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2018-08-01, 12:31 AM
Sorry this is a bit long lol. If your part of the Blade of the Arcane then turn back now. To all others I welcome your assistance. I run for a party of 4 (sometimes 5) level 8 adventurers. One member of the party I run for is a Wood Elf CotM Druid and has the Urban Bounty Hunter background. Likes to use his Wild Shape to track and he's pretty good at it. We've done some dipping into his background before but nothing big. The party has done most of their work in remote areas until this point and I wanted to do something in the Capital City that they are based out of. They've recently time traveled 3.5 years into the future due to the Fey Time Warp effect. There is a group of radicals who have begun a campaign of terror against the citizens of the capital city to push the agenda of equal rights for monstrous races in the Kingdom. The guards have had no luck and need help. Also during all this there will be Kobold who has a very southern baptist inspiration who is leading peaceful demonstrations toward the same goal. They are going to ask the Druid because he's helped them in the past with tough cases. I need help with ideas to really amp up the terror, help deliver information for reveals in clever ways, cool chase ideas, interesting ways to present clues, and anything else you guys can think of to help this be memorable.
Important Plot details:
*The leader of the group and the one leading the protests are brothers.
*This isn't known to anyone, not even the radical group
*The first thing the party did as a group was clear a mine of a tribe of Kobolds. They later found out that the Kobolds were driven from their home in the nearby forest by the very evil they were sent to stop.
*At some point they will learn of how/why the Kobolds invaded the mine (it was life or death and the Dwarves that ran the mine initiated the conflict)
*Their true motive is to seek revenge against the guild (and the party once they learn they're alive). The equality they claim to seek is an afterthought.
*Looking for a dramatic reveal a la The Usual Suspects. The party will be saving the "good" Kobold, mid speech he will swap from his southern baptist routine to an Irish accent and help his brother spring a trap.
*Due to the party's actions in the Fey Wild, Fey from the Verdant Wood have been seeking asylum at the Capital City the party is based in
*This has caused a strain on the Kingdoms resources leading to resentment towards the Fey
*Many of the Fey are being treated the same as the monstrous races and are joining the ranks of this radical group
*The final attack of the group is going to involve another hag who has ties with the powerful hag that the party has previously dealt with (she likes to be a thorn in their side)
Overtones I'm Looking For:
*(Fey Refugees) Trying to capture the feel of cultures giving everything they have to move to "the new world" only to be met with disdain and distrust from those around them.
*(Monstrous Races) Tired of being seen as "Monstrous". They are only accepted in subservient or jobs no one else wants. They are treated poorly and never considered on equal terms as Humans, Elves, etc... Also the fact that they are everywhere but are basically unseen because they are used widely but never payed attention to, they hear and see everything that happens in the city.
*(Radical Group) Zealots to an ideal not a religion. They are very passionate about their cause nonetheless. They have ties everywhere there are monstrous races present. They have some ties those of non-monstrous races due to blackmail, threats, and bribery. I want to make them a very clever and credible threat but not for the usual reasons. They aren't very strong independently but they are smart, well organized, and dedicated to the cause.
*(The Pacifist Kobold) Wold in sheeps clothing. I really want the party to believe in him and his ideals but drop hints of shadyness into the pot for my more perceptive players. That way the flip at the end is memorable.
*(The Kobold Brothers) Revenge and Sympathy. I want the party to feel for the Kobolds they killed in the mine. I need a way to give them the story of why they went to the mine in the first place. I really want to sell how much they want this revenge.
*(Consequences) I love to let the players reap the results of their actions (both good and bad), this is their first real time dealing with wide spreading consequences. The hag they made a deal with is extremely powerful and old. It was made extremely plane before and during their adventure for her that whenever you deal with her it always ends in tragedy. They got a taste in the Fey Wild before they left to foreshadow what was to come but I want to drive it home
*(Redemption) I want to find a way to help the party feel like true heroes again. They are beginning to feel the weight of their actions and it's gonna get heavier. I want to find a way to help them come to a conclusion that feels like they've helped to set things right.
Sorry I know it's a lot of info, but the plot is complex. I'm really trying to challenge myself as a DM and the party at the same time. I've been at this for about a year now and i'm always trying to push the envelope. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but I love to try regardless. Thanks in advance.
Important Plot details:
*The leader of the group and the one leading the protests are brothers.
*This isn't known to anyone, not even the radical group
*The first thing the party did as a group was clear a mine of a tribe of Kobolds. They later found out that the Kobolds were driven from their home in the nearby forest by the very evil they were sent to stop.
*At some point they will learn of how/why the Kobolds invaded the mine (it was life or death and the Dwarves that ran the mine initiated the conflict)
*Their true motive is to seek revenge against the guild (and the party once they learn they're alive). The equality they claim to seek is an afterthought.
*Looking for a dramatic reveal a la The Usual Suspects. The party will be saving the "good" Kobold, mid speech he will swap from his southern baptist routine to an Irish accent and help his brother spring a trap.
*Due to the party's actions in the Fey Wild, Fey from the Verdant Wood have been seeking asylum at the Capital City the party is based in
*This has caused a strain on the Kingdoms resources leading to resentment towards the Fey
*Many of the Fey are being treated the same as the monstrous races and are joining the ranks of this radical group
*The final attack of the group is going to involve another hag who has ties with the powerful hag that the party has previously dealt with (she likes to be a thorn in their side)
Overtones I'm Looking For:
*(Fey Refugees) Trying to capture the feel of cultures giving everything they have to move to "the new world" only to be met with disdain and distrust from those around them.
*(Monstrous Races) Tired of being seen as "Monstrous". They are only accepted in subservient or jobs no one else wants. They are treated poorly and never considered on equal terms as Humans, Elves, etc... Also the fact that they are everywhere but are basically unseen because they are used widely but never payed attention to, they hear and see everything that happens in the city.
*(Radical Group) Zealots to an ideal not a religion. They are very passionate about their cause nonetheless. They have ties everywhere there are monstrous races present. They have some ties those of non-monstrous races due to blackmail, threats, and bribery. I want to make them a very clever and credible threat but not for the usual reasons. They aren't very strong independently but they are smart, well organized, and dedicated to the cause.
*(The Pacifist Kobold) Wold in sheeps clothing. I really want the party to believe in him and his ideals but drop hints of shadyness into the pot for my more perceptive players. That way the flip at the end is memorable.
*(The Kobold Brothers) Revenge and Sympathy. I want the party to feel for the Kobolds they killed in the mine. I need a way to give them the story of why they went to the mine in the first place. I really want to sell how much they want this revenge.
*(Consequences) I love to let the players reap the results of their actions (both good and bad), this is their first real time dealing with wide spreading consequences. The hag they made a deal with is extremely powerful and old. It was made extremely plane before and during their adventure for her that whenever you deal with her it always ends in tragedy. They got a taste in the Fey Wild before they left to foreshadow what was to come but I want to drive it home
*(Redemption) I want to find a way to help the party feel like true heroes again. They are beginning to feel the weight of their actions and it's gonna get heavier. I want to find a way to help them come to a conclusion that feels like they've helped to set things right.
Sorry I know it's a lot of info, but the plot is complex. I'm really trying to challenge myself as a DM and the party at the same time. I've been at this for about a year now and i'm always trying to push the envelope. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but I love to try regardless. Thanks in advance.