Help me understand Kurychek

Truename · Jan 7, 2010

Spoilers ahead.

I'm prepping The Scouring of Gates Pass, and one thing's confusing me: Kurychek. He's described somewhat similarly to Kazyk of Adventure Two, in that he has orders to recover the case, but he doesn't really seem to go anywhere. He has a cameo as a raven and a rat outside the Eladrin Ghetto Hideout (Act II, Scene 8), and then helps the PCs if they need it, but it seems like there's nothing further. With the number of clues given the trap, it doesn't seem like Kurychek would ever reveal himself.

(Later...) Okay, I've read the scene more carefully, and it looks like Kurychek follows the PCs to the hideout, which explains why he doesn't just go through the secret door on his own, and that he reveals himself if the PCs figure out the trap on their own. Then, if the PCs reject his offer, he's forced to attack by his pact and is presumably killed.

All right, I think I know how to play this--Kurychek wants the case and will shadow the PCs starting with the Hideout scene, making their lives miserable, until they make a bargain or kill him. He's outgunned, so I don't think I'll have him attack them at all, but he also can't give up because of his pact. Am I reading it right?

EugeneZ · Jan 8, 2010

You've got it.

I hated the fact that Kurychek and Kazyk were nearly identical, I think I started a thread about it some time back. So I ended up combining the two. If you'd like to try the same, here's what I suggest: Have Kurychek attempt to negotiate with the PCs. If they are suspicious and unwilling to give up the case, which is likely, then have him try and wrestle the case away from them. He's extremely likely to not be able to do this, so have him try and escape -- I had him fly up the chimney, unharmed thanks to his fire resistance.

Provide a few more hints that he's tailing the PCs on their trek towards the forest. Then simply transform him into a more powerful being as the flames in Innenotdar empower him. With his new-found strength, he gives the PCs one more chance -- follow Kazyk's scripts from that point on.

Truename · Jan 8, 2010

EugeneZ said:
Provide a few more hints that he's tailing the PCs on their trek towards the forest. Then simply transform him into a more powerful being as the flames in Innenotdar empower him. With his new-found strength, he gives the PCs one more chance -- follow Kazyk's scripts from that point on.

I like this idea, although I also like sending the message that the Inquisitors are so comfortable using devil "servants" that they sent a more powerful one when the first failed. I also like the idea of Kurychek becoming an ongoing nuisance that's constantly following the PCs around, threatening to reveal them to the guards, and so forth, and then turning into a bigger threat.

I'll keep both ideas in my back pocket and use whichever one ends up fitting best.

Daern · Jan 8, 2010

Here's what I did: I figured Kurychek was serving as a message courier between Kathor and the Black Horse and reporting to Guthwulf. I mentioned the raven flying away in the first fight. Then I continued to make mention of ravens and rats throughout the investigation phase, until the players were well aware of some sort of surveillance. It all came to a head during the encounter with the elf spies when the imp made a play for the box, but got cut down by our barbarian. The party is aware of "Guthwulf" as the master of that imp, so I think the next, more powerful devil will promote some continuity.

Kaisoku · Jan 9, 2010

I am running a group through War of the Burning sky now, and here's how I handled the imp.

All the characters failed their checks for noticing the raven tailing them, however they did notice the rat near the entrance to the secret door (and didn't think anything out of the ordinary at first).

Since the party took a lot of knowledge skills and languages, they were able to get into the hideout without Kurycheck's help.

Half the party snuck in to engage the elves directly, while the other half waited and then took on the badgers. The last character closed the door behind him, and I improvised a check to see the rat follow them in (which he succeeded, and found weird but there were more pressing concerns at the time).

I placed the case inside a chest, so when the players opened the chest, they found the imp, no longer a rat, sitting inside about to grab the case.
Initiative rolled later, the Imp had the chance to either spend an action to pick up the case or go invisible (instead of both, which would have put the group in a bad position).

One player managed to get to the case before the invisible imp, and the others started wailing on where they last saw him. After a couple attempts of head on confrontation, the imp flew far enough out of sight to go invisible.

Once the group calmed down and one player took 20 to open the case's lock, Kurycheck came back (invisible) and offered his proposal (give me the case, that's all I was asked to retrieve, and I won't tail you and attack at the worst possible time, or poison you in your sleep, etc).
Sense motive checks and knowledge (planes) checks later, the group decides to do the deal, and even get a little info on what the contents were about after a successful Diplomacy (he has infernal, but no decipher script, so it's limited info).

What I like about doing it this way, is that it introduces the "dealing with the enemies" right after the "celestials can be bad guys too?" story points, all right in Adventure I.
Combine it with the first combat including people trying to subdue them instead of kill them, and it's really nailed the Intrigue and Morality elements of the campaign.
For players that are usually "kick in the door" style of gaming, it's been great for setting the tone of the campaign. There's talk of actually picking up additional knowledge skills and languages! That like... never happens!, HA!

As for Adventure 2, I'm planning on having the Bearded Devil being a "find out who killed Boreus and a 'no more nonsense' hand over the case's contents" type of encounter. If the players are clever enough, I might allow some kind of deal to be made... perhaps it'll be an issue of "when" they will hand over the contents (since one player has already started copying the information down, and plans on learning Infernal next level).

Daern · Jan 10, 2010

Kaisoku said:
As for Adventure 2, I'm planning on having the Bearded Devil being a "find out who killed Boreus and a 'no more nonsense' hand over the case's contents" type of encounter. If the players are clever enough, I might allow some kind of deal to be made...

I like this. I think I'll run with it as well. Good stuff.