Elvensilver
2020-09-09, 08:11 AM
Hello Playground, I am looking for help for a Masterplan to end (most) of a conflict without bloodshed.
The situation is the following: an evil cult (the Big Bad Evil Organisation of the plot) holds its annual meeting in the city the party is in. The cult has some heavy-hitters above the party's pay grade, but we're not gonna focus on them:
instead, the plan focuses on the rabble of the cult: around a hundred disillusioned farmers in their midlife crisis there for the 'community experience' and power, in other words: Lvl. 1 or 2 experts or commoners, mostly CE or NE. They are not a threat for the party (Lvl. 10) but for the populace of the city.
Faithfully roleplaying my CG bard, I would rather like to get them on the path of redemption than let the cleric and her crusading cronies slaughter them.
So I have the (crazy, I know, but that's just in character) idea to hold a big party/ fair for them, sway them with diplomacy and positive 'community experiences', and if that does not work, at least make them drunk enough to not interfere with the battle of the party against their higher-ups.
Available resources:
- the party, a Bard9/Oracle1(buffer and jack-of-all-trades) , and a Cleric9/Paladin 1(heavy hitter)
- their cohorts/ mounts : an archon who casts as a Lvl. 11 cleric... As long as it only healing and a little debuffing (totally run by the GM) , and a horse with better stats than the cleric and bard put together (Marty Stue horse)
- the cleric's followers: ca. 45 no-nonsense Lvl. 1 and 2 LG fighters on their holy crusade
- oh yeah, and the GMs Pet NPC, an epic level catfolk something who collects artifacts magically bound to the cleric's weapon. Can serve as a get out of peril free card, but only when the party has amused the GM enough or the GM has messed the encounter level up so much that he needs to pull a deus ex machina.
(And no need to critize the GM, or say "no game is better than a bad one" it's a family game and his first time GM-ing)
So right now the plan is: bard goes to all good temples in the town to convince them to help with organizing fair booths - after all these gods stand for universally accepted good things like booze, community, adventure, beauty, love - and in those booths the clerics talk to the cultists about neutral themes, lend them unbiased ears and gift them booze. Maybe games to strengthen teamwork, a booth to divine the appearance of future children, a barber shop to get stylish and talk, sending booth to contact loved ones back home, expressive painting for trauma therapy, a scavenger hunt, petting zoo, eating contest, songs, music and alcohol aplenty!
So, any ideas to a) sway a large number of commoners to the side of good, b) fill them up to the point they can't interfere, and c) with the smallest amount of time and money spent, because the party is kinda on a budget and there's only three days till the meeting.
The situation is the following: an evil cult (the Big Bad Evil Organisation of the plot) holds its annual meeting in the city the party is in. The cult has some heavy-hitters above the party's pay grade, but we're not gonna focus on them:
instead, the plan focuses on the rabble of the cult: around a hundred disillusioned farmers in their midlife crisis there for the 'community experience' and power, in other words: Lvl. 1 or 2 experts or commoners, mostly CE or NE. They are not a threat for the party (Lvl. 10) but for the populace of the city.
Faithfully roleplaying my CG bard, I would rather like to get them on the path of redemption than let the cleric and her crusading cronies slaughter them.
So I have the (crazy, I know, but that's just in character) idea to hold a big party/ fair for them, sway them with diplomacy and positive 'community experiences', and if that does not work, at least make them drunk enough to not interfere with the battle of the party against their higher-ups.
Available resources:
- the party, a Bard9/Oracle1(buffer and jack-of-all-trades) , and a Cleric9/Paladin 1(heavy hitter)
- their cohorts/ mounts : an archon who casts as a Lvl. 11 cleric... As long as it only healing and a little debuffing (totally run by the GM) , and a horse with better stats than the cleric and bard put together (Marty Stue horse)
- the cleric's followers: ca. 45 no-nonsense Lvl. 1 and 2 LG fighters on their holy crusade
- oh yeah, and the GMs Pet NPC, an epic level catfolk something who collects artifacts magically bound to the cleric's weapon. Can serve as a get out of peril free card, but only when the party has amused the GM enough or the GM has messed the encounter level up so much that he needs to pull a deus ex machina.
(And no need to critize the GM, or say "no game is better than a bad one" it's a family game and his first time GM-ing)
So right now the plan is: bard goes to all good temples in the town to convince them to help with organizing fair booths - after all these gods stand for universally accepted good things like booze, community, adventure, beauty, love - and in those booths the clerics talk to the cultists about neutral themes, lend them unbiased ears and gift them booze. Maybe games to strengthen teamwork, a booth to divine the appearance of future children, a barber shop to get stylish and talk, sending booth to contact loved ones back home, expressive painting for trauma therapy, a scavenger hunt, petting zoo, eating contest, songs, music and alcohol aplenty!
So, any ideas to a) sway a large number of commoners to the side of good, b) fill them up to the point they can't interfere, and c) with the smallest amount of time and money spent, because the party is kinda on a budget and there's only three days till the meeting.