The Evil Party Sucks at Being Evil, Please Help

[root9125]

So, my players have gone evil, joined a cult of necromancers, and are working on taking over the world. Lots of assassinations and various and assorted destruction.

Anyway, they're careless. They've left behind all kinds of things that should make the enemy's (the GOOD GUYS') scry & die tactics extremely easy (names, pieces of hair and blood, etc).

Obviously, something has to happen. The party's level 8-9. The setting is high-magic. What exactly makes it possible for the party to survive their carelessness, while being certain to not let it happen again?

How do I justify the armies of good NOT sending some crazy-huge force? How do I make this punitive strike a level appropriate encounter? I have an anti-party statted and ready to go, but is that too cliche? What do I do?

[Gamerlord]

........Let the dice roll where they may!

Perhaps the <insert good nation> is on a budget?

[Telonius]

So, my players have gone evil, joined a cult of necromancers, and are working on taking over the world. Lots of assassinations and various and assorted destruction.

Anyway, they're careless. They've left behind all kinds of things that should make the enemy's (the GOOD GUYS') scry & die tactics extremely easy (names, pieces of hair and blood, etc).

Obviously, something has to happen. The party's level 8-9. The setting is high-magic. What exactly makes it possible for the party to survive their carelessness, while being certain to not let it happen again?

How do I justify the armies of good NOT sending some crazy-huge force? How do I make this punitive strike a level appropriate encounter? I have an anti-party statted and ready to go, but is that too cliche? What do I do?

Sting operation by Grey Guards. They know who these jokers are, but they want to know who they're working for. So, they sit and wait and watch. Maybe give some advance warning to the bad guys' next target.

[Vizzerdrix]

Hmm... You wouldn't happen to have a party of three, with a fourth pending? Maybe containing a friendly halfling and an undead whom plays at being an old man by any chance?

[wormwood]

I would, instead of sending an anti-party, send in one higher level vigilante-type. Through his dialog, I'd make it known how easy it was to find them (thus encouraging them to be more cautious) and then proceed to wipe the floor with them. Since it's only one guy, they should be able to take him if you don't make him TOO much higher level. You're justified in not sending a mob because this guy got the evidence first and didn't share. The party gets a butt-kicking and a valuable lesson.

Also, if they manage to defeat, but not kill, this guy then they'll have more incentive to watch their backs. Paranoia for the win!

[Tiki Snakes]

Have a single, slightly crazy Evil Rival track them down. Make sure he clearly has little in the way of resources, but have him point out how easy it was to find them. He should be a reasonably tough encounter, nothing too much, but take them at an opportune time, like during their nap-time or shortly after a bigger fight.

They should struggle, but win. Have a moment to process the implications; With few resources this nutcase was able to track us down and, through careful timing, nearly take us. The 'Good Guys' have many times the resources, and the benefit of not being nutjobs.

That's the idea, anyway.

[edit] Also what Wormwood said.

[bosssmiley]

Team Good will send a small, motley band of squabbling anti-heroes who will triumph against the odds and despite themselves. That is how D&D works.

[HamHam]

Kill them all and restart the campaign in Baator.

[dsmiles]

........Let the dice roll where they may!

Seconded. They should fail (read: die). If they are incapable of serving the Greater Evil, the Greater Evil has never felt bad about throwing people under the bus...

[Optimystik]

I would, instead of sending an anti-party, send in one higher level vigilante-type. Through his dialog, I'd make it known how easy it was to find them (thus encouraging them to be more cautious) and then proceed to wipe the floor with them. Since it's only one guy, they should be able to take him if you don't make him TOO much higher level. You're justified in not sending a mob because this guy got the evidence first and didn't share. The party gets a butt-kicking and a valuable lesson.

Also, if they manage to defeat, but not kill, this guy then they'll have more incentive to watch their backs. Paranoia for the win!

This,

Seconded. They should fail (read: die). If they are incapable of serving the Greater Evil, the Greater Evil has never felt bad about throwing people under the bus...

followed by this,

Kill them all and restart the campaign in Baator.

followed by this. Assuming they don't get the message after step 1, that is.

[Roderick_BR]

Have a party of good guys attack them. This party would be a slightly lower level. Since they'll be ready to attack the group, they'll have an edge, and be a rough fight. Just sit back and watch your group kicking themselves for almost being owneds by people weaker than them. If they want to be evil, let them work for it.

[Dixieboy]

Kill them all and restart the campaign in Baator.

So because they fail at being subtle you send them to the headquarters of subtle badassery?

[dsmiles]

The Greater Evil could always start sacrificing incompetent minions to summon the Elder Evils from beyond the stars. That may put the fear of Cthulhu in them.

[tarbrush]

So because they fail at being subtle you send them to the headquarters of subtle badassery?

No-one would see it coming :)

[mikeejimbo]

I have to admit that when I read the thread title I expected something along the lines of "The party is evil but they keep helping old ladies across the street, donating to orphanages and petting kittens."

Well, not that exaggerated, but still.

Anyway, the above ideas seem good. The reason Team Good isn't sending the army is because they clearly don't need to. These guys aren't that much of a threat. (Or so they think. Though they may be right.)

[dsmiles]

@mikeejimbo:
I know you...you're...you're...the Fool, aren't you?

[Ormagoden]

I would, instead of sending an anti-party, send in one higher level vigilante-type. Through his dialog, I'd make it known how easy it was to find them (thus encouraging them to be more cautious) and then proceed to wipe the floor with them. Since it's only one guy, they should be able to take him if you don't make him TOO much higher level. You're justified in not sending a mob because this guy got the evidence first and didn't share. The party gets a butt-kicking and a valuable lesson.

Also, if they manage to defeat, but not kill, this guy then they'll have more incentive to watch their backs. Paranoia for the win!

2) ???
3) Profit!

Great advice!

[mikeejimbo]

@mikeejimbo:
I know you...you're...you're...the Fool, aren't you?

Probably, though you'd have to be more specific.

[dyslexicfaser]

I would, instead of sending an anti-party, send in one higher level vigilante-type. Through his dialog, I'd make it known how easy it was to find them (thus encouraging them to be more cautious) and then proceed to wipe the floor with them. Since it's only one guy, they should be able to take him if you don't make him TOO much higher level. You're justified in not sending a mob because this guy got the evidence first and didn't share. The party gets a butt-kicking and a valuable lesson.

Also, if they manage to defeat, but not kill, this guy then they'll have more incentive to watch their backs. Paranoia for the win!

Send in the Goddamn Batman.

[Dust]

I agree with Vigilante Batman and also that - if you don't pull your punches and they die, they should wake up in one of the circles of hell and the campaign should continue. With the possibility of 'escape.' THAT would be memorable.

[Anonymouswizard]

I agree with Vigilante Batman and also that - if you don't pull your punches and they die, they should wake up in one of the circles of hell and the campaign should continue. With the possibility of 'escape.' THAT would be memorable.

Sounds fun.

Also, if they are not going to be good at being evil (not an oxymoron), punish them by turning it into a reflection of a good campaign. Make them have to level up to fight the good overlord. Make everything cliché that applies to good be in the campaign reversed.

[Radar]

Send in the Goddamn Batman.

Who would try to capture the party, so he can gain information about PC's eployers. If it comes to TPK anyway, then Dust has a great idea.

Heck, the necromantic cult, could change the wiped party into some sentient undead - recycling is, what necromancers do on a daily basis.

[Optimystik]

You don't even have to go all the way to hell - Batman would beat them all up and throw them in jail (Arkham.) The campaign could then still turn to "escape!" without all the complications that being in Baator or undead would entail.

[dyslexicfaser]

Ooh, having to break away from some necromancer's control as a zombie or skeleton... cool.

[herrhauptmann]

Been reading Solomon Kane by Robert E Howard (author of Conan)...
One vigilante who believes he's got the might of right on his side, and is suitably badass and slightly insane himself.
In most of his stories, he tends to spend years on a quest. For instance, in France finds a girl lying on the side of the road, she dies in his arms speaking the name of the bandit who violated and killed her.

Kane then spends the next 3 months picking off bandits. Sets a trap and kills most of them. Then goes after the remainder.
Leader escapes, and Kane spends the next 2 years tracking him. To England, Portugal, Venice, and on into darkest africa.


Or 3 years tracking a pirate from the caribbean to the baltic to the English channel...

[Barbarian MD]

Root, is this a PbP game, or a real-life game?

Because if it's PbP, I nominate one of the above people to be the damn Batman.

[Karoht]

Hmm, not cliche?

Okay, so these guys get sent by the evil cult to go and take some town to the ground. Seems like a really easy mission.

Have one old lady NPC, who they'll think is harmless. And that is what they will think when they see her old hunchbacked self.

Until she curses them. A lot. Pick really annoying but not crippling curses. Curses are rather open ended anyway. Homebrew the spell a bit if you have to. The old lady just happens to have a wand of these bad boys, and just happens to use the last charge on the wand right before she's captured.
And then have their rear guard and their method of transporation cut off. And now they have to hoof it to get to any place that could remove these curses. Like back to their evil base for example.

Only now they can't teleport back. Or fly. All thanks to the curses that they just can't seem to get rid of due to a save DC that is just too darn high, or needs a specific component to dispell which they don't have access to. And their mounts and support staff are gone. Most likely their rations and water. Now make them return to base by crossing a swamp. A swamp home to a decent bunch of bandits, all of which are expert trackers. They can make fun of how easy it was to track them down, and lay out all the clues they left behind themselves.

Besides, it would be fun and ironic for the bad guys to get fleeced by more bad guys, just out to make a buck. Might make the party think for just a minute. Maybe.

[Jothki]

You could have it so that the government is secretly tolerating their presence in order to gain some political advantage over its rivals, and is planning on disposing of them once they start causing more harm than benefit.

[Otodetu]

Don't presume the forces of good have to many resources available, but if it's the case that the forces of good are overwhelmingly powerful in the area and able to send out a task-force to wipe out the bad guys like you imply, then maybe it's not easy to be evil there? (and thereby a bad place to place evil characters)

Presume that the forces of good are occupied with many other hassles; and sending a vigilante or a small investigation force is a great way to create some action for the players.

[ravenkith]

Have the good guys sound a scouting party who drops hints that the reason the good guys haven't taken your PCs seriously is that there is an EVEN BIGGER threat from a completely separate group.

Then turn the campaign into Evil Vs. Evil, with good fighting both, and make it a two front war...in the process allowing you to show your boys how evil ought to be done....