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<blockquote data-quote="Stormonu" data-source="post: 5472541" data-attributes="member: 52734">There's no right or wrong answer here, this is just to provoke some thought and discussion.<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/erm.png"&nbsp; class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":erm:" title="Erm&nbsp; &nbsp; :erm:" data-shortname=":erm:" />Assume that in running a typical game you had set up a side plot that a local lord was secretly behind the activities of several of the forces the PCs have been encountering.&nbsp; The local lord is disliked by the locals, already being known for imposing harsh taxes and being rather flamboyant and flagrant in his display of wealth.&nbsp; He's been using the monster attacks to impose martial law and legitimize the high taxes (supposably to fund his personal army that keeps the monsters at bay).&nbsp; His soldiers and lesser burueacrats have already been shown to be surly towards the PCs, though none seem to be obviously corrupt.After the most recent adventure, the characters begin to suspect the lord's involvement behind the monster attacks.&nbsp; You had been playing with the idea that at a later date - when the PCs had eradicated most of the possible theats against the hold - that the lord would use his army to make a play at stealing power from his liege.However, the players have decided they want to confront the lord now.&nbsp; They head to the lord's castle and, bouyed by their bard, ask/demand to have an audience with his lordship, with the ultimate goal of attempting to talk/force the lord into giving up his position.How far would you let this go?&nbsp; Would you let the PCs talk their way into the &quot;throneroom&quot;, force them to fight, make them sneak in or turn them away?&nbsp; Should they make their way to the &quot;throneroom&quot;&nbsp; could they talk down the lord without bloodshed, would you force them to battle the lord (no amount of talk would ever make him abdicate), or would you simply throw the PCs into the dungeons after pounding them into the dirt (i.e., no chance of success at this time, rile them up to take on the lord later but put fear in them now)?&nbsp; And would you use status quo (the lord and his minions are at the level of power you intend them to be when the PCs were to face them later) or would you tailor the encounter the PCs level?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Stormonu, post: 5472541, member: 52734"] There's no right or wrong answer here, this is just to provoke some thought and discussion.:erm: Assume that in running a typical game you had set up a side plot that a local lord was secretly behind the activities of several of the forces the PCs have been encountering. The local lord is disliked by the locals, already being known for imposing harsh taxes and being rather flamboyant and flagrant in his display of wealth. He's been using the monster attacks to impose martial law and legitimize the high taxes (supposably to fund his personal army that keeps the monsters at bay). His soldiers and lesser burueacrats have already been shown to be surly towards the PCs, though none seem to be obviously corrupt. After the most recent adventure, the characters begin to suspect the lord's involvement behind the monster attacks. You had been playing with the idea that at a later date - when the PCs had eradicated most of the possible theats against the hold - that the lord would use his army to make a play at stealing power from his liege. However, the players have decided they want to confront the lord now. They head to the lord's castle and, bouyed by their bard, ask/demand to have an audience with his lordship, with the ultimate goal of attempting to talk/force the lord into giving up his position. How far would you let this go? Would you let the PCs talk their way into the "throneroom", force them to fight, make them sneak in or turn them away? Should they make their way to the "throneroom" could they talk down the lord without bloodshed, would you force them to battle the lord (no amount of talk would ever make him abdicate), or would you simply throw the PCs into the dungeons after pounding them into the dirt (i.e., no chance of success at this time, rile them up to take on the lord later but put fear in them now)? And would you use status quo (the lord and his minions are at the level of power you intend them to be when the PCs were to face them later) or would you tailor the encounter the PCs level? [/QUOTE]

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