Thornir Alekeg
Albatross!
Kalendraf said:
<yoink>
Things to do at a ball
- Thread starter hong
- Start date
<yoink>
So have they sent out for tailors, and glovers, and hatters and cobblers so they are dressed up in all the latest fashions? Or are they going to show themselves off as roughs and bumpkins of the worst sort?
Have they arranged musicians, quality entertainment? Perhaps the neighbouring lord, whose nose they've pushed out also holds a ball on the same night and threatens - or does steal all of their guests with a much better programme?
Perhaps he's hired a professional and very famous party/ball planner to arrange it all for him...
A crappy unsuuccessful event could give Diplomacy minuses for a long time...
Have they arranged musicians, quality entertainment? Perhaps the neighbouring lord, whose nose they've pushed out also holds a ball on the same night and threatens - or does steal all of their guests with a much better programme?
Perhaps he's hired a professional and very famous party/ball planner to arrange it all for him...
A crappy unsuuccessful event could give Diplomacy minuses for a long time...
CaptainCalico
Community Supporter
the devil is in the details
Just think of this as social combat instead of physical combat.
*Who exactly are they inviting? Are they trying to cosy up to the local nobles? Or get in good with the wealthy commoners by inviting them? This ball will be the way they introduce themselves to all sectors of the local community.
*Were ALL the cultists scattered? Maybe some upstanding members of the community were members of the cults and attend to try and retrieve hidden items, or just to lay the groundwork for future revenge.
*You say the party is well-known, and now they have a castle and are in good with the king. Nothing like a flock of marriage-minded-mamas eager to make a good match!
Just think of this as social combat instead of physical combat.
*Who exactly are they inviting? Are they trying to cosy up to the local nobles? Or get in good with the wealthy commoners by inviting them? This ball will be the way they introduce themselves to all sectors of the local community.
*Were ALL the cultists scattered? Maybe some upstanding members of the community were members of the cults and attend to try and retrieve hidden items, or just to lay the groundwork for future revenge.
*You say the party is well-known, and now they have a castle and are in good with the king. Nothing like a flock of marriage-minded-mamas eager to make a good match!
Kobold Marine
First Post
Don't do anything at all. At least, not at first.
Let the PC's meet and greet the various guests. A good majority of them will be representing various movers and shakers of the country, nobles, merchants, clergy, other adventuring parties, the charmed agents of the lich dwelling in the nearby necropolis, a doppleganger or two, you get the idea. They are all there to evaluate the new local rulers and to see how they can fit into thier own plots and schemes. Have some of them make offers of alliances to individual PC's. If possible, get two different PC's to side with opposing forces. Let dinner and dance go without any major obstacles. Have as many people as possible talk to the PC's. Lots of Innuendo, Bluff, and Sense Motive checks. Drop a few hints to the hidden agendas of these people. Foreshadowing is your friend.
After the party, the PC's are no longer an unknown quantity in local politics. They will be taken into account as possible allies, tools, or enemies in the plans of the various powerful folk in the realm. Now you really let the sh** hit the fan.
Did a PC act rudely to a local lord? He'll be turning a blind eye to bandits robbing the settlements the PC's rule.
Start calling in those favors and alliances. PC's will be asked to join a coalition of nobles who are petitioning the king for something. Make it something nice and dubious, that the PC's might not actually want to happen, but can they really afford to tick off their three powerful neighbors?
A thief/assassin/fellow up to no good used the ball as an opportunity to scout out the castle. He then returns to steal something or assassinate someone. Or maybe he sells the information to the highest bidder. If you have a rogue-type PC with contacts in the thieves' guild, have them find out about this somehow. Let the party scramble madly to come up with the cash to buy the exclusive rights to the info before anyone else does.
Go nuts. Politics can make for some great roleplaying opportunities. Juggling so many NPC's and factions and plots can be difficult, but doable. I'd suggest going with index cards (one per person/faction) with a brief summary of who they are, general goals, and attitude towards a few other factions. I'd also suggest reading George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels for inspiration. Lots of nifty political stuff there (not to mention body count). Some of the later Vorkosigan novels by Lois Bujold may be helpful too. I'm sure others can point you to other good sources of inspiration.
Best of luck to you, and have fun.
Let the PC's meet and greet the various guests. A good majority of them will be representing various movers and shakers of the country, nobles, merchants, clergy, other adventuring parties, the charmed agents of the lich dwelling in the nearby necropolis, a doppleganger or two, you get the idea. They are all there to evaluate the new local rulers and to see how they can fit into thier own plots and schemes. Have some of them make offers of alliances to individual PC's. If possible, get two different PC's to side with opposing forces. Let dinner and dance go without any major obstacles. Have as many people as possible talk to the PC's. Lots of Innuendo, Bluff, and Sense Motive checks. Drop a few hints to the hidden agendas of these people. Foreshadowing is your friend.
After the party, the PC's are no longer an unknown quantity in local politics. They will be taken into account as possible allies, tools, or enemies in the plans of the various powerful folk in the realm. Now you really let the sh** hit the fan.
Did a PC act rudely to a local lord? He'll be turning a blind eye to bandits robbing the settlements the PC's rule.
Start calling in those favors and alliances. PC's will be asked to join a coalition of nobles who are petitioning the king for something. Make it something nice and dubious, that the PC's might not actually want to happen, but can they really afford to tick off their three powerful neighbors?
A thief/assassin/fellow up to no good used the ball as an opportunity to scout out the castle. He then returns to steal something or assassinate someone. Or maybe he sells the information to the highest bidder. If you have a rogue-type PC with contacts in the thieves' guild, have them find out about this somehow. Let the party scramble madly to come up with the cash to buy the exclusive rights to the info before anyone else does.
Go nuts. Politics can make for some great roleplaying opportunities. Juggling so many NPC's and factions and plots can be difficult, but doable. I'd suggest going with index cards (one per person/faction) with a brief summary of who they are, general goals, and attitude towards a few other factions. I'd also suggest reading George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels for inspiration. Lots of nifty political stuff there (not to mention body count). Some of the later Vorkosigan novels by Lois Bujold may be helpful too. I'm sure others can point you to other good sources of inspiration.
Best of luck to you, and have fun.
Last edited:
Thanks for all the ideas, people.
Some more details:
- There's probably going to be anywhere up to a dozen other 10th+ level characters at this gig, not including "uninvited guests". It's a bit like a LARP but without the LA, actually.
- Politics is a cool idea, but I'm not sure I want the game to head in that direction in the long term. As long as it leads to more opportunities for classic adventuring, it's all good though.
- Remember that these are 14th level PCs, guys. Financing the pomp is not a problem, nor do I really want it to be.
I've got a whole bunch of RP plot hooks jotted down from this thread. Since I am a gearhead, I've also made up a whole bunch of statblocks. Because you never know when the doomed lovers caught up in a Romeo+Juliet situation might decide to flip out and kill people.
The main thing I'm grappling with now is how to actually run the session. Do I have multiple encounters going simultaneously? How do I avoid bogging down? How do I keep everyone involved (there's 5 players)? Mang, it's so much easier to just point the party at the monsters.
Some more details:
- There's probably going to be anywhere up to a dozen other 10th+ level characters at this gig, not including "uninvited guests". It's a bit like a LARP but without the LA, actually.
- Politics is a cool idea, but I'm not sure I want the game to head in that direction in the long term. As long as it leads to more opportunities for classic adventuring, it's all good though.
- Remember that these are 14th level PCs, guys. Financing the pomp is not a problem, nor do I really want it to be.
I've got a whole bunch of RP plot hooks jotted down from this thread. Since I am a gearhead, I've also made up a whole bunch of statblocks. Because you never know when the doomed lovers caught up in a Romeo+Juliet situation might decide to flip out and kill people.
The main thing I'm grappling with now is how to actually run the session. Do I have multiple encounters going simultaneously? How do I avoid bogging down? How do I keep everyone involved (there's 5 players)? Mang, it's so much easier to just point the party at the monsters.
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
hong said:
Rapid cuts. You know how good books always end a chapter on a dramatic point, and then cut to a different character when you REALLY want to know what happens to the character they just left? Do that. Spend no more than ten minutes per subplot before cutting to a different one with a "Meanwhile..." Give all players equal time. By the time you come back to the guy who just got slapped in the face with a glove, they'll be frothing with anticipation.
Len
Prodigal Member
That depends a lot on the players. In my old Neverwinter Nights group, the PCs would probably just run off and start talking to various NPCs. Good thing we had two DMs.hong said:
If your guys aren't so pro-active in their roleplaying, toss in a couple of small scenes to hook them. An argument or an overheard conversation, or just something unusual that they notice. (Some of the guests are undead, right?)
If you really want it to be action-oriented...
It's the castle of an evil black-magic cult, right?
Who's to say that it's not haunted, or filled with dormant Outsiders, and when all those extra people show up for the party, it's not just enough life force in one place to start allowing various abominations from beyond the cosmos to begin manifesting?
It's the castle of an evil black-magic cult, right?
Who's to say that it's not haunted, or filled with dormant Outsiders, and when all those extra people show up for the party, it's not just enough life force in one place to start allowing various abominations from beyond the cosmos to begin manifesting?
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