Post/Author/DateTime

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Rawel 07-21-05, 01:30 PM

I would like to ask for some comments to an adventure in Highmoon. My players acted as bodyguards to a new judge going from shadowdale to highmoon since the acting Highmoon judge Paul (clr3/wiz5) was murdered. The original suspect (Paul's adopted tiefling son) was when the players (very incompetentely) found out the killer was most probbably a hired assassin Cat (rog1/sor4/ass3). The assasin ran away long before the PC's figured out it was her. That's as far as the PC's have progressed thus far. The assassin was hired by a smugglers guild which is based in the Highmoon sewers. The brain behind the guild is a Mind flayer (possibly with sorc levels). He uses his knowledge of the underdark to smuggle weapons and drugs over to Sembia which in my world is secretly prepairing for war with Cormyr (possibly taking it by subterfuge if possible but readying for all out war if nescessary). At the same time since the smugglers have to move thorugh the mountains to the south in the realms of the Cloud Giant Sorc (mentioned in the FRCS) they pay him off partially and that's why he doesn't go for Highmoon yet. Now since my chars are only about level 4-5, they shouldn't probbably be able to take the mind flayer. In case they do choose to go after the smugglers (i.e. search the sewers were they know them to be laired) the mind flayer won't want to kill them. The main part of the smugglers complex is behind a very well hidden door (DC 30) so they shouldn't be able to find that. The mind flayer doesn't want to kill them since if he does the only result will be that the powers of Highmoon will hire someone more able to clear the smugglers out. On the other hand there is an easy to find smaller layer with only about 5 smugglers which the mind flayer is willing to sacrifice. Once those are eliminated everyone will think that the whole band was destroyed and he will get a long respite in the very least. On the other hand if by any chance the Mind flayer is destroyed the reason the Cloud Giant sorcs reticence to attack Highmoon (i.e. killing the goose that lays golden eggs) will disappear and so while the smugglers would be destroyed a much bigger threat to Highmoon will be close to the horizon. I would like any comments about the ideas presented also is the idea of the Cloud Giants attack in direct consequence to the possible PC's "good" actions to nasty? Thanks for any comments. Rawel PS.: Does anyone have any idea how much money such a smuggling operation might sensibly generate? I thought of just creating the NPC smugglers and then use say the wealth per level guidelines but it someow seems thy should have more ...