Expanding Fort Drelev Quest-possible spoilers

[Herbatnik]

Ok, so my players will enter to city on next session.This episode is little to straightforward so I think about adding something.
Satinder Morne- i don't like idea of giving megahint soon after revealing a Kisandra ring. Satinder should be confident that PC are able to successful raid on Drelev castle. So, my ideas of subquests

a) input of modified "Dawn of the Scarlet Sun" module- Satinder can overheard officers talking about mysterious murders last days. Victims are common people, so she insist on taking priority about this case. When case is solved, she reveals location of hidden entrance and fully support PC. Ofc, opponents will be bit tougher.

b)famine- obviously, common people are starving cause of distrubution of food. Satinder can ask PC to intercept a ship with food from Pitax, then she can smuggle this in small boats to city. Twist- actually this ship was drowned by boggards ambush ( change of localization encounter F, boggards slightly upgraded - one/two level of warrior, and cleric leader 4th level.)After this, Satinder reveal location of hidden entrance

This can be done after liberating Drelev.
c)Barbarians on farms( like D-meister, i expanded Drelev to severla hexes with roads and farms. ). Barb "allies" roam around border with Toger Lords territory, forced peasants to give accomodation, food, beer and sometimes ever worse. This can be a small army (50-100 ) barbarians. Options:

1.)before liberating Drelev- quick train of peasants and defending of villages, like in "Seven Samurai"
2.) after - take command on new Drelev army/paid mercenaries and defeat Tiger Lords in mass battle ( in this case, Armag right-hand, should have time to organize a bigger army, 500+ barbs )

Something else should be consider? I will be very thankful about feedback and critique from fellow GM

[GM_Solspiral]

When I get there i plan to add a fairy circle and those aims type dryads botweeds (sp) with a queen and various other fey and plant themed monsters. They are a problem for the area barbs as they cutoff a once sacred site.

They would be unfriendly initially but they could be an ally or enemy. They have their own agenda.

Like what you are doing keep us posted

[Touc]

There were so many ways this part could go...

My players planned on studying a guard at the brothel, then scrying on him later to get a spot in the keep for possible teleportation in, maybe even interrogating that guard for the keep's layout and defenses. They also found from Satinder about the Baroness's birthday party and Satinder had an invitation (being one of the few well-to-do left in the town) that she had tossed in the dump. Some forgery later and that option existed (and was used).

If your party has teleport, be prepared for them to just bypass the secret entrance and just port to the keep. I had Imeckus putting up wards (mixing mortar with gorgon's blood, accounting for more reasons the treasury is empty) to keep out teleportation in some areas (this was detected during the scouting run at the b'day party).

[Herbatnik]

IMHO around Drelev are only plains, so too much fey coud be odd, but when i checked random encouner list, i found treants. So, maybe this way:bars cutoff sacred place/s , so treants are pissed off and attack PC during night camp.If PC will know that treanst are NG creatures, they probably cease fight and try to convice treefolks taht they aren't responsible for actions of Tiger Lords and/or Drelev mercenaries ( maybe wood is needed to improve city walls? or build fleet to transport more food? or to build catapults and similar machines? Or, to build barbarian fort near burial grounds of Tiger Lords?

Anyway, solving this problem could make a valuable ally ( tiny army of treants marching with PC army to obliterate uruk h-.. eeee, Tiger Lords barbarians :D ).

edit
@ Touc
Fortunately, spellcaster in team is Arcane trickster, so now he has only 4th level spells. Birthday party in my case isn't an option- my PC-ruler and his court had an diplomatic efforts with Drelev, so they faces are well known, and since disguise self can be cast only on one , which has poor social stats..

[Touc]

Ah, you're fortunate. Teleport is the most utilized spell in the party right now.

[Herbatnik]

I am aware of how Teleport breaks campaign from previous games. I think in my next game I will make T-port 6th level spell.

[Jabberwonky]

Off topic a bit, but regarding the Teleportation issue: Knowing my players, I realized early I would have to supress some of their ability to travel instantly once things really started rolling. I came up with the following as a way keep the game feeling epic/heroic, without allowing them to feel like they were stomping all over everything, bouncing from encounter to encounter to encounter -- Modes of instant travel such as teleportation, ethereal travel, blinking, etc are supressed for the time being. The players can investigate the situation with research and eventually uncover a way to end the supression, but this will have consequences...

spoiler:

The Stolen Lands originally were a place where the barrier between the first world and Golarion was very permeable or soft. It was easy to travel between them without realizing it, part of the reason so many fey inhabit the area. The ways between were known to some, but more often would change/morph/or move locations, as the ways between were tied to the primal chaotic magics of the fey. Long story short -- Lady Narissa was charged by the Sidhe court to rule over the Stolen Lands as Regent of Titania and Oberon (Queen and king of the Sidhe court). As such she used the Kellid Barbarian natives to the region as as slave labor force, and built up an army to storm the First world in an attempt to displace Titania and Oberon and take control of the first world. The Kellids were displeased with this and started an underground rebellion. They devised a way to erect a barrier between the first world and Golarion, using druidic magic tied to standing stones, henges, and druidic circles scattered across the entirety of the region. When Narissa took her armies and marched on the First world, the barbarians sprung their trap, sealing off the two worlds, with Narissa trapped, cut off from her supply lines and resources.

At the time of the adventure, this barrier has become very weak, as the elements and time have eroded the foundation stone circles. This poses a problem for the players as the Sidhe court is displeased with the events that have transpired, not to mention Narissa has been watching and plotting for some time from her prison in the Thousandbreaths. Incidentally, Narissa has found a way to communicate from the thousandbreaths with some denizens of Golarion, mostly members of her former court and staff who were left in Golarion as she marched on the First World. This has allowed her to create a nasty plot to return. If the players discover the way to remove the suppression, this will allow the Sidhe court to return, likely demanding that the player's kingdom swear fealty to Titania and Oberon.

[Drogon]

To solve the teleport problem in my game I'm taking a page from a series of books I read (Terry Goodkind, I think). The players will be able to use teleportation and dimension door style effects, but every time they do, they draw "something" closer to them. I'll give them little hints as they first delve into this new travel mode, but by the fourth or fifth time they use it for long distance travel, I'll hit them with a fey-world assassin that has tracked them through the use of the magic. Narissa, of course, wants to keep her plans from being easily unraveled, and easy movement throughout the Stolen Lands would not be conducive to those goals.

The assassin will have to be something truly scary and bizarre, and something that the players can either drive off or escape without being able to kill it, just yet. But it will definitely be keyed to teleportation magic, and that will be apparent as soon as it attacks the first time. I haven't settled on a "thing" yet (I'm sad that the prior module took away a pretty good idea), so would happily take anyone else's ideas.

This should allow them to actually "bank" the use of teleport. If they really need it, they can use it (at risk of being found), but will absolutely keep them from using it regularly.

[redcelt32]

Interesting to see everyones take on teleport limitations.

I added two additional castle options for kingdom building(from the new options available in the Book of the River Nations): teleport blocker and teleport circle.

Basically, teleport blocker(30BP) is similar to what Touc suggested, where wards are infused into the foundation of the castle. This blocks any teleport, Dim Door, conjuration/summoning across the walls of the castle. You can teleport and Dim Door inside as long as you stay inside.

The only exception to this is if you add a teleport circle(10 BP) somewhere in your castle. This allows anyone with a keyed item to teleport into our out of the castle as well as summon, but only on that exact square of the castle. This would typically be used by a mage in order to not be trapped inside if they needed to get out.

This has already come into play several times, as they had to get outside the walls of the castle before they could teleport and word of recall. Seems fair in that the players can't just zap inside any castle they want and cause mayhem, but they can pretty much anywhere else.

[Herbatnik]

Very interesting offtop:)
On-topic:
New alternative version of "Satinder sub-quest" part 1
Satinder can overheard officers talking about mysterious murders last days. Victims are common people, so she insist on taking priority about this case. They must hurry- message about Drelev lose in Tatzlford battle reach baron within 24-48 hours.
Last week there was a four victims, commoners which was hired to many different works ( Details is not necessary- official investigation is not possible, and questioning about this case attract drelev guards within few hours.After all, selling hot info is good way to earn money/food from castle.)Every of them was murdered with "dagger", few hours before dawn (fog!).
GM SCREEN-WHY THEY MUST BE KILLED?
Real mastermind of this plan is ghost of dryad from small island near the center of Lake Hooktongue, currently in this place stand Monastery of the Unremitting Tide (Yes, adaptation of PFS scenario, "Flesh collector" ). Monastery was founded 10 years ago and some of townsfolk from Drelev worked on island, chopping trees (wood is very important resource in this forestless area around Drelev). Getting rid of all trees on island anger spirit of ancient dryad , she wants to punish every single person which patricipate in this event. All murdered commoners worked on island.
Background:
In age of cyclops,to prevent destroying island in great battle between Vordakai and other powerful mage forces, she gave his life to protect island from very powerful necrotic spells, which accidentally destroyed many fauna and flora in that times. When last old tree awas chopped, her ghost return to punish axemens and reborn plants in her domain.

AMBUSH
Only effective way to lure murder is lad ambush, with one PC disguised as drunken/working by night commoner in port area.( PC must bluff also drelev mercenaries, if they are acting suspicious ).
GM NOTES
Ambush mechanic is like in "Dawn of the Scarlet Sun".I am not sure of I can adapt this content, so i send to these free adventure.
Change: actually, our assasin is our old freind, Rigg Gargadilly ( or, if Rigg is dead, another queckling which is servant of our mastermind).

When Rigg fails, they will run to the sea, drinking potion of water walk .( 120ft per move action, and mobility feat-hard to prevent from escaping )

PART 2
If PC are curious why Rigg run to center of the lake, Satinder or Drelev citizens (if they will be conviced either by Bluff DC 25/Intimiade DC 10 , in this case after hour guards will be informed aboout suspiciuos team./Diplomacy DC 20 ) remind that on small island near the center of the lake is Monastery of the Unremitting Tide...

To be continued?

[DM_aka_Dudemeister]

In my game I made Satinder an agent of my Spymaster's organization. That big hint is a reward for ruling a kingdom.