[Wulf's BARAKUS FOLLIES] LOST CITY OF BARAKUS TPK...?

[Numion]

Well, orcs or goblins, yes.

The implacably evil drow? I mean, come on.

The party spokesman was an elf, for crying out loud. Leading the, "Let's trust them!" chorus.

I don't disagree with the NPCs actions, the PCs brought it upon themselves. Ah .. nothing like screwing the PCs with a good conscience

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

They strip the paladin naked and leave him with a tattoo of the dark spider god on his bum and brag to him about how the Ghoul King had the token all along.

That's almost a given-- one spider tattoo, one House tattoo.

Let the Drow find the token and then disappear down into the underdark. Assuming the party does not die fighting the hydra.

Well, I am also setting up the party for The Vault of Larin Karr, and Queen of Lies, and Crypt of the Devil Lich. Got the whole drow/lich epic cycle thing going on.

So all of these drow are from the rogue drow house detailed in Monte's QoL. My long term plot (still pretty vague) is that Larin Karr is the drow devil-lich, and Alevolenz (the evil drow chick from QoL) is trying to find and revive him-- her interest in Barakus is in the lich Devron, and recovering his Helm of Power (the magic crown) for Larin Karr.

I think this one encounter may very well take them off the track of Barakus and put them right into VoLK. I can always have the drow get ambushed by any one of a number of monsters as they pass through the Vault underdark area on their way back to the deeper underdark.

 

[Ruined]

Nasty situation. One question, the Drow know that the Ghoul Lord had the token, but how definite is it that they know exactly where it's hidden? If they felt the Ghoul Lord to be that powerful, I doubt they could have done any reconnaisance other than magical. I wonder how the paladin would be while the rogues scoured the room. Then again, he may offer to help...

 

[Quasqueton]

There is parlay. Parlay! For months now, I have been beating my players up over the fact that they never talk with any of the monsters. Had they rushed in, they could easily have overwhelmed the four drow fighters, with time to spare.

But this time they choose to parlay.

Yeah. Don't PCs pick the dumbest times to do the smart things?

I want to congratulate Wulf on his ability to tell a story like this and not get raked over the coals and told he's a bad DM. When *I* tell a story like this, half the replies are holier-than-thou Players and DMs telling me how wrong/bad I am. How they'd immediately leave the game if they had to endure such a situation. Hell, even when I post a hypothetical situation for discussion, some folks take it as an example of my bad skill.

Wulf seems to be a let-you-die-when-you-are-stupid DM and a willin'-to-kill-a-PC Player. And people love him for it! Online Charisma of 24.

[For the record, I have no problem with how Wulf's running his game. I run a similar style: stupid actions get you killed.]

Quasqueton

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Nasty situation. One question, the Drow know that the Ghoul Lord had the token, but how definite is it that they know exactly where it's hidden?

They don't, but his territory is not that vast.

I wonder how the paladin would be while the rogues scoured the room. Then again, he may offer to help...

I imagine he'd be either dead or poisoned.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I want to congratulate Wulf on his ability to tell a story like this and not get raked over the coals and told he's a bad DM. When *I* tell a story like this, half the replies are holier-than-thou Players and DMs telling me how wrong/bad I am. How they'd immediately leave the game if they had to endure such a situation.

For what it's worth, I expect a revolt if I take them prisoner and make them suffer any kind of abuse. Most players (myself included) would rather have their PC killed than enslaved, and I would certainly rather be dead than have my ass tattooed by some damned drow.

One factor at work here is that I don't allow raise dead in my game. I've told the players that I might... might rescind that if they ever get powerful enough to cast it themselves.

But for now, death is a pretty permanent thing. No nipping off to the temple for a "do over" at any price.

(On the other hand they all get action points, 5 + half their level, that refresh every time they level up-- so it helps keep them alive.)

Another factor at work is that 2 of 5 players have never played D&D before (so they don't really have all that great a psychological attachment to their characters), 2 of 5 have never played 3.5 before, and only 1 of 5 is what I would call "experienced."

He just happens to have the worst instincts of any player I have ever known.


Wulf

 

[Anabstercorian]

I'd go with the slavery-ghoul-"rescue" thing, personally. But make sure they lose some good toys if you let them live - dumbness needs punishment.

 

[Rackhir]

It doesn't sound like the Players would necessarily be that familiar with the Drow or what they are like. Especially if their characters/players had never run into them before. You might want to give them a knowledge roll of some sort to determine if they would know that this is a really bad idea to trust the drow and cooperate with them. This sounds like it's a situation where the character might well know more than the player does. ie. "The Dread Pirate Roberts NEVER Takes Prisoners!"

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

It doesn't sound like the Players would necessarily be that familiar with the Drow or what they are like. Especially if their characters/players had never run into them before.

See, I don't see it that way at all.

How many opportunities does a DM get to introduce the drow to his players?

EDIT: In fact, now I am downright giddy at the thought of double-crossing them and making them truly hate the drow.

So, about those tattoos: Spider at the base of the throat, House symbol on the forehead? Sound good?

 

[Rackhir]

See, I don't see it that way at all.

How many opportunities does a DM get to introduce the drow to his players?

Ah, I misunderstood, I though you were looking for reasons to keep the party alive. Well then you will get your TPK or slavery... Either way will defintely ensure that they won't trust drow ever again for sure.