So my players have captured Giord. so, with the crimes the party tallied against Giord, they are not willing to let him go. they are planning on disguising one of the other players as Giord for the meet up with Maurissa. It's a good plan, so I am eager to see what happens, especially when she realizes what is going on.
I was curious if other GMs had their groups try similar tactics and how they resolved the situation. clearly they are going to be out numbered and overpowered if it comes to a fight, and I imagine Maurissa to be mighty angry with them when she figures it out.
My group beat down Maurissa and her boys. They were mostly melee and casters at that level can turn hard fights into easy fights.
Giord throwing that bottle killed one of the Agents. So one of the characters are angry he got one of her officers killed. She wasn't real nice with Gjord after that. They used his arrest to draw Maurissa out and make a deal.
Then they reneged on the deal and sided with the other side. Ended up in an alley fight with Maurissa nad her boys. Bea them down and arrested her.
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Literally did this session yesterday. I've added quite a lot of content here, lots of it inspired from Gangs of New York, Peaky Blinders and the 1930s facist movements.
The group are investigating the Washboard Dogs anyway, based on the conclusions to book 2, and they want to arrest them for slaving to the murder cult, among other things. They asked around in a number of pubs, accidentally met Maurissa, who directed them to the alley fight. Giord was later arrested, pretty much as per the book.
In our campaign a huge number of goblin refugees have arrived, following the 2nd burning of the Chitterwood after a failed Isger rebellion. So the Diobel Sweepers has swelled in numbers and Berleth is something of a revolutionary, leading rallys in public about how a "new form of slavery" is sweeping Absalom.
The Washboard Dogs are part of a wider "Teal-shirts" / "Absalom First" movement and gatecrashed a Sweepers rally, with it turning into a huge public brawl, many dead on each side, and most of the watch (except our heroes) taking the side of the Tealshirts, beating down on the Sweepers and other goblins.
The rogue element in all this is the Infector, who has been planting bombs and poison elements all through the city, with the watch and the rest of the public assuming this is the Sweepers due to the alchemical connection.
Anyway, the PCs met Maurissa for the 2nd time, at a copper smelting factory, surrounded by 40 of her goons, and realised that wasn't the time to bring her in. [Pretty much as per the module scene, except minus the bridge. Are there bridges in Absalom?] She gave them the location of the Sweeper's base and now they are arguing about whether they should raid and arrest Berleth or not, or whether that is playing into the hands of their enemies.
The PCs have no interest in allying with Maurisa. She is clearly a villain. Even the promised "information about the murder cultists" holds no weight, if she wants to plead with that after an arrest, fine. But no deals outside of a cell. So I'm going to need a similar base to the Schoolhouse for a Washboard Dogs raid.
I'm thinking of an underground lair, which would tie-in with communication to the Twilight Four cult, but it does double down on the evil-ometer. A smelting factory would also be good, as might be a large pub, or something similar (though we've had a lot of pub fights already). It needs to be working class, memorable, and a little bit dirty.
Anyway... module is good stuff and I'm enjoying it so far... It has a good city feel.
That sounds pretty awesome. I love the alternations, especially the ones that turn the gang fight into a political issue. I wish I had thought of it myself.
As for this:
except minus the bridge. Are there bridges in Absalom?
It's not meant to be a bridge. It's meant to be "a passageway that runs under one of the cobblestone streets of the district to a gravelly beach". Basically a big storm drain outlet, if I understand correctly.
It's not meant to be a bridge. It's meant to be "a passageway that runs under one of the cobblestone streets of the district to a gravelly beach". Basically a big storm drain outlet, if I understand correctly.
Ah, re-read this section and you're right, I had misunderstood the "tunnel".
Actually, I might re-instate this then. An underground tunnel implies access to the Undercity, which is presumably where the deals with the Twilight Four went down (or at least Skinner/Infector). So underground lair it is.
Now to come up with some interesting fights...
In the AP the tunnel only has two entrances, one in the streets and another at the beach. This is what makes it a good location for an ambush, which is part of the reason Maurrisa chose it as a meeting place with the PCs. So if you want to make it an underground lair and connected to the undercity/catacombs, I would suggest a secret door or concealed passage instead of an obvious opening.
That is a cool element with the pro-Absalom Gangs of New York feel.