So the players come to the Osogen Grasslands, and descend into a valley in the middle of four hills. They feel a vibration from the earth and hear the thunder of hooves, and over two opposite hills a huge mounted barbarian army appears. The players are right in the middle, so they'd probably want to run up a hill to the side to avoid being, y'know, horrifically trampled.
Them being taken to one of the army's leaders is important to the story, so about eight riders will detach from the army and capture them. The players need to feel like they have a chance to escape, but I need to make it so they, um, can't. I'm guessing the riders will trip them up while charging, then quickly knock them out to tie them up, and take them back to their army's camp to await the leader.
SO, does anyone know of an NPC that fits the concept and is >CR5?
Also, how would this mounted trip attack knock unconscious swiftly tie up work?
Thanks for reading and thanks for any help!
Oh yeah, the riders make sure to get them because the orcish (more civilised though) civilisation has closed the borders totally to avoid the Southern Human civil war from spilling over to their lands.
Your PCs probably can't outrun a horse so there won't be an escape for them. As for the trip and tie, maybe a net could do the trick?
Also, some players might take offense by being railroaded like that. If they don't get a say in this, what is the point of playing it out? Maybe you could just tell them what you told us in 2 or 3 (not more!) sentences and hand over the reins of their PCs when they are brought before the chieftain?
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Don't do it. Players can see through a railroad like that. It's easier and ceaner to start the narrative after the capture. Describing events as they ay have unfolded. Ask them to describe any powers, feats abilities or tactics they may have shown before being overwhelmed. Don't make them roll dice when it is obviously futile to swim against the plot, it leads to resentment and lack of trust in the GM.
Alright, I understand about the lack of trust thing. One of the things I said I wanted to do was to be a GM who would listen to players' opinions about literally everything in-game, so yeah, thank you. Don't think I realised how bad it would be of me, really.
If they come up with really good tactics you would have used, what should I do?
Have one guy ride up to themwavinga parley flag and invite the to come talk to the chief. That at least gives players some respect.
As a DM and a player, I've come to the conclusion that the hardest thing for a DM to deal with, and the most enjoyable thing to do as a player is improvisation. The worst thing a DM could do, IMO, is having only one outcome in mind and ensuring that only one thing happens.
For a story purpose that's fine but don't give them the opportunity to do what they want to do just to force them to fail without good reason. At the very minimum give them multiple options and let them select them naturally. If they're new to this then you could give them a hint towards using skills.
Diplomacy check? Bluff? Showing their combat prowess and gaining the riders' respect, into a sense motive check? Escaping for now and ending up at the camp by accident anyway?
Lots of ways this can be presented where the PCs don't feel like "well... that sucked" and powerless.
If they come up with really good tactics you would have used, what should I do?
Keep this in mind. There's really three ways for the PCs to respond to any encounter.
1.) Skills
2.) Combat
3.) Fleeing
They might try diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, etc. Make sure they know the capabilities of such abilities. The PCs might try casting a spell like "Wall of Stones" (just an example) before enemies even reach them thus not needing to fight.
Without skills or abilities they'll probably resort to combat. Not every combat has to result in "loss" or "victory" though. You can have the enemy stop the fight and retreat out of fear, or maybe respect the PCs and stop fighting. Maybe present specific opportunities for skill usage.
Finally there is fleeing. For PCs, it is the least fun thing to do. Failing at fleeing is... even worse than the least fun thing to do. However, fleeing doesn't need to be the end of the encounter either. The riders could catch up to them and then a diplomacy/bluff check might be required before anything happens. Or, you could make it seem like fleeing is a game in and of itself. Create a chase scene with it being possible to escape, but finding themselves near the camp anyway or running into another army.
Bottom line: make sure your players have choices and don't feel like their actions are pointless. Even if the encounter leads to the camp and a meeting with a leader, there are tons of ways you can let the players get there.
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So the players come to the Osogen Grasslands, and descend into a valley in the middle of four hills. They feel a vibration from the earth and hear the thunder of hooves, and over two opposite hills a huge mounted barbarian army appears. The players are right in the middle, so they'd probably want to run up a hill to the side to avoid being, y'know, horrifically trampled.
Them being taken to one of the army's leaders is important to the story, so about eight riders will detach from the army and capture them. The players need to feel like they have a chance to escape, but I need to make it so they, um, can't. I'm guessing the riders will trip them up while charging, then quickly knock them out to tie them up, and take them back to their army's camp to await the leader.SO, does anyone know of an NPC that fits the concept and is >CR5?
Also, how would this mounted trip attack knock unconscious swiftly tie up work?Thanks for reading and thanks for any help!
The sentiments of being railroaded are only a concern if their attempts to flee are trivialized and the choices they make seem unimportant. Confronted with that situation I would prefer to roleplay through it. Making an impression on your captors is important, as it can determine how they treat you. I see no reason not to let the players see it coming and start making decisions. Certain things I might suggest to facilitate a real "Oh s*@&, what are we going to do" feeling would be to detach a larger warband. Mongol hordes were not well disciplined and had many internal loyalties. The capturing party could be loyal riders to subchief Targ, including his lieutenant (who is there to make sure things get done appropriately and no hotheads just murder his valuable captives) and a dozen good warriors. Maybe more.
When the large (small in comparison to a horde) group of riders is out of reasonable bow range from the PC's a single rider detaches and approaches the PC's. He would stop within covering fire range of his own men, still a ways off form the party (outside of charge range). Offer a chance to surrender as it is obvious they have few alternatives. Make sure that the warrior who talks presents himself as reasonable and of some integrity. PC's won't want to surrender against a homicidal maniac. Only bring out dice and use force if it is necessary, and then I would go with nets, as someone else suggested, or bolas which have often been used from the back of a horse. If weapon damage is required use non-lethal on the warriors side. They have their orders and a babysitter there to see they get adhered to.
I feel this is valuable in terms of both storytelling and PC interactions. If the players behave calmly and within reason then they are going to be given more freedom and respect as prisoners. If they make trouble then instead of just being caged they might be tied up and stripped to prevent further mischief. The actions they take can set the tone for later negotiations and role play inside the warcamp. It also gives the players the opportunity to feel like their opponents are people who respond to them and make decisions based on what the player's actually do. If one player fights and gets beaten unconscious, stripped, tied up and held under guard, while the others are only kept in a tent under guard it makes a strong feeling of immersion. Further, it grants players a chance to make their own choices. Sometimes players just want a chance to let their characters behave in the way they feel is appropriate. Scripting a capture is incredibly unsatisfactory. The social guy may have been able to bargain for better accommodations or treatment, but now he won't have that chance, etc...
As for the NPC...A mounted warrior sounds fine to me. Horse archer with trip arrows would be effective at everything you describe. There are tons of ways of doing this, including a shaman-type caster who uses hydraulic push, or grease, or stumble gap, or other spells.
If they come up with really good tactics you would have used, what should I do?
I would describe how it effected the tide of battle for a short time and give XP as a reward for good thinking or rolepaying. You could think of it as a joint storytelling venture of a doomed defence or thwarted escape. Try to make it clear you just want the highlights though because some may be tempted to bog you down in a round by round slog.