| Tibanna |
Hi,
I am running RotR with 3 PCs with Savage Pathfinder.
What I do not understand about the first book: Why should my 3 PCs attack thistletop (on their own), i.e. without some proper army? I mean, they know that thistletop is the base of a goblin tribe and that some cultists are with them, maybee even a demon. They know that said army and cultists are goint to attack Sandpoint in the future.
For me, it is quite obvious that they should either attack thistletop with some army assistance (town guards, maybee even some militia) or prepare the defense for Sandpoint. It sounds quite dumb for three heroes to attack thistletop on their own.
How did you handle this? Do you "allow" your PCs to bring in heavy reinforcements? Or do you at least not discourage your PCs from staying in Sandpoint and to enhance its defenses? I mean, it plays out completely different then...
Thanks!
| Bjørn Røyrvik |
Frame it less as an all-out assault and more as a scouting mission or a raid. Go there, assertain the number of enemies, do some stuff to weaken them, then return with usable intel to plan a proper assault. If they figure out it's going easily enough to take out the entire place, great. If not, they can go back and request reinforcements.
| Enomiel |
There is a few reasons why the events should push the PC on this path, but to put it simply a direct clash of force either on the offensive or the defensive is not a winning move for the hero simply because of the gap in numbers : Sandpoint just don't have enough combat able people and Magnimar is too far to send help in time.
To go and attack Thistletop directly means to give up the benefit of stealth, Nualia's gang will realize soon enough what is happening and order to take defensive position and Sandpoint forces are not enough to either break through or lay an effective siege of the place. On the other hand Nualia's forces are enough to actually besiege Sandpoint in the event the town resist to the initial assault and it won't take long for a war of attrition to wear out the defenders.
Thus the most viable option left should be to infiltrate Thistletop and take down the source of cohesion of the goblin army : Nualia herself. With that said help from the town could be in the form of a diversion to help the PC to get in unnoticed.