I'm going to have my players join an organization and attend their 'welcoming ceremony'.
Plotwise, its integral. It introduces several NPCs, and gets the players at least trivially introduced to a major plot hook (collecting artifacts for the leader, a samsaran oracle, who is planned to gradually go insane from power...).
I'd like to have the entire session revolve around the ceremony, and the events immediately before and after.
I have a couple ideas (like a merchant selling discounted items outside- but giving change with a different face on the coins for a spy to cast enter image).
The organisation is a mashup of races and cultures, so conflict is reasonable, but all out combat is not.
I'm looking for ideas for skill checks and rp to implement.
Have you had anything similar in any games you've played or ran?
Have their ceremony be the backdrop of something else, a plot to kill the oracle, somebody's untrustworthy etc, but, it's actually a test to decide how capable the PCs are, see their charmingness, their ability to put clues together, that way he knows whether to send them on hack and slash, or if he can send them on negotiations and treasure hunts as well, also help you decide which way you want to play it based on how your group reacts.
Have them interact with the people there. Use Sense Motive to pick up on a low-ranking member's nervousness about something. Diplomacy to get that information from them. Simple stuff.
Maybe they need Knowledge (local) or (religion) (if a religious overtone is involved) to realize something's wrong with the ceremony when it starts.
sounds like it's less religious and more, organizational. Though he can feel free to correct me. To further Lathiira's thought, as she/he furthered mine. It could also be used to test a suspected traitor, hence why low level member is nervous.
Resolving language and culture disputes could be interesting (maybe the Orc and Elf both do not speak common and are ready to draw blood, or maybe a gesture of welcoming to one is a gesture of insult to the other).
Perhaps someone has been caught after tampering with the ceremony (switching torches, mixing up alchemical ingredients, forging new music pages for the performers, etc), but the organization doesn't want anyone to find out, players need to repair the damage by slight of hand, stealth, CHA, KNOW's, and linguistics to find the tampering.
Sabotage AFTER the ceremony (explosions are good), and a chase sequence to catch the bombers before they can flee.
For the ceremony, Perform Checks are obvious (maybe sing AND dance), maybe a simple craft or spellcraft check (paint a symbol), or KNOWS as they are asked to answer questions about various subjects.
Riddles (Solved by player answers, or by WIS/INT).
Handle animal (herd the sacrifices).
It is hard to give much without knowing more details about the ceremony.
Its the beginning of dark times. Orcs are on the rampage (spreading out methodically, they seem united and almost regimented..) and the draw have upped their machinations, amassing an army and turning out flesh warped abominations that put their former works to shame.
The PCs were all arrive at the town, inexplicably led to an Oracle. (One by a prophet of their church... another by a magical scroll describing the beginning of the end.. A thief following the gold.. and a cavalier, strangely led by his mount.. which was dead moments before.)
They arrive the day before the ceremony.
The Oracle, having seen the things to come, decides her formerly closed organisation must grow. Perhaps with her sight and leadership, it can be prevented. (At least, that's her story....)
Spoiler:
The doors open, and two impressively large guards walk out, closing the doors behind them. Though one is a half-orc (traitorous brigand) and the other a half-elf (haughty avenger), both hold a gleaming greatsword, with a ornate silver longsword and a round wooden shield faced with bronze strapped to their backs. They are dressed in grey, with finely stitched red trim, and a red symbol of an eye on the sleeves. The shape of plate armor is blatantly obvious. They walk with an aura of authority and come to attention a few feet away from the door, facing each other.
A few moments later the door opens again and a robed figure gracefully exits, wearing the same stone-gray and blood-red style of dress.
( http://www.thegm.org/npcs_display.php?selected_npc=666 )
She purposefully flips back her hood, revealing a distinctly human face, with long black hair and brilliant blue eyes.
She eyes the crowd for a long time, purposefully focusing her attention on every single person. (with detect magic and detect thoughts if anyone has it active)
"Greetings, and welcome.
Some of you have specifically been called here, but the rest of you are not here by coincidence.
You all have a place in the dark times ahead. If you wish to turn back now, you may, but the coming events are everyone's burden- Your choice is not to be part of it or not. Your choice, is whether you want to be blind."
She pauses, giving you a chance to ponder your destiny.
"If you choose to continue, please step forward and behold the Oracle of the Crimson Iris."
She spins around, and strolls through the open door. The small crowd murmurs quietly, and the doorway beckons.
As you all step through, you enter a room approximately 30 feet square with an ornate high ceiling. The walls are stone-gray, and perfectly smooth.
Each wall is decorated with a large red and gold tapestry, with what you now recognize as the mark of the crimson oracle.
The guards respectfully ask that weapons by turned over, and no magic be cast. Their facial expressions allude that asking is merely a formality..
Everyone is led into a large banquet hall. As everyone takes a seat, a cloaked Samsaran enters from another room, and purposely walks up onto a small stage. She sighs loudly, portraying great sadness.
"Most beloved brethren: Urged by necessity, I, Brigitte, Oracle of the Crimson Eye, have come into these parts as an ambassador with a divine admonition to you, the scions of Humanity. I hoped to find you as faithful and as zealous in your service as the Gods have supposed you to be.
The Fates have put you as stewards over their people to minister their will. Happy indeed will you be if they find you faithful in your stewardship. You are called shepherds; see that you do not act as hirelings. But be true shepherds, with your crooks always in your hands. Do not go to sleep, but guard on all sides the flock committed to you.
Those who side with me and the Order should be prudent, provident, modest, learned, peaceable, watchful, pious, just, equitable, and pure. For how can the ignorant teach others? How can the licentious make others modest? And how can the impure make others pure? If anyone hates peace, how can he make others peaceable ? You must especially let all matters that pertain to the order be controlled by the law of the Order. And be careful that simony does not take root among you, lest both those who sell their loyalties be beaten with the scourges of nature through narrow streets and driven into the place of destruction and confusion. Keep the Order and its members in all their grades as free from the secular power as possible.
Let robbers and incendiaries and all their accomplices be expelled from the order and anthematized.
You have seen for a long time the great chaos in the world on the rise. It is so bad in some of your provinces, I have seen, that one can hardly go along the road by day or night without being attacked by abominations and agents of the Darkness; and whether at home or abroad one is in danger of being despoiled either by force or fraud.
Therefore it is necessary to enact this vow, which I have foreseen a long time ago in the time of your ancestors. I exhort and demand that you, each, try hard to have the vow kept in your hearts. And if anyone shall be led by his cupidity or arrogance to break this vow, by the authority and sanction of this council he shall be anathematized.
Under this cause, all followers are expected to earnestly keep the peace amongst yourselves, work to forward our goals to the best of your ability whether through peace or blood, to not shed blood needlessly nor needlessly let an enemy escape their fate.
Although, O sons and daughters of the Way, you have promised to keep the peace among yourselves and to preserve the rights of the free, there remains still an important work for you to do. Freshly quickened by the divine correction, you must apply the strength of your valor to another matter which concerns you as well as all enemies of evil. Though all of you are surely aware of the Orc's crusades, I have glimpsed many hidden threats. The machinations of the Drow have increased a hundredfold, but the goal of their vile rituals are obscured from my sight. The sudden influx of the beasts of Darkness seem proportionate to our successes as well. Their goals are varied and unfathomable, so be cautious on your tasks under my banner, and stand united evermore."
Speech needs a little editing work, but that's the draft. Its organisational, but with religious undertones.
I'm trying to wrack my brain to come up with a way to hint she's hiding something, but without making it blatant. I'd prefer to have great questions and rolls drop tiny clues- and have them gain meaning as more and more pile up. Ideally, with significant evidence piling up after several levels.
The no magic of any kind rule should be a slight clue.. She's hiding her true alignment.
(There's also a powerful anti-magic field on most of the time.)
The game is dark, horror, and noir...
The organisation currently is very small (5-10) and is currently initiating 40-50 members. The current members are well-vetted, but there may be some resentment since the current members spent decades proving their worth for admittance.
The organisation also has a major rival, (a cult of a dead God, who's prayers were answered when their leader suddenly became an avatar of the God.)
I do have a combat planned for the end of the session I guess, but its probably very short. (More dramatic than anything.)
By having new members ask questions as the leader speaks, you can have her avoid the questions, or answer in a vague and mysterious way. For example do not have her bring up Drow, let a potential member ask "Why are the orcs a real threat all of a sudden? Surely there is a greater force leading them? (He says, his Orc finger bone necklace jingling), then she can respond "The force that leads the Orcs is shrouded in darkness, I cannot pierce the veil, that is where you can help me (She knows the answer but wants to mislead to false leaders).
Have her mention a place in the compound no one should go "For your own safety", that has the "thieves and traitors from among them" locked up, and She has the only key.
Have her face obscured by a veil/mask/enchantment at all times ( it makes anyone suspicious), and give her a vizier an evil looking character who is constantly whispering to her and gesturing to the crowd (and casting detects constantly).
A "murder" in the opening day could also be good, the victim? the initiate who rose to question her, the murder suspect? after an investigation, another initiate who also questioned her, his mind clouded with a charm/forget spell, despite the antimagic fields (that she controls). There are other answers (dispel, supernatural charm, antimagic field ended and was not renewed in time to prevent murder, suspect lying about not knowing, etc).
Have the adviser ready with an answer or pressing business so interrogating her is hard and suspicious.
Have her perform a "vision ceremony", identify with Alchemy craft skill check to identify her using poisons, and drugs often found in the underdark (high DC, fail is merely exotic), everyone must consume her "vision elixir" sot they too can see the truth (Will/fort/sleight of hand to resist/avoid the trip). Each player can receive a different vision full of cryptic, creepy, symbols (which, later, combine to reveal the truth of the story, ironically). It is during this hour long trip (polypurpose panacea?) that there is a murder, the party is first to recover and so are drafted to help.
Then it would be good to have the party rest and bond, review the organizations texts (riddles) that are sewn into each tapestry, and meet the other initiates. Then the initiation ceremony, blood letting into a communal font (for later scrying purposes), recite the oath (to HER not the organization?), then a chance to endure 1 of 3 trials, might, thought, or skill (fight an Orc prisoner, solve a riddle, pass through a trap filled cave)? to become more than "junior" members.
Then everyone receives a ring (cursed? Dungeon?) with the organizations sigil and are granted their new titles/positions/names/units.
Then a feast. Always end on a feast.
Obvious misdirection, ambiguous target selections (not soldiers, but people who COULD be helping the war effort), her obsessive secrecy (with a sad distracting tale ready if they ever confront her openly (that can be proven false with some work), her private correspondence in code/non-existent, her frequent "trips" out of the compound to mysterious places for mysterious times, etc. Should help you gain a slow buildup of suspicion of her true motives. The game Oblivion did this well with the Assassins guild quest line, check the wiki for some ideas.
The party gathers, with the others who were also summoned, in a courtyard and admonished not to wander too far. Beyond the courtyard is an alley where all manner of merchants have set up shop. They're doing business before the ceremony.
A 'beggar' makes his way from group to group until he reaches your group.If the party gives him alms,he gives a cryptic clue.
" the tempest comes,its' winds subside,and then returns.the secrets hide."
He's an unknown agent in disguise.His clue refers to a painting in the art gallery. portraits of storms line the wall from left to right.
In the middle,a portrait of calm skies. The 'eye of the storm'. Perception check for secret door.Hiden chambers beyond hold personal belongings ( the Oracle ) a pendant of some unknown deity/religious symbol.
At some point before,the party overhears a servant being scolded by a superior."...remember what she did to the last servant who displeased her..." Some of the guests get impatient with how long things take at the feast. The party learns the staff is short-handed. Why? what happened to that mystery servant? Who's the beggar and what does his cryptic statement mean? Just some ideas...Happy Gaming,M
