6th kingmaker book: BBEG got "the thing" need advice [spoilers]

[Necro_y2k]

Well, nyrissa has the sword now. The Horned Hunter managed to kill a PC, grab the sword and deliver it to his mistress.

I dont know what happens next, i saw that all the book is written in the happy path. Where is the description about what nyrissa does when she recovers the sword? she is whole again, she still wants to merge realms? what is the point of that?.

I cant find it.

What happened in your games? nyrissa never got it?

[Warped Savant]

The book discusses it (a little) on page 54, left-hand column, first sentence of the paragraph at the bottom. (The "Treasure" paragraph).

That being said, it's kind of a weird thing that doesn't make sense. But then again, fey have weird ways of thinking.

[thenovalord]

Happened to my group too
They now live in a snow globe, forgotten on her shelves

[Fox Paws]

Unfortunately.........

My campaign ended with a TPK in the Castle at the Edge of Time (Or whatever it was called).

Nyrissa got the sword and the campaign ended.

Being that your group seems to be alive still, you have some cool ways of proceeding.
First of all, I have to say that the way the book has flippantly handled her retrieval of the sword is really dumb. It's almost as if the sword doesn't matter to her and is just a tool the PCs can use to kill her. Again, dumb.

If you're willing to put a bit of effort into it, I am sure the community can help you come up with something really unique for you PCs.
How much time do you want to put into changing the AP?

If you want to put some time in it, here is a place to start:
I would consider what the sword could possibly mean to her. It's been a long time since I ran KM but the sword embodies Nyrissa's passion and capacity to love. Her passion for Count Ranalc may come back in full. Perhaps this has changed her focus a bit and stalled her desire to see the PCs kingdom given as a gift to the First World.
Instead, filled with the passion of eons lost, what if she somehow seeks to free Count Ranalc from his prison?

You could even have her send word to the PCs that she would like to parley with them. She could propose a truce with them and a return of favors. She may halt her onslaught of the PCs kingdom if they agree to venture into the Plane of Shadow (I think that's where he is) and retrieve the Count.

How Count Ranalc may reacts to this is up to you. Is he a prisoner waiting for rescue or has he become a god-like king on the Plane of Shadow? Does he seek his own revenge on Nyrissa or does he still love her?

[Necro_y2k]

Quote:

Happened to my group too

They now live in a snow globe, forgotten on her shelves

They lose the campaign instantly?

Fox Paws wrote:

First of all, I have to say that the way the book has flippantly handled her retrieval of the sword is really dumb. It's almost as if the sword doesn't matter to her and is just a tool the PCs can use to kill her. Again, dumb.

yeah, and will she still have some interest in the river kingdoms?. I could stick to the plot but its doesn't makes sense. and also they will die anyway.

Fox Paws wrote:

You could even have her send word to the PCs that she would like to parley with them. She could propose a truce with them and a return of favours. She may halt her onslaught of the PCs kingdom if they agree to venture into the Plane of Shadow (I think that's where he is) and retrieve the Count.

this gave me chills, its a very good idea. A very hard one too apply too, there is any short adventure written about the shadow plane for inspiration?.

[Fox Paws]

Necro_y2k wrote:

this gave me chills, its a very good idea. A very hard one too apply too, the is any short adventure written about the shadow plane for inspiration?.

I'm glad!

I think first of all, you're going to have to decide what you think will be the most fun conclusion for your PCs. With that said, you know them better than anyone. What type of adventure do you see them enjoying the most and which we can come up with to make this campaign as memorable as possible?

As far as inspiration modules, I am not sure of any at that level, but i am willing to brainstorm some ideas with you.
The plane of shadow is a twisted reflection of the material plane. Let's be honest, if you choose to go this route you're 'endgame' doesn't see your PCs go to the First World and confront Nyrissa, right? But why waste the map in book 6?
The House at the Edge of Time exists in the First World but is occasionally 'in phase' on the Material. How incredibly poetic would it be if Count Ranalc was living in/prisoner of/tied to a reflection of the House? (Allowing you to use the same map and perhaps much of the same adventure as it's already written?)

Remember: Just because you know what the future adventure holds, doesn't mean your PCs do!

So, back to the question that started it all:

Do you think your PCs would most enjoy a heist type rescue mission where Ranalc is kept prisoner of some powerful (vampire? lich?) denizen of the plane of Shadow?

Perhaps they're more of an RP group that would like keep the majority of book 6 cerebral. Maybe they need to garner his attention and prove themselves to Ranalc. What if he then, told them they had to go to the First World to appeal to the gods there to allow him his freedom.

What if Ranalc is entirely happy with his position in The Plane of Shadow? What if he flips the script and offers them the means to kill Nyrissa as a form of vengeance for leaving him. What if he offers them a weapon that is immensely powerful but loses it's potency with every one of its First World victims, what if he offers them Briarshade?

Finally, what if he fights them to the death?

Let me know what you think your group would enjoy the most and I will help you come up with some ideas to make it as easy on you as possible!

[Necro_y2k]

Picturing the shadown plane like the upside down makes everything easy, for example for random encounters i could just use the same table and add templates and increased frequency rates.

For the plot i could change the things that happened before. The Count was a traitor to her, when she grew in power she become an annoyance and he plot with all the elders to vanish her. After that the elder exiled him for his irresponsibility.

The every one hated the another one since then, but she could do anything without being whole. when she recovers the sword merges into him.

When he notices, he crates his own champion, an alter ego on the material plane of the fallen character, wulfgaaard: primal shadow wulfgaard, templates primitive and shadow. the combat on which he died was very uneven, the character was underpowered but he liked it, he could have a shadow briar too.

now they have an decision to take:
-if they obey the nyrissa demands and kill the count, she says will stop the blooms
-if they obey count ralnac, he offers the champion to the party for killing nyrissa.

[thenovalord]

Necro_y2k wrote:

Quote:

Happened to my group too

They now live in a snow globe, forgotten on her shelves

They lose the campaign instantly?

Yep. I'm hoping that by the end of maybe book 5 of ironfang invasion some kind of rescue can be mounted!!!