Way of the Wicked Advice Needed - SPOILER WARNING

[Zero Effect]

I'm currently running Way of the Wicked and I need some advice.

We're part way through Knot of Thorns. The party has infiltrated the Watchtower. They have eliminated all of the captains. They have poisoned half of the guards. They've killed another 20 or 30 guards. They've destroyed the crows and their master. They've framed the dwarves and sabotaged defenses. They did all of this but were not cautious and were discovered by Tacitus the Magister. Tacitus alerted Lord Havelyn and Father Donnagan. The three of them had time to buff and confront the party. The fight didn't go well for the party and they had to flee. Now the party are planning to whittle away at the remaining guards and maybe attack villagers outside the walls of the Watchtower.

What do you think the three head honchos of the watchtower would do at this point? There are only about 20 healthy guards remaining, along with Havelyn, Donnagan, Tacitus, and the Gestalt Archon. Would they bring all of the villagers into the keep for protection? Would they send some sort of messenger for reinforcements? Would they launch a counter-attack against the PCs even though they don't much about the party? The situation is dire for the tower defenders. The situation is also dire for the party now that they have been discovered. The party are crapping themselves because they feel that they're outmatched by the uber-paladin, priest, and wizard. What would you do if you were DMing this? If the developer sees this, I'd be interested to hear your take.

It's still a week before the bugbear horde will be in place to attack the tower.

We're loving this game and can't wait for the next adventure path from this publisher! This is the most fun we've had in years!!! I can't praise the game highly enough!

[Frankly]

They have no crows, right? So they are left with only three options:

1) Sit there and do nothing, keeping the Watchtower strong while the PCs burn villages, torture innocents and kill guards off one by one.
The Paladin would never go for this. He's oathbound to defend the innocent and help the weak. So even if the priest and wizard were smart/cowardly, this would cause the good guys to split THEIR party. When the Paladin is away (to aid a village), the villains can come out and play.

Best case scenario; the PCs will have to fight the lone Paladin without any support backing him up (can possibly stealth-kill him while he's sleeping).

Then, the PCs can go back to whittling away at the Watchtower.

2) Spread out their forces by either:
a) defending the surrounding villages (PC ambush them),
b) sending out runners (which the PCs can intercept),
c) trying to hunt down the PCs (spreading themselves out to catch them)

In all scenarios the good guys get weakened with each encounter.

3) Abandon the Watchtower to do anything under #2, but without spreading out their forces.
They instantly lose their fortified position, leaving the Gestalt Archon behind (it can't leave it's position, remember?) as sole defender and have to choose between getting word out to reinforcements or defending the weak.

No matter what happens, if the PCs are proactive and Evil, they are going to come out on top.

[Fire Mountain Games]

Zero Effect,

First, thanks for the praise. I'm glad you're enjoying "Way of the Wicked". Sounds like your PCs have already largely succeed at burning Balentyne. Now, they just need to mop up the heavies.

As for handling the three remaining NPCs. Havelyn is in charge. He will never tolerate inaction or simply holding the fort. I agree with Frankly about this. The three drove off these murderous villains once. They have to hunt them down and end their reign of terror. Then Havelyn could send Donnagan to summon reinforcements. That's his line of thinking while Tacticus, his remaining troops and himself bravely hold Balentyne against an attack, the paladin is certain is coming.

It is exactly this sort of desperation and impatience that could allow clever PCs to find advantage enough to slaughter these last do-gooders and finish their dread work here in Balentyne.

War comes to Talingarde soon, or so it sounds...

Gary McBride
Fire Mountain Games