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<blockquote data-quote="maddman75" data-source="post: 2355093" data-attributes="member: 2673">Check out the bolded portion above, there's your answer.Also, you seem to talk as if combat is a foregone conclusion.&nbsp; I'd have the commander of this force challenge the PCs and demand they hand over the McGuffin.&nbsp; I'd try to come up with a high stakes standoff myself.&nbsp; When the PCs return to the boat, the captain and the spearmen wait to meet them.&nbsp; Off to one side under some cover the archers are ready as well.&nbsp; The clerics are ready with some oil flasks and some type of fire magic.&nbsp; The captain threatens to burn their ship if they don't hand over the items!&nbsp; Players take it so much more personally when you go after their stuff.&nbsp; Hack at them all you want and its all in good fun - threaten to burn their boat and they'll be screaming for the captain's blood.Now they have some choices.&nbsp; They can hand over the items, and presuming they can't go without them, they follow the NPCs to take them back later.&nbsp; They can fight, but they'll have to figure out a way to stop the clerics from lighting the boat, or a way to put it out afterward.&nbsp; Heck, they might do something totally unexpected, like hand over the items and offer to join the captain's band!That's what I'd do anyway.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="maddman75, post: 2355093, member: 2673"] Check out the bolded portion above, there's your answer. Also, you seem to talk as if combat is a foregone conclusion. I'd have the commander of this force challenge the PCs and demand they hand over the McGuffin. I'd try to come up with a high stakes standoff myself. When the PCs return to the boat, the captain and the spearmen wait to meet them. Off to one side under some cover the archers are ready as well. The clerics are ready with some oil flasks and some type of fire magic. The captain threatens to burn their ship if they don't hand over the items! Players take it so much more personally when you go after their stuff. Hack at them all you want and its all in good fun - threaten to burn their boat and they'll be screaming for the captain's blood. Now they have some choices. They can hand over the items, and presuming they can't go without them, they follow the NPCs to take them back later. They can fight, but they'll have to figure out a way to stop the clerics from lighting the boat, or a way to put it out afterward. Heck, they might do something totally unexpected, like hand over the items and offer to join the captain's band! That's what I'd do anyway. [/QUOTE]

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