2-13 Murder on the Throaty Mermaid [Possible SPOILERS]

[Lyarie]

I am running Murder on the Throaty Mermaid and am curious as the RAW versus RAI for success on some of the faction missions. Each faction mission has two possibilities for prestige and at least one requires that the PC's convince a given crewmember to become involved longterm with their faction.

A problem arises if the PC's, after convincing that given crewmember to work with their faction, have to kill him/her. They met the requirement for the prestige in the RAW which only states that they need to convince the person, but the person is clearly not going to be doing what they agreed to if they're dead, so the goal was not ultimately accomplished.

So the question is do I award the prestige or not?

NOTE: This is a what-if situation as each faction has two possible goals which would allow them to get both prestige awards even if they kill off one of them. It is also probable that not all factions will be represented in which case it would be easy to avoid forcing the PC's to fight the person in their faction goal.

[Netopalis]

Remember: in season 0-2 missons, each faction has 2 faction missions. Prestige is not simply awarded for success (unless that is the faction mission); both terms have to be met for ANY prestige to be awarded.

If all 5 original factions are present (a VERY rare occurrence), then the murderer is the GM's pick. You shouldn't penalize whichever faction you choose with the loss of PP. Your faction likely wouldn't want somebody in their ranks who would be engaged in the murder here.

[Lyarie]

Netopalis wrote:

Remember: in season 0-2 missons, each faction has 2 faction missions. Prestige is not simply awarded for success (unless that is the faction mission); both terms have to be met for ANY prestige to be awarded.

I was aware that each faction has two goals (in some scenarios more) in season 0-2, but if I'm reading you correctly, you're saying they have to complete both of their faction goals to get any prestige from their faction? Or do you mean that both one (or more) faction goal(s) and the group goal have to be achieved for any prestige to be given?

[Purple Fluffy CatBunnyGnome]

My understanding of the way it works, with season 0-2, they do have to do both of the faction missions (as a success) in order to receive the 1 prestige, for the 2nd they have to complete the main mission.

[Mark Moreland]

Of the two faction missions, one counts as the faction mission and the other as that PC's success conditions. Success on either mission earns 1 Prestige Point* and success on both earns 2 Prestige Points.

*Note that a PC on the slow advancement track needs to succeed on both missions to earn his maximum 1 Prestige Point, since success on both faction mission and success conditions are required to earn any prestige under the rules laid out for the slow advancement track in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play.

[Eric Clingenpeel]

PFCBG Really?! You don't know how it works? *Facepalm*

In season 0-2 Those that have 2 factions missions, you get one PP for each mission you complete. You do not get a PP for completing the overall goal. If you want both PP, you have to complete both faction missions.

How are people still having a problem with this after a year and a half?

[Purple Fluffy CatBunnyGnome]

Mark Moreland wrote:

Of the two faction missions, one counts as the faction mission and the other as that PC's success conditions. Success on either mission earns 1 Prestige Point* and success on both earns 2 Prestige Points.

*Note that a PC on the slow advancement track needs to succeed on both missions to earn his maximum 1 Prestige Point, since success on both faction mission and success conditions are required to earn any prestige under the rules laid out for the slow advancement track in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play.

Ok ... and I'm only saying this to try and hedge off the inevitable discussion.

If the PC completes both faction missions and also the overall senario goal, they still only get 2 fame correct? They do not get 3

[Purple Fluffy CatBunnyGnome]

Eric Clingenpeel wrote:

PFCBG Really?! You don't know how it works? *Facepalm*

In season 0-2 Those that have 2 factions missions, you get one PP for each mission you complete. You do not get a PP for completing the overall goal. If you want both PP, you have to complete both faction missions.

How are people still having a problem with this after a year and a half?

Lol .. I don't normally run those seasons anymore *shrug* ... learned something new today yayyyyy

[Lyarie]

Purple Fluffy CatBunnyGnome wrote:

If the PC completes both faction missions and also the overall senario goal, they still only get 2 fame correct? They do not get 3

I know that they never get 3, even if they complete everything their faction wants and 'win' the scenario. Max is 2.

I was under the mistaken impression that winning the scenario (ex: finding out whodunnit) was essentially an extra chance to get a prestige if you failed one of your faction missions.

I now understand that, winning the scenario is not worth prestige at all. Each goal on the faction mission is worth a prestige, one of which counts as if it were the faction mission and one of which counts as if it were the scenario mission. (Note: which one is which is irrelevant as no distinction is made on the Chronicle sheet).

[Fromper]

Yeah, in seasons 0-2, the main mission isn't worth prestige. It's 1 point for each of your two faction missions. Period. And it even says that at the end of every such scenario. I'm just amazed that so many people still get this wrong. I've even seen a venture officer get this wrong.

But none of that answers the original question related to this scenario.

Spoiler:

There are 5 faction missions that involve convincing a crew member on the Throaty Mermaid to cooperate long term with a faction. The murderer is based on which faction is NOT represented. So if any faction mission is missing, then there's not an issue.

The problem arises in the unlikely case that all 5 faction missions are given out to the PCs, leaving the GM to decide who the murderer is. One of the 5 faction missions will be to convince someone to cooperate long term with their faction, but then the target of the faction mission will have to be captured/killed for being the murderer. Thus, if the main mission of catching the murderer is completed, then the murderer won't be able to cooperate with the faction long term.

This causes a conflict between the main mission and a faction mission. How should this be dealt with?

[Netopalis]

Fromper: I addressed that issue in my initial post. You will have to convince the NPC before they die, and if it turns out that they are the murderer, then presumably your faction would not want them anyway. (Not that any of the factions are above murder, but they want to make sure that there are no competing allegiances.)

[kinevon]

Because of the way faction missions are handled, you only have to convince the person, murderer or not, to cooperate with your faction. What happens to them afterwards is irrelevant.

Whether you capture them, kill them, or, if they are not the killer/conspirator, but get killed by one of the conspirators during the final confrontation, as long as you convinced them earlier, you get that PP.

You'll note that the mission text says "If you convince..." not "If they work..."

Spoiler:

I still enjoyed watching the Elf & Half-Elf, the only members of a certain faction playing this scenario, rolling nothing higher than a 5 for their Diplomacy rolls attempting to get the Elf-hating Ranger to sign up with their faction.

Then again, that game also had the Alchemist making a Dex-boosting mutagen for his ... encounter ... with the ship's morale officer, if you know what I mean.