City Capture

[SparqMan]

The heroic tier in my campaign is likely to end with the PCs liberating a city held under the iron rule of a Vampiric BBEG. They've got a few 4 levels or so before that climax, but I'd like for it to feel like they've been building towards it, rather than just the last few enounters of Heroic.

The campaign has also been very combat focused thus far, but the players have started to come out of their RP shells, so I think there is some place for intrigue and roleplaying...although my experience in creating those opportunities are slim.

It's not something that just 3 PCs can do alone, but I also don't want it to be something that an NPC needs to plan and they execute. I want this to be their eventual victory.

Some possible paths, which could occur simultaneously:
1) Finding local resistance groups and earning their trust
2) Eliminating some of the BBEG's local lieutenants
3) Avoiding the undead authorities and their goons
4) Recon of guard patrols, necessary strong points

Has anyone run adventures like this? Suggestions or ideas?

 

[zoggynog]

Are you ready for the possibility of them being bitten?

I stumbled across this enworld thread a while ago...

http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan...540-d-d-4th-edition-paragon-path-vampire.html

Would be an interesting way to paragon path for your more unfortunate party member.

 

[On Puget Sound]

My players had to mount an assault on a drakkoth city and burn an invasion fleet before it could set sail. Adventures leading up to the attack involved gaining the assistance of various forces, including the return of some people they had helped in their early levels. They beat goliaths at goatball to win their respect, flew over enemy territory to meet with halfling merchants to get some financing for the invasion, met with leaders of the kobold slaves and persuaded them to help with sabotage, and called in all their favors (and in the case of the barbarian, a few dozen clansmen).

I made up some quick and dirty war rules and gave each of them a unit or two (100 troops) to command during the night assault.

The gnome bard flew in on his wyvern and dropped firepots in the wealthy district, then scored a natural 20 to set a fire in the tannery district, causing a big distraction, so when they hit the gate there were only about 200 troops in the area. They were able to accomplish their mission and actually stole several warships to make their getaway.

 

[Riastlin]

My PCs will be doing something similar soon as well. In their case they will be liberating a city that was captured, so I am definitely interested in hearing other people's thoughts on how something like this could/should play out.

In my case, there will be a couple of things going on. One, obviously, is that they will want to liberate the city and will be working with the local resistance to that end. Another is that assuming the fight for the city goes well, many of the enemy will attempt to flee in their ships, giving rise to a potential chase and/or naval battle. Finally, the PCs also will likely need to access a particular chamber in the temple in order to get to a portal to Sigil.

I'm hoping to combine combat with Skill Challenge(s) to show the PCs moving through the city. They'll have the option of either participating in the fight in general directly, or trying to use the attack as a diversion to let them get to their real goal of the portal. Any liberation attempt though should make ample use of minions and fluid combat encounters. Short rests even should be difficult if the PCs don't hole up somewhere, and reinforcements should often arrive from all sides mid-combat, more or less forcing the PCs to move as well rather than remain in a static formation. A final wrinkle could also have the withdrawing forces setting fire to the city in an attempt to delay the pursuing resistance/PCs, again giving the PCs the difficult choice of pursuing, or saving parts of the city and its people.