Recovering from total-plot Derailment

[esorscher]

Here's what I wanted to happen:

The party becomes the servants of the Sultan, who uses them to kill his competitors and take the highest position in a secret organization. The Sultan, actually a Janni in disguise, uses the secret organization to weaken the government of the land so that his brethren can conquer and enslave the other races.

Here's what happened:

The party became the servants of the Sultan. Then they went after the first competitor, a Druid 5/ Alienist 1, who paralyzed three of the five members of the party with Venemous Volley followed up by Snakebite. The fourth, a psion who was out of power, turned invisible (Duergar) and ran, after the fifth, a dragonfire adept, swore fealty to the Druid in exchange for his life.

So now there's one character of the original five still on the "right" side, one's turned NPC, and three are just plain dead. The survivor is currently residing in the town nearby, which is a two day's ride from the city in which the Sultan is. He has everything from the camel's that the other four party members had (a lot of gold and some other miscellaneous supplies, but the important part is a lot of gold). I have planned some stuff for him to do in the small town, but I'm at a loss as to where to go from there. If he doesn't go back to the Sultan, I can have the Sultan's plans go through anyway, but that seems pretty harsh.

WWJD? (What Would Joo Do?)

[arguskos]

Have a good laugh, consider you may have overestimated the PC's ability to defeat the Druid guy, learn and move on.

Ask the players what they want to do here on in. Do they want to roll up new characters and keep going? Or do they want to sorta just call this a wrap and start a fresh campaign? (Note that the Psion will probably vote for keep going, if everyone else wants a new game, talk to him in private and work something out).

[Learnedguy]

What above posters said.

With that said, things doesn't look that horrible. That was just the prologue you see.

Now the REAL adventure starts!

[Burley]

The Duergar hires the other 4 players with all the extra money.
If he's a smart player, he'll have them sign a contract, with extra fine print, stating that the money they recieve is a one-time payment, and they get a portion of loot found, but, otherwise, belong to him.

[Tsotha-lanti]

Why did you kill them? TPKs are averted by taking PCs prisoner. The dragonfire adept would be in the perfect position to liberate them (although the druid really has to be an idiot then; more likely the adept would've been imprisoned as well).

[kalt]

Sounds like you overesimated your players. I'd probably just trash the campaign and start a new one with lessons learned. What was the cause of the wipe, lack of items, power, bad stats, etc..?

[Another_Poet]

I think it's a great setup for the next campaign. If I were you I'd suggest rolling up all new characters, and give the duergar the option of keeping his since he survived and got away.

The party will feel true triumph when they eventually track down and kill that Druid.

[Kiero]

I think it's a great setup for the next campaign. If I were you I'd suggest rolling up all new characters, and give the duergar the option of keeping his since he survived and got away.

The party will feel true triumph when they eventually track down and kill that Druid.

Why would the new characters (note, NOT the players) care about the deaths of some strangers who were nothing to them?

[Noneoyabizzness]

branch off to sideplot

have the psion meet back up and try and liberate the dfa. have him hire a series of mercs (aka pcs) to help in this task.

have the sultan res them and collect the suvivors, but with a curse upon them (be creative) to do a near suicide job. failure is not an option this time.

have the psion return to the sultan and make arrangements to find a new group to handle the dangerous missions ahead.

have the sultans group hunt down the psion and the dfa (such is the price of failure) psion makes friends in low places and seeks to subvert his one-time benefactor.

[esorscher]

Sounds like you overesimated your players. I'd probably just trash the campaign and start a new one with lessons learned. What was the cause of the wipe, lack of items, power, bad stats, etc..?

A couple of things. The dragonfire adept could've killed the Druid the following turn, but he chose to surrender instead. Though, he didn't know the Druid was down to 10 health.

Mostly bad luck. If the fighter had made his save vs. poison, he would've killed the Druid easily.

Also, the Druid planned very well. She had Bhuka emerge from hidden trapdoors and surround the party while she cast summoning spells. Since all her summoned creatures were Augmented, and Pseudonatural, they were more powerful.

I gave the party plenty of items--the fighter had a +1 Greataxe of Druidbane.

[esorscher]

Why did you kill them? TPKs are averted by taking PCs prisoner. The dragonfire adept would be in the perfect position to liberate them (although the druid really has to be an idiot then; more likely the adept would've been imprisoned as well).

A couple of reasons:

The cleric refused to heal anyone but himself, and the player wasn't paying much attention to the campaign. He also didn't know how to play a cleric, not even the basics (like casting spells provokes an AoO, etc.) The main reason he died was because while the Fighter engaged the Druid, the Cleric served as meatshield for the Psion and Dragonfire Adept.

Oh, and the Cleric had been captured by the Druid beforehand, so the Dragonfire Adept wasn't able to immunize him to his breath weapon.

The fighter was too powerful for the Druid to let live, she isn't a moron. You don't rise to a high rank in a secret organization by being an idiot.

The rogue could've lived, but I didn't really want him to. He was pretty ineffective anyway, and the player didn't really enjoy playing him.

[Oslecamo]

Also, the Druid planned very well. She had Bhuka emerge from hidden trapdoors and surround the party while she cast summoning spells. Since all her summoned creatures were Augmented, and Pseudonatural, they were more powerful.

Wich reminds me, isn't selling your soul to pseudonatural creatures and slowly start to become an abomination behind all kind of logic and reason precisely the kind of thing that would go against a druid code of conduct of respecting nature and balance?

Also, can you do a weapon of class X bane? I tought it only worked with races.

[esorscher]

Wich reminds me, isn't selling your soul to pseudonatural creatures and slowly start to become an abomination behind all kind of logic and reason precisely the kind of thing that would go against a druid code of conduct of respecting nature and balance?

Also, can you do a weapon of class X bane? I tought it only worked with races.

Homebrewed item, I put it in because otherwise, they had an even lower chance of survival.

And just because their alien, doesn't mean they aren't a part of nature. My feeling on class restrictions, alignment, and all of that, as DM, is that if you can justify it to yourself and to me, you can do it.

[kalt]

He's the DM of course he can do a class bane weapon. Well it sounds like a lot of people either A.) in over their head or B.) not having a good time . I'd suggest you sit down and figure out why and then try again either with a new campaing or new characters.

[Darrin]

WWJD? (What Would Joo Do?)

The druid is insane but not entirely evil (yet). The three paralyzed PCs + one turncoat black out and wake up some time later with a bizarre, disturbing, glowing tattoo inscribed on their bodies. (If dead, then the druid happened to have three scrolls of reincarnate handy). If they stare at the tattoo longer than 1 round, they take 1 point of Wisdom damage and start babbling about "Have you seen the Yellow Sign?" and "The black stars sleep above Carcosa!" Apply the Pseudonatural template to their characters, with the following addition:

Uncontrollable Transformation (Su): Whenever you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll or skill check, your current action immediately fails and you must spend your current or next standard action to change to your Alternate Form (the tentacle thing). Also, make a Fortitude save DC 16 or take 2 points of ability damage to a random ability score. If you roll a natural 1 on the save, the damage becomes 2 points of permanent ability drain.

Give the druid some ability to threaten/charm/dominate/curse the PCs if they don't agree to work for her... for example, she can activate their glowing tattoos/uncontrollable transformation at will with a creepy-looking thingamabob for 2 points of random ability damage. If they agree to help her defeat the Sultan, she promises to remove the tattoos (she may or may not be telling the truth).

The Duerger gets summoned back to the Sultan, only to discover he's been tailed by a pixie, who turns visible and proposes a deal to the Sultan before the Duerger can explain what went wrong: The Druid wants an alliance against... some other threat. The Druid has information about an important artifact hidden under the city sewers. She's willing to give this artifact to the Sultan (after the PCs have retrieved it) in exchange for a position of authority (Grand Vizier, High Priest, etc.). The Sultan agrees, thinking he can doublecross the Druid later and cut her out of the picture once he's consolidated power.

The Druid organizes the PCs and gives them instructions on how to recover the artifact. But she also instructs them that the artifact is a sham, what she really wants them to do is break out a powerful ally (a demon/outsider/aberration/whatever) that was imprisoned underneath the sewer. One this ally is free, then she should be strong enough to move against the Sultan.

Only when the PCs bust out the demon/outsider/aberration/whatever, it turns out it's a lantern archon in disguise. He gives them a powerful one-shot magic item and tells them, "Here, use this against the druid to take her out. She's messing with Things Druids Were Not Meant to Know. My people will get in contact with you later on what to do about the Sultan."

[Toliudar]

Well, it sounds like at least half of your players weren't really enjoying, or making decent use of, their characters' abilities. Time to hit the reset button, and start the same campaign or a new one, but with lower level characters that give them a chance to learn as they go?

[Prometheus]

In hindsight, letting the PCs know how badly an opponent is hurt (in descriptive terms) seems fair to mean.

I would have had the Alienist not actually be that bad of a person. The three paralyzed wake up unharmed and actually healed up some. The Alienist explains to the side-switcher about the true nature of the Sultan and how he has tried to appeal to the far realms for help against the Janni-thus far unsuccessful in his attempts to please them. The character that fled either becomes an NPC or rejoins the group after being filled in on the details. Anyone who wishes to roll up a new character can say that they had been accidentally killed by the Alienist and the Alienist has his own servants which will work with the party. Any PC that wants to progress Alienist can do so without meeting the normal requirements. The next quest goal is to fight the Sultan using what you now know, while keeping an eye on the Druid so that things don't get out of hand with the far realm either.

[esorscher]

In hindsight, letting the PCs know how badly an opponent is hurt (in descriptive terms) seems fair to mean.

I would have had the Alienist not actually be that bad of a person. The three paralyzed wake up unharmed and actually healed up some. The Alienist explains to the side-switcher about the true nature of the Sultan and how he has tried to appeal to the far realms for help against the Janni-thus far unsuccessful in his attempts to please them. The character that fled either becomes an NPC or rejoins the group after being filled in on the details. Anyone who wishes to roll up a new character can say that they had been accidentally killed by the Alienist and the Alienist has his own servants which will work with the party. Any PC that wants to progress Alienist can do so without meeting the normal requirements. The next quest goal is to fight the Sultan using what you now know, while keeping an eye on the Druid so that things don't get out of hand with the far realm either.

In fact, so far everyone the PCs have fought have been good. The Druid made a deal with outside forces to counter the Sultan's threat... I like where all this is going.

[kalt]

yes but are the people actually playing the PC's having a good time? From what you have described they really aren't enjoying themselves or are too inexperienced to play their chosen class. What level did you start the campaign out. A newbie playing a class like a cleric is kinda hard and who knows maybe he just doesn't want to be a healing battery.

[Salz]

and start babbling about "Have you seen the Yellow Sign?" and "The black stars sleep above Carcosa!"

Someone has been playing to much Insylum now havn't they?


If you really want to continue with this campaign have the survivor hire them or something... I would really vote for new campaign, maybe in the same setting after this failure on the part of the former heroes. The new heroes have to undo what happened maybe.

[Another_Poet]

Why would the new characters (note, NOT the players) care about the deaths of some strangers who were nothing to them?

They wouldn't. But the players would. At least, my group would savour victory over an NPC who had previously TPK'd our characters.

[Vexxation]

*awesome plot*

Holy Convolution, Batman!

That's fantastic. The PCs are involved in, what, three double-crosses at once?
I love it.

[esorscher]

yes but are the people actually playing the PC's having a good time? From what you have described they really aren't enjoying themselves or are too inexperienced to play their chosen class. What level did you start the campaign out. A newbie playing a class like a cleric is kinda hard and who knows maybe he just doesn't want to be a healing battery.

All the players are experienced, all have played multiple times. Starting level 3, WBL. This particular player has never been able to really understand any class he plays, with the exception of the Warforged Warblade he plaed.

[LibraryOgre]

My simple question: What's the new plot? The old one derailed, but that means that there's a new one. Is it the duergar getting revenge? Is it the dragonfire adept meeting with his new companions and carrying out the will of the alienist (maybe he's not so bad, after all?). Or is it something completely different?

[esorscher]

My simple question: What's the new plot? The old one derailed, but that means that there's a new one. Is it the duergar getting revenge? Is it the dragonfire adept meeting with his new companions and carrying out the will of the alienist (maybe he's not so bad, after all?). Or is it something completely different?

Right now, the new party (consisting of the Duergar, a human Factotum, a Tortle Cleric, and an Orc Barbarian) has rid the small village nearby the Druid's dungeon (the Druid ran off with the Dragonfire Adept to reemerge later) of a Dune Hag, who had become leader of the town in a fashion similar to V for Vendetta; she caused multiple disappearances by hiring slavers to kidnap and sell citizens to a nearby cult, the campaigned on the promise of cleaning up the streets. The Factotum ruthlessly interrogated EVERYBODY in the city over a course of two weeks with the aid of Zone of Truth, finally discovering that the Dune Hag was responsible, and attacked her. She enthralled him and stripped him of his authority as inquisitor, but when it wore off he addressed the town under the influence of a Zone of Truth cast by one of the town clerics.

Instead of killing him, they ran him out of town, dealt with the Dune Hag themselves. They are in the nearest large town to sell magic items--which happens to be where the plot originated in the first place. I'm going to change the plot, so that the Janni Sultan will rehire the group, outside the organization, to aid the Duergar (inside the organization) in killing the Druid and Dragonfire Adept. Once this is accomplished, the Sultan will redispatch them with his original goal.

I have no doubt that my group will derail the plot further. I'm just happy they didn't burn down the village with the Dune Hag, as they (and I, when I play) are wont to do.

The Dragonfire Adept is an NPC. The other characters may reappear in the future, under the influence of the Druid, they may not. I've yet to decide it. They will probably reappear in Reincarnated bodies.

[UserClone]

What is a Tortle?

[xanaphia]

I'd start again with new characters, except the duegar. The players would really enjoy killing that Alienist.

[Irreverent Fool]

Have the entire scene be a precognitive vision/divine warning of the cleric's and let them have an effective 'do-over' in which they are prepared for what is about to transpire.

What is a Tortle?

I believe a 'Tortle' is a humanoid turtle-person from one of the Dragon magazines. If I could ever find them I'd be tempted to play a magically-altered adolescent ninja tortle.

obnoxious
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