(I've read two other threads, both titled Gaedren Lives, so this is a bit of a repost. However, I have some more questions those threads didn't cover, and didn't want to resurrect them without need.)
So, I'm DMing CotCT, and I've already made some mistakes. I did the first session only reading the first book, and without looking for advice on the forums. Thus, my party consists of players who have no ties to Korvosa, no respect for authorities and thus unlikely to want to work with the guards, and only want to kill Lamm. Two of the characters' goals are to save up enough money to leave the city, even.
I've just bought the second book, and haven't had time to read it. I'm also planning on reading a friends' Guide to Korvosa PDF, but again, haven't had time.
The forums seem to say that the game's railroad is going to be broken if the players don't have any reason to stay in Korvosa when it gets tough. I'm planning on speaking to my players about this, to try and get some reformation on their backstories to make them care about Korvosa more while we're still very early in the campaign. However, my friends are an unruly bunch at best, and I think I'm going to need some more hooks to keep them going.
What I'm planning (and this is solely based on reading the first book, so it could be a huge mistake) is to have Gaedren escape the PCs when they break down his door. I'm rewriting his den to be an old smugglers' hideout, with a tunnel in the back wall leading down the river. Luckily, the PCs haven't been at all stealthy, so I'm going to have Gaedren be waiting at the doorway to the tunnel, initiate a bit of dialogue and enrage his gator, then slam and bar the door, running down the tunnel to an escape skiff (Of course, escape attempts can always be broken by the PCs, but I'm hoping that between the quick escape, the gator pit, and taking a few turns to break down the tunnel door, that the party will at least allow him to make it to the boat and let me fudge an escape).
They'll still find Ileosa's brooch and Zellara's deck here, to start the rest of the adventure, but the party will still be bonded by Gaedren. I'll drop hints that Ileosa may want to get back at Gaedren for having her brooch. Since I don't imagine the players would like being sent to work for the guards immediately, like the book says, perhaps part of the bargain will be that if the players help the guards restore order (ie, going to Cressida and completing her jobs), then the guards will help find Lamm, once they have the people.
I don't plan on having Gaedren be a huge boss, as much as a perpetual hook. Trinia will be rumoured to have some ties to Lamm. Rumours of him at Eel's End will be dropped before Cressida sends them there. Eventualy, when Gaedren stops being useful to me, I'll have them encounter and wipe the floor with him.
Anyway, people experienced with CotCT. Could this work? I'm going to be reading the second book in this AP before my next session, and if I'm lucky, the third as well. But I thought it would be best to ask people's opinions on this, before I start making notes.
Well, if the PCs don't want to save Korvosa, maybe they want to rule it? Trying to get in good with the monarch might be handy in that case. Do try and find out what they actually want to do.
Having Lamm escape would be useful as an ongoing plot hook, and to keep the players together, but even if he dies you could still bring him back as an undead of some sort, so don't worry too much about keeping him alive.
In my campaign, Lamm is (most likely) going to survive until the end book 1. It’s stupid that the big hook that’s used to get everyone together is dropped so suddenly at the start of the campaign. The risk is that everyone goes their separate ways.
Regarding your campaign, you’re in a tough position. Yes, huge mistake not having the PCs care about Korvosa.
However, I think you can salvage your campaign by having Lamm escape and continue to be a plot element in the future. What I suggest is that “All the World’s Meat” and “Eel’s End” are all covert Lamm businesses, and Zellara uses her abilities to direct you to them (because he’s hiding there).
Introduce Kressida (after they find the brooch for the Queen) but make it an encounter that makes sense for your campaign (you’ll need some kind of hook for book #2 and perhaps with 1000 Bones if you have no NPC connections).
I would then have Lamm dog the PCs through the entire campaign. Maybe they encounter him with Stilts in book #3. I would boost Lamm’s stats and make him a Shadow Dancer (d. door and stealth) and cut the Expert levels. Make him a viable threat. And increase his levels as the PCs level. Once the PCs have the power to finally find him in book #6 (maybe they need dimensional anchor to stop him from escaping), they can kill him when they come back to Korvosa and wrap up the campaign.
That’s what I would do.
Tonyz; that's definitely a good idea, finding out what they want to do. Right now, the bard wants to create a half-orc prostitution empire in Old Korvosa (which would be almost forbiddingly silly if he wasn't so serious about it), for example. Unfortunately, I don't think the players would be the kind to even think about ruling Korvosa as an end goal.
Having him come back as undead is a good safety net, but it doesn't stop the PCs from going "Alright, Lamm's dead. I did what I want to do here, now to move out of this crap city.)
Jason; Having those places be Lamm buisnesses guided to by Zellara is an awesome idea. The PCs spent a lot of time talking to Zellara, so I think her influence could be a major part later on.
Having Lamm be an ongoing baddy would definitely be interesting, but I think I want to kill him off sooner than later (at the end of book 1 probably). I'm sure there will be more hooks to keep the players in the town eventually, and I kind of like that the books have the players succeed in one of their life goals before the end of the campaign.
Thanks guys, I'll keep what you suggest in mind.
Having the bard create and run a business is a WONDERFUL adventure hook. The early plague cases can be in his brothel; a nice large chunk of book 3 is set right there in Old Korvosa, giving him a major connection right there; the establishment can serve as a source of information on what's happening in Korvosa while the PCs are out of it during books 4 and 5, and as a base when they come back in book 6. Run with it!
Second Jason's suggestion of the various things in book 1 being Lamm businesses on the side. (You could ultimately have Lamm be a lieutenant of the Arkonas in book 3 -- if the PCs haven't bought into the adventure path by then, it's a good place to resolve things.)
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In my campaign I solved the issue by just talking with the players and letting them know in advance that Korvosa is the home of their PCs, and that there will be a slight rough spot where their character might logically split (while still remaining in the city). Having that knowledge helped them construct characters who will streamline through that issue.
As far as using Lamm for father impact - in my campaign I'm having Rolth resurrect Lamm as a Revenent (Bestiary #2) to haunt the PCs. Rolth's motivation is, of course, to get back at them for taking down Vreeg and shutting down his stitchery at the end of part 1.
Lamm shouldn't have too much focus (there are SO many other themes in the campaign that I would be hesitant to allow another one too much room). Would you really want an old, filthy scumbag like him taking the spotlight away from the gray maidens, the red mantis assains, the fellowship of bones, the Arkonas, the Shoanti, or the devils? I think all of these are cooler and more importnat to the plot.