Erk
2008-12-13, 01:03 PM
Scene: My players are headed down into a network of tunnels below an ancient city, looking for a secreted-away Elvenhome (elves are tolkienesque magic beings who live in pockets of fey energy), to try to get the help of the High Elves there to fight off an attack on the city above.
Twist: The tunnels were original a small network, but have been dug out into a labyrinthine underworld by a civilisation of rather advanced kobolds. They once had a large city here, but over time have been migrating out: now it's a small city/large town.
The kobolds will not be happy to see the players by default, as humans and kobolds don't have a good history. However, one player does speak kobold a little.
Fork 1: the players fail diplomacy and have to fight through the kobolds. Easy enough.
Fork 2: the players manage to secure the aid of the kobolds, and could even use the kobolds as aid in the war rather than the elves. If they do this, I'd like to add another challenge to this subquest but can't think of anything.
Fork 3: the players get the kobolds to leave them alone or get help from the kobolds but decide to contact the elves anyway. Without the kobolds to get in the way, I am not too sure how to slow the players down through the tunnels to keep this feeling like a proper quest and not just a jaunt to the grocery store to pick up some elven allies.
Any ideas? I can give more detail on the world of course.
Twist: The tunnels were original a small network, but have been dug out into a labyrinthine underworld by a civilisation of rather advanced kobolds. They once had a large city here, but over time have been migrating out: now it's a small city/large town.
The kobolds will not be happy to see the players by default, as humans and kobolds don't have a good history. However, one player does speak kobold a little.
Fork 1: the players fail diplomacy and have to fight through the kobolds. Easy enough.
Fork 2: the players manage to secure the aid of the kobolds, and could even use the kobolds as aid in the war rather than the elves. If they do this, I'd like to add another challenge to this subquest but can't think of anything.
Fork 3: the players get the kobolds to leave them alone or get help from the kobolds but decide to contact the elves anyway. Without the kobolds to get in the way, I am not too sure how to slow the players down through the tunnels to keep this feeling like a proper quest and not just a jaunt to the grocery store to pick up some elven allies.
Any ideas? I can give more detail on the world of course.