Night 6 in the Kelmarane Hinterlands. Gnolls attack.

[evilaxolotl]

So what have people done if the PC's just won't try to enter the battle market during Howl of the Carrion King? They just want to pick off the gnolls in small groups, and despite hints and suggestions, just wait around while the gnolls refuse to go out in small groups any more, and eventually there's no avoiding the gnolls taking the fight to the monastery.

As it says, they attack the monstery in force. But that's all the description and guidance provided.

How do you get to fit in all the juicy bits that were planned for the Battle Market, especially the moldspeaker's encounter with Kardswann.

And any ideas for handling Haleen for those with the "Finding Haleen" trait in this circumstance.

(I haven't DM'd for well over a decade, and my improve skills are a little rusty).

Any hints or suggestions?

[TheInnsmouthLooker]

Kardswann goes with the gnolls, so the moldspeaker encounter just moves locations.

If the PCs survive, they'll still need to go to the battle market to take control of the town. Have they met Undrella yet, and if so, how did they interact with her? Hurvank and Haleen are still in the battle market, likely locked away. There's the gnoll bartender, and I believe some bugbears. So while it's not as interesting, it could still have some good encounters.

[Sheik Voodoo]

Do you have players with the Finding Haleen trait?

maybe give the party a little kick with rumors from smugglers that Haleen is to face an ogre hand-to-hand in the Battle Market and she's expected to be torn to pieces.

[evilaxolotl]

I'm hoping to make the moldspeaker encounter work as per the Battle Market scene, but the encounter won't be as controlled given a mass attack in the dark. Have to try and make sure they get close enough, and hopefully with a bit of a lull in the battle.

I couldn't see any suggestion that Hurvank or Haleen would be locked away, they seem to be among the "travelling gladiators" attracted to the battle market. I initially thought that Haleen might tag along and follow the mob to attack the monastery (Kardswann may still use his offer of 500 gold for each corpse to encourage more than the gnolls to attack), but I realised that a human without darkvision would be a liability on the attack. It would be good to have her come to aid the party after recognising the two(!) characters with the Finding Haleen trait (too attractive a trait).

Hurvank and the bugbears would probably go, given the lure of gold.

Undrella has promised to keep the smugglers out of the battle, but they wouldn't be likely to join an attack outside anyway.

[sidewaysmonkey]

If your party won't go into the battle market you can preserve lots of those juicy battle market bits by having them captured on night 6 and pulling off something like this...

I'm thinking about running this AP soon and this is how I was leaning. At some point after the PCs enter the battle market I will force an encounter that will have them beaten unconscious and taken as prisoners. Now begins a series of arena style combats (per UCombat performance combat rules). Give perception checks during the fights to notice that one of Almah's minions has infiltrated the crowd and gives them a slight, almost unnoticeable nod. Over the course of a few days/arena fights they win over much of the (non-gnoll) crowd, culminating in a fight where they are teamed with Haleen and pitted against an appropriately worrisome opponent(s). Emerging victorious, with the crowd cheering for them (a few rounds for the party to regroup), Kardswann roars "Enough! I tire of you fools!" and leaps from his throne down onto the arena stage (and cracking it? My stage might be made of stone...) to challenge them himself. When Kardswann is severely injured, he calls in gnolls, orders the gnoll archers above to loose, and retreats to his throne (teleport) where he makes the offer of 500gp per corpse. Now all hell breaks loose as gnolls rush in to kill, Almah's mercs leap to the party's from among the crowd, much of the crowd just wants to get the heck out of there... Chaos! Woohoo!

This will also be a great way to introduce Haleen and have the party bond with her. My party is going to be small so I plan on having her join them as an NPC.

[evilaxolotl]

Hmmm, interesting idea sidewaysmonkey. A bit late to try that in my case (and a bit hard to force a capture without killing some or resorting to a bit of railroading). I'd be interested to see how that turns out.

I'm now preparing for an assault on the monastery. I'm gong to pre-roll and play out the early parts that might happen out of sight of the party to avoid slowing the action down. Most of the party has low-light vision, and one member has dark vision, so it won't be all in the gnoll's favour, but Almah's guards don't have that. I'm hoping it's an epic battle without being a TPK or too easy.