Hello! My PCs are just starting CC #5, after slogging through a heavily modified version of "Wake of the Watcher" (I say "slogging" because, even after my attempts to streamline it, and tie it into characters' stories, that chapter still induced a lot of campaign fatigue). And, for the first time, I find myself running a game with mostly evil PCs!
The details aren't really important; suffice it to say, the moral quandaries in "Watcher," combined with a lot of increasingly selfish motivations, served to tip the scales. At the end of that chapter, I dropped in a Contract Devil and gave the PCs the chance to sell their souls; all but one PC signed on the dotted line.
Now I'm wondering how best to proceed, in order to keep the AP on the rails. Making deals with
in Chapter 5 won't be a problem, obviously. But what should I do if the PCs don't feel inclined to chase the Whispering Way into Chapter 6?
I'm also keen to hear any general advice about running campaigns with evil PCs. I'm delighted to have the opportunity (the idea of "corrupting evil" has intrigued me since the days of the Ravenloft box set), but I expect it will be my only chance, so I want to do right by my players.
Thanks!
Evil PCs for Book 5 and 6, eh?
Unknown to the PCs, Carmilla knows perfectly damn well that there's a massive vampire clan under Caliphas and is working with Luvick, to the extent that she even recommends victims to him from among the nobility.
Carmilla's ultimate goal is to take the throne that's been denied to her family for centuries - whether for herself or for her nephew.
Assuming the PCs do well on solving the vampire murders, and can track the culprit to the witches working at her estate, she can hire the PCs to kill the witches (who she honestly didn't know were working for the Whispering Way) and clean up the mess there, with the promise of substantial reward, and perhaps work in future and ever more important endeavors. Seriously, it's not every day a group L11+ adventurers walks into Caliphas. The PCs are kind of a big deal.
Of course, when the PCs return from their work in the monastery, they'll presumably receive Ramoska's note, and find the city in a uproar - a massive but magically hidden creature (Lucimar and/or Adivion riding Marrowgrath, all hidden under a veil spell) attacked the countess's estate, quite possibly in broad daylight, and the Countess is now missing. Prince Ordranti will provide a handsome reward to whoever can avenge the attack on the city and recover his missing colleague.
I'd stat out the Countess as a rogue who's at level with the PCs (with PC baseline wealth (Exceptional Resources) and the Shadowstrike feat). Assuming the PCs rescue her at Renchurch and can fix all the stat damage and negative levels from the ritual, she can then meaningfully assist them in ending Adivion at Gallowspire. And would cheerfully reward the PCs for annihilating the scum who wanted to turn her into an undead abomination.
The after-Gallowspire part of the campaign, should you choose to run it, could easily involve the Countess, with the PC's help, overthrowing Ordranti, settling the ensuing civil war, and claiming the Principality of Ustalav as her own, with the PCs as her inner circle. The final battle of civil war could well be against Count Neska of Barstoi (the charming fellow responsible for the Furrows), who'd consider himself better suited for the throne than just about anyone else.
The keys to the hearts of evil PCs are greed and respect. The first question will be "what's in it for me?" And players will do a lot if they like/respect a key NPC. Even the wicked play favorites.
Huh, I kinda got carried away with that. Hope it helps!
Remind your PCs: the world is where they keep their stuff. Unless they're the ones doing the conquering the PCs have a vested interest in keeping the world unconquered.