CG Villainy [Archive] - Wizards Community

CG Villainy [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Aubri
03-22-05, 09:54 AM IMC, set in Greyhawk, I've set up a situation where Lord Drax (the self-described "enlightened despot" of the Free City of Rel Astra) has been deposed by a rather Conan-esque character called Roostam the Conqueror. Drax has hired the PCs to help him get his city back. My intent is to provide the campaign with two possible paths--the PCs side with the good Roostam against the machinations of the personally evil Drax, or they side with the lawful Drax against the chaotic Roostam, who frankly sucks at ruling a city.

I'm having a little trouble, though, coming up with motivations for Roostam et al and figuring out how to make it clear that he's ineffective. Perhaps you guys can give me a little help.
1) Why did Roostam decide to take over a city? Was he manipulated by the ruler of Ahlissa, or did he just decide to retire in grand style and start looking for a despot to depose?
2) Who fills the power vacuum left since he'd rather party than rule? Since Drax was a despot, I wouldn't expect a powerful city council or merchant board to be in place already.
3) How do the other cities of the Solnor Compact react?
4) What do the common people think of this? I'm expecting some severe polarization, depending on whether the change benefits or harms the individual.
5) How would people react to a monstrous PC? Would they be willing to vent their frustrations to him, or what?
6) Why does Roostam ignore the pleas of those harmed by the change? Is he being lied to by the new de facto rulers? Why don't his associates--adventuring companions, basically a party--find out the truth, then?
7) I've already established that Roostam had the help of the Captain of the Guard. Who else would need to be in on it, and why do they want to depose him?
8) Captain Kristoph is LN; what's his motivation for helping overthrow the current, legal leadership? Was he charmed by one of Roostam's companions?
Vharuck
03-22-05, 01:19 PM My ideas, granted I do not know Roostam too well.

1) Why did Roostam decide to take over a city? Was he manipulated by the ruler of Ahlissa, or did he just decide to retire in grand style and start looking for a despot to depose?
He doesn't like the idea of an overbearing despot and felt the need to "save a city" and basically do something heroic before he died.
2) Who fills the power vacuum left since he'd rather party than rule? Since Drax was a despot, I wouldn't expect a powerful city council or merchant board to be in place already.
This is probably the place of nobility, secret cabals of wizards, the thiefves' guilds, smuggling rings, mafia, etc.
3) How do the other cities of the Solnor Compact react?
Though some may secretly rejoice at the removal of the (most liekly) ***hole that the despot was, they would have to outwardly show their distaste and are probably unsettled by the fact that revolutions spawn revolutions in other nations.
4) What do the common people think of this? I'm expecting some severe polarization, depending on whether the change benefits or harms the individual.
Depends on how they were treated. An evil ruler may very well fight for equality among the classes. He's just willing to decapitate anyone he sees as breaking that unequality. I'd say the peasants are frightened by change, since they're probably mostly unaffected the ruler (I mean, he doesn't persoanlly go to their farms and whip them every morning on his usual rounds, does he?) and don't like the idea of their being a void of power and lack of control. Their would probably be riots, killing, and looting on a massive scale.
5) How would people react to a monstrous PC? Would they be willing to vent their frustrations to him, or what?
Where did this come from? Anyways, a monstrous PC is still a monster. People don't like monsters. They're not travelling the wilderness and seeing orcs raise children or trolls teaching each other how to build shelters. They only know that monsters kill people for food, and their reaction will be reminiscent of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.
6) Why does Roostam ignore the pleas of those harmed by the change? Is he being lied to by the new de facto rulers? Why don't his associates--adventuring companions, basically a party--find out the truth, then?
I'd say that, as a chaotic guy, he doesn't really think his plan through. He ignores the pleas because "Hey, they're just farmers. What do they know of politics? This is for the best, and I'm doing it to better their lives."
7) I've already established that Roostam had the help of the Captain of the Guard. Who else would need to be in on it, and why do they want to depose him?
Captain of the guard, a few of those secret and maybe illegal organizations within the city, and maybe a church of a good god all provide sufficient financial and political backing. He might have struck a deal with a mercenary service that allowed him troops at lower costs in exchange for the control of the new city's watch, guards, and army.
8) Captain Kristoph is LN; what's his motivation for helping overthrow the current, legal leadership? Was he charmed by one of Roostam's companions?He probably realizes that Roostam is basically inept and unfit for ruling a city. He might plan to secure Roostam in a seat of power and use the unorganized and unplanning leader as a puppet, offering him long-winded advice that Roostam would just accept as true. Controlling a city through a puppet is so much safer.
MortalPlague
03-22-05, 03:23 PM First off, I really like this idea. I'm sure it will make a great campaign.

In my opinion, taking Roostam as a 'Conan' figure, I would opt for the 'retiring in style' option. He figured he's done everything else, he's bored, and he wanted to take over a city to retire in. Besides, Drax has always been a thorn in his side, a long-standing nemesis whose soldiers consistently foiled Roostam's plans.

The reason Roostam doesn't know his rule is harmful is because he simply can't read the signs. Nobody tells a king they're doing a bad job because he's the king. His friends might speak to him, and I imagine Roostam might try harder, but in doing so, upset things even more.

The guard captain probably helped him because he knew Drax to be evil, and deep in his heart he felt that his service to his king was fundamentally wrong. He may be lawful neutral, but that doesn't mean he has no conscience. Perhaps he's been ordered to do things that didn't sit well with him, and though he did them anyways, he has no desire to pursue the course further. The easiest way is to depose the ruler.
Aubri
03-22-05, 04:48 PM First off, I really like this idea. I'm sure it will make a great campaign.
Hehe, thanks!
Drax has always been a thorn in his side, a long-standing nemesis whose soldiers consistently foiled Roostam's plans.
That sounds good to me... barbarians do tend to hold grudges. :)
The reason Roostam doesn't know his rule is harmful is because he simply can't read the signs. Nobody tells a king they're doing a bad job because he's the king. His friends might speak to him, and I imagine Roostam might try harder, but in doing so, upset things even more.
I like the second part of that statement a lot more than the first. As a good man he probably wants to try and eliminate suffering, but takes a ham-fisted approach to it--say, taxing the rich to give to the poor, thus earning the enmity of every rich merchant. And of course, he won't give away his OWN money--he fought hard for that!
The guard captain probably helped him because he knew Drax to be evil, and deep in his heart he felt that his service to his king was fundamentally wrong. He may be lawful neutral, but that doesn't mean he has no conscience. Perhaps he's been ordered to do things that didn't sit well with him, and though he did them anyways, he has no desire to pursue the course further. The easiest way is to depose the ruler.
Mmmeh, I dunno. He probably HAS been ordered to do things he didn't like, or clean up after Drax's enforcers. I have the feeling his attitude is something like "I don't care if you're starving, there'll be no rioting in MY streets!"
Aubri
03-22-05, 05:06 PM Vharuck:
3) I think Drax was canny enough to stay on good terms with most everyone. He's the ruler of a free city in between two fragments of what used to be the Great Kingdom, so he needs to tread softly there.
4) That's a good point, the rulers don't matter much to the lowest castes of society. I want to point out that "enlightened despot" means something like your parents--they have absolute authority, but they also have your best interests at heart. In Drax's case, though, you might expect to see him (in extremity) sacrifice some segment of the population for the safety of the rest. Ruthless, but fair (because he's lawful). Or is that "lawful because he's fair"?
5) This came up because I have monstrous PCs. :) They probably shouldn't get the standard Ogre Treatment, because they're something similar to aaracokras. I wouldn't think people's initial reaction would be revulsion, as it would be for a troll.
7) I prefer to think the coup was a more personal affair--Roostam vs. Drax rather than an invasion scenario. He'd have to have the support of the guard and the power centers of the city (like rich merchants)... Okay, that helped. The oligarchs of the city saw the opportunity to use this boob to depose Drax and become the eminence grises, while letting him think he's in charge. That also explains why he can't get anything done--he may make grand decrees, but guess who actually carries them out (or fails to)? It wouldn't be hard to engineer this shipment to be stolen, a mob there, whatever. Interesting... a third side. The PCs could side with Roostam against them too, if they figure out what's going on... (...I doubt they will.)
8) Or perhaps he's being manipulated too. I don't think he'd be up to the really deep intrigues, since he's more of a jumped-up guardsman than a noble.
Aubri
04-01-05, 09:15 PM :bump:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aubri 03-22-05, 09:54 AM	IMC, set in Greyhawk, I've set up a situation where Lord Drax (the self-described "enlightened despot" of the Free City of Rel Astra) has been deposed by a rather Conan-esque character called Roostam the Conqueror. Drax has hired the PCs to help him get his city back. My intent is to provide the campaign with two possible paths--the PCs side with the good Roostam against the machinations of the personally evil Drax, or they side with the lawful Drax against the chaotic Roostam, who frankly sucks at ruling a city. I'm having a little trouble, though, coming up with motivations for Roostam et al and figuring out how to make it clear that he's ineffective. Perhaps you guys can give me a little help. 1) Why did Roostam decide to take over a city? Was he manipulated by the ruler of Ahlissa, or did he just decide to retire in grand style and start looking for a despot to depose? 2) Who fills the power vacuum left since he'd rather party than rule? Since Drax was a despot, I wouldn't expect a powerful city council or merchant board to be in place already. 3) How do the other cities of the Solnor Compact react? 4) What do the common people think of this? I'm expecting some severe polarization, depending on whether the change benefits or harms the individual. 5) How would people react to a monstrous PC? Would they be willing to vent their frustrations to him, or what? 6) Why does Roostam ignore the pleas of those harmed by the change? Is he being lied to by the new de facto rulers? Why don't his associates--adventuring companions, basically a party--find out the truth, then? 7) I've already established that Roostam had the help of the Captain of the Guard. Who else would need to be in on it, and why do they want to depose him? 8) Captain Kristoph is LN; what's his motivation for helping overthrow the current, legal leadership? Was he charmed by one of Roostam's companions?
Vharuck 03-22-05, 01:19 PM	My ideas, granted I do not know Roostam too well. 1) Why did Roostam decide to take over a city? Was he manipulated by the ruler of Ahlissa, or did he just decide to retire in grand style and start looking for a despot to depose? He doesn't like the idea of an overbearing despot and felt the need to "save a city" and basically do something heroic before he died. 2) Who fills the power vacuum left since he'd rather party than rule? Since Drax was a despot, I wouldn't expect a powerful city council or merchant board to be in place already. This is probably the place of nobility, secret cabals of wizards, the thiefves' guilds, smuggling rings, mafia, etc. 3) How do the other cities of the Solnor Compact react? Though some may secretly rejoice at the removal of the (most liekly) ***hole that the despot was, they would have to outwardly show their distaste and are probably unsettled by the fact that revolutions spawn revolutions in other nations. 4) What do the common people think of this? I'm expecting some severe polarization, depending on whether the change benefits or harms the individual. Depends on how they were treated. An evil ruler may very well fight for equality among the classes. He's just willing to decapitate anyone he sees as breaking that unequality. I'd say the peasants are frightened by change, since they're probably mostly unaffected the ruler (I mean, he doesn't persoanlly go to their farms and whip them every morning on his usual rounds, does he?) and don't like the idea of their being a void of power and lack of control. Their would probably be riots, killing, and looting on a massive scale. 5) How would people react to a monstrous PC? Would they be willing to vent their frustrations to him, or what? Where did this come from? Anyways, a monstrous PC is still a monster. People don't like monsters. They're not travelling the wilderness and seeing orcs raise children or trolls teaching each other how to build shelters. They only know that monsters kill people for food, and their reaction will be reminiscent of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. 6) Why does Roostam ignore the pleas of those harmed by the change? Is he being lied to by the new de facto rulers? Why don't his associates--adventuring companions, basically a party--find out the truth, then? I'd say that, as a chaotic guy, he doesn't really think his plan through. He ignores the pleas because "Hey, they're just farmers. What do they know of politics? This is for the best, and I'm doing it to better their lives." 7) I've already established that Roostam had the help of the Captain of the Guard. Who else would need to be in on it, and why do they want to depose him? Captain of the guard, a few of those secret and maybe illegal organizations within the city, and maybe a church of a good god all provide sufficient financial and political backing. He might have struck a deal with a mercenary service that allowed him troops at lower costs in exchange for the control of the new city's watch, guards, and army. 8) Captain Kristoph is LN; what's his motivation for helping overthrow the current, legal leadership? Was he charmed by one of Roostam's companions?He probably realizes that Roostam is basically inept and unfit for ruling a city. He might plan to secure Roostam in a seat of power and use the unorganized and unplanning leader as a puppet, offering him long-winded advice that Roostam would just accept as true. Controlling a city through a puppet is so much safer.
MortalPlague 03-22-05, 03:23 PM	First off, I really like this idea. I'm sure it will make a great campaign. In my opinion, taking Roostam as a 'Conan' figure, I would opt for the 'retiring in style' option. He figured he's done everything else, he's bored, and he wanted to take over a city to retire in. Besides, Drax has always been a thorn in his side, a long-standing nemesis whose soldiers consistently foiled Roostam's plans. The reason Roostam doesn't know his rule is harmful is because he simply can't read the signs. Nobody tells a king they're doing a bad job because he's the king. His friends might speak to him, and I imagine Roostam might try harder, but in doing so, upset things even more. The guard captain probably helped him because he knew Drax to be evil, and deep in his heart he felt that his service to his king was fundamentally wrong. He may be lawful neutral, but that doesn't mean he has no conscience. Perhaps he's been ordered to do things that didn't sit well with him, and though he did them anyways, he has no desire to pursue the course further. The easiest way is to depose the ruler.
Aubri 03-22-05, 04:48 PM	First off, I really like this idea. I'm sure it will make a great campaign. Hehe, thanks! Drax has always been a thorn in his side, a long-standing nemesis whose soldiers consistently foiled Roostam's plans. That sounds good to me... barbarians do tend to hold grudges. :) The reason Roostam doesn't know his rule is harmful is because he simply can't read the signs. Nobody tells a king they're doing a bad job because he's the king. His friends might speak to him, and I imagine Roostam might try harder, but in doing so, upset things even more. I like the second part of that statement a lot more than the first. As a good man he probably wants to try and eliminate suffering, but takes a ham-fisted approach to it--say, taxing the rich to give to the poor, thus earning the enmity of every rich merchant. And of course, he won't give away his OWN money--he fought hard for that! The guard captain probably helped him because he knew Drax to be evil, and deep in his heart he felt that his service to his king was fundamentally wrong. He may be lawful neutral, but that doesn't mean he has no conscience. Perhaps he's been ordered to do things that didn't sit well with him, and though he did them anyways, he has no desire to pursue the course further. The easiest way is to depose the ruler. Mmmeh, I dunno. He probably HAS been ordered to do things he didn't like, or clean up after Drax's enforcers. I have the feeling his attitude is something like "I don't care if you're starving, there'll be no rioting in MY streets!"
Aubri 03-22-05, 05:06 PM	Vharuck: 3) I think Drax was canny enough to stay on good terms with most everyone. He's the ruler of a free city in between two fragments of what used to be the Great Kingdom, so he needs to tread softly there. 4) That's a good point, the rulers don't matter much to the lowest castes of society. I want to point out that "enlightened despot" means something like your parents--they have absolute authority, but they also have your best interests at heart. In Drax's case, though, you might expect to see him (in extremity) sacrifice some segment of the population for the safety of the rest. Ruthless, but fair (because he's lawful). Or is that "lawful because he's fair"? 5) This came up because I have monstrous PCs. :) They probably shouldn't get the standard Ogre Treatment, because they're something similar to aaracokras. I wouldn't think people's initial reaction would be revulsion, as it would be for a troll. 7) I prefer to think the coup was a more personal affair--Roostam vs. Drax rather than an invasion scenario. He'd have to have the support of the guard and the power centers of the city (like rich merchants)... Okay, that helped. The oligarchs of the city saw the opportunity to use this boob to depose Drax and become the eminence grises, while letting him think he's in charge. That also explains why he can't get anything done--he may make grand decrees, but guess who actually carries them out (or fails to)? It wouldn't be hard to engineer this shipment to be stolen, a mob there, whatever. Interesting... a third side. The PCs could side with Roostam against them too, if they figure out what's going on... (...I doubt they will.) 8) Or perhaps he's being manipulated too. I don't think he'd be up to the really deep intrigues, since he's more of a jumped-up guardsman than a noble.
Aubri 04-01-05, 09:15 PM	:bump: