I'm currently running the Rise of the Runelord Anniversary Edition with my group, and they're close to finishing the Sins of the Saviors AP. I'm going to include a break of a few in-game weeks between this AP and the final one, so my players can take finally really reap the rewards of their newly-earned money and fame in Varisia. I reckon it's going to be a really fun, sandboxy few sessions.
Now here's the thing, the rogue in our party confided to me that he wants to use that time to become the leader of the Night Scales and kill the mayor of Magnimar and install someone else in his place.
Now, before I would've find a way to stop this, but let's face it, he an incredibly famous level 14 or 15 rogue, he could and should get away with this. But I don't want to make it easy for him! How could I provide a realistic and fun challenge for him? Realistic is a key point here, the Mayor wouldn't have three level fifteen Stone Giants or something like that to defend his manor.
Here's what I already got:
- The Mayor is a level 9 aristocrat with a ring of Protection +2 , so he can't do that much himself.
- He lives in a four story mansion (The Defiant's Garden) with the entrances and sleep accomodations warded by CL 15 'Alarm' and 'Forbiddance'.
- There's an Angelic Guardian on watch in the bedroom of the mayor.
- 4 level 11 fighters patrol the inside of the house, a number of low level city guards patrol the gardens.
- Level 13 Shadow Dancer in the hallway leading up to the bedroom.
Any other good ideas (spells, wards, bodyguards) to make this an interesting encounter? What defenses would the Lord Mayor have? Thanks in advance!
Well, there are more ways than one :)
* The Mayor probably has a Contingency spell active.
* The Mayor could be wearing a ring of Sanctuary or be protected by said spell with a high DC.
* The Mayor could sleep in a room with no doors.
* The Mayor could sleep in a room with no doors and dimensional anchor active.
Be creative :)
I might put an Angelic Guardian on every floor (They're only a paltry CR 5) and change the Golem in the Mayor's bedroom to a Brass Golem which is a CR 14 creature with See Invisibility!. Magnimar has an enormous Golem workshop so that would certainly be an option.
EDIT: The Contingency spell (with perhaps some sort of Heal spell attached to it) is a good one, I know it's normally a spell which you can only cast on yourself, but I'll work in some way to make an exception to that!
