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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 5398497" data-attributes="member: 4937">On the good side, railroading the players through the assassination plot line is about the only way that they could reasonably accomplish it.   On the bad side, this party is screwed, which is the natural result of messing around in politics while they are still 3rd level and not yet capable of controlling their own destiny.  Or arguably, it's the natural result of trying to be the bad guy without realizing that bad guys eat other smaller bad guys the way big fish eat little ones.  The plot line they are on is of their own making, but they are increasingly in over their heads and a happy ending to the affair is increasingly unlikely.  Sooner rather than later, you are looking at a TPK.  The fact that you've saved them from a likely TPK at least once already hasn't really changed that.Right now, if the Drow King has any hope of the plan working, he's going to have to give it a push.  The PC's aren't going to be able to plan this.  Since he's already shown a mastery of subtle poisons, I suggest you start there.  Provide the PC's with some assassination device(s), like something that releases a cloud of poisonous gas, or a device that one time only summons up a bunch of shadows/wraiths or the like.  Don't tell them that its in all likelihood a suicide device - let them figure that out on their own.Assuming a fairly low level campaign, Princes are going to have the following in their security perimeter:1) Guards - A few score minimum, equipped with the best mundane equipment, the best horses, etc.  I'd make the general assumption of 2nd - 4th level, at least some of them being rogues or rangers (urban rangers) with excellent spot/listen skills.   Most will be highly visible.   A few will be 'plain clothes' to avoid being observed.   Most sadly will be roughly as compotent as the PC's, though with out the elite stat-array and certain other advantages.2) Dogs - In any society where invisibility is known, countermeasures will be deployed reutinely.  The prince will be surrounded at all times by several dog handlers who are trained to deal with invisible threats specificly, and whose dogs bark when they smell something they cannot see (which most dogs will do anyway quite naturally).  Access to the prince will if possible pass through double gaurded doors, much like a airlocks, which are opened one at a time, and only after the gaurds have 'swept' the area.  Certainly the inner areas of the palace will be designed like this.  More powerful kings will train (or charm) and use more powerful creatures with scent or magical detection abilities.3) Secure Points - In addition to being surounded by the reutine castle defenses like gaurd towers, high walls, heavy doors, and arrow slits, the Prince's living and work chambers will be certainly made of brick mortared with blood, paneled with hidden lead sheets and leather coverings so as to thwart many forms of scrying, divination, and magical transport.  Where possible, they will be consecrated or hallowed by the local priesthood and appropriate spells of protection laid.   Whatever arcane protection that is affordable will likewise be used, including defenses against teleportation if the Prince has access to such powerful magic.  Some basics might include: Alarm, Arcane Lock, Circle of Protection, Dimensional Lock, Faithful Hound,  Private Sanctum, Nondetection, Obscure Object, Zone of Silence, or Zone of Truth depending on the level of wealth and power involved.  Other similar spells useful for protecting a castle but not as useful for adventurers on the move may exist.  Some examples:Permenent until discharged 'Alarm': This could be a 2nd level spell, and while you couldn't defend trafficed corridors with it, its an effective countermeasure in ventilation, pipes, and sewers. 'Magic Mouth' with 'see invisibility' feature, triggered to go off when an invisible creature comes in range: Probably 3rd level, and is an excellent counter measure for internal intersections and large halls where you can station sentries but doors aren't practical.'Glitterdust' with 'permenent until discharged' duration: This would be about 4th level, and is an excellect countermeasure at large entry points where at least some of the gaurds are shielded behind fighting positions. Can also be combined with any of the above to summon additional help, so a castle which has a 7th level mage dedicated to its defense (which even most 'grim and gritty' sorts of campaigns usually won't balk at too much) can still make a major hastle without spending alot of XP.'Arcane Lock' with specified trigger: At 3rd level you could have an improved arcane lock, where the pass trigger can be specified by the caster to be something other than 'self'. For example, the tigger might be, "Pass only humans wearing this uniform and holy symbol, and who speak the word XYZZY". This provides excellent access control while still allowing freedom of movement for the inhabitants.Faithful Hound: Available at 5th level, but doesn't have the 'cast it and forget about it' feature that so important in a defensive spell. High level characters might have this spell available (probably on scrolls) to guard leaders, wells, and other critical points of the defence. Also, at 9th level and higher, you can start making at least some of the above effects permenent, which has a high up front cost but means you don't generally have to replace the spell once it is triggered.Mechanical traps can also be used in areas that aren't expected to see human traffic, or to protect special escape routes.4) Contingency Planning - The prince will certainly keep about or near his person a potion of curing critical wounds, and generic antidotes that are efficious against most sorts of poisons.  He will have such defensive magical protection as can be devised by the kingdom, such as rings or other items that provide bonuses to AC or saving throws.  He will have at least one emergency means of escape, if even nothing more exotic than a potion of gaseous form or expiditous retreat, and some secure position he can retreat to.   Whatever long duration spells of protection that a PC might use, will be offered to and always cast on the prince.  At the very least, any successful kingdom will have long ago figured out a way to keep 'Protection from Evil' up on their lords at all time to protect them from magical possession by fiends.  He will have the aid of a nearby personal physician, possibly a cleric, at all times to treat wounds and injuries.5) Bodyguards and Elite Gaurds: The prince will have at least one high level specialist dedicated to his protection at all times.  This will be a character of at least 5th or 6th level (higher in a bigger kingdom), and generally as compotent as a PC.  He will have such magical gear is as typical for an NPC of his level.  This is the last line of defense, and is designed to thwart attack from things that might otherwise be difficult for gaurds to deal with - spellcasters or magical monsters for example.  Kingdoms will also do their best to engage impressive gaurds that can deal with substantial leveled characters.  If these aren't high level characters themselves, they are likely to be such things as ogres, hill giants, zombies, tamed griffins, hound archons on loan from the nation's patron diety, minotaurs, djinni, etc. as suits the culture and resources of the kingdom.  If this seems excessive, understand that I think this is the absolute minimally reasonable protections royalty would have.  You can't think about this in terms of whether it is sufficient to protect against the PC's.   Royalty has to be able to at least minimally and creditably deter the sort of threats that you eventually see in your games end game - the sort of foes you eventually expected the PC's to have.   Otherwise, why wouldn't they just waltz right in and do the job themselves?</blockquote>

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