Maerdwyn
First Post
So we just finished our gaming session with the party's druid being captured (at the least) by the enemy. In most cases, I would use this as an adventure hook, but right now I'm looking for some advice, as there are a whole bunch of reasons that the druid would just be killed outright.
Here are the specifics:
Druid goes off in eagle form to scout the supply train of the invading orcish army. He knows from past experience that the orcs are actively trying to kill off any druids and clerics they find, can often detect druids in shapeshifted form, and that the wyvern riders in the army are generally spell casters of some ability.
He finds barges full of supplies being pulled up river, accompanied by two mounted wyverns, as well as a decent size ground escort.
Instead of going back to report the findings, he decides to close in can cast Insect Swarm on the orcs (there is much table talk urging him against this, but as has been the druid's history when acting on his own, he perseveres.) After he gets closer, but before he can cast the spell, he is detected. He flies off, and the wyverns pursue. One has a sorcerer on its back who casts haste on his wyvern. They close on the druid, and the sorcerer casts hold person. The druid fails the save and glides helplessly for a bit, and then we ended the session.
If this were an NPC druid, the orc would cetainly capture the druid and coup de grace him.
I would generally capture a PC when presented with a choice of either capturing him or killing him ourtight, but here:
1) The orcs have been hunting and murdering every druid they can find. The PC and the player were very aware of this, and have been trying to determine the reason.
2) The supplies for the orcish army were vital to the army (that's why they were being scouted in the first place) and therefore quite well guarded. However, the guards were very much in line with the types of forces the party has encountered previously. In my view, the player/PC should have expected this (Am I out of line for that?)
3) The player knew, by his response to the cross talk, that this was a rather foolhardy course of action, and may have been doing this for shock value.
So, in this case, I'm leaning towards having the orcs kill the character, rather than take him prisoner, but I could be swayed by a good argument from one of you.
Any thoughts?
Here are the specifics:
Druid goes off in eagle form to scout the supply train of the invading orcish army. He knows from past experience that the orcs are actively trying to kill off any druids and clerics they find, can often detect druids in shapeshifted form, and that the wyvern riders in the army are generally spell casters of some ability.
He finds barges full of supplies being pulled up river, accompanied by two mounted wyverns, as well as a decent size ground escort.
Instead of going back to report the findings, he decides to close in can cast Insect Swarm on the orcs (there is much table talk urging him against this, but as has been the druid's history when acting on his own, he perseveres.) After he gets closer, but before he can cast the spell, he is detected. He flies off, and the wyverns pursue. One has a sorcerer on its back who casts haste on his wyvern. They close on the druid, and the sorcerer casts hold person. The druid fails the save and glides helplessly for a bit, and then we ended the session.
If this were an NPC druid, the orc would cetainly capture the druid and coup de grace him.
I would generally capture a PC when presented with a choice of either capturing him or killing him ourtight, but here:
1) The orcs have been hunting and murdering every druid they can find. The PC and the player were very aware of this, and have been trying to determine the reason.
2) The supplies for the orcish army were vital to the army (that's why they were being scouted in the first place) and therefore quite well guarded. However, the guards were very much in line with the types of forces the party has encountered previously. In my view, the player/PC should have expected this (Am I out of line for that?)
3) The player knew, by his response to the cross talk, that this was a rather foolhardy course of action, and may have been doing this for shock value.
So, in this case, I'm leaning towards having the orcs kill the character, rather than take him prisoner, but I could be swayed by a good argument from one of you.
Any thoughts?
