Davelozzi
Explorer
Spoilers below for Sunless Citadel and Of Sound Mind.
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I'm looking for any suggestions or ideas on how to handle a PC party vs. PC party situation that came up in my campaign, but first a little background is in order.
I have two groups of four players each. My intent was to run each group through an adventure so everyone could get used to the rules (first 3e campaign) with less confusion. Then for the second and future adventures, I was planning on bring the two groups together into a large group of eight, if we could make it work.
I decided to run the first group through Sunless Citadel. Unfortunately, before even getting to the dungeon, the PCs got themselves into trouble. There's no cleric in the group, and the druid was a little worried about being the party's only healer, so he decided he needed a healer's kit. There was one for sale at the general store in Oakhurst. Unfortunately, even though between the four of them they had enough gold to buy it, they decided that they'd rather have the thief break into the place at night and steal it. Stupidly, the other three characters stood guard at the front door of the store right in the town square. The constable saw them, questioned them and they played it off that they were just wandering around drunk.
The next morning, the PCs left town, heading for the Citadel. Meanwhile, the shopkeeper found his healing kit (and all his money) stolen, made a report to the constable, who put two and two together and went out after the PCs.
Shortly after they made camp by the ravine which contained the Sunless Citadel, the group heard the sounds of horses. They hid and them ambushed the constable, three guards, and merchant when they arrived, killing them all. Then they went down into the ruins, where they've spent about a week and a half of game time adventuring. With the help of Meepo and the kobolds, they wiped out the resident Durbuluk goblin tribe.
What they didn't know however was that a contingent of the Durbuluks were away in the mines near Bellhold in the adjacent county, with the chief's son Akratt and Thrimdrul the goblin seer (psion).
I ran the second group of PCs through Of Sound Mind. They cleared the old mines and defeated most of the goblins but Thrimdrul escaped with the Dragonstone (a stone containing the partial psyche and much of the psionic powers of a dead dragon) and the surviving goblins. They returned to the their home in the Sunless Citadel to find the rest of their tribe wiped out. The first party was in the Dragonpriest's tomb area of the dungeon when the goblins came in so they never crossed paths.
So now, after staking out the old mines for a few days and wasting a couple more in Bellhold, the second party tracks the goblins overland to the Sunless Citadel (although they don't that's where they are).
Arriving at the ravine, the meet up with a group of five agents of the local baron, dispatched to track the murderous thieves after the constable and crew never returned. The group includes a new PC, and four NPCs: a knight, a bounty hunter, and two men-at-arms. (These NPCs arrived at the ravine after Thrimdrul and crew had already gone in).
The second group of PCs talks to this group, and being law abiding citizens, agrees to join forces with them and help capture the murders (the other PCs).
Now, I've left off with both groups on a cliffhanger as the first group scrambles up the rope out of the ravine as the NPC bounty hunter calls out "Hold! We have you covered."
So, my next session will start out with a battle between the two parties. Because of the NPCs allied with group 2, the first group is hopelessly outnumbered and will probably be destroyed if they're stupid enough to resist arrest.
So that's my dilemma. One side of me says to let the chips fall as they may. The first group was really stupid to start the game off by stealing from an innocent merchant and then kill the agents of the law when confronted. If they're smart enough to surrender and face justice, I probably work it so that instead of executing or imprisoning the party, they contract them to do complete a dangerous mission instead.
But there are some less than desirable results of doing this. First, both parties will continue to be seperated for quite a while. Also, the second party will end up going in to the Sunless Citadel after Thrimdrul and is likely to wrap up the first party's mission (defeating Belak the Outcast) while they're there.
My other option is to have a common enemy attack in the middle of the interparty battle, forcing both sides to join together against the common threat. This would likely be Thrimdrul and his goblins. The psionic horses also escaped Bellhold and following the Dragonstone's psionic broadcasts, have been wandering overland to this general area. Finally, the kobold allies of the first party could be a factor, either on their own (breaking the alliance) or because they're now under the domination of the Dragonstone as well.
Ideas, suggestions, comments welcome...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I'm looking for any suggestions or ideas on how to handle a PC party vs. PC party situation that came up in my campaign, but first a little background is in order.
I have two groups of four players each. My intent was to run each group through an adventure so everyone could get used to the rules (first 3e campaign) with less confusion. Then for the second and future adventures, I was planning on bring the two groups together into a large group of eight, if we could make it work.
I decided to run the first group through Sunless Citadel. Unfortunately, before even getting to the dungeon, the PCs got themselves into trouble. There's no cleric in the group, and the druid was a little worried about being the party's only healer, so he decided he needed a healer's kit. There was one for sale at the general store in Oakhurst. Unfortunately, even though between the four of them they had enough gold to buy it, they decided that they'd rather have the thief break into the place at night and steal it. Stupidly, the other three characters stood guard at the front door of the store right in the town square. The constable saw them, questioned them and they played it off that they were just wandering around drunk.
The next morning, the PCs left town, heading for the Citadel. Meanwhile, the shopkeeper found his healing kit (and all his money) stolen, made a report to the constable, who put two and two together and went out after the PCs.
Shortly after they made camp by the ravine which contained the Sunless Citadel, the group heard the sounds of horses. They hid and them ambushed the constable, three guards, and merchant when they arrived, killing them all. Then they went down into the ruins, where they've spent about a week and a half of game time adventuring. With the help of Meepo and the kobolds, they wiped out the resident Durbuluk goblin tribe.
What they didn't know however was that a contingent of the Durbuluks were away in the mines near Bellhold in the adjacent county, with the chief's son Akratt and Thrimdrul the goblin seer (psion).
I ran the second group of PCs through Of Sound Mind. They cleared the old mines and defeated most of the goblins but Thrimdrul escaped with the Dragonstone (a stone containing the partial psyche and much of the psionic powers of a dead dragon) and the surviving goblins. They returned to the their home in the Sunless Citadel to find the rest of their tribe wiped out. The first party was in the Dragonpriest's tomb area of the dungeon when the goblins came in so they never crossed paths.
So now, after staking out the old mines for a few days and wasting a couple more in Bellhold, the second party tracks the goblins overland to the Sunless Citadel (although they don't that's where they are).
Arriving at the ravine, the meet up with a group of five agents of the local baron, dispatched to track the murderous thieves after the constable and crew never returned. The group includes a new PC, and four NPCs: a knight, a bounty hunter, and two men-at-arms. (These NPCs arrived at the ravine after Thrimdrul and crew had already gone in).
The second group of PCs talks to this group, and being law abiding citizens, agrees to join forces with them and help capture the murders (the other PCs).
Now, I've left off with both groups on a cliffhanger as the first group scrambles up the rope out of the ravine as the NPC bounty hunter calls out "Hold! We have you covered."
So, my next session will start out with a battle between the two parties. Because of the NPCs allied with group 2, the first group is hopelessly outnumbered and will probably be destroyed if they're stupid enough to resist arrest.
So that's my dilemma. One side of me says to let the chips fall as they may. The first group was really stupid to start the game off by stealing from an innocent merchant and then kill the agents of the law when confronted. If they're smart enough to surrender and face justice, I probably work it so that instead of executing or imprisoning the party, they contract them to do complete a dangerous mission instead.
But there are some less than desirable results of doing this. First, both parties will continue to be seperated for quite a while. Also, the second party will end up going in to the Sunless Citadel after Thrimdrul and is likely to wrap up the first party's mission (defeating Belak the Outcast) while they're there.
My other option is to have a common enemy attack in the middle of the interparty battle, forcing both sides to join together against the common threat. This would likely be Thrimdrul and his goblins. The psionic horses also escaped Bellhold and following the Dragonstone's psionic broadcasts, have been wandering overland to this general area. Finally, the kobold allies of the first party could be a factor, either on their own (breaking the alliance) or because they're now under the domination of the Dragonstone as well.
Ideas, suggestions, comments welcome...
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