Approaching the Stag Lord's Fort.

[Banesfinger]

My players are reaching the southern hexes (near the Stag Lord's Fort), and I have several questions:

#1) Since the fort is beyond the 60 mile (5 hex) 'exploration' charter, how will PCs know how to get there?
(They killed all the bandits at area K and did not question them, thinking that WAS the big bandit camp).

#2) Once they do find the fort...
How should I handle this tactic (my players used it at area K and I fully expect them to use it here as well):

They spot the fort and observe from a place of hiding - waiting for days to spot bandits going from/to the fort. Once they know the bandit's routine (e.g. leaving to raid, coming back to re-supply, etc), they will keep attacking the bandits as they leave/return to the fort (perhaps a mile or so from the fort). They hope to slowly kill-off all their reinforcements.

The other hope is that the bandits 'catch-on' to their tactics and come out of the fort to attack back. Now the bandits lose the fort's defensive advantage. (And provided enough time, the PCs may set-up traps of their own...).

I don't want to punish this kind of strategic thinking - I just want to get advice on how the bandits would react to it.

[Cpt_kirstov]

Banesfinger wrote:

#2) Once they do find the fort...
How should I handle this tactic (my players used it at area K and I fully expect them to use it here as well):

They spot the fort and observe from a place of hiding - waiting for days to spot bandits going from/to the fort. Once they know the bandit's routine (e.g. leaving to raid, coming back to re-supply, etc), they will keep attacking the bandits as they leave/return to the fort (perhaps a mile or so from the fort). They hope to slowly kill-off all their reinforcements.

The other hope is that the bandits 'catch-on' to their tactics and come out of the fort to attack back. Now the bandits lose the fort's defensive advantage. (And provided enough time, the PCs may set-up traps of their own...).

For number 2:

Spoiler:

I think Auchs' friend would catch on fairly early, as would the ex-pali. My players charmed Auchs and had him attack the owlbear. I don't think the bandits would attack en force, I think they have supplies for a few weeks of siege, and the PCs have already lowered their numbers, so those supplies last even longer. Maybe after 1-2 patrols, on the next patrol date, the PCs find an arrow buried into the middle of the road, 2-3 range increments away from the bandit castle. (this one alerts them there's a decent archer in there, rewarding them for their tactics, but two means the stag lord won't be drunk, and with the loss of men, might be in one of the towers himself taking pot shots - which would make a good chance for the anti-palidin to attack him.)

As for #1:

Spoiler:

add an encounter next time they go back to Oleg's with another patrol coming by looking for the first. Have they befriended the fey? they know the area. Are the likly to use speak with animals/plants at all, a pasing animal might tell them that there has been more patrols by the 'mean metal people' since they were last here

[Caineach]

There are supposedly a number of other bandits in the area. engineer a couple of the random encounters to be bandits, perhaps including one of the generals (try to have him get away). Likewise, those other groups of bandits are out there and come to pay tribute to the stag lord. Have the players notice that guys always come with stuff and leave empty handed, and its not the same people. The people who come do not spend their time in the fort. This leaves them to think others are in the fort who will not be so easy to coax out.

[KARLAN TALKINGTON]

Remember:

Spoiler:

Part of what's found at Bandit Camp K is the crate of green herbal liquor. This said liquor was SUPPOSED to be sent down to the Stag Lord because its his favorite and he's a drunk.

So when it doesn't arrive after a few days, it would make sense that the Stag Lord would send out a group to find out what's keeping his delivery.

Bandits find the tossed camp and report back, or send word back and track the party back to Oleg's

Either way, there could be many possibilities for the party to run into additional bandits.

The party also needs to be reporting back to Restov to get the wanted poster for the Stag Lord. I used Kesten as a "spy" and sent reports back for the party to keep that going.

[Banesfinger]

Good points everyone.

- Cpt_kirstov: yes, I'll have to remember that the Stag Lord won't be drunk if he comes after them - good point.

- Karlan Talkington: you bring up an interesting question:
What is the bandit's event timeline? Especially after the PCs kill the bandits at location K.

From this point forward, I would expect most groups to take 20-40 more days (15-20 hexes at 2-3 days/hex) to get to the Stag Lord's hex.

What will the Stag Lord do in the two months after his camp (K) is destroyed? Obviously, he's changed the password (he changes it weekly, according to pg 44).
He'd look pretty bad to his men if he didn't try to take-out these "do-gooders".

So here is my proposal, using the suggestions you have provided:
I'll make an encounter with bandit "hunters". They have been sent out to find the "do-gooders". I'll drop plenty of hints at their goal (yelling as they advance "There's the ones we're after" or "These must be the guys Oleg hired to kill us.").