(If you're part of my gaming group, please don't read this thread! It'll wreck the surprise!)
(I hope they're gone!)
OK, I'll assume they're not reading this. Here's the situation: I've recently taken over DMing duties for a long-running Forgotten Realms campaign. It's been a while since I ran the show, though I've been playing in this group for a couple years now.
Towards the end of the last session, the PCs were embroiled in trying to figure out a plan concerning a kidnapping. Some girls had been kidnapped from their village, and the PCs had tracked the kidnappers to a city. The PCs received a note with directions to turn over a map, in exchange for which the girls would be released. There was much debate over what to do, but ultimately (and, to be honest, surprisingly) they decided to follow the directions. Since they did so, the fight I was expecting didn't occur.
What *did* occur was this: the directions for the swap were to go to the temple of Waukeen (mercantile god) and exchange a code phrase with the cleric on duty. The cleric would respond with another phrase, the map would be handed over, and the girls would be returned outside the temple. After all that went down as requested by the villains, the PCs, led by a paladin (played by the previous DM), stormed the temple, captured the cleric, threatened him with violence, and demanded to see his superior. When they got to the superior, they grabbed him, and threatened him with torture (i.e., they were on the verge of breaking his fingers) unless he divulged the names of the clients who'd arranged all this.
The main participants in this fairly horrible questioning were the paladin and a LN fighter. They continued to terrorize the cleric, and ultimately he refused to tell them anything. A They never once bothered to ask politely; they immediately concluded the clerics were in collusion with the kidnappers, and kept shouting about how they (the PCs) were agents of the Lord's Alliance (which they are) and could do whatever the hell they wanted (this isn't their town, and they've shown NO ONE any credentials, nor have they bothered to inform the local watch about either the kidnapping or their status as agents). The only reason the party has to suspect the clerics of collusion is because the drop happened in their temple. It was frankly a bit disturbing, not least because it came from the ostensibly LG paladin.
An acolyte from the temple heard the commotion and fled, summoning the city watch. Watch men arrived on scene, and managed to break it up at least somewhat. The party wizard/cleric was able to talk calmly to the head cleric, who agreed to give him the information the PCs sought, once the whole breaking and entering/assault stuff was resolved. They were able to learn where the map was supposed to be placed for pick up (a strongbox rented from the temple by the villains), and put a nasty note with a sepia snake sigil on it there instead.
So, in this situation, what would you do? I don't want to come off as vindictive, but I can't let this kind of behavior go unremarked. Not so much from a "killer DM" standpoint, but from an in-game one. I really don't think the city watch, the clerics, or Waukeen would let this slide. I'd especially like advice concerning possible reactions from Waukeen -- Her cleric was assaulted and threatened, in Her temple, with very little provocation, by someone who is allegedly lawful good.
I think that covers everything, though I'll be happy to explain further if need be. To be honest, what I've described was absolutely not what I expected to happen AT ALL, and I didn't plan for it (which of course is par for the course when you're in the DM seat). Thanks in advance!
--Janta
(I hope they're gone!)
OK, I'll assume they're not reading this. Here's the situation: I've recently taken over DMing duties for a long-running Forgotten Realms campaign. It's been a while since I ran the show, though I've been playing in this group for a couple years now.
Towards the end of the last session, the PCs were embroiled in trying to figure out a plan concerning a kidnapping. Some girls had been kidnapped from their village, and the PCs had tracked the kidnappers to a city. The PCs received a note with directions to turn over a map, in exchange for which the girls would be released. There was much debate over what to do, but ultimately (and, to be honest, surprisingly) they decided to follow the directions. Since they did so, the fight I was expecting didn't occur.
What *did* occur was this: the directions for the swap were to go to the temple of Waukeen (mercantile god) and exchange a code phrase with the cleric on duty. The cleric would respond with another phrase, the map would be handed over, and the girls would be returned outside the temple. After all that went down as requested by the villains, the PCs, led by a paladin (played by the previous DM), stormed the temple, captured the cleric, threatened him with violence, and demanded to see his superior. When they got to the superior, they grabbed him, and threatened him with torture (i.e., they were on the verge of breaking his fingers) unless he divulged the names of the clients who'd arranged all this.
The main participants in this fairly horrible questioning were the paladin and a LN fighter. They continued to terrorize the cleric, and ultimately he refused to tell them anything. A They never once bothered to ask politely; they immediately concluded the clerics were in collusion with the kidnappers, and kept shouting about how they (the PCs) were agents of the Lord's Alliance (which they are) and could do whatever the hell they wanted (this isn't their town, and they've shown NO ONE any credentials, nor have they bothered to inform the local watch about either the kidnapping or their status as agents). The only reason the party has to suspect the clerics of collusion is because the drop happened in their temple. It was frankly a bit disturbing, not least because it came from the ostensibly LG paladin.
An acolyte from the temple heard the commotion and fled, summoning the city watch. Watch men arrived on scene, and managed to break it up at least somewhat. The party wizard/cleric was able to talk calmly to the head cleric, who agreed to give him the information the PCs sought, once the whole breaking and entering/assault stuff was resolved. They were able to learn where the map was supposed to be placed for pick up (a strongbox rented from the temple by the villains), and put a nasty note with a sepia snake sigil on it there instead.
So, in this situation, what would you do? I don't want to come off as vindictive, but I can't let this kind of behavior go unremarked. Not so much from a "killer DM" standpoint, but from an in-game one. I really don't think the city watch, the clerics, or Waukeen would let this slide. I'd especially like advice concerning possible reactions from Waukeen -- Her cleric was assaulted and threatened, in Her temple, with very little provocation, by someone who is allegedly lawful good.
I think that covers everything, though I'll be happy to explain further if need be. To be honest, what I've described was absolutely not what I expected to happen AT ALL, and I didn't plan for it (which of course is par for the course when you're in the DM seat). Thanks in advance!
--Janta
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