Alright. So I'm running a Hell's Rebels game. It's going pretty well. The Masquerade is coming up and my players are excited. The party has been out and about, securing their alliances and such. The Masquerade is a good month away and they haven't been to the Mendor Keep. They want to hold off on closing down the Keep since they want to prepare for the party and doing all the crafting and planning out their method of sneaking around the Opera House, and they want to close down the Keep AFTER the party. Anyone who has read ahead knows why this is not a good idea, but I can't tell my players that because spoilers. Like, they have caught on that something is absolutely up at the party (all their friends and friendly NPCs they are known to be allies with have been invited triggering their red flags), but they don't know what and spoiling it is obviously not a good idea.
They still need to hit level 8 before the party too, and not doing the Keep is going to stunt them for sure. Any suggestions of what a party can do around Kintargo to get some XP. I have some ideas, but I want to hit them with some phat loot too, so simply sending some Skinsaw Cultists early might not be a super hot idea. At least, I would need a way to include some treasure piles too. And just a wave of assassins isnt enough XP anyways.
Nox is still on the table, and I even used her to raid the coffeehouse with some inquisitors as an act of vengeance.
Pretty much, anyone here have any sweet ideas they wanna lay down.
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If you wanted to keep it on-track and have the group go to Menador Keep perhaps focus on Kintargo being safe but have rumblings of people worried about the reinforcements that Barzillai is waiting on from Egorian. Maybe even a rumour or three that the reason he's calmed down lately is because he knows that people are going to react so strongly to his next political move that he knows he needs more armed forces in town.
That would, hopefully, spur the group into closing the mountain pass.
I could do that, even though I have dropped some of the rumors that are printed in the book that say people think his next move is going to be removing the toll and the curfew.
Mostly just looking for a suggestion for what kind of mini dungeon around town could the PCs use.
Frankly, the players are right. Going to Menador Keep prior to the Masquerade doesn't make a lot of sense. Until the attack on the Keep or Masquerade itself, the Ravens have made few, if any direct public attacks on Thrune forces (see also the refrain on the boards that it isn't much of a rebellion) - especially if they've taken the stealth approach to the Torrent armigers. Until now it has been very much a cold war, but the complete destruction of the Keep is a direct act of civil war (a very hot one.) It would justify (in Thrune logic) the very reprisals that get initiated after the Dance. Further, it makes Barzillai's pretense of reform or peace offering implausible, if it's made in the face of a "shooting war" that is already in progress. Are we to assume the pc's hit the Keep and return to Kintargo just before the news of the Keep's destruction reaches Thrune? That seems a dicey proposition - as the AP's write-up of the Keep makes clear - devils regularly teleport between the Keep and Egorian. While the AP does not mention it directly (as I recall) it seems likely the same thing does or can happen with Kintargo. Seems reasonable that Barzillai knows about the Keep's destruction within 1-2 days of it happening.
Also hitting the Keep is greatly exaggerated in military value on the timeline of the AP. Yes, it is a good military action to support the long-term independence of Ravounel (especially if you don't know about certain other contractual conditions) - though less so economically - as suggested in Book 6. But after the Masquerade, the city is in open rebellion, it's a Stalingrad in the making. The Ravens need to get that situation sorted right quick, within a week or two or the city and its people will really suffer. Even if Cheliax has military forces available to commit to Kintargo (which is unlikely given their other pressing concerns) it would be several weeks before troops marching overland could get to Kintargo, even if the Gap is open. If it takes that long for the Ravens to defeat Barzillai, even if the gap is closed, they've already lost. See also the Mephisto Manifestation.
Okay, that wasn't really about the OP's real question - what should he do to keep them on track XP wise. I will assume this means the milestone method of XP is not in use (yet another benefit of that method.) Here are a few suggestions:
1. No Response from Deepmar. Would need some alteration as to pc engagement (as written they are hired by the Cheliax government) but easily done - perhaps political prisoners of interest are there or certain elements in Vyre (Queen of Delights) has noticed shipments of the crystals from the Island have stopped. See module.
2. There's a write-up on the town of Pezzack in The Towns of the Inner Sea. It's somewhat local and would require some justification for the pc's to visit. It is another town in open rebellion against House Thrune. Given there's an ongoing Imperial naval blockade, the pc's most likely source of transport (Captain Sargaeta) may be problematical.
3. From Shore to Sea. Another module that takes place on the west coast of Cheliax. Geographically convenient but very similar theme wise to events in Acisazi...
Good point about closing the gap as being ultimately pointless, Latrecis! I'll have to look into Deepmar as that seems like the easiest to fit in and possibly use it with the campaign I'm running.
Oh, I don't think the players are wrong at all. I'm totally ok with them skipping the Keep, need to toss some things around later on but that's just a minor issue in general. The way I described the Keep is the same way it is described in the book. That there is a Thrune running the place and there is a rumor that Rexus brings up about the Anvil of Unmaking. The players don't want to chance their entire mountain collapsing plan on a rumor which is why they are holding off, which is understandable.
I've been looking at Hell Unleashed and I'm actually thinking of including the Terindelle chapter, the one that takes place in a funeral building with a secret underground portion filled with devil stuff. Since they wanna start doing some catch up with the Nobles before the party, I think I should try using them for one of the missions to secure their alliance, instead of the standard "Roll to impress this noble to get them on your side" kind of deal. Maybe drop some rumors of Alchemical experiments being performed, since I got an alchemist that wants to be immortal in the group.
Just a thought:
Recently, Our group has totally abandoned experience points. They level when appropriate and, depending on party makeup, sometimes just before. I know this doesn’t eliminate you’re treasure needs, but it reduces your problems by half.
As far as treasure, it might be interesting for the PCs to hear that Barzillai has heard that the Menador Gap is a target of the rebellion. They might even hear that he is sending a caravan of resources to help bolster the defenses before the masquerade.
This will do one of two things:
1: it’ll push their timeline up and they’ll hit Menador before the masquerade.
2: they’ll ambush the caravan and get the loot and experience they need.
Either way you win.
(I’d even reward them by making Menador easier to sack if they ambush the caravan.)