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Hi everyone!
I'm currently running the Skull and Shackles Adventure Path through Roll 20. I was wondering if I might get some advice from fellow GMs about what to do with what will likely be the death of my campaign.
If you are playing Skull and Shackles on Roll 20 and are openly trying to piss off Besmara you are likely my players. Please do not open the spoiler tag.
Current Characters
Viginti - Wizard 6
Arden - Cleric of Gozreh 6
Sails - Swashbuckler 6
Teach - Kineticist 6
Balthor - Unchained Barbarian 6
Brody - Monk 6
There has been a problem brewing for a while in my campaign. I am not going to pretend that the way I have been playing Sandara has not contributed to it pretty heavily but... current discussions are convincing me that things are heading for the realm of my group being a footnote... like literally a smear on Besmara's heel.
Back in book 1 when the Grindylow's kidnapped Sandara and Jakes Magpie the officers set off on Bonewrack to save her. Sails is smitten with her and she had been overwhelmingly helpful and kind (although sassy, lusty, crude, and needling to certain characters egos) to the group.
While in the grindylow caverns the group takes a lot of damage and is struggling for spells. Knowing that they are likely about to face a powerful foe to retrieve Sandara Arden quickly says that he doesn't want to risk his life for her. The group should fall back. There is no need to risk their lives for two crew members.
The rest of the group disagrees and he is so vehement about not helping that he does not join the last fight. Sandara notices.
Afterward she gets in his face about being an honorless coward and a dog and claims that she shall never heal him or tend his wounds again. Arden doesn't take it well but chooses to attempt over the course of the crews journey to try and mend fences with Sandara by making her magical items and deciding to try and help build a small shrine to Besmara on the ship.
Sandara approves (me hoping to get past it) but as is typical of how I have been playing her answers with playful insults or condescension.
Much further into book 2 I am speaking to the group about how Besmara likes to take tithe or receive gifts from her followers and Sails chooses to mandate a 1/2 plunder (500gp) offering to her.
The crew absolutely agrees... as does Sandara.
Arden and Balthor, however, refuse. The latter because of greed but the former because he refuses to give some, '2 copper goddess whom he doesn't defer to in the least a single pittance of his share." This he says in front of the ENTIRE crew.
Afterward as he is making his way back to his hallowed position at the wheel a sea bird falls dead at his feet. Viginti, knowing more about religion than most of the crew, informs almost everyone that it's a sign of displeasure from Besmara.
Any measure of fences mended between them are torn apart as Sandara and Arden have a huge argument.
Paranoid, Arden chooses from this point forward to use lesser restoration to remain at the wheel of the ship 24 hours a day, "To spit in that witch's (besmara's) eye," if she attempts to do anything to the ship.
(Side Note: During the battle with Inkskin at Tidewater Rock Arden was hit by a ballista bolt (a crit) that knocked him into negatives. Sandara, being the only healer on board, was ordered to heal him. She cast infernal healing on him out of spite. Arden does not know this... but his player does and has refused to separate personal knowledge from character knowledge)
More than one discussion is had among the more faithful of the crew of Arden having an 'accident' for the better of the crew. Sandara put a stop to it and chose the high road.
She offered to leave the ship along with the most superstitious of the crew so that Arden no longer has anyone to hate and will perhaps stop putting the crew in danger by hating Besmara.
Sails offered to make her the captain of their next ship, which she accepted.
Now angry commentary continues (mostly between Arden and Balthor) about both killing Sandara and some ultimate confrontation between them and Besmara.
I have warned them that calamities of increasing terribleness wait down that road but they still seem pretty confrontational and I think it might kill the game...
Any ideas?
I suppose it's kinda long but it does make for a decent, if self-destructive, campaign story.
Does she have her new ship yet? Once she does, she could sail off for a while and do her own pirating, then come back and hand over a tithe to the commadore.
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I agree that sending Sandara off on a new ship at the first opportunity is the best solution. It seems to be what she would want to do anyway.
If you're worried about your PCs attempting to assassinate her before this happens, there are lots of ways to show them that this isn't a good plan.
A couple of ideas:
Sandara is blessed by Besmara and immediately becomes more powerful (additional Cleric levels so that she is at or above the PCs character level)
Many of the NPC crew side with her, being experienced sailors and not foolish enough to tempt Besmara's wrath. They protect Sandara at all times and warn her of danger.
NPC crew threatens mutiny in support of Besmara.
Sea monsters arrive when/if Sandara is attacked. This could be something of wildly disproportionate CR that doesn't necessarily try to kill the offending PCs, but stops them from hurting her. I would use an elder water elemental that seeps itself into the ship between the boards of the hull. Besmara is the goddess of sea monsters, so all kinds of crazy 'bodyguards' are possible, and could show up at any time.
She could be carried off by a giant sea bird, only to reappear later as captain of her own ship.
Or, let them kill her and then have fun coming up with the consequences. Besmara has a lot of options for exacting revenge on a PC for murdering one of her priestesses. Curses, bad luck, sea monsters, facilitating the capture of certain PCs by more powerful pirates or the Chelish Navy.
You are the GM. You get to decide how the story goes.
So what if they kill Sandara?
Do they piss off Besmara? Then she should show them a little of what Poseidon demonstrates to Ulysses for 10 years.
If they are marooned then give them some hardship and then an out, like a passing ship.
Besmara enjoys scoundrels and taking what you want. She isnt going to bother with them past the first bout of anger, she is fickle, and probably pities the fools that think they csn challenge her seas, and might tease them from time to time as her play things.
Many ways to solve things, and above all not taking religion too seriously, specially when it's Besmara, the devil-may-care goddess.
While Besmira may be fickle, she is not forgetful.
At some time, when the seas are rough, or just before a battle, she can display her displeasure by delivering an ill omen rather than some asked for favor or no-answer. When the crew sees this, they get restless. Treat it as a -1 or -2 applied to stuff for the next action. Sure, they might pull through anyway, but the crew will talk. This could even show up as a penalty to the amount of plunder.
In order to calm the crew, they need to RP it out, and perhaps even *gasp* spend some plunder on the crew. Once done, all is normal, but the next request of her is ignored, unless they changed their ways. The crew talks, but they don't feel as though they are under her disfavor.
If they take actions to appease her, then the crew is happy, and perhaps a favor of +1 or +2 on the next action. If they continue their disrespectful ways, a repeat of the previous ill omen, with the addition of hearing about their folly by the gather info check made at the next port. Perhaps some priest of some other faith informs them that disrespecting her in her own domain is folly. They need not worship her, but should allow those who do to show that worship.
This all should be a side plot, not a main plot, as it has little to do with the AP's story arc. As such, don't let it derail the campaign. It only has as much influence as you let it.
/cevah