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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 4881701" data-attributes="member: 20323">Tons of great responses, and hopefully useful for other DMs besides myself. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />LostSoul, I think you're right about it serving more as a campaign pacing mechanic, but I'm veering away from designing it as a skill challenge.I'm breaking up the campaign into two "parts", levels 1-5 the PCs are more underdogs, helping individual villages, securing the aid of small tribes, guilds or minor nobility - they are working to bring the movement to the masses. Levels 6-10 the PCs either become leaders of the rebellion or help establish a leader, they get to dictate extent of rebellion, organize communication, and secure aid of major political nobility. Exactly. I'm trying to map the Prince's push-back to various PC actions. For example, if they recover the King's stolen will (which reveals the Prince got passed up as heir to the throne), the Prince might attempt to frame them for stealing it.I think that's more paragon-tier territory, at least for my purposes, though I would love to explore it. It's also something the players will want to consider, since they'll be protecting the Prince's illegitimate son at various points - the boy was raised by a kindly witch but his father wants to recover him and raise him as a prince, to mold him as the next tyrant and to bolster his claim to the throne (i.e. "look I have a son, so when I take this throne, if something goes wrong during the regime change and I fall in battle/get assassinated, then you've got my successor right here").Thanks! First adventure is tomorrow. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Thanks Mesh Hong, I'd completely neglected the possibility of moles among the rebels. That's something I'll have to work in. Absolutely. I've got a couple NPCs who will serve this capacity as "inside men/women". Cadeyrn is a dissatisfied redcoat captain who, as the campaign progresses, will be more and more swayable to the PC's side as the evils of the Prince become apparent. Another NPC is a herald who can help get the PCs into a tournament usually restricted to nobility. Haha <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Point well taken. It's always a fine line between improv and prep. I have several events I think would be fun, but haven't committed them to a structured sequence or map of any sort. For example, the PCs could be in a besieged city which just declared itself a freehold (once the Prince makes a bid for the throne), but trapped inside the walls with them is a ravaging werewolf...the PCs must find a way to sabotage the siege and find out who the werewolf is and stop them.Great point, green slime. While I might give hints of inter-kingdom collusion or treachery, I agree with Mesh Hong in saving that for paragon-tier (if the campaign continues that long). For example, I have a religious/economic conflict on the western border which features foreign crusading paladins... the conflict is fueled by the Prince's agents because the fighting helps to evoke an external threat. Actually that's #1 on <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/21/naomi-wolf-on-colber.html" target="_blank">Naomi Wolf's "10 steps to fascism" list</a> , which has helped me organize my thoughts about the campaign.I'd join that 12-step group. DMA. Dungeon Master's Anonymous. Yeah, that would be a risky move. I mean, would the people blame the Prince or the rebels for their woes? Still, I love the idea. One possibility I'd considered which ties in well with the background for our eladrin swordmage is an enchantress whose rituals provide the Prince's troops some benefit...so it becomes a classic "stop the ritual" mission. For some reason my mind went immediately to the Mariachi movie, or the remake with Antonio Banderas where a team of assassins are brought in to take him out. Hmm. I agree it might make a fun side trek...the kingdom to the east is a magocracy run by tyrannical mages so I'm sure I could come up with some tenuous foreign allies for the Prince. You've summed up how I imagine neighboring rulers would view the situation... like a cauldron ready to boil over.Nicely said. That's how I view the first couple levels. Before the PCs it was a chokehold, but the PCs create just enough breathing room for people to stop and question what's happening and take a stand.</blockquote>

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