I feel like there must be something about this in the adventure that I'm just overlooking... but once the players take ownership of the citadel, what is to become of its current inhabitants?
I expect they'll give a portion of the stronghold to the goblins.
They befriended the "Mitey Dragons" Pib and Zarf... and I expect they will not take well to being told to leave their lair.
And the bugbear on the ground floor... my players came to a peaceful truce with her. I doubt it'll stay peaceful when they move in.
What thoughts do you all have regarding the goblins, kobolds and the bugbear? I expect the players will want to keep good relations with the three groups, but taking ownership of the Citadel may get in the way of it. I can even see a scenario where they say they don't want the fortress and hand the deed over to the goblins.
The player's guide clearly spells out the party is expected to repair the citadel and use it as a base of operations. Did the players not read the guide, or did they ignore this part of it? If they ignored it I'd question why they wanted to play such an AP in the first place. By the final book the party should really have a stake in the community and want to defend it; the citadel plays right into that. I suppose they don't need to take ownership and could leave it to the Bumblebrashers, and just work on their behalf to explore the gates below it, but that seems to me to be far less engaging.
But between adventures, you’ll be returning home to Breachill, where your group is likely to have earned the right to dwell in and rebuild the abandoned castle atop Hellknight Hill—provided you can survive the initial adventures set within those walls in the campaign’s first adventure, of course!
Also, this thread title should have a spoiler tag.
My players took ownership of the citadel and let the goblins stay. And converted two of the Charau-ka cultists to their side as well.
Unfortunately, the bugbear was not alive by the time they got to her.
In terms of giving up the citadel, it doesn't really have many negative repercussions as long as the group keeps studying Alseta's Ring.
The citadel is clearly intended to be a focus, but its biggest mechanical impact on the campaign is in making the first part of Book Six easier to manage.
|
My players are letting everyone stay.
Pib and Zarf initially just wanted help getting home. But they're kind of enjoying their lush life right now and not particularly interested in possibly going back to the mines. Also, one PC is working pretty hard at converting them to Sekhmet, and they are intrigued.
So I don't think there is any barrier to cohabitating with these groups, although I don't see the bugbear being a good roommate. She didn't survive the encounter with my group, though.
What did they do, OP?
My players let everyone stay.
One of the PCs is a Goblin, and he has a soft spot for Warbal (who acts as a Seneschal), the goblins are livind underground but also serve as a guard for the fort, the pcs gave them better weapons and armor, and even a shinny one for the chieftain Helba. They take care of the puppy wargs, who have barding now...
Pib and Zard love the goblin pc who likes to interact with them and goes around yelling "mity dagons!", they have a room for themselves downstairs.
The Pcs are taking care of the Citadel and is in good shape. One of them (A Cleric of Sarenrae) has now a chapel in the citadel, with a open door for anyone that wants to pray in there, has now two accolytes serving in there)
The Bugbear was killed in a fight with the pcs.
My players also let everyone stay for the most part
The kobolds are still around, but are no longer in the citadel. With Voz gone, my Barbarian MC Wizard has taken over Voz's bookstore. The kobolds are her employees.
The Warg Pups have been adopted by my Warpriest of Erastil and he spends much of his time training with them to not be evil creatures. They now behave and function as Chaotic Neutral, rather than the Neutral Evil as most Wargs tend to be.
Bugbear was killed by the PCs.