Need GM Advice. Alchemist Shenanigans. Definitely spoilers.

[jshort2018]

I need some advice on how to deal with a particular situation should it arise. My group's alchemist will have alchemical allocation, access to elixir of sex-changing, and the ability to share this with allies. So he just had the brilliant idea that the male members of the party should use this so that they can all join the Grey Maidens and figure out what is going on with them.

So my question is, if they try to join the Grey Maidens, how should I handle this? Has anyone had their PCs try to join? Should I let them do it and try to work something out/homebrew a new segment of the campaign into existence? Or should I try to distract them with other things?

Party of 6. They are currently level 5 and are rapidly going through Seven Days to the Grave. They will definitely be level 6 next session (this Friday), and level 7 is when they get access to this nonsense.

[Olmac]

This is an easy one. You don't just join the Grey Maidens. You are recruited. That means they know who they are getting. They won't take just anyone. I think in a lot of cases the recruits are more kidnapped and otherwise. Becoming a Grey Maiden is not particularly a life style choice in most cases. The process includes indoctrination, torture, and ritual scarring. I am sure it is not a very pleasant process.

You don't say which version you are running. If it is the had cover, you should read ahead to the Deaths head Vault, Chapter 4 part 3. It will give you an idea of what they are in for.

[jshort2018]

Olmac wrote:

This is an easy one. You don't just join the Grey Maidens. You are recruited. That means they know who they are getting. They won't take just anyone. I think in a lot of cases the recruits are more kidnapped and otherwise. Becoming a Grey Maiden is not particularly a life style choice in most cases. The process includes indoctrination, torture, and ritual scarring. I am sure it is not a very pleasant process.

You don't say which version you are running. If it is the had cover, you should read ahead to the Deaths head Vault, Chapter 4 part 3. It will give you an idea of what they are in for.

Thank you! That's a good point! Definitely resolves it. I am running from the hard cover, but have the paperbacks, which I take things from when I like the way they did things better. I am also changing a lot based on things I've read on these forums. I will definitely check out that section now! Thanks again!

[Yossarian]

They get it at level 7? Hmmmm ;) That could fit very nicely into the pre-written plot with only a small tweak. It would mean they get to follow their admittedly awesome plan and feel like it was their original thinking that let them solve the mystery of the plague:

Wait until they've finished Carowyn Manor, but don't give them any clues about what to do next. Encourage them to join the Grey Maidens at that point (ie before the Hospice scenes).

They join the Maidens and go through a gruelling training session. But not one that reveals the organisation is truly evil / corrupt. More just unpleasant and overly authoritarian.

They can graduate very quickly since they are highly accomplished adventurers. That also saves them from getting the 'full indoctrination' that many of the Maidens receive.

Then (and this is the twist), they get assigned to guard the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden.

You'll have to improvise the next part a bit, but the essence is they get to discover there's some kind of hidden operation going on below the Hospice. They see some suspicious activity.

They go below... cue the Temple of Urgathoa. And they discover the source of the plague.

That part of the AP requires a careful balancing act in terms of how much evidence they have of the Queeen's role in the plague. Plausible deniability and all that. But that shouldn't be an issue.

Good luck. I think it's an awesome idea by your player and I'd encourage you to work with it.

[Olmac]

Yossarian wrote:

Good luck. I think it's an awesome idea by your player and I'd encourage you to work with it.

I agree. Above was pointing the unpleasantness of becoming a grey maiden, but I think the role play possibilities would be awesome.

[Yossarian]

Olmac wrote:

Above was pointing the unpleasantness of becoming a grey maiden, but I think the role play possibilities would be awesome.

Yes, highly unpleasant! It would take a bit of skill on the part of the GM to show that the Grey Maiden's are toxic but not too obviously evil at this stage of the AP. But done right it could be very cool. And also a good way to introduce some of the figures in the Deaths Head Vault chapter you mention. They are kind of dropped on the party without prefiguring in the AP as written, which is begging for a bit of setup work from the GM in the preceding chapters.

[Olmac]

Yossarian wrote:

Olmac wrote:

Above was pointing the unpleasantness of becoming a grey maiden, but I think the role play possibilities would be awesome.

Yes, highly unpleasant! It would take a bit of skill on the part of the GM to show that the Grey Maiden's are toxic but not too obviously evil at this stage of the AP. But done right it could be very cool. And also a good way to introduce some of the figures in the Deaths Head Vault chapter you mention. They are kind of dropped on the party without prefiguring in the AP as written, which is begging for a bit of setup work from the GM in the preceding chapters.

I did drop a couple of them into Seven Days to the Grave as some RP encounters as the players ran through some of the side events that was suggested. That worked out well.