I ran the second session of my RotRL campaign yesterday (a nice 12 hour long session...) and encountered a situation that I can't decide how I want to handle. The details are enclosed in spoilers because some minor details of the first book are revealed...
The group consists of:
Taiev - Male Human Fighter (1st)
Gypo - Male Dwarven Ranger (1st)
Leilani - Female Elven Wizard (1st)
Gilgaros - Male Half-Elf Fighter (1st)
We are playing with core rulebook only (we're all new to Pathfinder though several of us have played 2E for years) with the exception that I allowed the use of Hero Points...Taiev opted to go anti-hero for the extra feat. Everyone else had 2 hero points, one for first level and one for having written a character backstory.
Spoiler tag includes a background section (detailing a quick overview of the session) and my issue, which is the question I have. If your'e not concerned with the background...feel free to skip to the "My Issue" section.
The background
I am running a campaign using some of the modifications that Greycloak of Bowness did as part of his RotRL/Kingmaker combination. Not to the extent that he has done...but I used the idea of the Mites and Kobolds from KM1 being the Licktoad and Birdcruncher tribes (respectively). Tuskgutter became the Tickwood boar, and I had some of his posters printed out as the postings in the Rusty Dragon (Troll's Blood and Wedding Ring). For specific details on the Kingmaker conversions, check out GoBs thread.
The PCs completed the festival during a shorter first session, so the second session began with the desecrated vault on the morning after, with that afternoon progressing rather quickly in game time (no developments). The second day had the group completing the boar hunt where Gilgaros was gored pretty badly (Using GoBs conversions I used Tuskgutter as the boar) so the potion of Cure Moderate Wounds that they got from the goblin commando was used to bring him back up.
After returning to town with the boar and parting ways with Foxglove, they decided they wanted to go troll hunting for the reward involved with the posting (something I was shocked at considering that three of the four players are long time roleplayers that knew better than to go troll hunting at level 1) as well as try and find the Licktoad goblins for Solsta's wedding ring.
They managed to find out that the Licktoad were located in the northern reaches of Brinestump Marsh and set out looking for them. This was a little earlier than I expected...I was expecting the players to resolve most of the in-town encounters and meet with Shalelu before they went goblin hunting, but the players (as they often do) had other plans.
They managed to find the scene of the fight between Licktoad and Birdcruncher and tracked the Licktoad back to their layer. They took out the first room with ease (combat was like 1 round and a turn with no one taking damage), and then headed into the Hatchery where the goblin there ran and left the centipede's to fight. They took the creatures out in a round, again taking no damage. The Common Room proved to be slightly tougher as the goblins were prepared for the fight and reacted a little more tactically (though all but two still closed to melee immediately)... a few points of damage were dealt out but all in all the fight went really well (if not a bit longer than they expected).
The problem came from the War Room. The goblins there had heard the commotion from the common room and were prepared to fight. The goblin leader was riding his tick behind the other goblins, who choose to use their bows. All but Taiev stayed at range to either trade arrows or magic with these goblins, and the goblin leader was content to stand behind his troops barking orders (I didn't have him/the tick attack or move for the first few rounds). It wasn't until they had downed two goblins that the leader actually chose to dismount and attack from ranged while he ordered the tick to attack...that's when things hit the fan.
The tick hit Taiev and took him to negative with a single blow (first time all night I rolled really well). Shortly after, Gypo was knocked unconscious as the three tried to make a tactical retreat since their health pools were diminishing (they thought they might be able to kite the tick and kill the goblins to come back and help Taiev). With two of their party down and the tick and a goblin still chasing them...Gilgaros and Leilani ran, pelting arrows at the tick until they reached the entrance. At this point, the goblins let them leave...
During Gilgaros and Leilani's retreat, Gypo regained consciousness and burned hero points to stabilize Taiev who had failed every CON check as he bled out...Gypo burned both of his hero points (they all started with 2) in the process (his first roll was a 1) to get this accomplished. After he had stabilized Taiev he found a hiding place and stealthed until the goblin leader and his cohort passed him by, and then proceeded to make an escape...he was successful, albeit barely.
My Issue
The problem I've come to is that Taiev has not escaped...and at the end of the session was laying unconscious but stable on the floor in the War Room with the goblin leader making a decision of what to do with this invader.
I can't decide if the leader will slay the intruder outright for having violated their lair...or if he would take him as bargaining power should the intruder's friends return to rescue him (they do have a goblin from another tribe prisoner)...or what other possibilities might exist. What would goblins do?
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My thoughts:
-Skeld
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hmmmm depends on your group- I think Id talk to the pc's before the next game and find out what they think. A) are the three others going to attempt a rescue? B) are they running away to lick their wounds?
Then ask the player who is unconscious what he thinks? Doeshe like the character? or would he just as soon roll up another?
Then you could build the next adventure based on what they say.
But as an example- The Goblin Chief might want to first interrogate him. 2nd make a big deal about sacrificing him...which could delay his fate long enough for a rescue attempt. Or their could even be some tribal squabbling going on with a Shamen or other tribal member using the captured PC for some cred within the tribe.
But Id talk to the PC's first and get their take on things.
Skeld
Ripnugget, who's in thrall to Naulia, hands him over to her. Perhaps she has him tortured for information or something. If Tsuto is gone (dead or whatever), and depending on the maturity level of your players and the kind of game you run, Naulia might have Taiev charmed so that she can use him sexually (remember, she's a fervent worshiper of Lamashtu). regardless, he should be locked away in the lower levels of Thistletop.
It's not the Thistletop goblins, the PCs went hunting for a different goblin tribe between encounters. I considered having them contact Tsuto or Nualia in some manner and having him taken to them, but since they're still 1st level and early in the campaign I wasn't sure that would be appropriate....I think at this point in the campaign either of them would likely just kill Taiev outright for being a bother at the raid than seeing some greater purpose in him as a foe that has been a thorn several times.
Dread
I will definitely talk to the players between sessions. The other three are considering a rescue attempt, they hit up Father Zantus for some healing after returning to town and plan to head out in the morning with any help they can gather. They talked to the Sheriff who was reluctant to send any town guard on a mission that he felt was pointless (he figures Taiev is dead), especially when he warned them from going on the mission in the first place. I'm leaning toward having him prisoner for a day or two while the chief thinks about it...then the chief will get tired of taking care of him and have him killed. This would allow the remaining three time to mount a rescue if they're committed to it without giving a free pass. If you're familiar with GoB's conversions (or Kingmaker 1) it would also serve a double purpose if Taiev gets to speak with the Goblin (or Mite in KM1) captive.
The evil GM in me wants to have the Goblins move to an alternate lair and leave Taiev's head on a spear at the current lair's entrance...but I figure that's going too far. This might be the outcome if the PCs delay a rescue attempt though.
I'm surprised they're still 1st level...
Prior to the start of the session, the only thing they had completed was the festival. Prior to their trip to the Licktoad they had only completed the vault and boar hunt...
I wasn't expecting them to go lair hunting at 1st level, they just opted to go...they even discussed troll hunting, which was just crazy in my mind.
I haven't handed out XP for this second session yet, with the number of goblins that they did kill it's possible that they leveled. It was too late at night to figure out XP...we started between 4:30 and 5:00pm and people were leaving at around 5am.
the PC, so he doesn't get bored, could take over a backup character to help with the rescue,
I was thinking of having Shalelu pop into town earlier than the AP calls for and helping the PCs on the rescue attempt. I thought I'd let the player run her.
I doubt the player is too interested in another character longterm. He has a tendency to play the same type of char in every game (Fighter focused on doing a lot of damage in a single blow...he's using a Large Bastard Sword with an 18 strength, power attacks every attack). A new character rollup would likely be the original's brother.
(Group seems a bit light on healing/buffing)
I agree.
<assumes evil goblin mode>
Alternatively, the goblins, amused that he was hunting them, decide to release him... even giving him a rusty suit of full plate (speed dropped to 20). Of course, he needs to survive the goblin's human hunt which starts right after the chieftain stops speaking...
And they push him towards a mash that will slow him down even more...
They're not expecting him to survive. They want to crush his hope.
Exactly the type of (evil) creative inspiration I was looking for :D
My biggest concern with this is that knowing the mentality of said player, I'm not sure he'd run. I think he'd try to find some way to fight...which would be fine I suppose, but I'm not sure he'd like the outcome (he by no means would be full life). I might try this...and depending on what the outcome is, throw in the info from the spoiler below:
After reading the How did you get rid of Tsuto? thread I've come up with another idea that I may implement...(it all really depends on the responses I get from my players)
The goblins, having their lair invaded by a group of longshanks that decimated their numbers, opt to make a change of scenery (even if temporary). Thankfully, they have a location that can be used as a backup base in the swamp, an old ship wreck that one of their number discovered before being exiled (We be Goblins module). The chieftain decides to send word to Nualia about his prisoner and new base of operations.
If the PCs fail to find the new lair and rescue Taiev in a timely manner, Nualia would have him transferred to her custody...torture him for information, and then kill him.
Days later a disheveled Taiev shows up in town with a wild story about how the goblins used him in a game of "Shank the longshank" wherein they gave him rusty armor and let him run while they hunted him. He managed to lose them in the swamp and made his way back to town.
Little does the party know that their returned ally is really a faceless stalker who Nualia had replace Taiev...
Biggest problem with having him replaced...he couldn't know (he's not the type to keep it to himself)...so I'd be setting him up to play his character for 4+ levels before the big reveal.