Hello,
Not sure I've got this in the right forum so apologies in advance if not.
I'll exclude most details to start with to keep this brief, so just let me know if you want to know more.
So the short version.
My players are in a big city. A local "merchant/crime lord", Tolsar Dayrose, will be paid handsomely (by another interested party) for the capture of one of the PCs.
My players foiled the first attempt on the aforementioned PC and then tangled with Dayrose further by following up on the lead it provided.
Dayrose kidnapped associates of the party and is using them as leverage to get the party (I should point out here that through dumb luck two of the four PCs are not known to Dayrose) to her "mansion" for dinner and hopes to resolve their business disagreement.
Because of her character Dayrose will try for a genuine agreement, but I'm reasonably sure the party won't agree to her terms so I need the situation well thought out to respond to what they do next.
I've got a map, one cool Oread bodyguard character and a few largely inconsequential guards, Dayrose and her son and a few environmental factors locked down. I need a few more things to make the mansion more interesting, but I don't want to just add a bunch more goons so, you wonderful, creative and beautiful people; what have you got?
One bodyguard seems really insufficient, even with backup goons. I'd expect some sort of ace in the hole...
Ooh, how about an exotic pet? A magical beast of some sort to be released upon her opponents and to serve as a body disposal mechanism? That sounds potentially fun.
How about poisoned food/drink (or even contact poison on the utensils if you are worried about purify food/drink). Make it a powerful, slow acting one so they won't realise they've been poisoned, then if negotiations begin to falter, he can introduce the fact that they've been poisoned, but he has the antidote. If negotiations succeed, he can pass them the antidote as a bonus.
Oc, it doesn't work if they have access to Neutralize poison.
What level is the party?
I agree with Deadmanwalking, an exotic pet would be cool....could be "mundane" like a tiger or really exotic like a pet Lizardman trained as a gladiator, who eats his kills.
Also, depending on the suspicion of Dayrose, give her a way out. It seems to me that she would have a backdoor to slip out of. (She is prime Recurring villian material)
will post more as I think of it.
Dayrose is somewhat arrogant anyway, but she doesn't know about two of the PCs. She is only planning for the two she does know about and wants to capture one of those alive.
The party are getting clever; I expect that those two PCs will attend and turn dinner into a distraction while the other two will try to mount some kind of stealth rescue of the hostages, so I have a split party to consider. The bodyguard (and friends) should be sufficient for the two that attend; if they all attend then they will have outsmarted Tolsar Dayrose.
But I like what you're saying. I had considered some kind of magical beast, initially as a guard creature in the grounds (about 40 feet of garden on all sides) or for the house, but I haven't found or come up with anything which pops for me. Bearing in mind that I'm looking for something to spice up the location in general rather than the central dinner/trap, do you have any specific suggestions?
This is a crime lord. She needs to show how powerful she is even if she isn't that powerful. Her goons need to at least look like they're heavily armed and armored. She'd probably hire an illusionist to spruce some things up and to conceal other things.
Like a drake or two hidden one room over.
While it won't help to provide individual NPCs (and what I think you're really looking for), to better flesh out your crime lord and his gang you might check out Creating a Yakuza Gang rules and possibly the Machi-Yakko (gang boss) prestige class all from Rite Publishing's Way of the Yakuza. (Note just because it was created for a yakuza gang, it can be easily be refluffed as any other cultural crime syndicate, not just Japanese).
I'd guess the main topic would be: how well armed are you gonna be at a dinner party? I'm guessing no noticeable armor or significant weapons, so part of the challenge for PCs will be smuggling in concealed weapons, Armor spells and suchlike.
Of course the villain might expect that, too. Might even notice some concealed weapons but pretend not to notice, yet secretly prepare.
What could be wicked would be trapped chairs. At a sign of the villain, clamps spring from the chairs to lock down PCs on them, restraining ankles and wrists (Reflex mitigates).
Also, I'm sure the villain will have some sort of plan against spellcasters; after all, those have a leg up when sneaking in weapons.
If you want a specific magical beast suggestion, we're gonna need a rough CR range you're looking for. I mean, Cr 1/2 to above CR 20 possibilities exist.
Yeah, she has more than one exit/escape plan. I really want her to escape, broken and out for vengeance.
The party are level 4. Urbanrager (barbarian)/martial artist(monk), Paladin, bloodrager, and a bard. The paladin and the bloodrager are the two Dayrose knows about. And the bloodrager is Dayrose's payday.
Awesome.
Drake is quite good.
Some kind of poison is a good shout; I'd discounted it because I don't think the party will eat or drink, but I hadn't considered contact or even a gas would work just as well.
I also like the idea of illusions and whatnot. Illusion up a couple of extra scary guards to dissuade the party from fighting.
Good stuff; keep it coming.
Edit: oops. Deadmanwalking is quite right, so to clarify; CR-wise the party are all level 4 but I don't mind if it's very easy or furiously difficult so much as long as it makes sense for the thing to be there. I can also adjust reasonably competently so even if something seems a bit over level it might provide me the seed I'm looking for.
Maybe there are giant rats in the grounds. Nothing that would kill the 2 that are sneaking in, but it is more difficult to kill them silently.
You could have a third party attend the meeting as sort of 'mediator' or peacekeeper. Perhaps with some position of responsibility in the city with no obvious ties to the players or Dayrose.
If negotiations don't go smoothly and violence inevitably ensues this 'mediator' could lend a hand to one side or the other if it turns out they are seriously overmatched.
Perhaps they're a corrupt city official, secretly in Dayrose's pocket if your crimelord finds herself being outgunned....or if the players are outmatched (assuming you add the exotic pet and/or trapped chairs, contact poisons etc)then an honest man to lend a hand when Dayrose's schemes are revealed.
AdamF, this is starting to turn into something realy cool, with all the possibilities.....may have to use something like this in an upcoming campaign
This is all gold. Thank you all; you've got me thinking again. Any other ideas still welcome though.
Alginon, if you're interested I'll let you know how it goes. And anyone else.
Fatbaldbloke, I like it. Just so happens that there's is the perfect "mediator" all ready involved; I think he just got invited to dinner.
Yes, please keep us informed :)
I love putting players in these kind of situations watching them try to 'diplomacise' with the extra tension. Always fun if the villain escapes too....though some of my players can get a bit obsessed trying to track them down afterwards.
Gavmania wrote: How about poisoned food/drink (or even contact poison on the utensils if you are worried about purify food/drink). Make it a powerful, slow acting one so they won't realise they've been poisoned, then if negotiations begin to falter, he can introduce the fact that they've been poisoned, but he has the antidote. If negotiations succeed, he can pass them the antidote as a bonus.
Oc, it doesn't work if they have access to Neutralize poison.
Which is why you do not use it as leverage but merely to...smooth over negotiations by removing trifling elements like 'other people's objections.'
Essentially, make it a sleep poison, and plan to do an honest trade before they fall asleep. If that doesn't work? Stall until they fall asleep and then force the trade (dump them outside after stuffing their pockets full of gold).
Yes, they still get the prize, because you have rules. You do not simply steal from people. Most of all, you do not take 'no' for an answer. And if they try to storm in to save their friend? They went back on your deal, and you make them pay the penalty accordingly.
Obviously, things are not going to go as planned, since there are other party members sneaking about to rescue hostages (which will eventually include the bloodrager). That is half the fun.
For exotic pets/saves, I can recommend:
Ceru,Cockatrice (muzzled, it's their bite that turns people to stone), Ratling, Lamia (high CR, can hold the party off while the criminal escapes), Mongrelman, Selkie.
If you really want something thumping around to instill upon players that "Negotiations are going to happen, and refusing will be... difficult," then you could go with a half-fiend associate acting as a body guard instead of an oread. Something that is a touch more intimidating than a walking statue.
I don't know if you've fully fleshed out your crime lord, but...
Having been a child during the time of Animaniacs, it has forever warped my perspectives of the world, and I have to say, if I were making a criminal mastermind, the leader would have to speak some ridiculously obscure language just so I could do my best impression of the Godpidgeon.
I realize this is a Godfather mockery, but really, everyone does Godfather whisper accents for criminal masterminds. How many people do whispery JIBBERISH translated by their right-hand man to the party?
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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
What does the merchant/crime lord deal in, in both sides? That would probably influence what she would consider and/or have available.
What's interesting is that she's willing to make a deal, but so far is underhanded in getting to the position to make that deal - which is the capture of a PC to sell off to a third party. Which is blackmail, not a deal. The fact that she sees this as interchangeable implies she'll stack the deck by any means possible, not just smack them down outright. Plus a third party? She needs to overwhelm their objections in such a way as to make it clear they have no choice, but also that the third party can't or won't object to. Which would be good to know - how will the third party constrain her and the party's behavior? What would the two sides be able to get away with? Outright threats and poisoning, or will they have to be subtle?
She needs to shock and awe. Everything needs to be as ostentatious as she can manage without going past the profitability of the bloodrager's capture. Target their vulnerabilities with subtle threats. So, illusions showing what she is capable of doing to the hostages and to the PCs she knows of. Tapestries showing her victories, statuary of torture or punishment (bonus points if in "classical" styles, linking well-known stories or mythology that looks classy but underlines her ruthlessness). If one PC is afraid of snakes for example, everything is serpentine - decor, food, clothing. Dump every negative effect she can counter onto the hostages - the more the hostages are suffering under, the more likely she can overwhelm objections by pointing out the party can't get rid of them on their own. Drug addictions, curses, cursed items, poisons... Bonus points for debilitating the PCs too if she can manage it.
She doesn't want to push the bloodrager's or paladin's berserk buttons, though. Perhaps a Calm Emotions spell in effect for the bloodrager, obvious items that are sacred to the paladin's god to mess with him, make it seem that she sincerely shares some beliefs, though perverted. That could make him doubt just killing her, make her more of someone to redeem. Iffy to balance with the whole hostage thing and whatever else is going on with her, but mind games are important in negotiations. It'd be good if she can hide the full extent of what she's doing to the hostages, making the reveal dependent on the bloodrager's submission - that will really tick off the party afterwards.
I like the lamia, don't think I've come across those before (keeping that in mind for a future). Cockatrice and ratlings might be winners.
I'm new to the DM chair and my players are used to a different style. Having talked it over with them they all wanted to be able to win so therefore they have to be able to lose. They all agreed, but I don't think they understood; first day in town, they just picked up their weapons, gleefully accepted the help of a friendly priest and wandered into the sewers on the trail of some two dozen missing persons. One xill disturbed in their "nest" of bodies, one treacherous priest and one desperate retreat later and they've got the idea, I think.
I'll be describing the walking statue as more of a man mountain and coupled with their recent "defeat" in that backed up sewer and a few illusion tricks it should be enough to keep negotiation going for a while if not then they will probably learn another lesson about choosing their actions carefully because Tolsar Dayrose is now well prepared.
greenteagamer, I had forgotten about the Godpidgeon. Not for this one but I'm definitely having that at a later date.
You could have the mansion not belong to the crime lord. Unless the PCs already know it for a fact, maybe the crime lord has invited them to the sheriff or constable's house or the town magistrate. She's organized an event or situation that requires the owner to attend to or work late and either bribed or charmed any servants into just serving dinner. This way if the PCs destroy or search the house they find nothing, misleading clues, or have to deal with breaking into someone's home. Also, if the PCs attack or beat up any servants or staff, thinking they're involved in a crime, they pay the price, even if the servant's are charmed.
You can also do reasonable things like, have portraits covered by sheets which might cause the PCs to wonder what's going on. The crime boss is covering pictures of the home owner or something, but the PCs might not now why there's a crisp white sheet hanging on the wall.
Also, if the two other PCs break into the mansion and start snooping in rooms, they can uncover the owner's property but make false conclusions.
For instance, searching a study they find a locked drawer and inside is a valuable gold wedding ring with the magistrate's name on it, or his dead wife's. They might think it was stolen by the crime boss and try to return it or blackmail the crime boss with it.
Otherwise, you can have the crime boss pretend that she really needs the PCs help and it was all a misunderstanding. She tells them she's been blackmailed and needs their help retrieving four or five special relics around town (or just enough for the party, so maybe only 3 if she doesn't know about the other two). She offers a decent reward for helping but they have to be grabbed simultaneously so as not to tip anyone off about the plan and causing the owners to hide the relics.
Since she should know the capabilities of the target she wants, she should make sure one 'relic' is in a location or situation that the PC is best suited for, and thus can guess the location they will go to, where she has an ambush or trap set up. If the target is a rogue, one of the locations is a climbable tower filled with traps and locks. If the target is a mage, the 'relic' is in an alarm warded storehouse with magical wards (she can off a dispel magic wand with a couple charges to help, she claims she can't use it). She hopes her target will go to her predetermined ambush site, the other sites are decoys.
The crimeboss offers to go after whichever remaining target the PCs don't choose. Since she doesn't really have to go to her site, she can stalk her target even if he doesn't go to the predetermined trap site (that's now the other PC's problem.) There she can sap him, or drow poison him, or sleep spell him. Then she can show back up at the meeting site with her relic (she has one laying around anyway so doesn't need to really go fetch it) and feign surprise and concern. She can even have the hostages or associate there and ready to be released as a show of good faith , though blindfolded and unable to identify their captors, since she has what she wants now.
Maybe the crime boss has had the captives baleful polymorphed into critters. Assuming the PCs won't have true seeing ability, she can have the captives be two birds in a cage. She can pretend that they're prized pets; talk about how rare and important they are or what she had to do to get them. Maybe leave them in the PCs' presence to see what they do.
Or maybe she can have one be a snake or rat and pretend it's a familiar. Maybe even force the PCs to take it with them, claiming it will spy on them. Maybe they'll take it hostage or threaten to kill it. If the captive still recognizes the PCs, it might keep moving over to one of them but its actions get misinterpreted as snooping or trying to steal something from the PCs.
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