D&D 5E Gracklstugh

[Ralif Redhammer]

They can have an audience with the king for any number of reasons. Outstanding service to the city, curiosity even. As far as the succubus, she’s there to foment madness in the city, particularly the king, who is suffering from insanity due to her demonic influence.

I'm not clear on the King's role. Why would the party want to see him, what is the succubus trying to do?

 

[Motorskills]

They can have an audience with the king for any number of reasons. Outstanding service to the city, curiosity even. As far as the succubus, she’s there to foment madness in the city, particularly the king, who is suffering from insanity due to her demonic influence.

Well I'm worried that the succubus thing will just confuse matters. Why not just have the King be mad? I mean, half of Gracklstugh already is gaga.

Having the succubus trying to offset the King's craziness could be a neat twist.

 

[CapnZapp]

Then you should perhaps have her be an Erinyes instead, since demons = the away team?

 

[Motorskills]

Well I'm worried that the succubus thing will just confuse matters. Why not just have the King be mad? I mean, half of Gracklstugh already is gaga.

Having the succubus trying to offset the King's craziness could be a neat twist.

Then you should perhaps have her be an Erinyes instead, since demons = the away team?

Well the succubus is there from Graz'zt, to stop anyone curing the King's madness. That certainly makes sense, although how the succubus has remained undetected is a severe stretch IMO.

But beyond that, I'm really not sure how to play the segment. Why would they want to see the King? Why would the King want to see them? How would they detect the succubus, why hasn't anyone done so? How is the King's madness manifesting itself?

It's not high on my agenda, there's no indication that the party will be heading that way, but that could change, especially if I wrap my head around how to play this.

(I like the idea of the Erinyes by the way, the party getting help from a thoroughly evil Devil could be hilarious. )

 

[CapnZapp]

Well the succubus is there from Graz'zt, to stop anyone curing the King's madness. That certainly makes sense, although how the succubus has remained undetected is a severe stretch IMO.

Why is that? Isn't a succubi perfect for this kind of work?

Besides, it's a written rule that what is obvious to the players are completely oblivious to every NPC.

But beyond that, I'm really not sure how to play the segment. Why would they want to see the King? Why would the King want to see them? How would they detect the succubus, why hasn't anyone done so? How is the King's madness manifesting itself?

I readily admit the section is very bare-bones, but rather than get annoyed at what isn't there, I was happily surprised something was there at all?

(Though not sure AL organizers agree, seeing how it appears some AL groups have managed to loot the King's stuff )

As to succubus-detection, I gotta ask you: have you seen my players in action? As soon as the wifeubbi opens her mouth to protest against the hare-brained ideas of the PCs, I fully expect them to instantly go "Grima of the Lord of the Rings", and go to town on her.

With any luck, she's either dead or forced to flee or angered enough to reveal herself somehow, at which point every NPC would go "oh my, I never" while the players roll their eyes.

(I like the idea of the Erinyes by the way, the party getting help from a thoroughly evil Devil could be hilarious. )

You're welcome. Have the wife approach the party in private first, selling some sob story about her king being replaced by a doppleganger.

Heh.

 

[Motorskills]

Well I'm worried that the succubus thing will just confuse matters. Why not just have the King be mad? I mean, half of Gracklstugh already is gaga.

Having the succubus trying to offset the King's craziness could be a neat twist.

Then you should perhaps have her be an Erinyes instead, since demons = the away team?

Why is that? Isn't a succubi perfect for this kind of work?

Besides, it's a written rule that what is obvious to the players are completely oblivious to every NPC.


I readily admit the section is very bare-bones, but rather than get annoyed at what isn't there, I was happily surprised something was there at all?

(Though not sure AL organizers agree, seeing how it appears some AL groups have managed to loot the King's stuff )

As to succubus-detection, I gotta ask you: have you seen my players in action? As soon as the wifeubbi opens her mouth to protest against the hare-brained ideas of the PCs, I fully expect them to instantly go "Grima of the Lord of the Rings", and go to town on her.

With any luck, she's either dead or forced to flee or angered enough to reveal herself somehow, at which point every NPC would go "oh my, I never" while the players roll their eyes.

Hmm, good stuff to chew over there, thanks for being a shoulder to cry on.

You're welcome. Have the wife approach the party in private first, selling some sob story about her king being replaced by a doppleganger.

Heh.

Nice.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Of course they have...Because far be it from an army of invisible duergar and a wall of force to get in the way of sparkling treasure.

Heh. I was looking over my notes for the last adventure. I had forgotten that I gave the Spider King two little crowns.

(Though not sure AL organizers agree, seeing how it appears some AL groups have managed to loot the King's stuff )

 

[Werebat]

Just wanted to add something to this thread -- the suggestion to make the Stonespeaker a quest giver for finding Droki was an interesting one. In my own game, I had another alternate route for this quest being given, that involved Buppido and Errde Blackskull.

I simply had Buppido be an infamous murderer in Gracklstugh, which isn't a stretch because... Well, you know. He'd never been caught, but people still spoke of "the surgeon", who killed people and rearranged their internal organs.

Timing was everything here. Buppido had murdered Sarith, and been caught rearranging his organs, but he played it off with the fact that Sarith's organs were clearly infested with some sort of fungus, and the rest of the party had kind of hated Sarith anyway (although they didn't quite trust Buppido after that, and remembered him killing a few unconscious assailants in the past -- the kuo-toa who has initially attacked them en route to Slubloodop, for example).

Anyway, the party had some idea that Buppido enjoyed killing things, but didn't know anything about "the surgeon". They arrived in Gracklstugh and Buppido soon slipped off. The next day, they met Werz Saltbaron in the Broken Spire, where they heard talk of the return of "the surgeon", who had apparently killed again on the previous night, as a body was found with its internal organs rearranged.

At that point they made the connection and knew who Buppido was. They decided to go to the authorities, which ultimately led them to Errde Blackskull, who then gave them a mission to capture Buppido as well as Droki (while they were at it).

I thought it played out nicely.

 

[Motorskills]

Well I'm worried that the succubus thing will just confuse matters. Why not just have the King be mad? I mean, half of Gracklstugh already is gaga.

Having the succubus trying to offset the King's craziness could be a neat twist.

Then you should perhaps have her be an Erinyes instead, since demons = the away team?

Just wanted to add something to this thread -- the suggestion to make the Stonespeaker a quest giver for finding Droki was an interesting one. In my own game, I had another alternate route for this quest being given, that involved Buppido and Errde Blackskull.

I simply had Buppido be an infamous murderer in Gracklstugh, which isn't a stretch because... Well, you know. He'd never been caught, but people still spoke of "the surgeon", who killed people and rearranged their internal organs.

Timing was everything here. Buppido had murdered Sarith, and been caught rearranging his organs, but he played it off with the fact that Sarith's organs were clearly infested with some sort of fungus, and the rest of the party had kind of hated Sarith anyway (although they didn't quite trust Buppido after that, and remembered him killing a few unconscious assailants in the past -- the kuo-toa who has initially attacked them en route to Slubloodop, for example).

Anyway, the party had some idea that Buppido enjoyed killing things, but didn't know anything about "the surgeon". They arrived in Gracklstugh and Buppido soon slipped off. The next day, they met Werz Saltbaron in the Broken Spire, where they heard talk of the return of "the surgeon", who had apparently killed again on the previous night, as a body was found with its internal organs rearranged.

At that point they made the connection and knew who Buppido was. They decided to go to the authorities, which ultimately led them to Errde Blackskull, who then gave them a mission to capture Buppido as well as Droki (while they were at it).

I thought it played out nicely.

Very smooth, kudos!

 

[Motorskills]

The pit trap in the cultist HQ contains a green slime. However the monster manual doesn't include stats for such.

Anyone have a solution for that?

There is some brief discussion on Reddit.

https://m.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/2jce4z/slimes_in_5th_edition/