What to do now?

[sambouchah]

In my campaign the players have just slayed a vampire coven but I'm not sure where to go next. Help!?

Other Info about the campaign
Mr. Moor(a largely unliked sor/brd) has been sentenced to death by a higher level NPC(Synestra *last name here* the enchantress) who is secretly a dragon in disguise. However the player's themselves aren't very fond of Mr. Moor seeing as he is kind of pompous, but I do want them to help him out for the greater good.

[LanSlyde]

In my campaign the players have just slayed a vampire coven but I'm not sure where to go next. Help!?

Other Info about the campaign
Mr. Moor(a largely unliked sor/brd) has been sentenced to death by a higher level NPC(Synestra *last name here* the enchantress) who is secretly a dragon in disguise. However the player's themselves aren't very fond of Mr. Moor seeing as he is kind of pompous, but I do want them to help him out for the greater good.

:smallconfused: Your really gonna have to give us more info that than that. What else has your group done besides slaying a vampire coven? Did they come up against any other opposition? Did anyone survive? Might anyone want revenge? These are things we need to know. Unless of course you just want random ideas that may or may not have any bearing on your campaign thusfar.

[Chilingsworth]

Yeah, we could definately use more info. Still, with what you've given:

Does the party have any idea that Synestra isn't the rightful ruler of her country? For that matter, is she the rightful ruler of her country?

Similiarly, do they have any idea that Mr Moor is innocent of the capital offense he's been convicted of? For that matter, is he innocent?

If the party believes that Synestra is the rightful ruler and that Mr Moor was legitimately sentenced to death, then they would have no obvious reason to intervene, especially if they dislike him. (of course, this basically assumes a non-evil, non-chaotic party.) If you want to give them a reason, let them find evidence that Mr Moor was wrongly accused (assuming that to be the case.)

If he did commit the crime, you could still have a friend/family member of his contract the PC's to free him, I suppose. Though if he is so strongly disliked he probably has few friends who would be willing to issue such a contract.

[Crake]

whoops, wrong thread

[White_Drake]

You posted that you clicked on the wrong link? I don't think we really care... :smallconfused:

It seems to me that if the party has a dislike of somebody it would be easier to have hime be a baddie. You could have him be framed for that crime, but only because the dragon couldn't get him on what he actually did, because it would imply the dragon's shady dealing. Have them stumble onto two conspiracies vying for control of the city, neither of which would end well for them.

Like others said, we need more info.

Or you could play the last bit from "Sweet Child O' Mine" and roll up a random encounter. :smallbiggrin:

[HunterOfJello]

Leave Mr. Moor and Synestra the Enchantress' motives and exact particular situations slightly ambiguous. Give clues to each either being worth helping or harming or ignoring. After the players see the situation play itself out, have an NPC approach the party and congratulate them on their choice of option. If they've helped an evil dictator kill a man who was not guilty, then have an npc show up to congratulate them and invite them into helping her further her tyrannical rule. If they choose to help Mr. Moor not get killed, have an npc show up thanking them for helping save an innocent man and invite them to join an underground movement to stop Synestra's tyrannical rule.

Let their original decision have a significant impact to the point that they'll be mindful of the choices they make later on. Also, don't railroad them based on which npc shows up after their decision. They may let Moor die, but not want to help a tyrant or they may help Moor, but not want to ask as CG freedom fighters either.

At that point you can introduce other individuals interested in the events taking place and see how the PCs react to them. Examples could include: foreign agent interested in altering the events in the nation and willing to pay well for it, LG monks or paladins who seek to change the government from within yet are obviously on a direct course to failure, a Succubus who is using the dissension in the kingdom to slowly and carefully spread chaos throughout the masses, and a college of wizards who haven't noticed any of the events going on in the city at all.

~

Open things up. Present lots of options. Create problems without preset solutions. Make every choice matter, but don't always allow the PCs full knowledge of what their action's consequences will detail (unless they are extremely careful to make sure that no harm can come of their choice).

Finally, fully enforce the Rule of Unintended Consequences. For every important chioce the PCs make, create 1 strong unintended consequence that further their goals, 2 strong unintended consequences that have nothing to do with their goals, and 1 strong unintended consequence that harms their original goal in the first place.

[sambouchah]

Yeah, we could definately use more info. Still, with what you've given:

Does the party have any idea that Synestra isn't the rightful ruler of her country? For that matter, is she the rightful ruler of her country?

Similiarly, do they have any idea that Mr Moor is innocent of the capital offense he's been convicted of? For that matter, is he innocent?

If the party believes that Synestra is the rightful ruler and that Mr Moor was legitimately sentenced to death, then they would have no obvious reason to intervene, especially if they dislike him. (of course, this basically assumes a non-evil, non-chaotic party.) If you want to give them a reason, let them find evidence that Mr Moor was wrongly accused (assuming that to be the case.)

If he did commit the crime, you could still have a friend/family member of his contract the PC's to free him, I suppose. Though if he is so strongly disliked he probably has few friends who would be willing to issue such a contract.

Mr. Moor is actually a good guy he is just a bit rowdy. Synestra has been, so far, made out to be a greater evil. Then again one wizard in the group leans towards evil so I'm not sure. Also the campaign is still new so not much else has happened.

But I have been pretty rigid as a DM so far, I should'nt lead them around by the nose, eh?

[Chilingsworth]

Mr. Moor is actually a good guy he is just a bit rowdy. Synestra has been, so far, made out to be a greater evil. Then again one wizard in the group leans towards evil so I'm not sure. Also the campaign is still new so not much else has happened.

But I have been pretty rigid as a DM so far, I should'nt lead them around by the nose, eh?

I don't know how much you're leading your players by the nose. I know I personally prefer games where I have choices. How much choice you offer is really something best determined on a group by group basis.

Anyway, Seems to me you still have to answer one question: What was Mr. Moor convicted of? (I'm assuming if he's a good guy he didn't commit any actual capital crimes?)

Also, you just started the campaign and your party already killed a coven of vampires? Also, did the vampires have anything to do with the main plot? If not, you could develop a side plot from them to distract your players while you work on the main plot some more.

[sambouchah]

I don't know how much you're leading your players by the nose. I know I personally prefer games where I have choices. How much choice you offer is really something best determined on a group by group basis.

Anyway, Seems to me you still have to answer one question: What was Mr. Moor convicted of? (I'm assuming if he's a good guy he didn't commit any actual capital crimes?)

Also, you just started the campaign and your party already killed a coven of vampires? Also, did the vampires have anything to do with the main plot? If not, you could develop a side plot from them to distract your players while you work on the main plot some more.

Well less of a coven and more of a party of them. and Mr. Moor wasn't convicted of anything except being an old neusance and people want him dead.