Got a big game session tomorrow in our Storm King's Thunder campaign and I could use some advice.
I've been creating home brew content around Gauntlgrym, which is where the PCs currently are. For those that aren't familiar with SKT as written, there's not much presented about Gauntlgrym. Pretty much all you're given is that Drow have infiltrated Gauntlgrym and are working to steal Mageara the dawn titan (the primordial whose heat fuels the Gauntlgrym forges) in an iron flask, and give it to the fire giant Duke Zalto. Zalto wants to use mageara to fire his forges at his keep called Ironslag....he needs the primordial's extreme heat to recreate a dragon-killing construct called the Vonindod.
To get the PCs to visit Gauntlgrym, I had to provide them with nuggets of evidence that Zalto was after magaera, so they already know the duke wants to steal it. They also already know the drow are active in the lower levels of Gauntlgrym. (so there's not a great opportunity for: "just go check things out for us").
If the drow happen to succeed in stealing Mageara (wont know until tomorrow!), I'd love to send the PCs after it as a fun side quest. It can also be worked into the SKT story line, as the PCs need to get into one of the giant holds (like Ironslag) for other reasons. Two birds, one stone.
What I'm struggling with: if the Drow manage to steal Mageara.....can anyone think of a way in which the PCs would be sent to retrieve it rather than King Bruenor just sending a bunch of dwarves to Ironslag to take it by force? I can't think of a good reason why King Bruenor wouldn't just send a battalion of dwarves to get Mageara back (given the importance of having the primordial for dwarven smiths at Gauntlgrym). The PCs will have done some work on behalf of Gauntlgrym by this time, so I can see Bruenor asking them for help. But not "Hey y'all take care of this huge problem for us.....we aren't going to help really because we're busy."
Also, it wouldn't shock me if the PCs ask for Bruenor's help, but I don't want him to send a battalion of dwarves....or even a smaller group of dwarf NPCs that I have to manage AND could make the job a lot easier for the PCs.
Anyways....I've accidentally backed myself into a corner on this one. Maybe the PCs will stop the drow from escaping with mageara and this will be moot....but still, any thoughts are appreciated!!
Sometimes sending an army isn't the best idea. If a battalion of dwarves starts marching then the giant might leave and hide, or have the drow keep the iron flask tell the dwarves leave.
Also a pitched battle could result in a lot of dwarf lives being lost. So a sneak in and get it might be preferable. If the pcs fail then send in the army.
Personally I would, as a player, ask Brunor to use the army as a decoy. Use them to draw out some of the firegiants, and their minions, and give the players a better chance to sneak in.
One reason that could prevent King Bruenor to send a bataillon of dwarves could be an old Treaty of Peace existing between dwarves and giants to assure to maintain a pact of nonaggression between the two spiecies or on a more upclose and personnal level, between the DuKe Zalto and the Battlehammer clan for some reasons.
This would urge Bruenor to rely on non-dwarves to retrieve Mageara this to not risk open conflict involving dwarves causing it to inevitably break his words,, claN promess or his race ancestral vows.
Hi All,
Got a big game session tomorrow in our Storm King's Thunder campaign and I could use some advice.
I've been creating home brew content around Gauntlgrym, which is where the PCs currently are. For those that aren't familiar with SKT as written, there's not much presented about Gauntlgrym. Pretty much all you're given is that Drow have infiltrated Gauntlgrym and are working to steal Mageara the dawn titan (the primordial whose heat fuels the Gauntlgrym forges) in an iron flask, and give it to the fire giant Duke Zalto. Zalto wants to use mageara to fire his forges at his keep called Ironslag....he needs the primordial's extreme heat to recreate a dragon-killing construct called the Vonindod.
To get the PCs to visit Gauntlgrym, I had to provide them with nuggets of evidence that Zalto was after magaera, so they already know the duke wants to steal it. They also already know the drow are active in the lower levels of Gauntlgrym. (so there's not a great opportunity for: "just go check things out for us").
If the drow happen to succeed in stealing Mageara (wont know until tomorrow!), I'd love to send the PCs after it as a fun side quest. It can also be worked into the SKT story line, as the PCs need to get into one of the giant holds (like Ironslag) for other reasons. Two birds, one stone.
What I'm struggling with: if the Drow manage to steal Mageara.....can anyone think of a way in which the PCs would be sent to retrieve it rather than King Bruenor just sending a bunch of dwarves to Ironslag to take it by force? I can't think of a good reason why King Bruenor wouldn't just send a battalion of dwarves to get Mageara back (given the importance of having the primordial for dwarven smiths at Gauntlgrym). The PCs will have done some work on behalf of Gauntlgrym by this time, so I can see Bruenor asking them for help. But not "Hey y'all take care of this huge problem for us.....we aren't going to help really because we're busy."
Also, it wouldn't shock me if the PCs ask for Bruenor's help, but I don't want him to send a battalion of dwarves....or even a smaller group of dwarf NPCs that I have to manage AND could make the job a lot easier for the PCs.
Anyways....I've accidentally backed myself into a corner on this one. Maybe the PCs will stop the drow from escaping with mageara and this will be moot....but still, any thoughts are appreciated!!
Sometimes sending an army isn't the best idea. If a battalion of dwarves starts marching then the giant might leave and hide, or have the drow keep the iron flask tell the dwarves leave.
Also a pitched battle could result in a lot of dwarf lives being lost. So a sneak in and get it might be preferable. If the pcs fail then send in the army.
Personally I would, as a player, ask Brunor to use the army as a decoy. Use them to draw out some of the firegiants, and their minions, and give the players a better chance to sneak in.
One reason that could prevent King Bruenor to send a bataillon of dwarves could be an old Treaty of Peace existing between dwarves and giants to assure to maintain a pact of nonaggression between the two spiecies or on a more upclose and personnal level, between the DuKe Zalto and the Battlehammer clan for some reasons.
This would urge Bruenor to rely on non-dwarves to retrieve Mageara this to not risk open conflict involving dwarves causing it to inevitably break his words,, claN promess or his race ancestral vows.
Thanks!!! This is the spark I needed!
Much appreciated.