Now, for some time the party has been messing around, heading to the south-west and south-east of Oleg's Trading Post, we've brought the Kobolds into line, made them valuable trading partners for Oleg and Svetlana, helped old Bokken out with some supply troubles, befriended Tyg and Pervilash (more trouble than they're bloody worth, but then they keep using my precious maps sleeping mats!) and dealt with a lot of wandering monsters, undead Trappers, cleansed the Shrine of the Elk and even Mooseknuckle the Immense, an Ogress Bandi and her halfbreed family, an ally of the Stag Lord, whose death has finally made the other players remember what we were supposed to be doing in the first place.
Unfortunately they are convinced that the Bandit, Stag lord, must be hiding in the forests to the east and south-east, to much fsdjgh-ing from the GM (and myself, who helped him with the campaign's alteration for 6 players) despite the note to Mooseknuckle being quite clear that the camp was on the northen edge of the Tuskwater Lake.
Thus we're heading south-west, towards what I believe will be the lair of the serpent-dragon-monster-things a panicky trapper was talking about, and am curious as to how anyone else would help me and the GM get the party back on track without using the 'Leash of GM-dom' to pull them into line?
Random bandit encounter!
Seriously now's a perfect time to introduce them to one of the lieutenants perhaps out on some pointless errand. You can run it however you like so long as it ultimately leads back to the stag lords fortress.
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These are ideas for the GM's eyes, to have the PCs...
Meet a disgruntled former bandit, who fled with his life after a failed coup against the Stag Lord. He dreams of becoming the new crime lord of the area, maybe with a little help from his new friends.
Unscrupolous players might find the idea of secretly knowing/controlling the main criminal of their kingdom appealing, maybe plotting together with him subtle manipulations of the economy/people's opinion.
Stumble upon other ruins dating from the same time of the fort, used by the bandits as an hideout until they found the fort (way better), where they forgot a scrap map pointing towards the new lair.
Maybe the bandits were forced to flee these ruins, as they're now occupied by venomous vermins too numerous and venomous to fight head-on.
Random bandit encounter!
Seriously now's a perfect time to introduce them to one of the lieutenants perhaps out on some pointless errand. You can run it however you like so long as it ultimately leads back to the stag lords fortress.
We've had them fight the Stag Lord's 'Second in Command', the aforementioned Mooseknuckle the Immense. She even had a very explicit note about where to find the camp and 'to not drink all the rum this time'.
Think I'm just going to have to tie down and torture the next bandit we come across....
good stuff
Interesting. I'll run this past the GM and see if we can't work out a more blatant hook (as if the aforementioned note wasn't enough!)
Smurf Bump
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. Eventually, even if they miss all clues, your group will stumble on the Stag Lord and his merry band. That's the nature of the sandbox. You're not on a set timetable, and events do not have to occur in a set order. My own group figured out where he was hiding pretty quickly, but then approached very cautiously, exploring basically the whole area of their charter before going after the Antlered One. Other groups have gone straight for him after the initial couple of encounters. Neither way is "right" (although the direct method will certainly make for a more difficult fight).
Page 42 of Stolen Land. Quest: The Stag Lord. PC's get an second charter from Restov waiting for them at Oleg's the second time they return there after defeating the badints at area K. The Stag Lord is wanted 'dead or alive'. the reward for this is 5,000 gp plus the charter to establish the colony.
+1, BUT
If the party hasn't encountered the Thorn River Bandit Camp then (as written) the above reward wouldn't be offered (although I'd do it anyway at the point you guys are at).
My players were really enjoying exploring and not going after the bandits. They really liked Oleg and Svetlana, and the other NPC's were in fairly good standing with the group as well. I used that to my advantage.
The intent of the following timeline of events was simply to give me an idea of what things are going on while the party screwed around and played with fairies in the woods. At any time if the PC's engaged the Stag Lord I planned to simply ignore the following day's events and proceed however the party decided to go. We got to Day 5 and my party routed the bandits and they fled back to the fortress where the PC's proceeded to hunt them down.
A 10 day cycle worked for me, but the actual time that each event takes place could easily shift furhter apart or closer together as needed. The final event is a bit campaign-endy so...
Day 0: Victory?
PC's are victorious at Thorn River Camp and decide to put all the clues there on the back burner...for...whatever reason players decide to derail adventures for.
Day 1: Bloody Ingrate
Happs and his boys are noted as missing by ol' Staggy (they didn't escape "justice" from my group). He mobilizes the minions to track Happs down since Kressle sent him off weeks ago to bring back some booty to the bandit lord. This had been about four weeks in game for us since the initial contact with the bandits.
Day 2: He Better Be Dead!
Bandits continue search for Happs and his band of miscreants. (15% chance a random encounter is with 1d6 bandits)
Day 3: CSI Thorn River
Search comes accross the Thorn River Camp...now quite deserted. Some clue uncovered that tips Staggy off to outside involvement by a group of lousy vigilantes. (PC's at the camp will face Akiros,
Day 4: Of Course You Know...This Means War
Stag Lord sends Dovan, Auchs and the mundane bandits up to shake down Oleg and Svetlana for information about the PC's (if PC's head to the fortress it'll be very lightly defended indeed).
Day 5: The Not-so-Okay Corral
Kasteen Garess and his crew respond to the scuffle between Oleg and the Bandits that infiltrated the fort posing as trappers. Kasteen is badly wounded and two of his men are killed, Bokken hides in the midden pits, Svetlana is kidnapped and Oleg is badly wounded. (If the PC's are at the scene it will unfold per a typical encounter...and hopefully spur them towards finishing the Stag Lord)
Day 6: A Mad Gamble
Cleric Kavken returns from a trip to the Temple of the Elk and tends to Oleg and Kasteen. Oleg and Kasteen are bloody pissed off and Oleg is near mad with the loss of his wife so he decides to head to the Stag Lord's Fortress himself to save her. (If the PC's are present they can either let him go, talk him out of it and go themselves, or accompany him).
ONGOING Day 7 - Day 10: The Hunters Become the Hunted
Svetlana is "interogated" and the identities of the PC's is pretty well known and the bandits throughout the area form goon squads, roving the countryside looking for the interlopers. Increase chance of random encounters by 5% (all rolls are cumulative so this adjustment is significant). 25% chance any random encounter is with a bandit goon squad (1 bandit using Happs' stats and 1d6 regular bandits)
Day 7: Till Death do Us Part
Oleg, Kavken and Kasteen arrive at the Stag Lord's fortress by mid day disguised as bandits. This ends up going very badly for them (I planned to go beyond PG-13 with this situation if it came up but you get the idea). Of course if the PC's have previously disuaded Oleg, or come along with him the events transpire as the actions of the party and the dice will it.
Day 8: This Land is My Land
Having slain Oleg, Kasteen and Kavken, and still finding the PC's elusive/absent/whatever the Stag Lord decides to remove any haven they may have in this area and plan for his additional expansion since these vigilantes are so very delinquent in their efforts. Leaving behind their "trophies" the bandits loose the Owlbear inside the fortress to "clean up" and act as guard dog so-to-speak while they are away. (PC's arriving before mid day find the fortress bustling with activity and are in for a fight...and some heart break. Those arriving afterward find a grumpy owlbear and some).
Day 9: Burnin' Down the House
The bandits in force, ride on Oleg's and proceed to loot and pillage followed by a nice toasty fire of death and destruction for anyone left there. (PC's engaging the bandits at this time find them ALL here and are in for a tough fight in and around the wreckage of Oleg's Fortress that could involve collapsing buildings, fire, etc)
Day 10: A Message
Having successfully burnt down Oleg's Trading Post the bandits proceed east along the South Rostland Road burning and looting farms on into the southwestern extents of Brevoy. The Sword Lords are politically weakened by the events...getting things back on track will be...some work.
As always...YOUR mileage may vary.
Another theme would be to get the peace between the kobolds and the party to be broken due to an attack by the Stag Lord's men, then just track them back south. Although you have plenty of neat ideas by the rest of the crew above.
Another theme would be to get the peace between the kobolds and the party to be broken due to an attack by the Stag Lord's men, then just track them back south. Although you have plenty of neat ideas by the rest of the crew above.
After running into a final group of bandits, finally managed to take one alive and got the bandit to agree to lead us towards the Stag Lord's camp before we let him run to the River Kingdoms for sanctuary. Then the Cavalier ran him through with his lance...group went O.o at that.
Before the group packed up for the night, the GM said 'you see a very faint line of darkness to the northern horizon. From this distance, it appears to be very thin line of charcole smudging the bright blue sky.'
"Oh crap, is that smoke? Wait, isn't Oleg's that direction?"
Cue collective "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!" from the party. Many thanks all for your help!