D&D 5E Help Me Plan My Next Move (Princes of the Apocalypse Spoilers)

Hi all,

I wanted to get some advice as to how I should react/plan for the next session or two considering some of the things that went down in my last game session.

At this point, the party of 3 (a Gnome Paladin, a Gnome Rogue and a Half-Orc Fighter - all Level 3) are guests in the Feathergale Society Spire. They were flown there by 3 knights who the party had encountered as they were fighting off some Earth Cultists. They were welcomed in and Thurl Merosska even had one of the clerics (an air cult initiate) bring the Gnome Rogue back to life using a revivify spell. The party nearly TPKd trying to fight a fleeing Earth Cultist that rode a burrowing Bullette while the 3 Feathergale Knights just waited for them outside the tunnel.

After the Gnome was revivified, I had the cleric speak with the Gnome Rogue in private to insinuate that Yan-C-Bin was responsible for bringing him back to life, and the Gnome should think about praying to the great air god. During a manticore hunt, the Gnome actually did pray to Yan-C-Bin. The Half-Orc ended up killing the manticore and chopping off it's head for a prize. He was rewarded by Thurl Merosska.

Then, while everyone was preparing for a big feast, the Half-Orc, called out the 3 Feathergale Knights as cowards for not following the party into the tunnel the day before. Thurl gave them permission to fight with clubs, non-lethally, on top of the spire. At first it was the 3 Knights against the Half-Orc, but after a little while, one Knight told the others that he'd fight alone. (He basically saw that 3 vs. 1 was unfair). Well, the Half-Orc eventually scored a crit and started winning the bout so the Knight gave him his hand and surrendered. The Half-Orc didn't accept and smashed the knight in the face, knocking him unconscious. The other knights muttered something like..."Let's see what The Lord Commander thinks about these guys, especially the Half-Orc."

Well, I had planned to keep the Knights as non-combatants who were misguided by the Air Cultists. They were originally going to try to get the party to go after the Earth Cultists. Now, I'm thinking that at least those three Knights might want to teach the Half-Orc a lesson.

What are some ways you think the knights, the cleric that revivified the Gnome, and Thurl Merosska will react at the feast and after the feast?

Thurl is willing servant of Yan-C-Bin but the rest of the Knights are pointed out as largely being brainwashed. (This is only fixable by closing the air node however)

Anyway I would have the two Knights who saw their comrade get brutalized after he gave up kidnap the Orc in the middle of the Knight and try and throw him off the tower. Via binding him in his sleep, once they get him near the edge they would tell him why he is being thrown off the tower. This will give him several opportunity to escape or break his bonds.

Note this only works if Thurl offers them a room for the night.

MonsterEnvy said:

Thurl is willing servant of Yan-C-Bin but the rest of the Knights are pointed out as largely being brainwashed. (This is only fixable by closing the air node however)

Anyway I would have the two Knights who saw their comrade get brutalized after he gave up kidnap the Orc in the middle of the Knight and try and throw him off the tower. Via binding him in his sleep, once they get him near the edge they would tell him why he is being thrown off the tower. This will give him several opportunity to escape or break his bonds.

Note this only works if Thurl offers them a room for the night.

Click to expand...

I'd have Thurl take the Gnome Rogue aside first and invite him to join the glorious followers of Yan-C-Bin, where he will eventually gain great power and the freedom to satisfy his every urge.

If the half orc is captured then the gnome will be given the opportunity to prove his loyalty...

Thanks. Both options are great food for thought.

Have Thurl make the unpopular decision of celebrating the Half Orcs ferocity and how his drive and zeal in battle is exactly what is needed to thwart this evil cult of earth. Then give them a quest to die. If they come back victors, meroska can claim he was right, praise Yan C. If they die, they die. If a few survive, then he can make claims about his gods will, but how they are exalted in the plane of air...OR THE SOULS OF THEIR FRIENDS ARE BEING HELD BY THE FIRE PEOPLE

[MENTION=6706188]MonsterEnvy[/MENTION], [MENTION=60100]Rabbitbait[/MENTION], and [MENTION=6801323]Marcelus14[/MENTION] - We may play tonight so I think I'll use a little bit from all of you.

I'll have the feast scene all seem well and good. Perhaps the PCs will notice some of the knights looking at them strangely (but only if they tell me they are looking for it). Thurl will talk up the evil of the Earth Cult and encourage the group to investigate, but he'll also invite them to stay the night to rest and begin their adventure in the morning.

That night, I'll have the Three Knights along with Barister (the cleric who is an Air Cultist), sneak into their room to capture them and bring them to the Pinnacle. Up there, Thurl Merosska and some other Knights and Initiates will hold a sort of trial. If someone in the party speaks well (and persuades) Thurl, he will commend the Half-Orc and tell the others in his society that it is that type of "ferociousness" that he and the others should develop in order to wipe out the Earth, Fire and Water cults. (This will be the first time the party will actually hear about all of the cults so openly). If the party fails to persuade, Thurl Merosska will conduct a ritual to Yan-C-Bin and the Three Knights will be able to push the heroes off the edge of the tower. (I'll have some Aarakocra fly by to rescue the falling heroes though...and they will take them to their camp where they will tell about the evil that has influenced even the Feathergale Society).

When the foes sneak into the party's room, I'll probably have the Cleric cast hold person on the Half-Orc and the Gnome Paladin (3rd level slot), then they'll bind him. Then, he may speak with the Gnome rogue to get him on his side. If so, they can all walk up to the tower. The rogue doesn't play nice, more hold person and binding. I guess I'll give each PC a perception check to hear the whispered spell. If they can hold and bind them all, great. Up to the tower. If the encounter becomes a big old fight, I suppose they will fight to render all of the PCs unconscious.

Here's a question: What DC should I make the perception check and since they most likely will be sleeping, should their attempts be made at disadvantage?

If the party overcomes the Knights and the cleric, then, the entire Spire will be mobilized against them...perhaps another wave. If that's the case, when they do finally get apprehended, Thurl Merosska will not give them a choice. He'll just push them off the tower himself.

What do you think? Thanks again.

We'll be playing next Saturday so I still have a week to decide. I'm pretty sure I'll plan for the above and see what happens.

I would say yes, disadvantage, unless they have the Alert feat (I like to add fringe benefits for choosing a feat over just straight bonus, but I know that isn't the popular choice). I Would make the DC 10+the cleric's stealth to make it easy. That sort of in between I imagine between 10 and 15.

One idea you may want to consider is crafting a really miniature "See how the other half lives" scenario. At times, when I see a particularly cinematic moment (like the villain sneaking into the pc's room) I will choose a player at random and have them play the villain instead. So rather than having it be the sleeping PCs actively trying to hear something, provide one player with some basic stats you think they'd need as said cleric, dont necessarily say who it is, and run a mini skill challenge scenario of the cleric (or maybe strike force) sent to apprehend the party. Done right, the players may not realize they are working against themselves until the door is thrown open. It would take some time to word it and craft the scene without giving away crucial details for the surprise, but it would provide the opportunity to give out some behind the scenes information.

I have done it a few times myself in "Meanwhile, in a secret meeting room across the nation" type situation, where each player played a major villain arguing over how to deal with the heroes who stood against them. It was really fun to watch them assist with bringing the villains alive.

Marcelus14 said:

I would say yes, disadvantage, unless they have the Alert feat (I like to add fringe benefits for choosing a feat over just straight bonus, but I know that isn't the popular choice). I Would make the DC 10+the cleric's stealth to make it easy. That sort of in between I imagine between 10 and 15.

One idea you may want to consider is crafting a really miniature "See how the other half lives" scenario. At times, when I see a particularly cinematic moment (like the villain sneaking into the pc's room) I will choose a player at random and have them play the villain instead. So rather than having it be the sleeping PCs actively trying to hear something, provide one player with some basic stats you think they'd need as said cleric, dont necessarily say who it is, and run a mini skill challenge scenario of the cleric (or maybe strike force) sent to apprehend the party. Done right, the players may not realize they are working against themselves until the door is thrown open. It would take some time to word it and craft the scene without giving away crucial details for the surprise, but it would provide the opportunity to give out some behind the scenes information.

I have done it a few times myself in "Meanwhile, in a secret meeting room across the nation" type situation, where each player played a major villain arguing over how to deal with the heroes who stood against them. It was really fun to watch them assist with bringing the villains alive.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Marcelus14. Very interesting.

Cheers.