Things to do at a ball

[hong]

So, my players have dragged me out of my DM comfort zone by staging a ball at this castle they've acquired. As an old-school kill-monsters-and-take-their-stuff kind of guy, this leaves me stumped. I mean, everyone knows that the castle is that place next to the dungeon with the WEAPON SHOP, the ARMOUR SHOP and the ITEM SHOP, right? What kind of weird castle is it where there's actually people whom you're supposed to TALK to?

Grump.

Anyway, here I am looking for ideas on what could happen at the ball. Some background:

- The party is 12th-14th level, and pretty well-known. All major bases are covered, skill-wise. Yes, even Diplomacy.

- They got this castle by killing the former lord, who was secretly an eeevil black magic cultist type. The surviving cultists have fled, but they're still out there somewhere.

- The castle is technically under the direct ownership of the crown, with the PCs being agents thereof.

- Recent encounters include bullying the soldiers of a neighbouring lord, who wanted to claim the lands for his own; hunting down some stray demons; and sealing off some tunnels that were leading to the underworld (possibly).

Any ideas, people?

Hong "longs for the days of TILTOWAIT" Ooi

 

[diaglo]

a programmed illusion of a play/performance.

a band. every good ball has a band..forget the bard DJ..

a feast.. and barfatorium..

a green knight busting down the door riding a stag. asking for a knight to chop his head off.

 

[hong]

The green knight's tale is very violent. I will do this.

 

[Li Shenron]

Are you actually looking for action ideas or roleplaying ideas? I think many famous stories or scenes have been set at a ball, feast, or revelry, from "The Masquerade of the Red Death" to Peter Jackson's "Braindead"
And if it's a ball in masks, you have even more possibilities!

 

[WillieW]

So, my players have dragged me out of my DM comfort zone by staging a ball at this castle they've acquired. As an old-school kill-monsters-and-take-their-stuff kind of guy, this leaves me stumped. I mean, everyone knows that the castle is that place next to the dungeon with the WEAPON SHOP, the ARMOUR SHOP and the ITEM SHOP, right? What kind of weird castle is it where there's actually people whom you're supposed to TALK to?

Grump.

Anyway, here I am looking for ideas on what could happen at the ball. Some background:

- The party is 12th-14th level, and pretty well-known. All major bases are covered, skill-wise. Yes, even Diplomacy.

- They got this castle by killing the former lord, who was secretly an eeevil black magic cultist type. The surviving cultists have fled, but they're still out there somewhere.

- The castle is technically under the direct ownership of the crown, with the PCs being agents thereof.

- Recent encounters include bullying the soldiers of a neighbouring lord, who wanted to claim the lands for his own; hunting down some stray demons; and sealing off some tunnels that were leading to the underworld (possibly).

Any ideas, people?

Hong "longs for the days of TILTOWAIT" Ooi

I wrote a module for DUNGEON way back when entitled "Stranded on the Baron's Island" whose NPCs and their motivations might help you formulate a plan at this ball. I'm sure there's a back issue someplace.

Is it to be a masked ball? If so, ANYONE might turn up, considering no-one will really know the identity of the guests.

Thieves, especially, like to go to balls, whether they are in disguise or in their respectable alter ego.

Substitute "thieves" for "assassins" in that last sentence.

No doubt there will be a large area of the castle unattended while the majority of guests and PCs gather at the function. What is going to be unguarded, and who might be interested in poking around? Maybe the poker will have a gilt-edged invitation, a forged invitation, or the rope-and-grapling-hook variety invitation.

Did the leader of the cultists leave a ticking magical timebomb of some kind, waiting to go off at the most inopportune moment?

Ever have someone slip something into the punch bowl at a party? What mass hysteria / magical (temporary) zombification / or massmorph spell would be the most inconvenient to the PCs and most entertaining to you?

 

[Thanee]

Hmm... Costumes? Dancing? Flirting? That's what a ball is all about.

Giving them some idea of the noble crowd in the country.

Maybe some of the jealous neighbours send in brutes to disrupt the festivities, who need to be handled without arousing too much attention, since it might leave them in bad standing with the nobles.

Haunting ghosts, who havn't been seen until now, and who remember the ancients balls and want to join in (doing no harm, they just like to dance, too).

And of course, let the players make all the preparations, whom to invite (if they forget someone, that might cause trouble as well), how to deal with security, etc.

Bye
Thanee

 

[diaglo]

it also doesn't sound like your crew has many learned social graces...

perhaps take a cue from My Fair Lady ... have someone offer to teach the party how to be social butterflies.

 

[hong]

Thieves, especially, like to go to balls, whether they are in disguise or in their respectable alter ego.

Substitute "thieves" for "assassins" in that last sentence.

Hmmmm.


Hong "and that's all I'm going to say" Ooi

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Sounds fun!

I'd imagine the neighbouring lord would attend - he sounds like a good start... perhaps he's worried about the PCs?

After all, adventurers 'aren't the right kind of people' - they've got pointy swords and they impressed the king, but that isn't as good as centuries of breeding and refinement? It's bad enough when they're running about killing monsters, but as neighbours. Yuck!

He's tried bullying them out of the land. That didn't work. So what next?


He could try to cause them problems without getting his hands dirty. He could invite some really awkward guests that the PCs have to deal with and possibly separate... Some ideas:

Perhaps he could invite over the kings cousin. A complete idot who's extremely offensive... but still wielding significant power.

A famous (drunken) witchunting 'paladin'. Who can smell sin from a mile away. Then gets drunk, abusive and chases serving girls around.

A former badguy who has cleaned their act up enough to be allowed out in public? Perhaps as a bodyguard for someone else?

The local bishop. A comitted hedonist. And a witch?

A rich landowners impressionable daughter - who's completely fallen for the least acceptable PC.

A famous bard, to provide the music, who really has it in for one of the guests and starts singing some incredibly defamatory (and funny!) songs about them?

 

[Nellisir]

- They got this castle by killing the former lord, who was secretly an eeevil black magic cultist type. The surviving cultists have fled, but they're still out there somewhere.

- Recent encounters include bullying the soldiers of a neighbouring lord, who wanted to claim the lands for his own; hunting down some stray demons; and sealing off some tunnels that were leading to the underworld (possibly).

I'd make it a BIG DEAL. Put some pressure on the players. Have a messenger drop by two days before and let them know the king will be dropping by to make sure his agents are taking care of business (and his taxes) properly, and emphasize the consequences if things don't go swimmingly. The king (or his wife, or mother, or some Really Important) likes a good, smooth, quiet party.

Then drop everything but the kitchen sink.

A few assassins drop by. The ugly neighbor, who puckers up everytime the king walks by, but keeps spiking the punch. Thieves. A refined, elegant, shapechanged demon, who's taking the opportunity to get close to the king. A few remaining eeevil black cultists, who've been hiding out in a broom closet and are taking the opportunity to sneak up to the Tower of Fear and finally perform the Ritual of Summoning Something That Smells Like Old Socks and Cat Pee. It should be a villains reunion.

Add the Green Knight, and a demon willing to "prove" his valor by taking a swipe at him....

Make alot of notes, so you can switch characters and plots quickly. Probably a timeline, too.

Cheers!
Nell.