Players in Way of the Wicked!

[Mr.GM]

Hi guy, I have a problem with my current game. Two of my regular players have gone and I have another player.
The problems are the following:

1 How do I get the characters of the game without influencing excessively in the AP? The characters right now are in full investigation in Aldencross and I do not want to be detected just because two players are leaving.

2º Can you play the AP with 3 players or I should try to get a 4th player. I thought about giving them the half-infernal template if they are 3 but I do not know if there would be very strong characters.

Any suggestion is welcome. Thank you very much everyone ^^

[Douglas Muir 406]

Rule that the two PCs decided the cause was hopeless, abandoned the Knot and ran off. Then have the Cardinal or Tiadora show up. Depending on how dark your campaign is, s/he can just say "Desertion is a crime against our Dark Father! They have been dealt with." Or if you want to go a bit darker, have the former PCs be converted to some sort of undead (huecuva for a cleric, ghoul or ghast for a rogue, whatever) now bound to the Cardinal's service. "They swore to serve... and serve they shall... beyond life itself." You can have these undead show up later if you like, to become "monsters" defending the tower in the second module. Or if you want to go darker still, Tiadora or the Cardinal shows up with these guys in chains, then kills them horribly in front of the PCs. "Even deserters are still useful. These two will provide us with... a lesson."

Replacement: IME if you can find a gamer, you can find a gamer who will jump at the opportunity to play in The Evil Campaign. So if you can find a gamer, you can find a fourth. If you can't, I would consider giving them an NPC fourth character.

How to bring in new PCs: that's simple enough, the Cardinal / Tiadora shows up with them. "We've been watching you. The treachery of those weak fools cannot be allowed to threaten your mission. We've had replacements waiting, just in case." And boom, the new PCs are teleported in from the Cardinal's mansion and join you.

Doug M.

[Kileanna]

About bringing new PCs at that point, I had a PC death so I had the replacement PC to be a survivor of the knot who was exploring the horn of Abbadon. He had been left behind for intelligence purposes and he only knows that he lost contact with the rest of his knot.
After informing the Cardinal, he sent him to help the PCs and told him that the sooner they solve the deal with Balentyne, the sooner they would be sent to search for his lost companions.
I had to give some info before time about the next mission, but it worked.

[Douglas Muir 406]

Oh yeah, that totally works too.

Doug M.

[JohnHawkins]

Other sources for new recruits
-- PC backstories a couple of my pc's had associates in evil who could turn up as new recruits
-- Recruiting , my party tried to capture and turn to evil as many people as possible by this point they had the squire from the dungeon under the mansion as a converted antipaladin servant of their sorceress and were actively looking for other recruits
-- Secret cultists and disgraced talingardens, depending on your new pc he could be a secret cultist resident in Aldencross or a disgraced former officer.

Of course new recruits sent by the Cardinal can cover anything at this point.

You probably can 3 man the campaign with a well designed group, I also gave free cohorts at level 7 in the Horn of Abbadon and that would ensure your group was capable enough.

[Mr.GM]

First of all thank you very much to all of you for your answers.

I have decided to take your suggestions and that the characters of the players that have gone away serve as an example to the other PCs of what Adrastus does with the traitors to the cause.

As for the number of players I have 3 for now, and we will resume the game next week. I think that if they are careful they can pass the module of 3, although I worry a little about the cures. For now the group is a monk, a rogue and the 3rd player is thinking something between sorcerer and wizard. Do you think that with this group you can complete the module without problems?

Anyway I'm still looking for the 4th player, I hope to find it. Thank you very much for your help ^^