Fight with the Sinmaker

[IcyCool]

So, in my last session, the group wound up on Cathrys, at the workshop of the Apothecary of Sin. They were there in an attempt to buy back a Hutaakan (dog headed humanoid from the Mystara setting) that he had purchased. When it became evident that he wasn't interested (in fact he made it quite clear that he wanted to purchase or otherwise aquire the Hutaakan NPC that was with the party), they jumped into action. They maimed the Succubus secretary/aide before she teleported out, and did a small amount of damage to the Sinmaker himself (a fairly standard Glabrezu) before he decided to teleport out, gather his minions, and then pummel the intruders to dust.

During the fight and after the Sinmaker 'ported out, the group smashed, burned, and broke a great deal of valuable alchemical equipment, burned a rather beautiful desk (after looting it of the various poison and acid formulas), set fire to the building, snagged a Hutaakan prisoner (and the remains of another), snagged a tiefling prisoner (who radiates evil), and made good their escape in the burning holocaust. They managed to only be seen by a single Vrock on their escape, who fell to a barrage of magic missiles and eldritch blasts (he'd have called for help if the wilder hadn't thrown deja'vu on him every round).

They run through the jungle (without the benefit of a resist elements spell (so acid damage every minute), and as they get to the portal that leads back to where they came from (The Golden Griffon in Plague-Mort), they see two Vrocks guarding it. The Wizard Glitterdusts them both (and both fail their saves), the Wilder Time Hops one of them 12 rounds into the future, and the Hutaakan NPC (a low to mid level monk) and Paladin kill the other one. Everyone makes good their escape back to Plague-Mort and from there, Sigil.

Now, imagine you are the Apothecary of Sin (a Glabrezu [Demon]). You make poisons, acids, and drugs of all kinds and potency. A group of people invades your home/place of business, kills two of your minions, destroys a great deal of your property, and attacks you physically. What do you do?

Your minions consist of:
One Succubus
One Perpetually stoned Hezrou customer. (Not really a minion, but he's sort of like a demonic equivalent of the guy on the couch. Hey, at least he's willing to try out some of your stranger concoctions.)
A few Vrocks
Several Dretches.

 

[Shemeska]

Now, imagine you are the Apothecary of Sin (a Glabrezu [Demon]). You make poisons, acids, and drugs of all kinds and potency. A group of people invades your home/place of business, kills two of your minions, destroys a great deal of your property, and attacks you physically. What do you do?

Your minions consist of:
One Succubus
One Perpetually stoned Hezrou customer. (Not really a minion, but he's sort of like a demonic equivalent of the guy on the couch. Hey, at least he's willing to try out some of your stranger concoctions.)
A few Vrocks
Several Dretches.

I tell my frequent customers that I had some jerks obliterate my place of business and that if they expect to be able to buy from me anytime soon they might consider helping me. And by helping me I mean bringing me their bottled souls and mangled corpses.

And given how well known my business is, my customers are garaunteed to include the resident Yugoloth powers that be one level up on Othrys, and a coterie of Tanar'ri from the neighboring Abyss, and any number of mortal planars.

Unless they have patrons willing to offer them refuge (Baatezu, Celestials, certain planar factions)... they're screwed if I know their identities and thus my pissed off customers know their identities.

 

[Quickleaf]

Play it cagey.
The PCs are obviously packing some magic, possibly psionics (the report back from the time hopped vrock is particularly troubling). They travelled by foot to their escape portal, so at least they're not uber-mages casting teleport nilly willy or disguised fiends teleporting w/out error. And they have a paladin who could go toe-to-toe with any vrock. Your succubus is screaming for their heads on a platter. Your main alchemical workshop is in ruins- several orders will be delayed. And your reputation has suffered: "Did you hear that the apothecary teleported away from battle against a group of mere mortals?"

It sounds like this was a "crime of passion", in that there was no premeditation to destroying the apothecary's most treasured belonging (his lab). Of course, the apothecary is going to suspect they were enlisted by a fiendish rival...but the presence of the paladin is disturbing and promising. Disturbing if they were on a holy mission from a temple, angel, god, or simply their own damnable morals. Promising if they were manipulated by another fiend into the attack. A paladin you can manipulate is a powerful weapon indeed.

Glabrezu and succubus are consumate tempters. Since the apothecary is already personally involved, I would try tempting one or two of the PCs, in particular that paladin. After all, what is one alchemical workshop and a couple of vrocks compared to the luminescent soul of a paladin? The succubus is very keen on bringing about the paladin's fall.

Some tactics:
* Send succubus to do reconaissance on PCs. Who are their associates? What temples are they aligned with? Where is their HQ? Who is the most temptable among them? What would it take to tempt them? What are the paladin's character flaws?
* Spread misinformation in Sigil. Create conflicting reports: The apothecary was defeated by a group of devil adversaries that teleported in minutes after the adventuring party left. The apothecary went mad and slaughtered all its minions before retreating to its mountain workshop. Etc.
* Learn as much about your enemies as possible, then tip off some of your business contracts that one of your shipments was destroyed by them. Preferrably this is a customer with some clout (possibly a Hezrou) who is prone to rash action. All the better if the customer is expendable or undesireable.
* Consider a defensive stance for a moment. Bump up security. Hire a 'loth or two. Ward your workshop against teleportation. Close down the portal the PCs used (or at least trap and alarm it). Either move your HQ or similarly trap/alarm all portals nearby.
* In your newly revised HQ, create a trap room above your main workshop. Basically your lab has a high ceiling which is concealed by a curtain which is disguised as the ceiling (all the better if smeared with contact poison ). In the hollows surrounding the vaulted ceiling are several dretches & a vrock or two (maybe the hezrou). PCs bust in, glabrezu uses reverse gravity while dretches create stinking clouds and vrocks produce spores which PCs "fall" into. Now it's time for a turkey shoot, vrocks armed with bows attack.
* When you want to really freak the PCs out and make them attack you out of anger (of course, walking into a trap), mass poison their closest allies.
* Restrain yourself from using poison/acid/drugs against the PCs as that will tip your hand too soon. Instead, spend some time in your lab devising a particularly nasty poison and distribute it to enemies of the PCs as a token of "goodwill" in an "attempt to secure their business."

Cheers!

 

[IcyCool]

Great suggestions you two! Do you have any more "survivable" suggestions?

Edit - Those really are good suggestions that you've given, I didn't want you to think that I was disrespecting your help. Good stuff so far, keep it coming if you've got more.

For reference, the group is composed of 4 10th level characters, and 2 9th level characters.

 

[LostSoul]

* Spread misinformation in Sigil. Create conflicting reports: The apothecary was defeated by a group of devil adversaries that teleported in minutes after the adventuring party left. The apothecary went mad and slaughtered all its minions before retreating to its mountain workshop. Etc.

In the same vein: You could have the Apothecary sell "bad" drugs, while spreading rumours that the PCs came in, stole a bunch of stuff, and are now selling it. The succubus could impersonate the PCs and deal the bad stuff.


The best way to operate would be to somehow get the paladin into a moral dillema. Make him pick the lesser of two evils. And try and make that serving the Apothecary for a while. Dunno how you'd do that.

 

[Shemeska]

The best way to operate would be to somehow get the paladin into a moral dillema. Make him pick the lesser of two evils. And try and make that serving the Apothecary for a while. Dunno how you'd do that.

God yes...


"I've heard through some rather... unsavory contacts... people you really wouldn't be caught dealing with, at least not in the way I would, frequently, that you're in a spot of trouble."

The jackal headed yugoloth smiles and invites himself to take a seat, brushing away the silverware at the table deftly with the velvet hem of its robe.

"Oh don't look at me that way. Rightious indignation at my nature as a godless yugoloth won't do you any good; in fact it might be a detrement to you considering I'm here to offer you help. Besides, the longer I sit here and deal with you, the longer you keep me off the streets where I'd be doing things like making puppies cry, devouring the souls of the weak and all sorts of icky things I do so well if I put myself to it."

The fiend smiles that fanged, canid grin.

"That's right, help you. I know what you did to the Sinmaker, and for various complex reasons on behalf of myself and my clients I'll admit that I approve of your actions.

In fact, as I said before much to your shock and likely disdain, I'm here to help you. I'd like to keep you safe from retribution by the Sinmaker and his more -upset- buyers on the lower chaotic planes, and ideally I'd like to make you privy to information about the actions he and they intend to take against you so that you may act pre-emptively against them."


At that point the 'loth provides them with genuine information about something, hooking them and getting some level of trust in order to bend them over a barral and use them later on. Of course the question remains, is the 'loth working on behalf of enemies of the Sinmaker, using the paladin and company to hurt him on their behalf to ultimately enrich themselves, or perhaps the 'loth is working for the Sinmaker to ultimately gain revenge by having the PCs unknowingly kill some of his own debtors, enemies, etc. Or maybe the 'loth, as befits him, is simply working to enrich himself as a third wheel in it all, harming the Sinmaker or some other people by leading the paladin and other PCs around by the noses in actions that might seen 'good' on the surface but ultimately come around to cause very very morally troubling consequences.

If you don't want a 'loth, or you've done this often enough to the PCs that they blanket don't trust any 'loth ever, try using an Erinyes instead.

 

[IcyCool]

Shemmy, I just want to say that if I ever manage to eek out even a pale imitation of your genius, I'll die a happy man.

Thanks!

 

[Corsair]

"Besides, the longer I sit here and deal with you, the longer you keep me off the streets where I'd be doing things like making puppies cry, devouring the souls of the weak and all sorts of icky things I do so well if I put myself to it."

Best. Quote. Ever.

 

[Shemeska]

Actually someone on the WotC boards said I "make puppies cry" yesterday

Shemmy, I just want to say that if I ever manage to eek out even a pale imitation of your genius, I'll die a happy man.

Thanks!

*giggle*

You're welcome.