For the past couple of sessions the PCs have been trying to find and rescue their friend, who has been abducted by an evil church. He was abducted because he has a book that they want, and they've been torturing him to try to find its location.
The PCs have access to the book, and have been communicating with their imprisoned friend via sending spells. They've told their friend that they found the book and want to set up an exchange with his captors; his freedom for the book. He has relayed this to his captors who have told him they're amenable to such an exchange and will give him a time, date, and location for the exchange (they've correctly assumed that he's communicating with the PCs via sendings.
Naturally, being the evil bastards they are, they don't intend to honor any exchange agreement; they'll try to kill the PCs and take the book. What I'm looking for are some proposal ideas for setting up an interesting encounter for the six PCs, who just reached 10th level last session. I've got two weeks to come up with something.
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well generic advice due to lack of information:
-Ambush in a building, preferably with caster(s) and archers on the second floor. Melee/frontline on the bottom floor.
-If one of them is high enough level, might consider bringing a planar ally along (again would depend what kind of evil they are, Demon: Glabrezu enjoys trickery, Devil: Ice Devil setting up a trap.)
-Symbols spells usually are costly for a PC but npc don't care as much, setting up one or two symbol spells for the beginning of the fight can be fun.
where will this battle take place. is it a castle/fortress setting. will you wait till they make it inside or just overwhelm them with numbers in the garden. maybe have them simply meet up and have the exchange in a well populated area, and thus when the bad guys betray the eros and start a battle. the heroes don't simply have to worry about catching and defeating the bad guys but saving civilians as well. bad guy could summon a dragon or a giant or something. I actually like situations like this because it divides the party (in a good way.) and gives everyone a chance to shine.
Frontline take on the monster, the bowman are the eyes, communicating to the party and maybe shouting orders. Your Speakers/Healers are out getting the civvies to safety, tending to the wounded. Rangers/rouge are trying to keep up with the bad guys, working to outsmart, slow down and track. Casters are so versatile you can stick them in any situation.
thats just my idea anyway.
I have a cool Idea, they set up the exchange to be in a public place, say in the middle of a market in order to make the PC's feel more safe. Then it turns out that a lot of the surrounding people are part of the cult, and even more are controlled undead, go with the highest human looking you can and assume that the caster casts gentle repose every so often to make sure they can go incognito. If you want to be really evil have a cleric be the one raising the dead and have him be level 13 (I realize it's high but it is not terrible) then have him open up with blasphemy killing dozens of onlookers and hurting the PC's.
@Eltacolibre - What additional details would be helpful?
@Hogeyhead - The public meeting place has potential. I'll have to think carefully about how to set one up, since the evil church is outlawed everywhere and any members who are identified as such would be hunted by their nemesis faith.
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Like is it happening in Golarion or homebrew setting? Is it a specific evil cult (like worshiping a certain deity, Great Old one) etc...as people part of an evil church, while they can do the same thing as mentioned above, people worshiping Asmodeus for example, will favor magic and trickery. People worshiping a martial deity, would have battle clerics and warpriests. People worshiping Cthulhu would have aberrations and the likes with them. People worshiping a long dead serpent god could be serpentfolks etc...
Usually I tend to go with the theme of the deity first, as people dedicating their life and religious beliefs to one, tend to act a certain way.
I'm with Haveatya. If the PCs are constantly interloping, by all means, use it as an opportunity to ambush them. But on the other hand, if they're just friends with a guy who has a valuable book...trade him for the book. Unless they really fear retribution, this seems like a case of Lawful Evil vs Stupid Evil.
My idea a bad one then?? lol.
Like is it happening in Golarion or homebrew setting? Is it a specific evil cult (like worshiping a certain deity, Great Old one) etc...as people part of an evil church, while they can do the same thing as mentioned above, people worshiping Asmodeus for example, will favor magic and trickery. People worshiping a martial deity, would have battle clerics and warpriests. People worshiping Cthulhu would have aberrations and the likes with them. People worshiping a long dead serpent god could be serpentfolks etc...
Usually I tend to go with the theme of the deity first, as people dedicating their life and religious beliefs to one, tend to act a certain way.
It's a homebrew game, and the captors are followers of Shaeleen, the Goddess of hatred and suffering.
I'm with Haveatya. If the PCs are constantly interloping, by all means, use it as an opportunity to ambush them. But on the other hand, if they're just friends with a guy who has a valuable book...trade him for the book. Unless they really fear retribution, this seems like a case of Lawful Evil vs Stupid Evil.
The PCs have other motivations as well. Followers of the church attacked the home village of a couple of the PCs and murdered several villagers, including the family of the captive. The captive (who is a former PC whose player had to leave the game due to scheduling conflicts) doesn't want to give them the book since his family died to protect it from the evil church.
So it's likely even if they completed the trade the PCs would still want justice for their village.
Also, the church wants the captive dead in the end because he's a witch.
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Alright going to assume since she is suffering and hatred, analogue wise, can go for something like Zon-Kuthon.
So clerics with Erinye and shadows are approriate.
With pain and suffering as the theme:
-Humanoid Vampires (Monster codex has a few them) could be good ones too.
-Kytons are excellent with theme of pain and suffering, Kyton evangelists and Kyton Sacristan would be the recommended ones here, depend how many of them with the setup.
-Scarred Rager (barbarian)
-Vivisectionist (Alchemist)
-Rangers (Favored enemies)
-Bone devils with inquisitor levels.
I'm with Haveatya. If the PCs are constantly interloping, by all means, use it as an opportunity to ambush them. But on the other hand, if they're just friends with a guy who has a valuable book...trade him for the book. Unless they really fear retribution, this seems like a case of Lawful Evil vs Stupid Evil.
So I've been thinking about this and you're right; the most logical course of action is a straight exchange. However that's not necessarily very exciting for the players, so it's my job to spruce it up.
Alright going to assume since she is suffering and hatred, analogue wise, can go for something like Zon-Kuthon.
So clerics with Erinye and shadows are approriate.
With pain and suffering as the theme:
-Humanoid Vampires (Monster codex has a few them) could be good ones too.
-Kytons are excellent with theme of pain and suffering, Kyton evangelists and Kyton Sacristan would be the recommended ones here, depend how many of them with the setup.-Scarred Rager (barbarian)
-Vivisectionist (Alchemist)
-Rangers (Favored enemies)
-Bone devils with inquisitor levels.
I'll think about some appropriate enemies; Shaeleen is Chaotic Evil so devils aren't exactly thematic. Kytons are a possibility given their theme, though I'd have to work out the alignment differences.
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The exchange happens on an old rope and plank bridge over a deep gorge. The players arrive to find the cultists lining the opposite side of the gorge.
An equal number of cultists to the party, plus the prisoner, walks onto the bridge. The plan is to meet at the center for the handoff. When the book is in the hands of the cultist, the prisoner is released. Then the book holding cultist swift dimension doors back to the cultist group, and cultists cut the ropes holding the bridge up. The other cultists on the bridge are dominated peasants in disguise, who scream in terror as they plunge to their demise. The cultist group draws bows to shoot down any fliers.
It might not kill the party, but it will definitely hurt them, and their pride.
Didn't read the whole thread, but I highly suggest the following (it's mean but realistic)
1) Kill the character. Seriously, once an agreed upon meeting place is set they would probably kill the guy. For an extra twist, have him being turned into some sort of undead that due to his new found evil state will be working with his captors.
2) Use magic/disguise to appear as the character. Slapped in chains and the whole nine yards.
3) The PCs try to do the exchange to find that their friend isn't there at all, and are now being ambushed. If you turned the friend into an undead, then bonus points for literally stabbing the PCs in the back as they try to reunite with their friend.
As for what kind of ambush...I suggest lots of archers and difficult terrain between them and the PCs. Also some place with lots of cover/concealment providing terrain as well.
I would also assume the PCs aren't going to bring the real book either.
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Try this. Meet out in the open, at night. A big open field. The PCs arrive, the cultists arrive. Exchanges are made. The PCs, even with lowlight vision and darkvision, probably feel a little edgy.
For the ambush: earth elementals and incorporeal undead rise from the ground and surprise them. It's a nice mix of enemies with vastly different abilities.
the sleeper option:
have them infect the prisinor with a deadly parasite (i know a few exited in 3.5 don't know any in pathfinder .my dm want me off the gm books).
the dupe:
mind control can easly be twarthed BUT a great thing about sending(incase the party keep sending him every hour a few times to make sure he's alive) is that it can't tell where he is...so make a switch. tell them some place very familier then bring him into someplace made to look like the same place. he thinks hes there so if they send him before going in he is sure that hes on time and in the right place. while they go get totaly ambushed by the evil side. maybe add a dopelganger looking like him and "peacfuly' trade (need to mind read the prisinor to make sure ther eare no passwords\ what is the password if there is one.)
Have the PC choose whatever place. The cultists agree. The exchange is made without violence or problems. But the day before, the cultists Triggered Suggestioned the character, compelling him/her to run back to their palace/temple/wherever_they_live when the PC are sleeping. Make that character make some noise as a mistake (like tripping on the armor of the full-martial), so the PCs can wake up and start to follow their friend in the cultist base. Which is of course well guarded.
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I'm with Haveatya. If the PCs are constantly interloping, by all means, use it as an opportunity to ambush them. But on the other hand, if they're just friends with a guy who has a valuable book...trade him for the book. Unless they really fear retribution, this seems like a case of Lawful Evil vs Stupid Evil.So I've been thinking about this and you're right; the most logical course of action is a straight exchange. However that's not necessarily very exciting for the players, so it's my job to spruce it up.
Alright going to assume since she is suffering and hatred, analogue wise, can go for something like Zon-Kuthon.
So clerics with Erinye and shadows are approriate.
With pain and suffering as the theme:
-Humanoid Vampires (Monster codex has a few them) could be good ones too.
-Kytons are excellent with theme of pain and suffering, Kyton evangelists and Kyton Sacristan would be the recommended ones here, depend how many of them with the setup.-Scarred Rager (barbarian)
-Vivisectionist (Alchemist)
-Rangers (Favored enemies)
-Bone devils with inquisitor levels.I'll think about some appropriate enemies; Shaeleen is Chaotic Evil so devils aren't exactly thematic. Kytons are a possibility given their theme, though I'd have to work out the alignment differences.
Well chaotic evil instead of Kytons and devils then:
-Demons: Shadow Demons, Vrocks, Succubus/Incubus, Glabrezu. Frankly would go for at least a Glabrezu and some vrocks. Have the vrocks on the first floor dancing for the dance of ruin.
-(optional) Daemons...depend if you even have them in your setting. Hydrodaemon and Piscodaemon, maybe an Erodaemon.
OR (don't have demons with them)
-ONI! yeah onis , they are awesome, Ogre Magi and various Yais.
OR
-Rakshashas...yeah Rakshasha of all kind.
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I would do a combination of the above; all suggestions are good.
Yes have an exchange; have them plan on the good guys winning. Have the prisoner exchanged for a doppelganger or greater doppelganger with some rogue or bard levels. Don’t make it easy.
Have them try to kill the party during the exchange; undead and cultists in the crowd would be a great idea so the party don’t know who is friend or foe; summoned devils/demons etc are great for scaring the general populace. The whole plan is to get the party off guard; they are on guard during the exchange but not so much when they get back to their base.
So have a couple of teams; one team to make the exchange look like it went wrong and the party got away with the prisoner; another team in contact with the dupe and relaying the location of the party and advising on a time to strike. Once the time is right have the team hit the party location, hopefully when they are separated; perfect if they can capture another party member and replace them with a dupe too either during the exchange or afterwards. Have the “friend” wait for the right time when they are fighting them to either grab the book and make his escape (if they still have the book) or attack from behind landing some sneak attack damage and throwing them into disarray. (has he converted, is it their friend, is he charmed, compelled, should they attack to kill or subdue)
Prisoner needed alive to keep an active connection to the Doppelganger so it can use his memories to keep up the disguise (these are my own personal rules). One the ruse is discovered not so much. Then you have the race to find the cultists base and rescue their friend.
All depends on the party, do they use detection spells regularly; true seeing would foil this easily as would a good sense motive check.
I enjoy replacing party members with dupes; some of my players have had a great time betraying the party for several levels. You have to have the right players for this though.
Regards
Sic
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Just thought I'd let everyone know how it went down:
I mostly went with Haveatya's idea: the captors agreed to an honest exchange of the prisoner for the book. They figured since they tracked him down once, it wasn't a big deal to trade him for the book - which was what was more important and why they abducted him in the first place - since they could find him at a later time and kill him then. They even healed and regenerated the digits they had removed from torturing him.
The PCs had a different idea. They mocked up a fake book to trade for their friend. It wasn't a flawless copy, but good enough for their purposes. The trade was to happen in a tavern of a large town, however the PCs scryed on their friend and then set up an ambush outside of town.
The PCs tried to pass off the fake book as real but were thwarted when the captors tested it to determine its authenticity. Their scheme blown, the PCs just killed the captors and rescued their friend. However, that set into motion a chain of events: On the captors leader's body was a note stating that the captors had agents in the town and unless were told otherwise [for the agents] to start killing townsfolk at nightfall.
So the PCs spent the night trying to find these agents and stop the slaughter. They managed to do so, but at a heavy toll: 96 townsfolk were murdered. They interrogated one of the agents they captured to learn where their temple was, and having been given some clues, the PCs traveled to the city where the temple is supposedly located to settle matters...