What To Do With Silly, Power-Mongering Players

[Xar]

Ok, this happened during our last gaming session:

Some magic stuff of my 12th level party got stolen. Actually, everyone lost at least one of his powerfull items. It was done an NPC who did things like this before. Now they met her again, and they even threatened to kill her. Next day most of they stuff went missing. They had not a single protection spells or whatever in place, not even a single Alarm. They just asked for it.

Of course my players got really pissed off, they accused me that I just took they items 'cause they were too powerfull. They were right of course, but I gave them a chance to retrieve their lost stuff. Scrying and Circle Dance was to no avail as the NPC had an Amulet of Proof vs Detection&Location. If she didn't had this item she was dead in an hour, without a good fight, and that wouldn't give the sweet taste of revenge to my players.

When divinition spells didn't work, the cleric (may his soul burn in the Abyss) decided to try something else. He used Planar Ally to summon a Retriever to track the thief for him. He was planning to give that damn beast and his whole party an Invisibility and a Windwalk, so they could track the NPC in just a few minutes. And then kill her with a concentrated attack within one round. Speaking about heroic.

But then came the utter silliness. The Retriever asked a payment for his service, 4 innocent children (far too much for such a simple deed but the party didn't haggle). No problem, the cleric would arrange some from a nearby village. With a Hat of Disguise he changed his appearance into that of an old man and walked into the small hamlet. The farmers who were working on their fields noticed him and asked what his business was and, being an old man, needed a place to rest. Then the cleric began muttering something about setting up a circus and needing some children for his act. He flashed some platinum pieces to the farmers, and when they hesitated he quickly summoned some fiendish Girralons to fetch the children. Meanwhile, the farmers were bussy to dent his magic Full Plate with their sticks, to no avail of course. Then he calmly tied up the children and flew away.

At that point I couldnt continue the game, baffled by the narrow-mindedness of my players. Earlier that evening the mage fireballed some party guests 'cause someone tried to poison him (duh, it was a party set up with a political background, what do you expect then?). Then they think that they can solve all their problems within a few hours with the use of some spells. And if they need some 'spell components' they just get some from a nearby village.

Together with their high-level powers came the idea that they can and may do anything they want. They are allready quite infamous in the area, but they keep moving from place to place, so it is not easy for anyone to pin them down. They allready slaughtered some headhunters and old rivals, and I feel that it is unrealistic to send dozens of high-level characters after them just because they bashed some villagers, sacrified some children and fireballed a major of a small hammlet.

So now I am in serious need for ideas for how to deal with my players as I feel that I am losing controll over them.

 

[Ace32]

1. Wanted Posters and Bounty Hunters.

2. As they continue to do stupid things, they attract the attention of other evil organizations, who want them out of the picture.

3. Have them meet somebody more evil and twisted than they are.

 

[Zarrock God of Evil]

Their dealings with the Abyssal powers will not have gone unnoticed. Characters like this would be interesting pawns for an Abyssal Lord before he throws them away as a discarded toy. Their souls will burn in Hell of course....

-Zarrock

 

[Xar]

1. Wanted Posters and Bounty Hunters.

Thet are allready wanted in a couple of towns in the area. Most Bounty hunters got slaughtered. There arent as many high levels, and the last adventuring party met a quick end (5 10th level characters, all killed single handedly by the party's cleric, by using his spells to a good effect)

2. As they continue to do stupid things, they attract the attention of other evil organizations, who want them out of the picture.

Why? I they are so good, then every evil organisation would want them for their own cause. (hmm, idea here)

3. Have them meet somebody more evil and twisted than they are.

I dont get this one.

The attention of the Abyssal powers is also a fine idea. Thx.

 

[Ravellion]

Perhaps one of their evil acts has far more ramifications than they thought they would. One of the innocent children was Khelben's nephew (not really, but you should get my idea) etc. etc.

What deity did the cleric worship... oh, wait, I remember, you have a party of cyricists. Cursed items that change alignment (Headband of intellect +6, which also functions as a helm of opposite alignment).

If you wanted a heroic campaign, you should have enforced it from the beginning... I don't think most palyers will take a paradigm shift this late.

Rav

 

[Sir Hawkeye]

No matter how tough you are, there's always somebody tougher.
"Oh, coincidentally, a mighty archmage skilled at golemcraft lives in the hamlet you just set fire to." and such like.

On the bounty hunters. How many do you send at a time? Certain large mercenary companies comprised of characters 5th level and higher might possibly exist and be interested in the probably-astronomical bounty available. Just a suggestion.

 

[Henry@home]

Xar,

There are quite numerous ways to take care of a bunch of in-game psychopaths. I'm sorry, but if the players wish to do as the PC's wish, then, same as in real life, they will face consequences.

First, take off the kid gloves. There is ALWAYS someone in the world more powerful or more resourceful than you are. A simple clairvoyance or scrying spell will find your errant players - and if they use nondetection, then Contact other plane and Commune spells will find the mass-urderers. D&D has literally dozens of ways to spy on Characters, both magical and non-magical.

Next, set up ambushes as tightly as you can make them. After all, these PC's are infamous, so their heads will command top-dollar in the bounty-hunter and justice markets. Heightened, Spell focused hold person spells (or even time stops if they are truly that nasty) will ruin their day, as will plenty of other spells that halt them dead in their tracks. A high AC will not avail a helpless character.

The point is, if someone goes out of their way to become a major threat in the world, they WILL be taken out. If they haven't done enough to warrant it yet, set a point mentally that crosses the line into "outlandish infamy." Once they cross this line, word gets out, and the local powers that be are obligated to remove this threat to themselves and their subjects.

P.S. - is your cleric Neutral or Chaotic Evil? If not, he certainly is now, after SACRIFICING FOUR CHILDREN TO AN EVIL BEING. unless his god is evil, he will have some serious issues with this, as will any paladins in a 100-mile radius.

 

[Zhure]

Two Words: Merciless Paladins. A pack of 'em. Smite the evil out of 'em.

Greg

 

[Victim]

Your players have powerful, evil characters that don't set detection spells? How are they protected from scrying?

If they're acting openly, and aren't warded, then they should be in serious trouble. Even if high level characters are rare in the area, one might take the trouble to scry on the people causing all this trouble. Remember 6th level spell Antimagic Field, and its companion in MaoF, antimagic aura. All of one's spells, wards, and magic items are for naught.

Also, characters throwing around flashy magic will attract attention, regardless of whether it's used importantly or not. If a sage, priest, or even some guy with enough artist or descriptive talent to accurately describe what he saw lives and tells others, then they could attract attention from far away. High level magic can often be easily recognized as such, and powerful people are usually watched closely.

 

[Xar]

The problem is not their evil deeds, it is their simple, 'cheap' solutions for the delicate problems they encounter.

I hear here all kinds of arguments that there is always someone more powerfull, and that they will get all paladins of the world on them now. I dont think that it would be realistic to massacre all of them just because of what they did. Or do you send Fzoul or Manshoon after your players because they sabotaged the Zhentarim's works? Of course they will get some attention from some goodie-shoes, but 15th level paladins don't grow on trees. The damage they inflicted was in some small, backwater hamlets and those people don't have the money to pay a big bounty. There is also no powerfull landlord in the area.
I don't mind if they are psychopaths and their alignment turns to evil I just hate when they think that they can walk off with anything. And at the present moment and situation, they CAN.