Running Burnt Offerings. The day after the goblin attack, the PCs were curious and ended up finding a tracker to help them find goblin tracks, and are currently far north of the town. How do I get them back to Sandpoint? Or should I let them come upon one of the minor tribes' hideout?
Have them come across a couple dozen of the tribe that tried going to Thistletop. Let the PCs attack them (and maybe get repulsed, if they look to be doing poorly, have one of the Goblins suddenly shriek "It's those longshanks from before! Run!" and have them scatter in all directions.
Thus they find goblins, kill some, maybe even collect a bounty if they know about the bounty, and can return home.
They'll have to go back to Sandpoint eventually, unless they're just planning to live in the wilds. Given that there are goblins all over the place, let them meet some and have a fight. Then they can go back home with honour satisfied, and maybe a captive to interrogate.
Goblins can be sneaky jerks. Have some canny ones sneak up on them and steal a bunch of supplies that they have to go back to town for. Food, arrows, potable water, beer, spell components. Things that get consumed are best, in case they do catch up with the thieves, their items are already long gone, and revenge/vendetta cannot return the PCs' items to them.
HOWEVER, don't have them steal anything of real value. That will only create a vendetta, and those characters will chase those goblins across heaven and earth to get back the 15 GP they stole from them.
Have them encounter Brathamuz (spelling) the bugbear killing their tracker instantly and cornering the PCs; than have Shalelu arrive at the scene; 3d4 gobbos work, too, I guess.
Or have them encounter a merchant's waggon being under attack by the goblins. They repell the attack, but the merchant is severely wounded and they have to take her back to town.
Ruyan.
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Have them encounter Brathamuz (spelling) the bugbear killing their tracker instantly and cornering the PCs; than have Shalelu arrive at the scene; 3d4 gobbos work, too, I guess.
Or have them encounter a merchant's waggon being under attack by the goblins. They repell the attack, but the merchant is severely wounded and they have to take her back to town.
Ruyan.
I like this one. Use it as an alternate way of setting up Shalelu, and show the animosity between her and the goblin, rather than telling.
Thanks. Your interpretation was the intent behind the encounter--might've made that clear myself.
Ruyan.
Have them encounter Brathamuz (spelling) the bugbear killing their tracker instantly and cornering the PCs; than have Shalelu arrive at the scene; 3d4 gobbos work, too, I guess.
This is a great idea.
It's actually a much better way to introduce Shalelu than as it's written in the campaign. Where she just shows up out of the blue and tells them a bunch of stuff they probably already mostly figured out for themselves.My players were totally unimpressed with the way Shalelu showed up as written.
Oh, so you're keeping track of the local goblin tribes are you? and you showed up two days after they attacked Sandpoint to tell us this? Yeah, GOOD JOB, LADY.
Thanks for your help guys! I think that will be a great way to both introduce Shalelu and get her to bring back the adventurers, they'll need to stay in town when the word of another attack comes.
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Running Burnt Offerings. The day after the goblin attack, the PCs were curious and ended up finding a tracker to help them find goblin tracks, and are currently far north of the town. How do I get them back to Sandpoint? Or should I let them come upon one of the minor tribes' hideout?
You are the GM, you decide how good the tracker they hire is.
PROTIP: He's not very good.
Have them encounter Brathamuz (spelling) the bugbear killing their tracker instantly and cornering the PCs; than have Shalelu arrive at the scene; 3d4 gobbos work, too, I guess.This is a great idea.
It's actually a much better way to introduce Shalelu than as it's written in the campaign. Where she just shows up out of the blue and tells them a bunch of stuff they probably already mostly figured out for themselves.My players were totally unimpressed with the way Shalelu showed up as written.
Oh, so you're keeping track of the local goblin tribes are you? and you showed up two days after they attacked Sandpoint to tell us this? Yeah, GOOD JOB, LADY.
Same here, reaction to Shalelu was tiepid, to say the least: that's why i decided to not have her show up again in Hook Mountain part.
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I had her show up to kill some goblins en route to Thistletop. Since I had a larger group (and she's level 6!), I decided that Shalelu would go defend Sandpoint until the PCs got back to town, and would go after them if they never came back.
I do like your suggestion, ciretose. The expert guide the PCs hired actually either gets lost or gets killed, and the PCs become hunted by goblins on the way back to Sandpoint. Shalelu shows up after they're tired and in trouble, killing enough to drive them off.
Show, don't tell!
A few hours until game-time. Right now, my plan is they encounter Bruthazmus and some goblins, on a mission of gather stray Birdcrusher gobs to bring back to Ripnugget.
One concern I do have about Bruthazmus is if they capture him at this point. I don't plan on it happening. I would like that they narrowly escape him with Shalelu's help. But in the case that they do, they would blow the lid off the whole operation, it seems like he knows quite a bit. How can I work around this possibility?
(I know I could simply not use him, and in his place a large group of goblins or even some other monster, but I think this would be an awesome way to show off the rivalry between the two characters.)
A few hours until game-time. Right now, my plan is they encounter Bruthazmus and some goblins, on a mission of gather stray Birdcrusher gobs to bring back to Ripnugget.
One concern I do have about Bruthazmus is if they capture him at this point. I don't plan on it happening. I would like that they narrowly escape him with Shalelu's help. But in the case that they do, they would blow the lid off the whole operation, it seems like he knows quite a bit. How can I work around this possibility?
(I know I could simply not use him, and in his place a large group of goblins or even some other monster, but I think this would be an awesome way to show off the rivalry between the two characters.)
Easy. Just play Bruthazmus as an absolute moron. The more they interrogate him, the more confused and useless he gets with his information.
A few hours until game-time. Right now, my plan is they encounter Bruthazmus and some goblins, on a mission of gather stray Birdcrusher gobs to bring back to Ripnugget.
One concern I do have about Bruthazmus is if they capture him at this point. I don't plan on it happening. I would like that they narrowly escape him with Shalelu's help. But in the case that they do, they would blow the lid off the whole operation, it seems like he knows quite a bit. How can I work around this possibility?
(I know I could simply not use him, and in his place a large group of goblins or even some other monster, but I think this would be an awesome way to show off the rivalry between the two characters.)
Maybe too late, but...
Bruthazmus attacks the characters, but instead of fighting in melee, he uses longbow or similar, always keeping distance from them.
When their HP have been depleted almost completely (eventually "round" the rolls in your favor after a while, to create a dramatic scene), Shalelu arrives to save the day:
at that point the two recognize themselves, being long time enemies, and Bruthazmus throws a final shot at her before leaving and commanding the goblins to cover him.
Shalelu takes care of remaining goblins, but instead of tracking the hobgoblin, prefers to take the wounded characters back to town.
Shalelu will explain that she's met him before, during an attack in the woods in which she lost some of her best men, bla bla bla...
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A few hours until game-time. Right now, my plan is they encounter Bruthazmus and some goblins, on a mission of gather stray Birdcrusher gobs to bring back to Ripnugget.
One concern I do have about Bruthazmus is if they capture him at this point. I don't plan on it happening. I would like that they narrowly escape him with Shalelu's help. But in the case that they do, they would blow the lid off the whole operation, it seems like he knows quite a bit. How can I work around this possibility?
(I know I could simply not use him, and in his place a large group of goblins or even some other monster, but I think this would be an awesome way to show off the rivalry between the two characters.)
Maybe too late, but...
Bruthazmus attacks the characters, but instead of fighting in melee, he uses longbow or similar, always keeping distance from them.
When their HP have been depleted almost completely (eventually "round" the rolls in your favor after a while, to create a dramatic scene), Shalelu arrives to save the day:
at that point the two recognize themselves, being long time enemies, and Bruthazmus throws a final shot at her before leaving and commanding the goblins to cover him.Shalelu takes care of remaining goblins, but instead of tracking the hobgoblin, prefers to take the wounded characters back to town.
Shalelu will explain that she's met him before, during an attack in the woods in which she lost some of her best men, bla bla bla...
The game was delayed but I did this and it worked fantastically. It was quite difficult considering the terrain and Bruthazamus' henchies to catch up. I think Shaelelu came off as a pretty important and useful ally through this sequence of events, so thanks again for the solid advice RuyanVe.
They are back in town now, staying there in preparation for another attack, running the events that happen there.
Haladir produced a fine and detailed side quest for burnt offerings. You can certainly use this if your players are desperate to go hunting goblins...
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2i3wa&page=13?Community-Created-Stuff#614
Sounds great!
Ruyan.