Backstory: the players are in an empire ruled by an evil, oppressive Empress. They already joined a rebellion, but they need more allies so they're trying to get other rebellion factions across the continent to prepare for an epic final battle with the evil Empress's army.
Here's what I got so far: There are four other rebel groups with different goals for the future of the empire, a manipulative one, a power-hungry warmonger one, a druidic order, and some elves (the empire has ties to drow, so the elves are also rebelling to regain their nobility). What I want is for the players to show up to a meeting with all these rebel leaders and negotiate terms with them before they can unite and take down the empire.
Negotiating topics: Who rules after the empire falls? What do we do with the gold inside the palace? What do we do with the drow ties to the empire? What do we do with the Empress's super-weapon that summons devils?
What I'm doing is something where the players try to keep everyone happy with decisions that don't create more problems later. Example 1: The Blood Salamanders faction wants to rule after the empire falls. If they don't get too, they won't help fight. Example 2: The Elven Union hates drow, so they want all the drow now living on the surface to be executed harshly, even if they weren't in the royal army. If they are not, the elves will hold a grudge and are more likely to not help in the war.
Any second opinions on how this should work? I've never made a negotiation scene, so I want to know if this is a good system.
Whoo... I could see there being some issues if you try to resolve this with a single meeting. I mean, that has to happen at some point, but I would think you would have some one on one meetings between some of these figureheads or their representatives at some point. And ultimately, they are going to have to decide on some things. Are there enough elves to make them a viable winning faction? Same goes for the Druidic order. I could see the other two gaining enough traction to possibly take over the throne and then assume the leadership. And when I get to the topics, I see you heading yourself for a lot of dialogue between yourself for each of these factions. Why would the powers that be want to listen to the party of adventurers instead of another power that is?
As for the negotiating scene(s)... you really have to understand how each of them feels on a lot of different areas. Trade. Economy. Humanoid Rights. Territory. Blah. Blah. Blah. Each of them should be arguing for the future of the people... and the gold and the palace are simple things on their agenda... they are looking at 50, 100, 500 years into the future and how they can build a Dynasty (or more likely, prevent someone else from having it). That's a lot on your shoulders.
I guess one way you could do it is bring the party into the meeting as observers... and then leave them at a cliff-hanger with someone saying "The Drow must ALL DIE!!" or something else inflammatory. Then for the next session hand them the ideas, beliefs and understandings of one of the factions. The following week, they are the Powers that Be and are arguing for their kingdom and way of life. Hopefully you know your party well enough to know who is aligned with the Elves and the Druids already and who is more inclined to go for the all powerful hegemony of war. Give them full stats, cause they will need to make some rolls. But, in the end, you'll have a conversation between the party and not just between yourself. When it is done... the party got to participate, but then they go back to being themselves.
Or you have them trying to get different people to the meetings for their appearances so they get to hear a bit of some of the speeches by the different people, but are gone for most of the bickering discussion and over time get to hear the negotiations but are busy doing other things until it is resolved.
Good luck... that's going to take a lot of prep work regardless of how you run it... I just hope everyone has fun and eventually gets to take out the Empress (or fail miserably and figure out how to pick up the pieces).
A meeting like that probably won't happen until there is a certain level of trust, and even then wit . Lot of suspision. Double agents could be lurking for just such an oppurtunity to end the rebellion.
Instead of talking to yourself as you represent each faction, how about the players uncover a plot by the empress to get her opposition in one room to end it then and there? You play it as if negotiations are breaking down, like no one is getting along. Then news of the double agent leaks to the factions. As weapons are drawn and words fly, the players can save the day by revealing the true enemy, helping to unite the factions.
If they can't, well. The next chapter could be building the resistance again.
Four factions is a lot. I think there could really be an opportunity for some, either 2-2 or 3-1, to form alliances (and not feel like they need to disclose the terms of their alliance to some outsiders like the PCs, which gives the side benefit of you not really needing to all the way flesh them out until after you see which one wins). That narrows the whole thing to two factions, which is more manageable. Then it can become a much simpler negotiation, and make the PCs choice of who to support easier.
Then, after the empress is defeated, betrayals all around as the empire splinters into a dozen small to medium kingdoms. (Heck, the betrayals can start even before. No way to tell which sword killed who in the thick of a battle) Which honestly is probably realistic as some opportunist minor lord on the fringes of the empire declares himself king of his own little country and everyone else starts thinking that sort of thing is a good idea, setting you up for the next campaign.
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Backstory: the players are in an empire ruled by an evil, oppressive Empress. They already joined a rebellion, but they need more allies so they're trying to get other rebellion factions across the continent to prepare for an epic final battle with the evil Empress's army.
Here's what I got so far:
There are four other rebel groups with different goals for the future of the empire, a manipulative one, a power-hungry warmonger one, a druidic order, and some elves (the empire has ties to drow, so the elves are also rebelling to regain their nobility). What I want is for the players to show up to a meeting with all these rebel leaders and negotiate terms with them before they can unite and take down the empire.
Negotiating topics:
Who rules after the empire falls?
What do we do with the gold inside the palace?
What do we do with the drow ties to the empire?
What do we do with the Empress's super-weapon that summons devils?
What I'm doing is something where the players try to keep everyone happy with decisions that don't create more problems later.
Example 1: The Blood Salamanders faction wants to rule after the empire falls. If they don't get too, they won't help fight.
Example 2: The Elven Union hates drow, so they want all the drow now living on the surface to be executed harshly, even if they weren't in the royal army. If they are not, the elves will hold a grudge and are more likely to not help in the war.
Any second opinions on how this should work? I've never made a negotiation scene, so I want to know if this is a good system.
Whoo... I could see there being some issues if you try to resolve this with a single meeting. I mean, that has to happen at some point, but I would think you would have some one on one meetings between some of these figureheads or their representatives at some point. And ultimately, they are going to have to decide on some things. Are there enough elves to make them a viable winning faction? Same goes for the Druidic order. I could see the other two gaining enough traction to possibly take over the throne and then assume the leadership. And when I get to the topics, I see you heading yourself for a lot of dialogue between yourself for each of these factions. Why would the powers that be want to listen to the party of adventurers instead of another power that is?
As for the negotiating scene(s)... you really have to understand how each of them feels on a lot of different areas. Trade. Economy. Humanoid Rights. Territory. Blah. Blah. Blah. Each of them should be arguing for the future of the people... and the gold and the palace are simple things on their agenda... they are looking at 50, 100, 500 years into the future and how they can build a Dynasty (or more likely, prevent someone else from having it). That's a lot on your shoulders.
I guess one way you could do it is bring the party into the meeting as observers... and then leave them at a cliff-hanger with someone saying "The Drow must ALL DIE!!" or something else inflammatory. Then for the next session hand them the ideas, beliefs and understandings of one of the factions. The following week, they are the Powers that Be and are arguing for their kingdom and way of life. Hopefully you know your party well enough to know who is aligned with the Elves and the Druids already and who is more inclined to go for the all powerful hegemony of war. Give them full stats, cause they will need to make some rolls. But, in the end, you'll have a conversation between the party and not just between yourself. When it is done... the party got to participate, but then they go back to being themselves.
Or you have them trying to get different people to the meetings for their appearances so they get to hear a bit of some of the speeches by the different people, but are gone for most of the bickering discussion and over time get to hear the negotiations but are busy doing other things until it is resolved.
Good luck... that's going to take a lot of prep work regardless of how you run it... I just hope everyone has fun and eventually gets to take out the Empress (or fail miserably and figure out how to pick up the pieces).
A meeting like that probably won't happen until there is a certain level of trust, and even then wit . Lot of suspision. Double agents could be lurking for just such an oppurtunity to end the rebellion.
Instead of talking to yourself as you represent each faction, how about the players uncover a plot by the empress to get her opposition in one room to end it then and there? You play it as if negotiations are breaking down, like no one is getting along. Then news of the double agent leaks to the factions. As weapons are drawn and words fly, the players can save the day by revealing the true enemy, helping to unite the factions.
If they can't, well. The next chapter could be building the resistance again.
Four factions is a lot. I think there could really be an opportunity for some, either 2-2 or 3-1, to form alliances (and not feel like they need to disclose the terms of their alliance to some outsiders like the PCs, which gives the side benefit of you not really needing to all the way flesh them out until after you see which one wins). That narrows the whole thing to two factions, which is more manageable. Then it can become a much simpler negotiation, and make the PCs choice of who to support easier.
Then, after the empress is defeated, betrayals all around as the empire splinters into a dozen small to medium kingdoms. (Heck, the betrayals can start even before. No way to tell which sword killed who in the thick of a battle) Which honestly is probably realistic as some opportunist minor lord on the fringes of the empire declares himself king of his own little country and everyone else starts thinking that sort of thing is a good idea, setting you up for the next campaign.