Mercenary Captain Encounter - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Mercenary Captain Encounter

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
croataxeman
Apr 18, 2011 17:04:09 My PCs have been working for a mercenary group since they were lvl 1. Now they are lvl 5 and have claimed a destroyed keep that they plan to rebuild. The leader of the mercenaries is coming to survey the keep b/c he thinks it is now his. My PCs know he is coming so they are planning on asassinating him.

Anyone have any cool ideas to make this encounter really interesting? I haven't fleshed out the merc leader's race/class.
#2
starprowler
Apr 18, 2011 22:54:17
My PCs have been working for a mercenary group since they were lvl 1. Now they are lvl 5 and have claimed a destroyed keep that they plan to rebuild. The leader of the mercenaries is coming to survey the keep b/c he thinks it is now his. My PCs know he is coming so they are planning on asassinating him.

Anyone have any cool ideas to make this encounter really interesting? I haven't fleshed out the merc leader's race/class.

Being a lover of mercenaries myself, I find this idea pretty nice, and will def add this idea to my Wailing Wench campaign, as for ideas for a fun encounter I'll try to think some up.

The wayward Spie: A spie amoung the mercenaries lets the leader know of the PC's plan to assasinate him, so he brings a private army of his own. Soon its your classic stand off scenerio

Make 3 waves of attacks as listed below:
1) The mercenary leader hires the most deadly crossbow men the land knows, the dreaded "Chimera Group" said to be able to kill three men with a singe shot. The PC's must fend off thier deadly onslaught of bolts.

2)The Twins: Two Half-Orc brothers as ugly as all be have acess to a deadly Balista they are most famous for using. Its rummored they had a man held up in a a single mud hovel, knowing they could easily storm it they chose to use the balista instead to prove a point.

3)The strike Team: The mercenary leader grows tired of thier insulance and storms the compoud himself with 3 Bug Bears he has at his disposal. Known simply as the three Bears, for famously leaving anyone they kill sleeping in thier beds.

Hope these help
#3
thebilliam
Apr 19, 2011 3:45:21 Two groups trying to kill each other? They are both mercenaries not diplomats they do default to swords not words. It may also be fun to have a representative visit first to see how your PC react. Do they try and lure the head guy in or just kill everyone. Although Starprowler has a good idea there especially if a messenger is killed first.

Some questions that may change how this plays out would be...
Does this keep have secrets? and who would know them?
Is the big boss a sneaky kind of guy?
Would the merc want to reward the PC without them knowing it yet?
#4
Aetharion
Apr 19, 2011 7:06:08 If you haven't stated that the keep is nonmagical, you could retroactively have it been built with bloodrock or something like that, so that it actively wants people to die inside it. Falling rocks, exploding torches, athletics checks to remain standing, etc.
#5
starprowler
Apr 19, 2011 10:40:19
If you haven't stated that the keep is nonmagical, you could retroactively have it been built with bloodrock or something like that, so that it actively wants people to die inside it. Falling rocks, exploding torches, athletics checks to remain standing, etc.

Ha love the blood rock idea, even after the adventure getting the Keep up and running can be alot of different quests.
#6
barvas
Apr 19, 2011 12:55:20 The mercenary captain is secretly a lich, or some other type of creature that when you kill it, its not actually dead, just angry. The PCs are able to dispatch him if they catch him unawares, only to realize the can of worms they just opened . . .
#7
croataxeman
Apr 19, 2011 15:55:39
The mercenary captain is secretly a lich, or some other type of creature that when you kill it, its not actually dead, just angry. The PCs are able to dispatch him if they catch him unawares, only to realize the can of worms they just opened . . .

OOOOOhhhh I realllllllly like this idea. Works perfectly for the undead uprising I have going on in the background of the campaign. If I have the merc captain just resurrect, I feel like I will cheat the PCs since they came up with the idea to assassinate him. Here is what I'm thinkin, the PCs assassinating foils his plans somehow. How does a lich benefit from controling a merc guild? I'd love some ideas on that.

One other piece of info I forgot to mention is that one of the PCs is a changling and he plans to shape shift into the merc captain after they kill him and take over his position. Then, controling the guild, fund the reconstruction of the keep.
#8
thebilliam
Apr 19, 2011 17:58:20 Have you even been really excited to take a new job but once you do it for a few weeks you absolutely hate it!? You could put the lich one plot step back and have the lich be controlling the merc. So once your PC take his place they have no clue that they just became a part of an undead uprising. You can have an investigator start suspecting they are involved right away since they work for the lich already, if they know it or not.
#9
croataxeman
Apr 20, 2011 13:45:36 Another idea I have is to make the merc leader under the domination of a succubus. Anyone know any other creatures that possess or dominate others?
#10
starprowler
Apr 20, 2011 16:05:17
Another idea I have is to make the merc leader under the domination of a succubus. Anyone know any other creatures that possess or dominate others?

Yeah I like this idea, I picture a Mercenary captain to be more a fighter/warlord type, so having this muscle under some sort of command makes for a tough foe, and if you want him coming back again again, you can have the Succubus/Lich rez him.

#11
croataxeman
Apr 20, 2011 17:12:24
Have you even been really excited to take a new job but once you do it for a few weeks you absolutely hate it!? You could put the lich one plot step back and have the lich be controlling the merc. So once your PC take his place they have no clue that they just became a part of an undead uprising. You can have an investigator start suspecting they are involved right away since they work for the lich already, if they know it or not.

Hmm, I could make the merc captain part of a larger group that is controlled by the Lich. So when the PCs takes over his position, they start getting the Lich's orders. They want to fund their keep's reconstruction by controlling the mercs, but they might get orders to do some pretty evil stuff. Could make for some good roleplay.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 croataxeman Apr 18, 2011 17:04:09	My PCs have been working for a mercenary group since they were lvl 1. Now they are lvl 5 and have claimed a destroyed keep that they plan to rebuild. The leader of the mercenaries is coming to survey the keep b/c he thinks it is now his. My PCs know he is coming so they are planning on asassinating him. Anyone have any cool ideas to make this encounter really interesting? I haven't fleshed out the merc leader's race/class.
#2 starprowler Apr 18, 2011 22:54:17	My PCs have been working for a mercenary group since they were lvl 1. Now they are lvl 5 and have claimed a destroyed keep that they plan to rebuild. The leader of the mercenaries is coming to survey the keep b/c he thinks it is now his. My PCs know he is coming so they are planning on asassinating him. Anyone have any cool ideas to make this encounter really interesting? I haven't fleshed out the merc leader's race/class. Being a lover of mercenaries myself, I find this idea pretty nice, and will def add this idea to my Wailing Wench campaign, as for ideas for a fun encounter I'll try to think some up. The wayward Spie: A spie amoung the mercenaries lets the leader know of the PC's plan to assasinate him, so he brings a private army of his own. Soon its your classic stand off scenerio Make 3 waves of attacks as listed below: 1) The mercenary leader hires the most deadly crossbow men the land knows, the dreaded "Chimera Group" said to be able to kill three men with a singe shot. The PC's must fend off thier deadly onslaught of bolts. 2)The Twins: Two Half-Orc brothers as ugly as all be have acess to a deadly Balista they are most famous for using. Its rummored they had a man held up in a a single mud hovel, knowing they could easily storm it they chose to use the balista instead to prove a point. 3)The strike Team: The mercenary leader grows tired of thier insulance and storms the compoud himself with 3 Bug Bears he has at his disposal. Known simply as the three Bears, for famously leaving anyone they kill sleeping in thier beds. Hope these help
#3 thebilliam Apr 19, 2011 3:45:21	Two groups trying to kill each other? They are both mercenaries not diplomats they do default to swords not words. It may also be fun to have a representative visit first to see how your PC react. Do they try and lure the head guy in or just kill everyone. Although Starprowler has a good idea there especially if a messenger is killed first. Some questions that may change how this plays out would be... Does this keep have secrets? and who would know them? Is the big boss a sneaky kind of guy? Would the merc want to reward the PC without them knowing it yet?
#4 Aetharion Apr 19, 2011 7:06:08	If you haven't stated that the keep is nonmagical, you could retroactively have it been built with bloodrock or something like that, so that it actively wants people to die inside it. Falling rocks, exploding torches, athletics checks to remain standing, etc.
#5 starprowler Apr 19, 2011 10:40:19	If you haven't stated that the keep is nonmagical, you could retroactively have it been built with bloodrock or something like that, so that it actively wants people to die inside it. Falling rocks, exploding torches, athletics checks to remain standing, etc. Ha love the blood rock idea, even after the adventure getting the Keep up and running can be alot of different quests.
#6 barvas Apr 19, 2011 12:55:20	The mercenary captain is secretly a lich, or some other type of creature that when you kill it, its not actually dead, just angry. The PCs are able to dispatch him if they catch him unawares, only to realize the can of worms they just opened . . .
#7 croataxeman Apr 19, 2011 15:55:39	The mercenary captain is secretly a lich, or some other type of creature that when you kill it, its not actually dead, just angry. The PCs are able to dispatch him if they catch him unawares, only to realize the can of worms they just opened . . . OOOOOhhhh I realllllllly like this idea. Works perfectly for the undead uprising I have going on in the background of the campaign. If I have the merc captain just resurrect, I feel like I will cheat the PCs since they came up with the idea to assassinate him. Here is what I'm thinkin, the PCs assassinating foils his plans somehow. How does a lich benefit from controling a merc guild? I'd love some ideas on that. One other piece of info I forgot to mention is that one of the PCs is a changling and he plans to shape shift into the merc captain after they kill him and take over his position. Then, controling the guild, fund the reconstruction of the keep.
#8 thebilliam Apr 19, 2011 17:58:20	Have you even been really excited to take a new job but once you do it for a few weeks you absolutely hate it!? You could put the lich one plot step back and have the lich be controlling the merc. So once your PC take his place they have no clue that they just became a part of an undead uprising. You can have an investigator start suspecting they are involved right away since they work for the lich already, if they know it or not.
#9 croataxeman Apr 20, 2011 13:45:36	Another idea I have is to make the merc leader under the domination of a succubus. Anyone know any other creatures that possess or dominate others?
#10 starprowler Apr 20, 2011 16:05:17	Another idea I have is to make the merc leader under the domination of a succubus. Anyone know any other creatures that possess or dominate others? Yeah I like this idea, I picture a Mercenary captain to be more a fighter/warlord type, so having this muscle under some sort of command makes for a tough foe, and if you want him coming back again again, you can have the Succubus/Lich rez him.
#11 croataxeman Apr 20, 2011 17:12:24	Have you even been really excited to take a new job but once you do it for a few weeks you absolutely hate it!? You could put the lich one plot step back and have the lich be controlling the merc. So once your PC take his place they have no clue that they just became a part of an undead uprising. You can have an investigator start suspecting they are involved right away since they work for the lich already, if they know it or not. Hmm, I could make the merc captain part of a larger group that is controlled by the Lich. So when the PCs takes over his position, they start getting the Lich's orders. They want to fund their keep's reconstruction by controlling the mercs, but they might get orders to do some pretty evil stuff. Could make for some good roleplay.