[Eberron] Help! Gala ball in Sharn

[Morpheus]

Make a timeline of events that occur whether the PCs intercede/interfere with or not. This way, the PCs can see events happening around them and can make decisions based on their observations. The masquerade ball in Whispers of the Vampire's Blade has a short timeline like this.

Example: 15 minutes-Lucan locates Neya. He greets her and leads her to the dance floor.

Obviously, the more detailed the timeline, the more it will seem to come alive.

 

[Goblyns Hoard]

3. He's a telepath, and isn't likely to do the deed himself. Far better to suggest or even dominate some patsy into doing it.

Very nice, and gives the advantage that he can play around with the more weak-willed party goers... particularly helpful when alcohol has reduced their will saves. I'll second Rel's plans of escalating distractions - though I'm not convinced the food fight is the way to go. Maybe just have the assassin hiding somewhere (quite possibly in plain sight), and turning the ball into chaos with varying suggestions... someone to strip, someone to start a fight, an old dame to start cackling maniacally in the corner, three or four well known nobles to start a barber-shop quartet act. Each of these enough to draw in the attention of the players as you describe it. And of course several people at varying times to stop what they were doing, turn and stride purposefully toward the ambassador's daughter, reach into their cloak, and at the last second pull out a small token of appreciation for her. Naturally you want to make sure that this is seen by at least one of the PCs.

A thought on story-telling technique... each time you bring up one of these distractions notice how much you're players are listening to you. Is their first response to ask more detail about what you described? If so then the ruling is that the character is distracted and has a penalty on Spot checks for other things. If the reaction is 'I keep an eye on them, but also on the rest of the rooom' then they don't. And if they interrupt you to say something like 'I immeadiately check where the ambassador's daughter is and what's going on around her' then maybe a bonus to spot the assassin who is probably equally focussed on the ambassador and when he can get a chance to strike.

Anyway - let us know how it goes, it sounds like it'll be great fun.

The Hoard

 

[Hand of Evil]

Make a timeline of events that occur whether the PCs intercede/interfere with or not. This way, the PCs can see events happening around them and can make decisions based on their observations. The masquerade ball in Whispers of the Vampire's Blade has a short timeline like this.

Example: 15 minutes-Lucan locates Neya. He greets her and leads her to the dance floor.

Obviously, the more detailed the timeline, the more it will seem to come alive.

Second this and would carry it 48 hours prior to the gala and 48 hours after it.

You may want to create a standard event table too, this would be a simple 'things that happen during period' example would be:
roll 1: Something is spilled on you
roll 2-6: some one is introduced to you
roll 7-9: waiter ask you if you would like something
roll 10-12: you are asked to dance
roll 13-19: Nothing happens
roll 20: You are ask to meet for romanance! Now, in the garden, in the closet, in the...

so on

You adjust the events as the gala goes on to the night last one becomes 18-20 around 3 in the morning. You can also place a mod to each event to miss (spot check) a clue or an event.

 

[Andre La Roche]

Good ideas, all. The ball in Firefly is definitely going into the inspiration file for this one. I just wanted to respond to a question:



Well, *I* know. The PCs have seen the assassin briefly, but there are some issues with that from their point of view:

1. They only saw him in a rather dark alley for two rounds or so.
2. He's damn good at Disguise - bonus of +15 or so (most of that bonus from being an Inspired).
3. He's a telepath, and isn't likely to do the deed himself. Far better to suggest or even dominate some patsy into doing it.

Then again, I don't want to set it up as a no-win situation, so they will get some chances to recognize the assassin before/as it happens.

You know, if you want to add some of that dark "no complete victory" theme of Eberron's, you could always have the suggested/dominated individual be captured by the PCs who automatically assume he or she is the actual assassin. If the PCs don't figure out that this person was being controlled, then another attempt is made on the noble's life (perhaps it's successful). Or you can have the heir suddenly get a distant look in her eyes, and then go to jump out of a balcony (combining an earlier suggestion) as she herself is the target of the inspired's powers.

I'd love to give more detailed ideas about drawing the ball out, but seeing as my own session set at a ball floundered the other night, I'm not sure what all I can do to help there. :-/