Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Loublin 04-19-07, 01:22 AM	So here is the deal. My DM says to me "Hey I'd like to play for a while." I say okay. Now the problem is this is my second time being the DM and my first game was broken by experienced PCs. I really need help. :surrender Please The details I can think of off hand and in best order that my memory can serve First the PCs have a rite from the king him self that gives them the power to get away with just about anything in the name of the king. Next they are all minor nobles. They have sailed three days to a city that is on the frontier of the kingdom there mission is to help maintain order of this barony. It is controlled by two brothers each are not the real owners of the land the women are. The whole city belongs to the cult of Vecna. In this cult are varring ideas on how the cult should run and are trying to eliminate the other factions, like the lords for instance. The lord of Blades is involved as a side quest there is a lady alchemist named mad Maggie (she is not mad). They tried to kill her and failed. The cult is also trying to remove or run off the PCs in a manor that will make the king think it is not necessary to send more people. They seceded, sort of, with the Paladin and he is on his way back with a message from the church of Altua that the city is in such a state. Oh yes the PCs also have discovered a site of human sacrifice in the woods and an alter to Vecna deep under a cover tavern that had a sea cave that could be accessed via tavern or at low tide via dingy. The tavern hasn’t been entered since this discovery thanks in part to the city guard who of course are in on it. Also people are smuggling things on unlit ships in detect magic proof boxes. I think I covered it all. Thanks for any ideas people throw out any suggestions are welcome. I will try my best to answer any questions anyone has. Thanks a bunch
Fuzzypaws 04-19-07, 01:36 AM	My suggestion? Don't try to run someone else's campaign, not if you weren't a co-DM from the start. Start your own campaign, with your own story and everyone playing separate characters, or you will deeply regret it and will be overwhelmed in no time flat.
Kouk 04-19-07, 02:36 AM	"Hey, what's with this strange fog all of a sudden? Aah! We're being sucked into an alternate material plane for no reason at all!".
Etarnon 04-19-07, 09:45 AM	Yeah, run your own campaign. Seriously. Use those PCs or new ones, just for that game. Failing that, have a challenge to the present king's rulership. They must risk life and limb or the king dies, and with him, his writ. Best advice, run your own campaign.
Ace the Dead 04-19-07, 12:50 PM	The cult is also trying to remove or run off the PCs in a manor that will make the king think it is not necessary to send more people. The best way to accomplish this would probably try and set the PCs up to take the fall for all this cult stuff. Arrange the few good and honest guards to find evidence of treachery on the PCs (the more incontrivertible the better), and have them be sent to the king telling of their misdeeds. Have stollen goods (of the useful magical kind) end up in PC hands (or have noble cultists lie about that new item they purchased). Alter self + disguise ranks = witness to the PC's treachery & worship of evil gods. Also, this is Vecna we're talking about here. Extorsion of the "Do X or your secret is out," is kinda standard practice. The first bit is to arrange to create some sort of embarassing secret for the PCs (with that right to do anything it'd have to be emabrasing, prolly not illegal). Get the PCs drunk (by giving them vodka when they ask for water or something) then forge insulting letters to other major noble houses, tell the PCs that you have 5 or six of them (not on the messenger, of course) and for each favor they do the cultists they get one letter back. After that, the dark deeds themselves become the lever for the extorsion. I'd advice not taking it to the point where you have the cult send an expendible group of mercs up agianst the PCs to die & get looted only to find that the useful items they had were all cursed to make the wielder/wearer detect as evil, as that could probably have long term effects you don't want. Seeing as your standing in, make sure the PCs have a way to prove their innocence (or silence the extortionists) when the dust settles, so you can hand things back over.
Loublin 04-20-07, 11:49 AM	Thank you for all the suggestions. I really like the idea of do X or this gets reviled. Also I think that just placing a couple of cursed items that make you read as evil out where they can get to them is also a good idea, after all my paladin is an NPC right now (and the pinnicle of lawful stupid). As for those telling me this is a bad idea I kind of thought so, but this really is a favor for my friend she DMs a lot and games little. Thanks for the advice though
Fuzzypaws 04-20-07, 11:24 PM	You can run a game for the benefit of your friend without running her game. Just start your own fresh campaign with new characters, maybe even in a different setting. :)