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I ran a game yesterday, Mists of the Mwangi, for a party of six 5-6th level characters. Of course, I made some changes to account for power level and added some magic items.
In my version of MotM, the curator left an interactable illusion outside the museum that enticed adventurers to save his museum, however the adventurers that went in usually got turned into monkeys or sacrificed to fuel a ritual. Basically, the Mists would turn most of the city into a jungle, transforming the inhabitants and buildings appropriately.
I did the Jumanji-style degeneration of the museum, added in a "Mwangi Devourer" basically a cross between a Devourer and a T-Rex (underpowered for the game) that used the cables that originally held it up as negative energy whips, and used an advanced Barl-Urgra instead of a Dire Ape for the final encounter. And some maneating plants.
Anyways, the party is mostly non-good, with a CG Fighter who is strongly leaning towards CN/CE. And, upon finding an unlocked storage room, promptly looted it. No Alarm spells went off, but I was planning on something bad to happen, since the trap was magical with a nondetection cast on it.
The party ended up rolling a percentile dice, rolled the exact number they needed and ended up with a 136000 gold worth wayfinder and some other nice treasure. But I want them to pay some price for it. After all, it is a museum run by a former Pathfinder with old adventuring buddies, so I was wondering what kind of devious curse/trap/spell should be awaiting them the next time I GM?
So wait -- the party didn't get screwed over enough so you want to screw them over properly next time? Just because you let something good into the game?
(btw you do know nondetection spell or not the rogue can still spot magical traps right? Actually anyone can it's just that the rogue can disable them with disable device.)
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So wait -- the party didn't get screwed over enough so you want to screw them over properly next time? Just because you let something good into the game?
(btw you do know nondetection spell or not the rogue can still spot magical traps right? Actually anyone can it's just that the rogue can disable them with disable device.)
Well, a party of 5 5th level characters ripped through the demon in 2 rounds and 3 rounds for the devourer. They are pretty damn good. And there were no rogues, but one of them did have disable device.
They ended up with alot of loot, I didn't run as a society mission I ran it as an adventure and rolled the loot accordingly. I'd like to think that one may not be able to steal things so easily, especially from a museum with stuff in it worth 136,000 GP.
Well if they are hot they are hot. Sounds to me from across the internet that they ran in well and did what they are supposed to do.
Here's what you got to ask youself:
1. Were they lucky? Did they critical hit several times and win through the monsters failing saves? If so that falls under not their fault and they get the day -- after all that's why we roll dice instead of dictating outcomes.
2. Did they play it fairly? Was it their character's skills, powers and teamwork that won the day? If so that falls under doing it right can't really blame them for doing what they are (from their end of things) supposed to be doing.
3. Did you under challenge them? If so again you can't "punish" them because it's not their fault.
That being said I would let them get away pretty much freely. Once back in the civilized world word will get to the pathfinders and they'll come looking for their very expensive wayfinder. First time they'll ask nicely with a good reward (if not what's the thing is completely worth) for finding it. If they are turned down they'll ask again, before resorting to other means of getting their stuff back.
This is a plot hook more than anything. There is almost no town in the world that they can hope to sell that thing at. The pathfinder society will want their wayfinder back. Let the party get some use out of it then move it along with a new adventure that gets their wealth back on level.
That good reward from the society? Make it some juicy magical items that you *know* the players want for their characters so it's easier to give up the wayfinder.
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Well if they are hot they are hot. Sounds to me from across the internet that they ran in well and did what they are supposed to do.
Here's what you got to ask youself:
1. Were they lucky? Did they critical hit several times and win through the monsters failing saves? If so that falls under not their fault and they get the day -- after all that's why we roll dice instead of dictating outcomes.
2. Did they play it fairly? Was it their character's skills, powers and teamwork that won the day? If so that falls under doing it right can't really blame them for doing what they are (from their end of things) supposed to be doing.
3. Did you under challenge them? If so again you can't "punish" them because it's not their fault.
That being said I would let them get away pretty much freely. Once back in the civilized world word will get to the pathfinders and they'll come looking for their very expensive wayfinder. First time they'll ask nicely with a good reward (if not what's the thing is completely worth) for finding it. If they are turned down they'll ask again, before resorting to other means of getting their stuff back.
This is a plot hook more than anything. There is almost no town in the world that they can hope to sell that thing at. The pathfinder society will want their wayfinder back. Let the party get some use out of it then move it along with a new adventure that gets their wealth back on level.
That good reward from the society? Make it some juicy magical items that you *know* the players want for their characters so it's easier to give up the wayfinder.
The Fighter has a established a connection with the Consortium, so it wasn't really a problem with fencing the unwanted goods, the Aspis Consortium are rather good with claiming things as theirs.
What repercussions for looting a museum of the vast majority of it's historical artifacts and fencing them on the black market/keeping them seem to be fitting for you?
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That being said I would let them get away pretty much freely. Once back in the civilized world word will get to the pathfinders and they'll come looking for their very expensive wayfinder. First time they'll ask nicely with a good reward (if not what's the thing is completely worth) for finding it. If they are turned down they'll ask again, before resorting to other means of getting their stuff back.
This is a plot hook more than anything. There is almost no town in the world that they can hope to sell that thing at. The pathfinder society will want their wayfinder back. Let the party get some use out of it then move it along with a new adventure that gets their wealth back on level.
Dude, they're in Absalom. The civilized world is 2 steps out the front door of the museum.
Hm... with the title of the adventure (Mists of the Mwangi) I expected it to be a lost museum someplace a bit further out.
However if they are planning to try and fence the contents of the museum I agree there probably are a few traps left and there is the logistical questions too.
Someone in Absalom will probably see them, and they'll probably get reported and someone would probably come in late at night to pay them a visit.
While the Aspis Consortium is big I don't think they'll really want to take on the task of fencing a museum of goods that were just owned by the Pathfinder Society. There is just too much chance that it would come back to haunt them.
IF it was just the wayfinder (and the museum is old which I'm seeing now isn't quite the case) I would have gone with the above.
Now that I realize they are in effect breaking and entering a well known spot I would suggest an alarm spell for his old adventuring buddies and the PFS. Scry and fry performed by several different wizards all at once -- some of whom are simply casing through their scrying devices -- with city guards at the gates by the time the party reaches them.
IF you are inclined to let them get away with all the loot then I would go with a haunting by a sorcerer ghost who donated an item (a small insignificant but historically rich item) who won't rest until it is restored to the museum. Gives you a reoccurring villain (on top of the pissed off pathfinders) to hit them with whenever you are annoyed with them.
just join the society.... the pathfinders take all lots, all you have to do is be willing to walk 500 miles and then walk 500 more....
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Hm... with the title of the adventure (Mists of the Mwangi) I expected it to be a lost museum someplace a bit further out.
However if they are planning to try and fence the contents of the museum I agree there probably are a few traps left and there is the logistical questions too.
Someone in Absalom will probably see them, and they'll probably get reported and someone would probably come in late at night to pay them a visit.
While the Aspis Consortium is big I don't think they'll really want to take on the task of fencing a museum of goods that were just owned by the Pathfinder Society. There is just too much chance that it would come back to haunt them.
IF it was just the wayfinder (and the museum is old which I'm seeing now isn't quite the case) I would have gone with the above.
Now that I realize they are in effect breaking and entering a well known spot I would suggest an alarm spell for his old adventuring buddies and the PFS. Scry and fry performed by several different wizards all at once -- some of whom are simply casing through their scrying devices -- with city guards at the gates by the time the party reaches them.
IF you are inclined to let them get away with all the loot then I would go with a haunting by a sorcerer ghost who donated an item (a small insignificant but historically rich item) who won't rest until it is restored to the museum. Gives you a reoccurring villain (on top of the pissed off pathfinders) to hit them with whenever you are annoyed with them.
Ah, I see. I twisted the game a little bit, the curator still hates the Pathfinder Society in my game, he was just using them to lure victims into his sacrificial chamber, 4-6 adventurers and nearby city folk at a time.
The other problem is that I altered the societies a bit and the prestige awards. Basically, you fulfill a faction mission within the city and you gain powerful allies. Aspis Consortium, a version of the Red Mantis Assassins from Tian Xia, the Andoran Eagle Knights and an Ancience Empire called Rhest are the new factions in Absalom, and they all have their various perks for being allied with them i.e. Aspis has the ability to fence and sell just about anything for the right price.
I ran it as individual, non-competitive missions this time, but soon I'll introduce conflicting goals while still having them have to complete the goals secretly, and without any obvious murder involved, more like encourage machinations and sabotage with more xp for it.
If I had time, I would have made the museum bigger with more wings and more interesting stuff in it, but at the time I was winging it, so I couldn't properly balance the traps and items with the party's power and skill level.
The wayfinder is haunted: It could be the ghost of the former owner, or it may have a lingering curse (that killed the previous owner for instance?) or there is some sort of invisible critter that is attracted to that particular wayfinder (and couldn't get to it while it was in the museum)
If the Curator lives, he can follow the players making mischeif in revenge for their tampering. If he's dead then he can still do that But a little more necromancy is needed.
The demons are not dead: their mortal forms sent back to whence they came, they spilled all sorts of details on the players, and the next time they get summoned to Golarion, they wander off to settle a score.
The pathfinder does not work. If they don't put a Black Ioun stone in the wayfinder then any Ioun stone in it turns to dust. If they do put a black Ioun stone in it then it directs them to some misbegotten location where they can complete the last owners final quest. (low reward this time)
OR: wayfinder = majic Jar + Time delay.
OR, the characters breathed in some of that 'Jumanji' mists and it has stayed in their lungs. No harm to them, except the (select one or more) a) Randomly being shifted to mwangi once every 3 months b) mutating any normal animal they fight into a magical beast c) periodically replicating the 'jumanji effect' while they sleep. etc
Or the Wayfinder has one third of a map inscribed on the underside, and monstrous forces have the other two and seek their third.
or ay of the above. In combinations.
Batts
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Wow, thanks for the great suggestions! If anyone else wants to comment, feel free, I like having lots of options!
So far, we have these different ideas:
The expensive wayfinder is cursed/trapped/highly prized by powerful and potentially dangerous people.
Stealing from a Museum in the middle of a highly populated area is a bad idea.
The demonic ritual that was terraforming the museum and surrounding city isn't completely broken, and may have future repercussions.
The Demons have friends, and they don't like the PCs.
The Curator has friends, and they don't like the PCs.
Great stuff, I can make an adventure out of this!
Yeah no matter what comes next you got quite the set of adventure hooks. In fact you don't have to use them all right now -- save the demons for later when they are higher level. At some point they'll fight demons in something else entirely and have those demons be the the same as they faced in this adventure with the demons knowing the tactics the party will use (in this case I would metagame a bit and plan for exactly what the party normally does). The immediate ones I would use are:
Robbing a museum in town is a BAD idea.
Ghost slowly starts causing problems.
Lingering effects from the mists -- and people are blaming the PCs since they were seen leaving with stuff (I would play this one AFTER they fence the goods with some of the goods having to be located and returned to kill the lingering effects).