Tell me about the Zhentarim [FR]

[d12]

Okay, I own (and love) Lords of Darkness and the FRCS. Right now I'm running RttToEE in the FR with a Zhentarim sub-plot. It is likely that this sub-plot will develop into the next adventure - with the PCs being somewhere in the 13th-16th level range.

So, now that I know the official version of the Zhents inside and out - tell me about how you have used them. What are they Zhentarim like in your campaign? What nasty tricks have they pulled? How have you used them? They seem so interesting to me because while they are evil they are also tolerated in many places in the Realms. They are smart, calculating, insidious and yet civil and diplomatic if need be. They sort of remind me of Nazi Ferengi.

So, do tell...

 

[megamania]

You have a choice- evil trade or evil gods

 

[Radius]

While I don't have anything to add about the Zhents, I'm interested in hearing about your campaign. Where did you place the various parts of RttToEE in Faerun? What deities did you switch? What does the sub-plot with the Zhentarim you're using involve?

 

[Silver Moon]

Zhentarim

I had a copy of the Forgotten Realms boxed "Castles" set, which included Darkhold Castles, one of the Zhentarim's strongholds. I decided to use it for the stronghold of my main villain, so instead of throwing out all of the Zhentarim information, I built upon all of it by having the villain move in AFTER the Black Network had left. This also enabled me to leave some of their things behind, as the Zhentarim had planned to someday come back.

The Zhentarim connection also allowed me to work the F.R. deity Finder Wyvernspur and his followers Finder's Band into the story, as they decided to seek followers in that area due to having recently fought the Zhentarim themselves (the novel "Tymora's Luck). Their idea was that the locals would be impressed, and perhaps join their church. It did not work out, however, as the Zhentarim had been away for too long for the locals to remember or care. This deity and his followers were able to play a key role in the module. At the end Finder's Band were given all of the maps and notes that the Zhentarim had left behind....which could lead to a future mission with this group of NPC's. These notes included a number of passages about the Zhentrim that I found on the internet.

Anyway, that whole module can be found at the following Story Hour link in case you or any other readers are interested:

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28642&pagenumber=1

 

[ruleslawyer]

IMC, the Zhents and my PCs have run across each other quite often. The Black Network really is the ultimate catch-all organization, since members of the Zhentarim can be anything from unscrupulous merchants to con artists to petty thugs to demented priests to scheming wizards to manipulative powers-behind-the throne. Some scenarios in which my PCs have encountered the Zhents include the following:

-Persistent battles against a particularly tactically-sophisticated and well-equipped goblin tribe based in the Stonelands; a minor Zhent wizard was behind the tribe's attacks;

-Encounters with Zhent-affiliated beholders, dragons, illithids, giants, and other monsters (each of whom controlled several monstrous and humanoid minions, respectively) in dungeons, ruins, and forests across the Realms;

-Attempts by the Zhents to harass and rob particularly successful adventuring parties emerging from the dungeons of Undermountain in Waterdeep;

-Rival parties of Zhent-sponsored adventurers questing for the same objectives as the PC party;

-Environmentally-destructive Zhentarim logging operations in the Elven Wood;

-Zhentarim infiltration and control over the Merchants' Alliance in the capital city of the kingdom ruled by my PCs;

-Zhentarim interference with trading and mining operations mounted by my PCs...

The list goes on and on. Here are some traditional Zhent "dirty tricks" that I've used:

1) Hired guns. The Zhentarim pursue wealth for a reason. There's no cause to expend your own members on operations when you can hire someone else to do your dirty work. Best is when you hire unknowing patsies who have no clue as to their employer or the ultimate goal behind their activities. IMC, the Zhents have hired or manipulated shapechangers, evil humanoids, non-evil (demi)human adventurers and mercenaries, and even dragons and outsiders to do their dirty work.

2) Friends in high places. The Zhents have a great deal of power and influence in places of power throughout the Realms. If PCs interfere with their operations, there should be a legitimate possibility that they incur the ire of the authorities.

3) Supply control. Anyone who mounts a campaign against the Zhentarim should expect suddenly-inflated prices for weapons, materiel and rations, and unexpected interruptions in delivery of said supplies.

4) Bribery and espionage. The Zhents should use money and spies, rather than open displays of armed might, to further their objectives. One doppelganger or a few coins in the right place is likely to accomplish far more than an army can.

I know these are standard tricks, but it's worth keeping them in mind. Good luck to you!

 

[Sanackranib]

zhents

the zhents or their splinter groups were behind much of the evil behind the scenes in the FR when I ran my game. most of the time they were in the shadows oulling the strings. with carefull investigation the PC's were usually able to expose or kill them,
but there are always more ready to take their place

 

[d12]

While I don't have anything to add about the Zhents, I'm interested in hearing about your campaign. Where did you place the various parts of RttToEE in Faerun? What deities did you switch? What does the sub-plot with the Zhentarim you're using involve?

some spoilers here for RttToEE...

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I put the adventure down in the Western Heartlands. Its been some time since I looked at my map but Hommlet is on a minor trade route near Triel (sp?) and the Temple of All Consumption is in the Serpent Hills, about three day's ride north of Soubak. I know this puts major parts of the adventure further away from each other than Monte intended but its worked out fine.

As for gods, I kept Tharizdun the same. IMC he has destroyed the mutliverse several times in the past. This time around, when Shar and Sylune created the mutliverse and the first gods, they also awakened Tharizdun from his long slumber in the void. He tried his old tricks again but was imprisoned. To keep him from being freed, Oghma destroyed the knowlegde of the location of his prison - so even the gods don't know where he is. He has been whispering in the dreams of mortals ever since and has acquired a small cult (but is still a very very obscure deity). When his worshippers created the Cult of the Elder Elemental Eye, he began to aquire power. He launched his plan to free himself. Oghma and some other gods of good moved to stop him but Ao forbade them stating that since it was mortals that were working to free Tharizdun then it must be mortals that stop him. He allowed the gods only to answer questions put to them in the normal fashion (Augury, Divination, etc) and also allowed the gods to set into motion the events that led the heroes to Hommlet.

Iuz has become Garagos (bu the PCs haven't met any of his followers yet.) Zuggtmoy remains herself. The varius temples in Hommlet have just been transfered to the approriate FR god (Ehlonna=Meillikki, etc).

The sub-plot ith the Zhentarim started like this. After the PC's entered the ToAC they lost a character. The player rolled up a new character named Flynn who was a cleric of Gwaeron Windstrom. He had left his family in Baldur's Gate three years ago when he discovered that they were not the worshippers of Waukeen they always claimed to be but rather were secretly worshippers of Bane/Xvim and were working as Zhentarim black market agents. The family (I think of them as a vile version of the Corleone family from "Godfather") were also looking for Flynn's mother (the father having gone through 4 wives) who had fled with a poweful amulet that was important to the family when flynn was only an infant. So, this character (Flynn) finds all of this out one day and leaves home to go look for his mother (and get out of his very nasty household).

To make things more complicated, one of his sisters was a evil and rebelious sorcerer who fled home in a blaze of glory (literally). She bounced around the western part of the realms before she landed a position in an evil cult that fit her personality just right (you guessed it - the Fire Temple in the CRM!)

Then Bane is reborn. The family has served his church well but they have thre black eyes - Flynn, his mother and his sister. they are unable to locate Flynn (because of his amulet of proof against detection) and are also unable to locate his mother. But they DO track his sister down at a volcano in the serpent hills. Three of the older brothers ride out with 40 Zhent adventurers in tow to go kill her.

So, what ends up happening is that the Zhents come to the ToAC and start tearing through the various temples looking for the sister. Meanwhile, the heroes have gone the OTHER direction through the CRM. The two parties eventually meet and the PC's win, though they don't kill the three brothers. In the process of the battle. the Zhents discover that Flynn is there.

The characters eventually take out the Fire Temple and drive the sister off (she flees to the ToEE where she later becomes the consort to Laereth and will be part of the final battle).

The Zhents can't locate Flynn again (Amulet) and decide to take off after the sister again. They aquire reinforcements along the way (sky mages). The PC's will have to deal with these guys at some point.

My players hate the Zhents worse than the followers of Tharizdun. They have actually said, "let's hurry up and save the world so we can go kill those Zhents." So the next adventure will be that.



Oh and thanks for your replies everyone - I plan to use your advice.