So, my players saved a powerful NPC (something I did not expect). Now they're storming a dungeon and have asked for his help, which he has agreed to provide.
So I'm puzzled with how I can have him participate without stealing the spotlight. On one side, they earned his aid, and it can be cool seeing someone demolish enemies for you. On the other hand...that gets old quick.
If you were a player in this situation, what would you want?
If you've DMed a circumstance like this, what have you done/how was it received by the players?
The party is level 5, their ally is a lvl 8 archer.
Ramp up the opposition.
As far as I see it, this is like the part in Halo when you first get the Scorpion tank. You're more powerful, but the Covenant throw everything they have at you.
Also, maybe an enemy spellcaster manages to dominate him or find some way to take him out of the battle.
Definitely adjust for the higher APL (6?) and increase your CR accordingly. You may consider having a higher level baddie show up that the NPC gets pulled away to fight alone while the PCs continue on - IE: Gandalf vs the Balrog in Lord of the Rings. You definitely want to be careful about having a higher level NPC outshine your players unless they're all in dire straits throughout.
First room or two proceed as normal, the party sweeps with the archer's help.
Room 3 you bring out the demons.
His bow is a magical relic, easier said than done. Also, he's a capable switch-hitter.
I'm considering a scenario in which he has to hold off a bunch of enemies or something like that, but the PCs are crazy and might opt to stay with him.
Maybe if I give him to the PCs to control, to make it more like the Scorpion in Halo? Since that empowers the player, rather than having it done for them (at least, a compromise between the two).
Break his bow. Problem solved.So, my players saved a powerful NPC (something I did not expect). Now they're storming a dungeon and have asked for his help, which he has agreed to provide.
So I'm puzzled with how I can have him participate without stealing the spotlight. On one side, they earned his aid, and it can be cool seeing someone demolish enemies for you. On the other hand...that gets old quick.
If you were a player in this situation, what would you want?
If you've DMed a circumstance like this, what have you done/how was it received by the players?
The party is level 5, their ally is a lvl 8 archer.
Larger problem created. Congrats.
If you were a player in this situation, what would you want?
Okay, so I'm assuming the players are aware that their ally is powerful (if they aren't aware, then just make him on their level?). If I'm a player, I'm thinking: "Yeah, this is our reward for helping this guy out. Awesome!". I'm also thinking: "This guy is probably going to die helping us at a critical moment, isn't he?".
So, have both of those things occur. I don't know how much of this dungeon you have planned out, but I would set up some sort of trapped macguffin. Touch it, and boom! The trap activates, instantly killing the archer (he was standing where the sliding door happened to be) or otherwise removing him from the party. It should happen in a way so as the body is instantly removed (so disintegration or a single shot teleportation trap, etc.). Maybe later on, when the party is 9th level or higher, they can find a way to recover their archer friend and perhaps take him on as a cohort.
The way I've done this in the past that has worked out fairly well is putting him directly in their hands. You still roleplay and control him most of the time, but come combat you hand him over like a cohort for them. Their dice decide his fate and you don't have to feel bad about targeting and killing him when he inevitably ticks off some nasty monsters. I would probably increase the number of extra monsters so he has lots to target and kill while players do the same. Let them earn a slightly easier time here perhaps so it is a reward!
If he makes it through alive, good for them! Let him return in a few levels and help them out again perhaps when they are closer in level. Sounds like it could be a fun little storyline.
Also I'd ask if they know what level he is? You could always knock one or two off him and keep him only 1 or 2 levels higher than they are to help a bit.
*edit*
Thought of another thing, there are ways even at this level to shut down archers hard or make them less effective. Anything with concealment or something like mirror image can eat his arrow shots pretty easily.
The other biggie is windwall. Have a big baddie throw that down and suddenly the players WILL have to handle it as his arrows will get tossed aside without ever reaching the target.
If you need some exposition to rationalize the situation for you:
The archer is famous, they recognized him. The archer's arm was cursed. The Warlock offered up his own arm via a primal magic to restore the archer's arm. The Warlock literally paid an arm (but not a leg) to bring this guy to operational status. I did not expect him to make that kind of sacrifice.
He kinda owes them.
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The upcoming dungeon is undead, but I'll see about working in some wind wallin'.
I love that. Good for them.
Undead makes it easier, you can toss in some skeletons and undead resistant to piercing weapons so the party still will feel useful as he won't be able to instantly kill everything. Skeletons with other templates or of different creatures can be very fun (my party still talks about an encounter with a necromancer that had a skeleton Trex...good times).
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This is a one time offer of aid, right? They helped him out and now he's returning the favor. What's wrong with the party getting a one-shot boon? Is this the best way to cash in their favor? Doesn't matter. They earned it and are spending it now.
Feel free to make the dungeon a little bit tougher so that they're glad that they called this marker, but that it's.
If you significantly upgrade the dungeon; then the party will (perhaps rightly) feel that calling in this favor was useless. Actually, less than useless as they could have kept the favor for future use when it would have actually had some impact.
If the party cakewalks part of the dungeon with his aid; cool. Well spent boon. The party isn't going to feel cheated, because they're the ones that 'called in the big guns'.
After he helps them with this one task, he has to go to fulfill other oaths, obligations or family commitments. Seek vengeance or information or atonement or whatever. Maybe he's off looking for a way to give that warlock a suitable replacement arm.
Then once the PC's are closer to him in level/power he can be called in as a recurring NPC. A cohort or such.
The one thing you want to avoid is to make a major sacrifice pointless.
Can you retcon him to level 6 or 7? Have they seen his stats, or have you used an ability that definitively marks him as level 8?
If they haven't seen his stats, you can downgrade him to make him a little less effective while they're fighting, and if they notice he's doing worse than before, have him explain that his restored arm is a little stiff and he's having to get used to it.
He's already kicked some ass while they were on night watch, allowing them to get their rest undisturbed.
I've got no problem with them breezing through, if you guys think you'd enjoy it as players, they might as well.
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My current plan is to hand him off to the Warlock (if he wishes, or another party member if he doesn't) to run in combat.
The dungeon has a pair of ghosts which may succeed/fail to possess him, but at least the PCs will keep agency of their own characters even if the NPC is possessed. Then, depending on their exploration, they might bump into the boss too early and need to beat a hasty, covered retreat.
The warlock, if I'm reading this correctly, tore off his arm. He lopped off his arm for this guy. That's not a "thanks bud, I'll clear a dungeon for you" kind of favor. A one armed archer is basically useless, and the warlock has fixed him out of nothing but the kindness of his heart.
I would hunt that archer down if he didn't do more for the party after such a sacrifice.
During the Paizo RPG Superstar Contest every year, one of the judges inevitably advises writers to avoid the "Elminster Syndrome" of having more powerful NPCs do the PCs work for them or generally outshine them in the realm of being a hero for their world. It's a problem but not an insurmountable one. There are plenty of great suggestions in this thread to deal with it.
There is another simpler solution. There is a bit of time before they must go through the dungeon right? Well give them a bloody level and some higher than level gear, lots of really useful consumables. This is going to make the dungeon even easier, but it's going to be because the PC's are powerful. The NPC will still be more powerful, as is appropriate, but the PC's still outnumber him 4-1 so they will still be carrying the combat, the NPC will just be a big help.
Also I suggest giving extra love to the warlock, that was a huge sacrifice, mechanically and roleplay that is huge. It takes a 7th level spell to fix, which depending on how things go that may well be beyond the PC's ability to fix. Now I don't mean give him a new mechanical arm or something, but give him something that boosts the characher in some way, like gust a maxed out headband of the appropriate stat (I don't know what stat warlocks are based on. If that doesn't work for some reason (say he already has a headband) give him a belt. Con or dex maxed out is always appreciated.
I think it's ok for him to help them.
Just ramping up the oposition, I don't know. It feels cheap. Here's why:
So they save that guy against all odds. The Warlock made a huge sacrifice. And now you take all that away but just making stuff harder for everyone?
There should be a payoff.
THEY asked him to come along. If it makes stuff too easy, they got themselves to blame, not you.
Just make sure he's not taking over the party, like giving commands as to where to go, what to do, etc. Let the party still be in charge. He's just the support.
Alternatively give temporary command of him to one of the players (or multiple players) but with the option that you can veto any action they take (he wouldn't do anything suicidal for example). That way the players decide just how effective he is.