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View Full Version : What Would Make A Better Story? Opinions on Setting Up A Confrontation



Foeofthelance
2020-08-14, 05:17 PM
I'm curious on people's opinions as to what would be a better confrontation for one of my players. To set the scene:

While attending the Name Day ceremonies for the local Princess, our heroes found themselves caught up in a massive assault by the cult they've been doing battle with off and on for the last few levels. The attack turned from a street by street brawl into a chase on dragon back as they pursued the cultists and rescued the baby. Spells were thrown, everyone fell off at least once, and the head cultist specifically called out the Warforged Bard before poofing out of the scene. Victorious, they returned to the palace to return the baby, only to find out the Princess was now effectively an orphan as her parents had been killed in the attack.

This - completely unexpectedly, I genuinely did not see this coming as a DM - set off the Bard. He immediately started stomping through the rescue efforts till he tracked down the local High Priest of the Goddess of Life and demanded that he go up and resurrect the deceased parents. The High Priest apologized and explained that no, legally and ethically the dead remain dead. The Bard's response was to draw his sword, leveled it at the High Priest's neck and insisted an exception be made. At which point the party's Paladin, who serves the Goddess of Death, drew his sword on the Bard and explained in no uncertain terms that if the Bard persisted on trying to interfere with someone's eternal rest that he could forget about the nearby guards because the Paladin would be the one to kill him instead. The Bard put his sword away and stomped off, while the Paladin and the party Wizard headed for the docks to turn over another child they'd rescued. Favors were exchanged, rewards were give, we cut back to the Bard who is now on his own.

"So, what are you doing?"
"I'm heading to the Temple of Life and I'm going to burn that %&@ down."

So naturally that's where we wrapped the session.

The Bard is currently at about half his HP and has no spells remaining. He is fully aware that this could be a fatal encounter, which the player cheerfully accepted. He actually sees this whole thing as a bit of a birthday present. He's basically going to have three options once he gets there: Go on a quest to find the Princess's immortal uberGreat-Grandfather who has been missing for the last seventy years; talk it out; or face off one-on-one with whomever is waiting at the temple. And that's where I find myself questioning who should be waiting for him:

-The God of Evil, who currently owes the Bard a favor
-The world's version of Hercules, who the Bard has met before
-The DMPC Healbot cleric whose entire role so far has been to show up for a couple of dungeons and throw out Healing Words and has otherwise sworn a vow of silence
-The as-of-yet unmet champion of the Goddess of Life
-Anything that might be a good suggestion

So what do you think? What would tell a better story for his (possibly final) confrontation?

Segev
2020-08-14, 05:35 PM
The god of evil offering to pay off the favor by resurrecting one of the parents, but insisting that the other would make the bard owe him a favor is an option. Maybe following through on burning down the temple pays for that, instead.

NRSASD
2020-08-14, 05:47 PM
The God of Evil offering to resurrect the parents, no strings attached.

The only payment is that when the bard better remember that when the going got tough, only the God stood by him.

Of course, said God then goes and blackmails the princess when she’s old enough. “I brought your parents back, I can take them away etc. etc.”, setting up the princess as a reluctant antagonist a few years down the line

Xervous
2020-08-19, 11:01 AM
As much as I think the bard would be thrilled to have the evil god step in and warp the world to better fit his desires, put on the plot marionette strings and take to his balcony seat with two buckets of popcorn in hand... I am seeing a lot of stuff that would either get in the way or potentially yield lore kludge.

The royalty presumably earned a Good afterlife, they’re under the jurisdiction of Good God. EG (evil god) could only pull them back if he had custody of their souls.

Upon resurrection the society may have some ritual purifying suicide arrangement to keep the souls untainted and return them to their proper place in the beyond.

Alternatively there might be rules or tradition in place that establish resurrected people as new people. Sure it’s the kings soul and the kings body, but his last will and testament is still enacted, he does not become king again, his possessions and debts pass on to the daughter. In this case resurrection wouldn’t solve a great deal.

Now what the EG can do is nudge the bard away from a blaze of glory towards a longer game with a more spectacular finale. The church itself is just a poke in the eye. Why not strive to have the people burn the holy texts willingly, with a new zeal in their eyes (okay that might just be reflected flames but it’s great all the same)?