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And then, as a DM, what was supposed to do with him there?
here is how we played it: He wait on one bed of the hospice for half a day looking the doctors taking care of the patients. He also received a treatment (one injection) then, bored to wait and not convinced by what he was seeing around him, he used two of his second harrowing bonus to get his charisma back. He declared himseft cured thanks to the doctor's treatment and bluff his way out the hospice.
what next ? this is what I plan to do:
The doctor he bluffed alerted his boss. So they will send the gay maiden to the cavalier's address in order tobring him back to the hospice. The injection was not a treatment but a stronger version of the disease.
Well, if you make him hang out there, he's likely going to be observed as he dies. Which isn't cool. That and he can't participate in the other happenings from a bed.
If you make him suspicious of the activity going on in the hospice, that will take the group straight to the endgame which is over their heads at this point. The group should get the idea that the doctors are doing everything possible to help the city.
I would maybe have someone intervene on his behalf to provide him with healing (like Cressidia or Ishani) as they are helping the city, or boosts to his saves so he can overcome the disease himself and prevent its spread to others (all the players need are two consecutive saves).
It could be interesting/funny to have him take the perfumer's miracle cure to see if it will work on the disease. Put an interesting twist on that sidequest. Then give him the proper healing afterward as a reward.
I like CaroRose's ideas (as always), but here's an alternative take:
CaroRose is right -- if you drag him under threat of force back to the hospice, the other PCs are going to want to investigate the hospice, and you're looking at a very likely TPK. I am consistently surprised that *any* parties that set off the alarm at the hospice actually make it through; stealth is the key to survival.
So what are some alternatives?
Even though the save DC is quite high for the disease, in a large population, some people are going to get better naturally. And if EVERYONE who goes to the hospice ends up dying, word will get around. So the doctors occasionally release a "cured" patient -- ESPECIALLY one like your PC who isn't actually cured, but who made himself look cured. Note that a good Heal check would reveal that he wasn't really any better, and the doctors would be ecstatic to have someone infected with their "new, improved" plague wandering the city to spread it to innocent bystanders.
So the doctors let him go intentionally, knowing he wasn't cured, and knowing he would be spreading an improved form of the disease. That allows you to proceed with the adventure normally (with the minor exception that one of your PCs needs Lesser Restorations every day to avoid dying), and adds to the evil of the doctors without forcing the party's hand.
I think this is a great opportunity to foreshadow what's going on. As NobodysHome mentioned, stealth is really important to the hospice. What if you took the opportunity to demonstrate that? Some adventurers (possibly the iconics from the back of the book) could try to sneak in and get busted, all while the cavalier lays on his bed and observes. If you play it right you could both foreshadow the need for stealth and let the party know that the hospice is currently too tough for them.
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@caroRose, he drank it :) the cleric gave him one dose. :-D
@NobodysHome. I like your idea. now the DC of the disease is increased by 1.
In fact, I couldn't keep the group away from the sunken ship. So they dive and found what to be found. Now they have quite a big hint about the role of the doctor. As they are still 4th level, they will have to go stealth. I will suggest this strongly. (or I will try to send them on the last two mission - the hungry dead and the vanishing virtuoso (the last one should be easy as the bard of the group was hired weeks ago by a noble family to play at a birhtday party. lucky me ;-) )
thanx for your comments !
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Yeah, mentioning the sunken ship at all in the beginning was a huge mistake in my campaign. For those who haven't gotten there yet, DON'T MENTION IT! It's a huge hook that drives the PCs straight there before they're ready. They actually mention making sure the PCs can't reach it until you're ready for them.
I had Cressidia tell them she needed more solid evidence before she could act on what they had. That or have the other side quests come up quickly, needing more immediate attention than investigating the temple.
I also had the Mirukovas as old friends of one of the PCs, and her 'future' cohort went with him and was subsequently kidnapped. In order to get use of him, they had to go find him! (I'm so mean, but it worked out just about right since they were 7th about that time, and gave them a sense of personal involvement in figuring the whole thing out).
Yeah, mentioning the sunken ship at all in the beginning was a huge mistake in my campaign. For those who haven't gotten there yet, DON'T MENTION IT! It's a huge hook that drives the PCs straight there before they're ready. They actually mention making sure the PCs can't reach it until you're ready for them.
I think you have to mention it. The city guard just engaged and sunk a ship in the middle of the night, and the artillery woke up a better part of the city?? But as a DM you better have a plan, because players being players they're goning to want to get there.
I had the Sable Company and Korvosa Guard cordon of the area of the sinking with boats and hippogriff patrols and deny entry to everyone. It even allowed me to give Edrin some more face time with the PC's. My players were fiending to get there and approached Cressida. Cressida gave them the "It's on the water, so that's a Sable Company matter, however I will speak with Edrin about getting you a pass." line.
This worked good for my players and the story went on well.
Once the hospice was suspected, the players sent someone in undercover to scope things out, and things flowed well through out.
What makes 7graves so great is the great way roleplaying interaction with the community drives the hack and slash wonderfully. As DM I highly suggest, if your party hasnt developed a love Korvosa and a hatred for the bad guys, this is the best opportunity to change that. The plague can, and should knock off a few very close family, friends or NPC's the party has made!
The trick comes in how to mention it in such a casual manner that their trained adventuring noses don't point straight for it. I felt I really had to reel them back when I tried to do this (their noses went ping!) and I immediately regretted mentioning it. Then later, when they do go investigate it, they're like, "Wow we could've saved a lot of time going straight here....". *grumble*