| LogantheBard |
I'm not sure if it's due to my miscues, or pure assumption, my party has somehow arrived at the conclusion that the Thistletop goblins number in the hundreds, rather than the approximately 40 the adventure path describes.
Rather than tell them that they're wrong, I think I might embrace it, and rewrite the Thistletop area. My party has cleared the Glassworks and the Catacombs of Wrath, and are about to reconvene with Shaelu (she's been in and out of town, scouting Thistletop and the surrounding area gathering intel on the goblin tribes).
I'm thinking Shaelu will report that the Thistletop Tribe is as heavily fortified as the PC's fear it is: nearly 200 goblins, approximately 25 goblin dogs, and a "domesticated" Giant Frilled Lizard. They're camp is a modified version of the briar thicket shown in the book (where the party would encounter Grogmurt), and this is where most of the goblin rabble live. Ripnugget still lives on the island, and only those who have earned honor in battle are allowed to live with him there.
Grogmurt will play a significantly different role in this setting. Rather than cut himself off from the rest of the tribe, and trying to earn Ripnugget's respect, he's abandoned the tribe completely, has taken leadership over the remnants of the Birdcruncher tribe (around 50, rather than the 10 the book lists). He has sent an Animal Messenger to Shaelu requesting a parley. He proposes that his goblins aid the party in taking Thistletop, and overthrowing Ripnugget. He promises that if they succeed and takes he reign as chieftan of the newly formed "Thistlecruncher Tribe," he will honor a truce with Sandpoint, and will keep his tribe away from the city as long as his reign continues.
My party is generally open to using the tools at hand to their advantage, and would probably take Grogmurt up on his offer, and gaining a powerful ally.
Would this cause any rifts in the future of the adventure path? I haven't read very far into book 2, and nothing past that. How would Nualia's party act in this situation? Tsuto and Elyrium have both been killed.
Any other thoughts or comments?
fffreak9999
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It is highly unlikely that Shalelu would accept any offer by any goblin as she has a high hatred of Goblins. But the offer of peace from goblins wouldn't last long, Goblins are a naturally violent race and tend to lead very short lives, and even if Gogmurt did manage to enforce such a rule then his life wouldn't be a long one, therefore making such a treaty useless.
Overall though there is nothing from the later books that would be heavily affected by having a goblin tribe up and running, and could even be a potential threat against Sandpoint later in the story for your campaign if you decided to run it as written above with Gogmurt being overthrown and most likely killed in favor of a more aggressive leader.
Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path; as with Sheriff
Hemlock, Ameiko Kaijitsu, and Father Zantus, you
should use her as a recurring NPC to keep the PCs
invested in the region. She can become an ally of the
group, even joining them in their efforts against the
goblins for a time if you think they need a little extra
help. She might even develop a romantic relationship
with one of the PCs, especially if one of them is of a
like mind and shares her love of the natural world and
hatred of the goblins who squat in its tangled places.