I'm gearing up to suddenly and violently destroy my party' beloved NPC (from level 1; they're 7th now) and I would love LOVE to read some of your tales of offing a beloved NPC and how your party "rolled" with it or DIDNT.
In my homebrew spelljammer game, the characters had no idea they were going into space. They were hired on by a ship captain. They were then taken out into space, fought a quick fight with raiders, and reached a trading hub. After a little while in port, the captain sent them off on a strange errand to hide a box of stuff without him, and they got back just in time to see him be murdered by another NPC. (His son.)
My plan was that they'd be off in space, they don't know how to get home, they have legit title to a ship (it was in the box, with a will leaving it to them), an artifact (also in the box), a bunch of plot hooks, an immediate job to take, and no NPC to tell them what to do.
What do they do? Embark on a multi-session scheme to raise the captain from the dead.
I have a puppy dog of an NPC. She's always happy to meet people and when she enters a new areas will always extend her hand aned say 'Hi, I'm Irici, nice to meet you.' She was a level 3 Bard as prepped.
One of my parties decided that they wanted Irici to travel with them as they headed toward the stronghold of the main enemy of the campaign. They had in fairness fallen in love with Irici and did their best to keep her free from harm. They really connected with her. This was at Tier 2 play so pretty early on. The enemy of course knew what the party's goal was (the enemy's death), and as a result at the gatehouse of the stronghold had employed a way to screen enemy intention. Player characters were asked to step into a Zone of Truth and then be asked if they intended harm to anyone inside the stronghold. While the players could choose to try and persuade or talk their way out of a failed ZoT save, Irici knew that the party's long term goal was the assassination of the enemy leader. So when the party instructed her to say no she didn't intend harm it came up as a lie. One of the enemy guards then employed detect thoughts to see if they could percieve what kind of harm Irici intended. Players rolled the saves for the NPC and it was a fail. The enemy guards stabbed Irici in the heart killing her immediately.
The party's reaction when face to face with the enemy leader was torn between beginning a fight they had no chance of winning, or taking Irici's body and trying to get it to some form of healer to help ressurect her. They literally did everything they could, burnt every resource they had to get her back to a town packed to the rafters with Clerics and Paladins. They sold their own possessions to acquire a diamond valuable enough to power a cleric's ressurection spell.
It took a few sessions for them to find this out, but after they had been out adventuring for a while they returned home to find Irici safe and sound. In tow they brought with them an enemy scout that the party had captured. It was then that they found out what Irici had been doing during her recovery - she'd trained (made a warlock pact - they don't yet know the terms of the pact) and had become very scary. When the enemy scout was in their jail cell, the party were shocked when Irici asked if she could take care of the enemy scout - cue cloud of daggers being cast inside the jail cell in which the enemy guard was confined.
Basically, in recognition of their efforts to save Irici, the party got a cool, kick-backside ally who largely retained her happy-go-lucky outlook on life but had a hatred of the enemy forces.
Of course, they don't yet know that the Warlock pact is something that the party will soon encounter. The creature with whom Irici made a pact will soon offer Irici's service to the enemy leader unless the party does something unconscionable on their behalf. I imagine they'll do what they can to save Irici, but I wanted to just add a potential wrinkle into their plans to stop the enemy. I really hope that they don't end up having to face Irici now working for the enemy...but that would be a cool scene as well.
I'm gearing up to suddenly and violently destroy my party' beloved NPC (from level 1; they're 7th now) and I would love LOVE to read some of your tales of offing a beloved NPC and how your party "rolled" with it or DIDNT.
THANKS!
Heh. Wasn't really a beloved NPC, but:
In my homebrew spelljammer game, the characters had no idea they were going into space. They were hired on by a ship captain. They were then taken out into space, fought a quick fight with raiders, and reached a trading hub. After a little while in port, the captain sent them off on a strange errand to hide a box of stuff without him, and they got back just in time to see him be murdered by another NPC. (His son.)
My plan was that they'd be off in space, they don't know how to get home, they have legit title to a ship (it was in the box, with a will leaving it to them), an artifact (also in the box), a bunch of plot hooks, an immediate job to take, and no NPC to tell them what to do.
What do they do? Embark on a multi-session scheme to raise the captain from the dead.
HA!! I mean OH SHIT! But yeah... HIGH-LARIOUS PC strategy!
I have a puppy dog of an NPC. She's always happy to meet people and when she enters a new areas will always extend her hand aned say 'Hi, I'm Irici, nice to meet you.' She was a level 3 Bard as prepped.
One of my parties decided that they wanted Irici to travel with them as they headed toward the stronghold of the main enemy of the campaign. They had in fairness fallen in love with Irici and did their best to keep her free from harm. They really connected with her. This was at Tier 2 play so pretty early on. The enemy of course knew what the party's goal was (the enemy's death), and as a result at the gatehouse of the stronghold had employed a way to screen enemy intention. Player characters were asked to step into a Zone of Truth and then be asked if they intended harm to anyone inside the stronghold. While the players could choose to try and persuade or talk their way out of a failed ZoT save, Irici knew that the party's long term goal was the assassination of the enemy leader. So when the party instructed her to say no she didn't intend harm it came up as a lie. One of the enemy guards then employed detect thoughts to see if they could percieve what kind of harm Irici intended. Players rolled the saves for the NPC and it was a fail. The enemy guards stabbed Irici in the heart killing her immediately.
The party's reaction when face to face with the enemy leader was torn between beginning a fight they had no chance of winning, or taking Irici's body and trying to get it to some form of healer to help ressurect her. They literally did everything they could, burnt every resource they had to get her back to a town packed to the rafters with Clerics and Paladins. They sold their own possessions to acquire a diamond valuable enough to power a cleric's ressurection spell.
It took a few sessions for them to find this out, but after they had been out adventuring for a while they returned home to find Irici safe and sound. In tow they brought with them an enemy scout that the party had captured. It was then that they found out what Irici had been doing during her recovery - she'd trained (made a warlock pact - they don't yet know the terms of the pact) and had become very scary. When the enemy scout was in their jail cell, the party were shocked when Irici asked if she could take care of the enemy scout - cue cloud of daggers being cast inside the jail cell in which the enemy guard was confined.
Basically, in recognition of their efforts to save Irici, the party got a cool, kick-backside ally who largely retained her happy-go-lucky outlook on life but had a hatred of the enemy forces.
Of course, they don't yet know that the Warlock pact is something that the party will soon encounter. The creature with whom Irici made a pact will soon offer Irici's service to the enemy leader unless the party does something unconscionable on their behalf. I imagine they'll do what they can to save Irici, but I wanted to just add a potential wrinkle into their plans to stop the enemy. I really hope that they don't end up having to face Irici now working for the enemy...but that would be a cool scene as well.
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THIS! RULES! SO! DAMN! HARD! Wow hahahahaaaa!! Bravo here. This is inspiring and thanks for sharing this tale!!