very happy themselves about a frontal assault - they are not supposed to be a confident gung ho willing combat team - and may argue and be surly about being sent in as cannon fodder. Or the mercs may possibly devise an alternate attack that you can use to put unease in the players minds ( IE, "Sounds like a plan, but you fella's can go first eh ? We'll cover your backs..." *greasy grin* ).
The mercs can run at the first sign of serious hardship, or trigger an early response from the gnolls by blundering into a patrol, and in turn setting off the warning horn in the guard house...
My group encountered all these things - the mercs were split with regards to the players - one bully type merc was openly hostile after getting into a brawl with a player at the caravan fire start, some were neutral, and a couple were friendly having been aided when hurt. Thus depending on the internal arguing, sometimes the mercs were helpful, sometimes they were a hindrance, but at all times they were cautious, and not at all interested in fighting to the death.
The players also managed to set off the guard house warning horn, and fled the town loosely pursued by a large posse of gnolls. A stand off across the river ended in the PCs staying out in the wilds for the night.
And lastly they also hit Kezurkian, got somewhat roughed up, and came back to the monastery to think things over.
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If they need to learn more or level up some, then maybe side track them with some other distraction from the town that they cannot help but address.
My players went straight into the battle market, talked trash to Kardswann and a huge battle broke out. They were successful in the end, but they took a good beating.
Check out the old paizo blog from mid-november called "Fans make a fan out of me" and see the pictures of the Battle Market that I built for this encounter. I found a 3D map very helpful. If this is a live table top game, that is helpful, if it is on-line, it probably doesn't matter.
I noticed that your profile says Evergreen CO. I am in Castle Rock but will be headed past Evergreen later this week if you would like me to drop off the Battle Market for your adventure? Let me know.
Dave
http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/2009/november/v5748dyo5lamv
My players have just finished cleaning the monastery so I have read up what's supposed to happen.
Almahs advice as presented in page 29 "the pc's are to make a scouting mission into the outskirts of the village in attempt to gauge the forces defending Kelmarane".
Thats what your pcs were doing the last 2 days. However the passage continues. "She warns them not to attempt to fight their way to the battle market, where she presumes the gnoll tribe has set up shop..." and "Rather, Almah encourages guerilla strikes into the town, taking out its defenders a few at a time and exploring the ruined buildings on Kelmaranes lower slopes."
It also goes on to explain that though open to alternative plans, she won't waste her mercenaries lightly, since they are her only hope should the PC's fail.
I think the adventure path is supposed to be pretty generous on the advice the PC's get and that's a good thing.
headed past Evergreen later this week if you would like me to drop off the Battle Market for your adventure?
Thanks for the offer, but we play online.
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I noticed that your profile says Evergreen CO. I am in Castle Rock but will be headed past Evergreen later this week if you would like me to drop off the Battle Market for your adventure? Let me know.
Dave
http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/2009/november/v5748dyo5lamv
Ooh, I remember that blog. Great work! Would you mind swinging by Massachusetts so I can use it? :)
Ooh, I remember that blog. Great work! Would you mind swinging by Massachusetts so I can use it? :)I noticed that your profile says Evergreen CO. I am in Castle Rock but will be headed past Evergreen later this week if you would like me to drop off the Battle Market for your adventure? Let me know.
Dave
http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/2009/november/v5748dyo5lamv
No, no, Texas! Swing by Texas! ;-)
If they need to learn more or level up some, then maybe side track them with some other distraction from the town that they cannot help but address.
My players went straight into the battle market, talked trash to Kardswann and a huge battle broke out. They were successful in the end, but they took a good beating.
Check out the old paizo blog from mid-november called "Fans make a fan out of me" and see the pictures of the Battle Market that I built for this encounter. I found a 3D map very helpful. If this is a live table top game, that is helpful, if it is on-line, it probably doesn't matter.
I noticed that your profile says Evergreen CO. I am in Castle Rock but will be headed past Evergreen later this week if you would like me to drop off the Battle Market for your adventure? Let me know.
Dave
http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/2009/november/v5748dyo5lamv
Hey Dave, I'm running the game this summer down in Colorado Springs... Any chance I might be able to borrow the Battle Market around June-ish? Looks abso-frickin-lutely cool!
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Colorado Springs is a little closer than Texas. Although I just spent a week in Texas. You are more than welcome to use it. I also have the monestary built in 3D so the pugwampi's can run freely in the rafters. You can use them both if you want. Feel free to contact me at againsttheshadow@aol.com and we will set up a time to drop it off.