About the Levetons (spoiler)

[Yqatuba]

Something I don't get: why does the Stag Lord just leave the Levetons alone after the PCs kill the bandits he sends to shake them down? You'd think he'd send more or something, or even kidnap them to try to lure the PCs out.

[Canarr]

He can, certainly. Depends a lot on what the PCs do - if they spend a lot of time exploring to the west or south before taking care of the bandits, it’s definitely a possible action for him to take.

In my game, the PCs went right after Kressle and her camp, so they took her out before she noticed her people were gone. That delayed any kind of response against the Levetons, and the Stag Lord was more concerned with trying to track down the armed interlopers in his area than going after the Levetons.

[Touc]

1. The bandits only collect monthly and he only keeps loose tabs on them, so he may not know anything has happened for awhile.

2. The bandits that Nyrissa helped the Stag Lord attract are described as largely "weak-willed" drunks and spineless knaves. They won't be lining up and volunteering for military action once they know there's someone out there who can kill them. It's easier to hunker down in your Fort, safety in numbers, and let the wilderness kill these miscreants, wherever they may be.

3. The Stag Lord, or one of his lieutenants, might think to play the long-term game. Oleg's would be too costly to post soldiers at long-term, and their fort lies so far in the wilderness only fools would seek them out. They can just wait out this bravado.

But, you're correct in thinking the PCs don't have forever and a day to wander around the wilderness. The Stag Lord can replenish lost bandits easily (1d6 a day). Eventually, he'll whip enough of them into something that resembles a fighting force to replace the killers that ranged north. And this time, they'll be ready. DM discretion on when that happens, but if I were to see the PCs merrily going about things, running back and forth to Restov to trade, etc., I'd send the bandits out. When the PCs return, maybe there isn't an Oleg's anymore, just ashes.

[Spatula]

The setup seems to assume that the Stag Lord is drunk off his ass often enough that taking proactive steps to counter the PCs is beyond him. Though even if that was the case, some ambitious bandit like Dovan might see the situation as an opportunity to increase their own standing with the gang.

In my game, the PCs went to Kressle's camp right away, and 2 bandits escaped their assault. I played out their journey back to the Stag Lord's fort, and they made it. The news they carried led to a later attack on Oleg's.

[Yqatuba]

That's cool. Personally I like the idea that if the PCs take to long and don't do something to keep them protected or hidden (I figure Tyg and Perlivash could use their illusions to hide them, to name one idea) The Stag Lord either sends Kressle (or one of his personal guards, if they already killed her), to kidnap them and try to lure the PCs out (figure the DM could rule one of them has a scroll of whispering wind they could use to say something like "If you ever want to see them again, come to (location)".)