How have people managed this?
I am just about to end book 3 so players will be level 10
Any deaths from this point will need high level replacements who are Kintargo based and keen on opposing the government
This would beg the general question of "what have you Mr lvl 10+ person been doing while all this stuff is going on and we were starting up a rebellion"
What examples do people have from their games of how it was rationalized.
I know this is a general AP issue but it seems more acute in the set up of this one
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The times I have had to replace characters or bring in new players have either been mercenaries hired by the rebellion to join the fight or do-gooders from far off lands who essentially traveled to or had themselves teleported to Kintargo to join the fight.
This especially makes sense if they happen to be followers of gods like Cayden Cailean or Milani.
If your NPC allies include clerics of level 9+ and the dead PCs were not killed in a way that prevents Raise Dead from working, you should not have to replace them at this point.
If you're concerned about continuity and it seems reasonable that you would be, I'd have the new pc be from somewhere else. Someone shipwrecked in the Dismal Nitch/Acisazi area, or a prisoner of an Imperial navy ship that's been fighting pirates or someone with family ties in Kintargo that has just arrived from Korvosa or Magnimar. Perhaps a one time worshipper of Asmodeus who is trying to change/be redeemed? Or someone fleeing the larger scale violence of the Glorious Reformation in the rest of Cheliax?
One thing to do for sure is give the player the challenge: Please explain why your character hasn't joined the rebellion already? Players are very inventive, let their imagination work for you.
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While we didn't need to replace characters, an easy solution is to state that the new PC was one of the supporters, but they just recently came under the notice of the PCs.
"Jym from the Cabalists team has been really impressive lately, maybe it is time for a promotion."
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In addition there are plenty of people who the characters actions have influenced up to this point in the campaign. As Latrecis mentioned the elves of the Dismal Nitch. Any soldier of the Asmodean forces who has become disillusioned with the Thrune's rule. Some smug type from Vyre who decides to take a few months off from the decadence and get into some ultraviolence. Etc... Maybe the Queen from Vyre sends one of her agents to work with the PC's to protect the focus of her affection (if she has one in your game).
Either don't worry about it because death is temporary at such a high level.
If it's more permanent for some reason, as others have said, the new character is from somewhere else (Vyre comes to mind) or work with the player and see if they have an interesting idea.
Or someone that's come from the south that wants to help Kintargo rather than the lawful goodness of the Glorious Reclamation.
I just had a PC come on as a secret child of the late Victocoras. Training in secret as a monk of Irori and up until now thought to be the next warden of the sacred Archives, he and his distant master heard about the slaughter and he left his training early to fight the good fight.
Thanks for the pointers
I of course was going to lean on what Latrecis mentioned about it being a challenge to the players
But I was interested to see what others had done
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Characters don't know what level they are. When a leader leaves an organization either someone from the ranks steps up and volunteers, is promoted, or the organization looks outside itself to replace them.
Perhaps a team leader is given a field commission (Forvian Crowe, Hortense Lierre, Elia Nones, etc). You recruit a wannabe Armiger from Vyre, or a disillusioned dottari officer (preferrably ranked below Durotas).
--Vrock and Awe
It's a port city. You can have almost anyone end up here, whether they intended to be or were left here.
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I've had a lot of turnover in my Hell's Rebels campaign (only one player started at the beginning) and I've recently introduced four new characters at 9th~ level in book 3.
The first is a gunslinger who has ties to the Bellflower network and therefore knows Laria.
The second is a retired vigilante who has been pushed to get back into the trade due to current events.
The third is a celebrity bard scion of a noble house, who wasn't in town until he heard the news.
The fourth is an aasimar fighter who was sent to Kintargo by none other than Ragathiel himself.
Getting heroes there is the easy part. It's giving them a personal connection to the campaign so questions of "why bother risk my life" don't come up.
In character creation I told each player that their characters had to have two things: a personal hatred for Barzillai Thrune and a love for Kintargo worth dying for.
I haven't had any issues with character motivation.