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SotS's War of the Burning Sky campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="StreamOfTheSky" data-source="post: 7337494" data-attributes="member: 35909"><p><strong>Plans for Chapter 5 / Pilus Confrontation</strong></p><p></p><p>Now, for something I'm sure you care less about than loot. Pilus was 20th level all along, ever since you first met him (I did warn you picking fights w/ random NPC leaders might be a bad idea). Back in Eresh, you were level 10 or 11 (I forget if you leveled before or after meeting the brothers in the monastery, I think after). Obviously, fighting him would probably mean death. But also obviously, he was shady and you had plenty of reasons to want to fight him. The campaign says that if the party attacks, he merely glances to Longinus for help, gets a cold reply, and teleports away because the risk of a random lucky crit killing him isn't worth it and is just like...mad at you.</p><p>I thought that was a bit underwhelming and lame for the finale of the chapter, so I came up w/ my own plan of action if you happened to pick a fight w/ Pilus. Below is how I described it in a PM to another guy running WotBS for him to use if his party attacked:</p><p></p><p>[sblock]I had planned out a sequence of what would happen if the party tried to attack him. On his initiative, He'd glance to his brother, who would shrug or look away, and then expressing dismay, he'd do the following:</p><p>Pilus: Sonorous Hum (pre-cast) → Time Stop → Summon (Earth) Elemental Monolith (C.Arcane p. 156) → Mind Blank (on Monolith) → Lesser Telepathic Bond (scroll) → Teleport (to Tempest, where Paradim also fled after his fight with the party)</p><p></p><p>Before leaving, in Terran he'd order the monolith to destroy the party and let nothing get in its way, but it was not to harm Longinus. Now, this is a CR 17 encounter (see other PM). Which is still less hard than fighting Pilus, who wisely realizes one nat 20 and even the mightiest could fall, so why risk it?</p><p></p><p>However, the point of this wasn't even the encounter itself, which I did not expect the party to be able to win (but there's a chance). It's more about how they handle it. Pilus is trying to show Longinus he's wrong about these people (which in turn, since they were calling him some sort of monster, makes him look better since they're wrong). <strong>He isn't concerned with the party, he's concerned about his brother turning against him.</strong> Both because he's a greater threat and because, despite being evil...he still cares about his brother and doesn't want to come into conflict with him.</p><p>To Longinus, he sees this as a good way to gauge the character of the party. He chooses to stay out of the fight (aside from his readied action, see below), and if any PCs ask/demand for his help, he would have calmly replied, "Do you make it a habit to provoke far stronger enemies and then immediately scurry to others beseeching their help?" -- a rather caustic, "hits close to home" observation about the entire Seaquen declaring opposition to mighty Ragesia and then desperately seeking out allies setup of the entire campaign. If they kept asking, he'd simply say it is their fight, they asked for it, they must deal with it.</p><p></p><p>So, anyway, there were three basic outcomes I saw happening:</p><p></p><p>1) The party wins and proves their valor. Longinus is impressed with them and helps them wholeheartedly.</p><p></p><p>2) The party realizes it will lose, but stand and fight anyway, not wanting to cause destruction and death of bystanders as it chases after them. As it's about to kill someone, Longinus takes his readied action -- a Banishment spell (with Practiced Spellcaster, I made sure he had enough CL to affect the monolith's HD), as he points out the dozens of air-element religious symbols all over the room that are anathema to the earth elemental, making for an impossible save DC. He states his view that his brother never intended to kill anyone, and that's why he chose an earth elemental, knowing Longinus could banish it at any time. But rather prove to Longinus that the party are cowardly and untrustworthy. They've valiantly proven otherwise, willing to die to protect innocents. Longinus is impressed with them and helps them wholeheartedly.</p><p></p><p>3) The party realizes it will lose, and decide to RUN AWAY. Longinus shouts that it will kill any in its path trying to pursue them (last chance to change their minds). If they don't care or say it's Longinus's problem, I carry out the running battle another few rounds with monks around as the party flees, before letting them escape as Longinus shouts for the monks to try and force it back to the meeting chamber so it can be contained without causing more damage.</p><p>The next morning (or before they leave Eresh), a messenger brings them the orb and a letter from Longinus. The messenger says Longinus requested the party give it to Simeon when they returned to Seaquen, but does not mind if they read it before that.</p><p>In the letter, addressed to Simeon, Longinus writes that ultimately the party seemed like the lesser evil than the Ragesians so he begrudgingly chose to aid them. However, they are not people who should be trusted with such critical tasks, and detailing how they recklessly endangered the monastery and demonstrated a lack of care for any but themselves. It closes with a warning to Simeon to tread carefully around the party, and that he suspects if threatened sufficiently, they'd readily betray Seaquen.</p><p>Unbeknownst to the party, Longinus sends an identical letter by carrier pigeon to Simeon. The only difference is a header explaining to Simeon about the other letter and asking him to inquire if they have anything for him (without directly asking about the letter or the monks, etc...). If they are honest and present an undoctored letter to Simeon, Longinus retracts his condemnations and will admit he judged the party prematurely. However, if they don't, it adds weight to his charges.</p><p></p><p>2 and 3 are obviously the most interesting scenarios and I was hoping for either of them. But....they just struck a deal w/ the devil and made all my plans moot. [/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="StreamOfTheSky, post: 7337494, member: 35909"] [b]Plans for Chapter 5 / Pilus Confrontation[/b] Now, for something I'm sure you care less about than loot. Pilus was 20th level all along, ever since you first met him (I did warn you picking fights w/ random NPC leaders might be a bad idea). Back in Eresh, you were level 10 or 11 (I forget if you leveled before or after meeting the brothers in the monastery, I think after). Obviously, fighting him would probably mean death. But also obviously, he was shady and you had plenty of reasons to want to fight him. The campaign says that if the party attacks, he merely glances to Longinus for help, gets a cold reply, and teleports away because the risk of a random lucky crit killing him isn't worth it and is just like...mad at you. I thought that was a bit underwhelming and lame for the finale of the chapter, so I came up w/ my own plan of action if you happened to pick a fight w/ Pilus. Below is how I described it in a PM to another guy running WotBS for him to use if his party attacked: [sblock]I had planned out a sequence of what would happen if the party tried to attack him. On his initiative, He'd glance to his brother, who would shrug or look away, and then expressing dismay, he'd do the following: Pilus: Sonorous Hum (pre-cast) → Time Stop → Summon (Earth) Elemental Monolith (C.Arcane p. 156) → Mind Blank (on Monolith) → Lesser Telepathic Bond (scroll) → Teleport (to Tempest, where Paradim also fled after his fight with the party) Before leaving, in Terran he'd order the monolith to destroy the party and let nothing get in its way, but it was not to harm Longinus. Now, this is a CR 17 encounter (see other PM). Which is still less hard than fighting Pilus, who wisely realizes one nat 20 and even the mightiest could fall, so why risk it? However, the point of this wasn't even the encounter itself, which I did not expect the party to be able to win (but there's a chance). It's more about how they handle it. Pilus is trying to show Longinus he's wrong about these people (which in turn, since they were calling him some sort of monster, makes him look better since they're wrong). [b]He isn't concerned with the party, he's concerned about his brother turning against him.[/b] Both because he's a greater threat and because, despite being evil...he still cares about his brother and doesn't want to come into conflict with him. To Longinus, he sees this as a good way to gauge the character of the party. He chooses to stay out of the fight (aside from his readied action, see below), and if any PCs ask/demand for his help, he would have calmly replied, "Do you make it a habit to provoke far stronger enemies and then immediately scurry to others beseeching their help?" -- a rather caustic, "hits close to home" observation about the entire Seaquen declaring opposition to mighty Ragesia and then desperately seeking out allies setup of the entire campaign. If they kept asking, he'd simply say it is their fight, they asked for it, they must deal with it. So, anyway, there were three basic outcomes I saw happening: 1) The party wins and proves their valor. Longinus is impressed with them and helps them wholeheartedly. 2) The party realizes it will lose, but stand and fight anyway, not wanting to cause destruction and death of bystanders as it chases after them. As it's about to kill someone, Longinus takes his readied action -- a Banishment spell (with Practiced Spellcaster, I made sure he had enough CL to affect the monolith's HD), as he points out the dozens of air-element religious symbols all over the room that are anathema to the earth elemental, making for an impossible save DC. He states his view that his brother never intended to kill anyone, and that's why he chose an earth elemental, knowing Longinus could banish it at any time. But rather prove to Longinus that the party are cowardly and untrustworthy. They've valiantly proven otherwise, willing to die to protect innocents. Longinus is impressed with them and helps them wholeheartedly. 3) The party realizes it will lose, and decide to RUN AWAY. Longinus shouts that it will kill any in its path trying to pursue them (last chance to change their minds). If they don't care or say it's Longinus's problem, I carry out the running battle another few rounds with monks around as the party flees, before letting them escape as Longinus shouts for the monks to try and force it back to the meeting chamber so it can be contained without causing more damage. The next morning (or before they leave Eresh), a messenger brings them the orb and a letter from Longinus. The messenger says Longinus requested the party give it to Simeon when they returned to Seaquen, but does not mind if they read it before that. In the letter, addressed to Simeon, Longinus writes that ultimately the party seemed like the lesser evil than the Ragesians so he begrudgingly chose to aid them. However, they are not people who should be trusted with such critical tasks, and detailing how they recklessly endangered the monastery and demonstrated a lack of care for any but themselves. It closes with a warning to Simeon to tread carefully around the party, and that he suspects if threatened sufficiently, they'd readily betray Seaquen. Unbeknownst to the party, Longinus sends an identical letter by carrier pigeon to Simeon. The only difference is a header explaining to Simeon about the other letter and asking him to inquire if they have anything for him (without directly asking about the letter or the monks, etc...). If they are honest and present an undoctored letter to Simeon, Longinus retracts his condemnations and will admit he judged the party prematurely. However, if they don't, it adds weight to his charges. 2 and 3 are obviously the most interesting scenarios and I was hoping for either of them. But....they just struck a deal w/ the devil and made all my plans moot. [/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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