Windhaven
12-18-2006, 02:34 AM
Okay, tonight's game was a lot of fun.
For those not involved: We're in a "Round Robin" game where we take turns DMing in a common world. BattleDragon wa our last DM, and he kind of left a lot of open ended plot hooks in place.
So of course, I'm abusing them. That is what plot hooks are for isn't it?
The PC's finished his adventure in the wild, frozen north, a few days from a "City of the dead" that appears and disappears, and about 5 days from the Dwarven settlement at the Five Guardians. Our horses, camping gear, bedrolls, cooking stuff etc were all left behind on another continent, in the middle of a collapsing time bubble, 50 years out of synch with us.
Not being crazy, the group decided that the first thing to do was hit the Dwarven settlement to get mounts and gear. Like, before we froze to death.
Okay, we're 9th through 12th level, so we aren't really going to freeze to death because we can summon magical mounts, food and shelter, but you get the idea.
BattleDragon's character is a younger son of the Dwarven king, and among other things he rescued an NPC Dwarven female from the land of the dead. (One way to bring someone back in our world involces crossing to the land of the dead, finding a way past the guardian monster, locating the individual and braving the trip back. Oh yeah, you have to avoid the Wild Hunt as well, since they kind of don't like it when the dead "escape". The game currently has a couple of guest players, so one of them is running this NPC. Her rescue was almost incidental. She was there and we were leaving so we offered her a lift.
When they got to the Five Guardians, and Carak Iceheart, they were well received. The Prince rolled well on his general Diplomacy, and the party Bard helped, so he was waving to the people, remembered who was who, and generall nuked the social stuff.
The King called for a grand ball to celebrate his son's return, and tailors were sent to the chambers of the party members to ensure that they all had clothes suitable for the occasion.
Now the dwarven female, named Louise, is the daughter of the captain of the guard for one of the King's rivals, a brother who wants the throne. She was raised to dislike the Prince's family line. Her father lives in this area and doesn't know that she's back from the dead. She doesn't want to tell him that he owed Prince Iceheart a debt over this.
Confused enough yet? Now enter the plot hooks: We had word that our enemies had sent minions to many lands to infiltrate high places and turn the people against us. Their tool was possession, and we'd conflicting visions on the topic in this land. One version said that the King had been possessed, another said it was his Brother.
Well, when a Dwarven Prince returns home with a Dwarven lady, tongues will wag. Someone asken the Prince if "his lady" should be dressed to match him. He said yes, and they began to ask about a betrothal, and was she of good family. Would the King approve, since marraiges at that level are almost always political, that sort of thing. He asnwered, quite truthfully, that her family were titled landowners of high rank, and in service to a royal bloodline. The gossips were happy, and soon the tales were flying.
When Louise heard them she was in a panic. The player rolled a 1 on her "Will Save" to control her reaction. She more or less froze up at the prospect of being married off, in a political move, to the Prince that she didn't like.
Now the had reason to believe that the Uncle was the evil one, and was plotting to sieze the throne. So when a PC was talking to some Rogues (he is one, and was talking to a "guild member"), he was asking about turmoil at the top, and a possible change of rulers, the NPC took it to mean that maybe the Prince was thinking of deposing his father. The PC didn't do much to discourage this line of specuation.
The grand ball was a blast to play, as Louise tried to keep from being recognized by her father. They used a magic item tochange her appearance, and she rolled a 17 on the Disguise check, so it totalled 27. The problem was that once she got talking to him, it shifted to bluff checks, and she had no skill in that, and the item didn't help. And he did, of course, end up escorting her around.
What had started off as a rest and re-equit stop turned into high politics. The PC's did Detect Evil and observed that the Uncle was indeed strongly Evil. To their surprise, so was one of the King's advisors. The Elf Cleric in the group accused the advisor, but the King wasn't about to take the word of an outlander Elf on such a matter. It was also an incredible social breach to accuse the guy *at* the grand ball. But the court Cleric confirmed the check. Then abruptly, the advisor *wasn't* evil. The possessing spirit left, having been found out and not wanting to face exorcism. The Uncle quietly cast a spell and he vanished off of the "Detect Evil" scale as well. The difference is, he's still possessed, though those who know him can hardly tell the difference.
Now my question to Battledragon: There are several ways this can play out, and obviously the Uncle intends to win. In one outcome, you guys chase him out or exorcise the spirit, and this plot hook is done. In another, he wins, and your character can't go home again. In the third, you more or less lose by ending up with the throne (which can only happen if his father and older brother are dead.) Fourth possible outcome is that we simply end up leaving the mater simmering as the PC's head off on the adventure I actually have planned for you.
Now I'm cool with any of these, and as a particularly sneaky DM I can pretty much pick just about any of these but option 4. So any input you'd care to send my way would be appreciated. After all, I want the players to have a good time.
(Clue: Think about your options if the Uncle decides to challenge you guys politically. You're more than a little vulnerable in several ways. )
For those not involved: We're in a "Round Robin" game where we take turns DMing in a common world. BattleDragon wa our last DM, and he kind of left a lot of open ended plot hooks in place.
So of course, I'm abusing them. That is what plot hooks are for isn't it?
The PC's finished his adventure in the wild, frozen north, a few days from a "City of the dead" that appears and disappears, and about 5 days from the Dwarven settlement at the Five Guardians. Our horses, camping gear, bedrolls, cooking stuff etc were all left behind on another continent, in the middle of a collapsing time bubble, 50 years out of synch with us.
Not being crazy, the group decided that the first thing to do was hit the Dwarven settlement to get mounts and gear. Like, before we froze to death.
Okay, we're 9th through 12th level, so we aren't really going to freeze to death because we can summon magical mounts, food and shelter, but you get the idea.
BattleDragon's character is a younger son of the Dwarven king, and among other things he rescued an NPC Dwarven female from the land of the dead. (One way to bring someone back in our world involces crossing to the land of the dead, finding a way past the guardian monster, locating the individual and braving the trip back. Oh yeah, you have to avoid the Wild Hunt as well, since they kind of don't like it when the dead "escape". The game currently has a couple of guest players, so one of them is running this NPC. Her rescue was almost incidental. She was there and we were leaving so we offered her a lift.
When they got to the Five Guardians, and Carak Iceheart, they were well received. The Prince rolled well on his general Diplomacy, and the party Bard helped, so he was waving to the people, remembered who was who, and generall nuked the social stuff.
The King called for a grand ball to celebrate his son's return, and tailors were sent to the chambers of the party members to ensure that they all had clothes suitable for the occasion.
Now the dwarven female, named Louise, is the daughter of the captain of the guard for one of the King's rivals, a brother who wants the throne. She was raised to dislike the Prince's family line. Her father lives in this area and doesn't know that she's back from the dead. She doesn't want to tell him that he owed Prince Iceheart a debt over this.
Confused enough yet? Now enter the plot hooks: We had word that our enemies had sent minions to many lands to infiltrate high places and turn the people against us. Their tool was possession, and we'd conflicting visions on the topic in this land. One version said that the King had been possessed, another said it was his Brother.
Well, when a Dwarven Prince returns home with a Dwarven lady, tongues will wag. Someone asken the Prince if "his lady" should be dressed to match him. He said yes, and they began to ask about a betrothal, and was she of good family. Would the King approve, since marraiges at that level are almost always political, that sort of thing. He asnwered, quite truthfully, that her family were titled landowners of high rank, and in service to a royal bloodline. The gossips were happy, and soon the tales were flying.
When Louise heard them she was in a panic. The player rolled a 1 on her "Will Save" to control her reaction. She more or less froze up at the prospect of being married off, in a political move, to the Prince that she didn't like.
Now the had reason to believe that the Uncle was the evil one, and was plotting to sieze the throne. So when a PC was talking to some Rogues (he is one, and was talking to a "guild member"), he was asking about turmoil at the top, and a possible change of rulers, the NPC took it to mean that maybe the Prince was thinking of deposing his father. The PC didn't do much to discourage this line of specuation.
The grand ball was a blast to play, as Louise tried to keep from being recognized by her father. They used a magic item tochange her appearance, and she rolled a 17 on the Disguise check, so it totalled 27. The problem was that once she got talking to him, it shifted to bluff checks, and she had no skill in that, and the item didn't help. And he did, of course, end up escorting her around.
What had started off as a rest and re-equit stop turned into high politics. The PC's did Detect Evil and observed that the Uncle was indeed strongly Evil. To their surprise, so was one of the King's advisors. The Elf Cleric in the group accused the advisor, but the King wasn't about to take the word of an outlander Elf on such a matter. It was also an incredible social breach to accuse the guy *at* the grand ball. But the court Cleric confirmed the check. Then abruptly, the advisor *wasn't* evil. The possessing spirit left, having been found out and not wanting to face exorcism. The Uncle quietly cast a spell and he vanished off of the "Detect Evil" scale as well. The difference is, he's still possessed, though those who know him can hardly tell the difference.
Now my question to Battledragon: There are several ways this can play out, and obviously the Uncle intends to win. In one outcome, you guys chase him out or exorcise the spirit, and this plot hook is done. In another, he wins, and your character can't go home again. In the third, you more or less lose by ending up with the throne (which can only happen if his father and older brother are dead.) Fourth possible outcome is that we simply end up leaving the mater simmering as the PC's head off on the adventure I actually have planned for you.
Now I'm cool with any of these, and as a particularly sneaky DM I can pretty much pick just about any of these but option 4. So any input you'd care to send my way would be appreciated. After all, I want the players to have a good time.
(Clue: Think about your options if the Uncle decides to challenge you guys politically. You're more than a little vulnerable in several ways. )