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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Az005" data-source="post: 5423065" data-attributes="member: 6667688">Hi Shadzar,A lot happens in campaigns I guess. Sorry I haven't included everything in my original description.I waver between looking back at the decisions they made because it forced innovation and a unique path through the module, and being angry at recent events.Anyways, answers.1 - The north portion of the Red Hand of Doom area is a stronghold of the invading Hobgoblin army. The plot hook indicated enemy activity in the area. So, no, the refugees were more or less to be guided to safety by their own NPC leaders. They would have gotten to this city, Brindol, far later on their own. The PCs essentially rushed them along.2 -Brindol was their intended destination, but they arrived early due to PC's direct escort.3- Spy for the invading army. Shapeshifter. Mind influencing spellcaster. She had engaged the party and fled on the road, only to turn up in the political map of Brindol later (I thought it would be a creative reuse of a villain). It is relevant because the party suspected any appearance-altering NPC was potentially her.4- The guards indicated they were ordered not to let them into the city. Higher ranking NPCs either cited problems letting them in (internal conflict), or for them to head further east to a city called Dennovar. Another week's travel. PCs were of course, outraged. Rightly so. But instead of asking for an audience one party member let loose a torrent of insults. Are NPCs supposed to just sit there and take it? The ranking NPC, Lars, decided to go in and ask whether the city council wanted to meet with them. This took time. During that time the PCs opted for the sneak-in attempt.I did ask-twice for the paladin's storm-the-castle entry because I wanted him to understand that the city would view him as a criminal element. I was prepared for that. 5- They encountered a higher ranking "Lion of Brindol". The plot hook is extremely weak. It tries to direct them north. Read the module if you're interested.6- Well. Some actions were party actions, and I didn't so much reprimand the party as explain what NPC reactions are when they choose certain options. I often asked for confirmation from the monk-paladin because he seemed to have the idea that I was obligated to paint all his PC actions in a favorable light -- not use the town wizard to oppose him or what have you. That was an option btw. The party mostly convinced him not to do it. I guess I was at the point of "I don't want them to die to the town guards and wizard, this guy lacks stealth". Better to have them die by the hand of their own decisions? Perhaps. Kill the town guards just for following the orders of their lords? Is that a thing a paladin/exalted group would do? An option, yes, but with Heavy penalties. I wanted him to understand that.As for reprimands... What they would call reprimands I would call a normal NPC reaction. What does a town guard say, objectively speaking, when you tell them they failed in their duty to singlehandedly hold back a hobgolin army. Or ride out 50km out of town to gather all farmers away from their cherished land to save their lives. Or any other number of contrived failings of a 1/4CR militia.When the party trashes a cathedral in the course of a battle which could have been avoided. When the cleric of the town is angry with them, is that a reprimand? Maybe I'm a little jeered at the same time. I mean, when you give players freedom you have to work a lot more in statting things, thinking about NPC reactions -- and when they act unpredictable it is very taxing. Its to the point where I have to plot out, "Well, what if they stuff a grenade down its trousers? What should be the decision tree after that? Let me think on that for an hour after work..."7- No, of course not. But I think your analogy may be a bit too far out to sea. Its certainly morally questionable -- enough to prompt PC action. But is it, reasonable? Someone comes to your lavish rich city and demands you allow 3500 displaced refugees in. The refugees have no food, no jobs, next to no money. They want food, water, shelter. There will be increased crime, no doubt. And, for what? Where's the real threat? Of course its a humanitarian crisis. Override these objections. But wait, what's that? If we do we'll lose a third of our combat strength? The hell?Its a mystery! This was designed to allow the PCs to feel a sense of justified moral outrage. Fight the man, in a sense.8- I guess it would not have hurt. It was a choice. I was trying to get creative. I'm getting the feeling that players need to have queues be very apparent, almost childishly so. Every time I try to create any kind of nuanced problem this kind of reaction crops up.See my answer to #6 with regards to some initial monk-paladin frustration.9- General heroics. Larger than life immersion. Exodus/protect the poor and defenseless.As for the town guard thing, I'm grimacing right now. I lack the proper emoticon to communicate that to you.The player convinced himself that the town guards were lifeless NPCs who were incompetent at their job and that his was the flawless renegade paladin hero. I'm not saying that storming the city, killing a platoon of CR4 guards and bashing the spider caster, Lady Kaal, both or all the ruling caste, wasn't an option. It was an option.But it was not an option for an exalted party. So I had to second guess him -- try to make him hesitate. Or? Well. Its going to be a very short campaign for these PCs.Can you imagine the amount of abuse I'd be on the receiving end, had I indicated the second he killed a town guard him -- and any who helped him-- instantly lost connection to Pelor? Sheesh.</blockquote>

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