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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 6044112" data-attributes="member: 6696971">The Stakes:A large climactic plot is coming to fruition in my next session.  Three days from now (in the game), a political prisoner (former captain in the navy) is going to face off against a gauntlet of combat challenges that will surely kill him.  This captain is a nautical prodigy.  He knows every reef, current, weather pattern of the coast and has every star-chart committed to memory.  The PCs need him for a perilous cross-sea journey to a remote island and they need to begin their journey immediately as the clock is ticking on that portion of the adventure.  There is no other seaman and no other vessel who can accomplish this feat.  For the last few days, the Rogue of the group has ceaselessly practiced grooming an Alter Ego (as per the Martial Practice) in effort to perfectly match the visage, countenance, mannerisms, combat style of the former captain.  While the former captain is a fine combatant, the Rogue is a master duelist/bravo (paragon tier warrior) and stands a fighting chance at surviving the gauntlet.  If the captain (Rogue) survives the gauntlet, he wins his freedom (but will have to endure immediate assassination attempts...the Rogue will go on his own mini-adventure to destroy a guild's stranglehold on the city).  The Rogue can successfully pose as the captain for the next few days, can survive the gladiatorial challenge and can (hopefully) fool the magistrate with the expert guise at his pardoning.  Meanwhile, the other two PCs can fulfill the main portion of the adventure as the sea captain takes them across the perilous waters to their destination.  However, if they fail, things will get hairy quickly.  Things change to:- Full assault against a nigh impregnable underground prison complex; replete with 200 well trained guards, vicious guard dogs, built-in contingencies/hazards that can be activated to close off areas in case of an uprising by the gladiators, and then a final rush assault of the (now) well guarded captain's ship and a marine chase to open waters.  This would be multiple L + 3, 4, 5 encounters in a row.  I would be quite surprised if they survived the effort.The Plan:The PCs are going to covertly break into the subterranean gladiatorial prison complex beneath the arena.  Through subterfuge, sabotage, misdirection, etc they will attempt to:- convince the captain (he doesn't know them) to buy into their plan- plant the captain-identity-assuming Rogue- escape the prison with the captain with little to no notice (likely using an uprising to mask their effort).  If something goes wrong and a fight occurs, it must end quickly and no word can get out.  The prison is a violent place, mini-uprisings are common and guards die now and then.- get to his ship (his crew has been notified and will be waiting...assuming there is no trouble) and set sail after heavily greasing the harbormaster's hand.The Players/Obstacles:- The two main entrance/egress areas of the complex are well guarded.  There is, however a garbage chute that opens to a nearly sheer cliff face that they likely will use as egress once it is revealed to them inside.- The guards are corrupt, cruel and violent.  They are prone to arbitrary torture (of the gladiators and their own dogs), play lots of dice games.  However, they rarely drink on duty and are typically alert.- The complex itself is a system of concentric circle vaults.  It is a winding path of intentionally dizzying switchbacks (with murder holes), portcullises that close and lock (halls that serve as gas chambers).  There is a smithing quarter (where the gladiators slavishly commit to the city's steel/iron-working needs), a mess hall, guard barracks, training yard for the gladiators, dog kennel, animal master's domain (basically a zoo for all of the captured wild creatures that engage in the gladiator battles) and the prison itself.  All of these areas are heavily patrolled (typically 3 man units with 1 dog).- The prison is an enormously open cavern that is approximately 100 ft high.  There are 10 cages (each 10 * 10) that hang suspended at the top of the cavern by elaborate, reinforced chain pulley/winch systems.  The gladiators are housed in these cages.  Each winch is housed on a nearby wall with a violent guard dog (elite hazard) on a 15 ft chain standing vigilant.- Every 6 resolutions (or perhaps on a failure), the Prison Warden will appear.  He has training in Insight and Perception (contests are Hard DCs).Success with Complications and Failure Forward:This is where you guys come in.  I have several of these devised at this point but I'm certain that folks will be able to think of interesting resolutions (success and failures) that I have not foreseen.  For reference:  It will be a 12:6 with primarily Hard DCs so there will be many failures.  This is where you guys would be the most help.  Come up with Successes with Complications if you like, but a huge variety of Fail Forwards are really what I need.  Please take the above information, interface that with the Skill List and come up with some Fail Forward Narrative Resolutions to a failed check.  Please primarily employ the usage of things external to the PC's locus of control (environment reacting et al).  * Resources of note outside of Skills:- Bladesinger (Fighter/Wizard) with Cantrips/Spells (At-Will:  Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation...Encounter:  Suggestion...Daily:  Arcane Gate) and Rituals (Hold Portal, Calm Emotions, Change Self, Silent Image, Wizard's Sight)- Druid with Utility Powers (At-Will:  Wild Shape...Daily:  Obscuring Mist and Form of the Hunting Falcon).- Rogue with Martial Practices (Alter Ego, Precise Forgery) and Utility Powers (Encounter:  Empathic Read, Faulty Memory, Master of Deceit)</blockquote>

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