Big Game Hunting: looking for potential gaps in a plan

[Beowulf DW]

So, in a Golarion campaign, we took refuge in the Andoren town of Olfden after a few adventures. Unfortunately, Olfden has a bit of a werewolf problem, and it happened to be a full moon. The town is fully prepared to deal with this, and it's usually a stressful, yet perfectly survivable time of the month for the residents. However, something went wrong this time around (of course), and the town was overrun. We left off with our party fleeing after a desperate fight.

Our next game will pick back up with us on the road, heading for a nearby fortress to let them know what happened. This fortress is manned by a regiment of Eagle Knights assisted by a mid-level gnome wizard and led by an even higher level paladin that happens to be married to the leader of a local druid circle. We're pretty sure that they'll be able to take the city back just fine.

Nevertheless, my character spent most of his life in and around Olfden, and he has no intention of just buzzing off without doing something first. Since we have a pretty good idea of just who was behind the werewolves' success (an evil druid circle) we're planning a little mid-forest assassination. We intend to track them, take them out piecemeal, and deny the werewolves powerful allies.

The party currently looks like this:

Druid (me)
Swashbuckler
Rogue
Warpriest of Torag
Archivist Bard

We're all at level 4 and (with the exception of the Bard) running no archetypes.

Is there anything we're missing here or anything you'd like to point out or suggest (i.e. like that we're walking straight into a TPK)?

[(Un)Inspired]

Do you know what level the Druids are?

[Harmelyo]

Assumptions:
- Druids will count at least a level 5 member
- Druids are not moronic and will use the ground to their advantage
- You are looking for the druids in their forest


All in all running after Evil Druids Corporation in the middle of a forest is never the smartest idea. They have the ground advantage and a large source of spies as all animals are more or less possible shapeshifted druid or animal companion used as a scout.

If the DM is not impersonating absolutely stupid druids, they will know you are there before you do. On top of that, it is likely they will expect some form or retaliation after the little incident in the city... Druids are T1 and if played properly with the ground advantage, they are real bad news, be ready for deadly fights.

What you have to take notice of:
- Forest will provide druids with the best environment to use their spells.
- You may end up facing were-druids, which are really frightening power-house. If you look around there has been two subjects on were-creatures recently, adding druid to the mix make for really dangerous things.
- You will likely not have the element of surprise.
- Going gun blazing, righteously charging into the druid forest is probably the worst idea you could come up with.



What you should prepare for:
- TPK... yeah it is a possibility if the druid are played correctly and you don't manage to balance the playing on home ground effect.
- Get silver weapons, just in case... If the druids helped the Were-ones, opposite is likely true and you may have to deal with them. DR/10 silver or even DR/5 is not something to scoff at specially at level 4.
- get some belladona just so your bitten ones are not turned into were wolf as well...
- Druids use potent AoE, at your level entangle is still a real nightmare that will clutter the battlefield and keep you from charging them.
- Druids have animal companions and can summon. You are likely going to fight outnumbered, be ready for it, use any AoE the druids throw or you can throw to keep them from swarming you.
- You are likely to get ambushed, make an extensive use of your scouting abilities and as much as possible foil any attempt.


Non linear/smart/suicidal approaches
- I am not big on Golarion setting so this may not be valid. If they are a druid circle and if circle still function like in Forgotten Realms, Being a druid I would probably try to play it as a social encounter and then challenge the head of the circle for the title. Evil druid can't be chaotic as well so they should follow the code. This assume that you feel confortable in a duel against a druid that may/is likely to be of a higher level than you and may be a were-creature.
This may be your best chance depending on the number of druids in the circle and how well setup they are.

- Play the druid hired to walk a group throught the forest. As you are a local, it may work depending on how notorious your group is so far. This could lessen the attention on your group once you explained to the druids sentinels.

Those are a few general ideas but without some details on your group, the evil druids I can't really give you anything specific.

[Beowulf DW]

Do you know what level the Druids are?

No. :(


Assumptions:
- Druids will count at least a level 5 member
- Druids are not moronic and will use the ground to their advantage
- You are looking for the druids in their forest


All in all running after Evil Druids Corporation in the middle of a forest is never the smartest idea. They have the ground advantage and a large source of spies as all animals are more or less possible shapeshifted druid or animal companion used as a scout.

If the DM is not impersonating absolutely stupid druids, they will know you are there before you do. On top of that, it is likely they will expect some form or retaliation after the little incident in the city... Druids are T1 and if played properly with the ground advantage, they are real bad news, be ready for deadly fights.

What you have to take notice of:
- Forest will provide druids with the best environment to use their spells.
- You may end up facing were-druids, which are really frightening power-house. If you look around there has been two subjects on were-creatures recently, adding druid to the mix make for really dangerous things.
- You will likely not have the element of surprise.
- Going gun blazing, righteously charging into the druid forest is probably the worst idea you could come up with.



What you should prepare for:
- TPK... yeah it is a possibility if the druid are played correctly and you don't manage to balance the playing on home ground effect.
- Get silver weapons, just in case... If the druids helped the Were-ones, opposite is likely true and you may have to deal with them. DR/10 silver or even DR/5 is not something to scoff at specially at level 4.
- get some belladona just so your bitten ones are not turned into were wolf as well...
- Druids use potent AoE, at your level entangle is still a real nightmare that will clutter the battlefield and keep you from charging them.
- Druids have animal companions and can summon. You are likely going to fight outnumbered, be ready for it, use any AoE the druids throw or you can throw to keep them from swarming you.
- You are likely to get ambushed, make an extensive use of your scouting abilities and as much as possible foil any attempt.


Non linear/smart/suicidal approaches
- I am not big on Golarion setting so this may not be valid. If they are a druid circle and if circle still function like in Forgotten Realms, Being a druid I would probably try to play it as a social encounter and then challenge the head of the circle for the title. Evil druid can't be chaotic as well so they should follow the code. This assume that you feel confortable in a duel against a druid that may/is likely to be of a higher level than you and may be a were-creature.
This may be your best chance depending on the number of druids in the circle and how well setup they are.

- Play the druid hired to walk a group throught the forest. As you are a local, it may work depending on how notorious your group is so far. This could lessen the attention on your group once you explained to the druids sentinels.

Those are a few general ideas but without some details on your group, the evil druids I can't really give you anything specific.
(Spoilered for length)

Excellent points. The thing is that we aren't even entirely sure if the circle in question did help the werewolves; no druids (besides mine) actually appeared during the battle (or at least, none that could wildshape and cast), so we're pretty sure that if they helped, it was in a mastermind role. Still, we do plan to take steps to make sure that we target those actually responsible. We're also counting on the help of a friendly druid circle (the one lead by the paladin's husband), an organization called the Fangwatch, and a gnome that's been researching ways to kill werewolves.

The druid circle is aware of my character, and has had an understanding with him, so talking to some extent may be possible. However, I'm pretty sure that you have to be part of a druid circle to challenge for leadership in Golarion, and my druid has been unaligned in that respect for his entire life.