RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32
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Well, the title says it all. The players were overconfident and when the challenges came about, they failed in the test of Strength and Combat, but won the test of Storytelling.
So they lost and the Gorilla King wants the city.
How can i work this so the players (and their characters) have to deal with the repercussions? I don't want to make it too tough and i don't want it too easy. And i want it to definitely have an effect in the game story.
A bit on that: The campaign has derailed in several places but thanks be to luck, guile, and cunning on my part, the story line is fairly close to the way the books describe. However the PCs have changed a number of things. The PCs managed to talk the pathfinders into allying themselves with the Sargavans. Additionally the characters went out of their way not to offend or get in the Red Mantis' way. So the RM have their artifact sword.
The Aspis Consortium has been destroyed (at the end of book 3). The Free Captains have been dealt with (by an attack by the Arpis and an encounter with ghosts when they set their camp up in a bad part of the city).
I have also introduced a new faction: the Razmirians. The Masks as the PCs like to call them, are exploring the southern part of the city. the PCs believe that the Razmirians are being controlled by a Moonbeast and Denizens of Leng (and I am not say here whether or not that is the truth since i know some of my players lurk in these electrons).
So what am i asking for? Advice, suggestions, and ideas. I would really appreciate anything no matter how off the wall it might seem.
Maybe the Gorilla learns of the serpent folk threat beneath the city and rather than risk his own minions has the PCs go deal with it?
I am sure the war...will be epic.
I say run it like it says, but I don't think the Gorilla King and his minions will do very good in the city once the Serpent Folk start coming out. Let the PCs decide where to take you. Just remember where "Rome" is and I am sure you'll end up back there.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32
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Okay, well, I am imagining patrols of ages and their allies roaming the streets and causing trouble. You know, poking their noses into something they shouldn't and leading whatever they riled out towards the PCs. So here's a random encounter table off the top of my head.
I would love some suggestions.
1d4 dire apes (Bestiary 17) CR 5
1 mummy (Bestioary 210) CR 5
2d4 charau-ka thugs (PF39, p19) CR 8
1d4 girallons (Bestiary 154) CR 8
1 tyrannasaurus (Bestiary 86) CR 9
4 derhii (PF40, p19) CR 10
3 charau-ka and 4 dire apes (PF40, p50 and bestiary 17) CR 11
4 serpendfolk seekers (PF40, p36) CR 11
8 derhii (PF40, p19) CR 12
8 charau-ka (PF40, p50) CR 13
8 serpentfolk seekers (PF40, p36) CR 13
1d4 stone golems (Bestiary 163) CR 13
1 obambo (PF40, p81) CR 13
12 serpentfolk seekers (PF40, p36) CR 14
1 popobala (PF40, p84) CR 15
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I had thought about this scenario when I was running it and had a solution much like Vaellen suggested above.
When the Gorilla King wins he takes over the city telling the PCs to get out but they can camp outside of the valley. Depending on the showing the PCs put up (or on subsequent diplomacy talks) the Gorilla King *may* allow them to explore HIS city (but not take anything out). He probably sets up a large guard post at the entrance to the valley checking folks coming in and out.
The PCs should quickly figure out that the Gorilla King's forces are very superstitious though and stay away from entering any of the hidden vaults (that I'm guessing your PCs already know about). So the party can continue the search into book 5 with no change.
Then when the threat of the serpentfolk is discovered in books 5/6, the PCs can approach Ruthazek again. Does the Gorilla King really want the city? My guess was no since it was so far from his power base in Usaro. This was all just a show of force on his part. So if the PCs are willing to lend their forces and take out the snake-men in book 6, he'd be willing to turn the city back over to them.
Just how I was thinking about doing it. *shrug*