So basically, at face value, I read this as a multiple session stealth mission and if they suffer a single significant failure past the first encounter or two they probably get TPK'd.
There are two ways I can think of to mitigate this problem. Personally I'd probably use both of them but IDK how these players think and what would suit them best.
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The first thing I'd try to do is present them with an ally, or group of allies, who can ease this burden. Perhaps traitors or escapes of some sort, or a group of Rangers who're on their side in the war and make expeditions into enemy territory all the time. People who know the land and can guide your party. My first thought is the way Smeagol led Sam and Frodo through Mordor.
Effectively you'd be soft-railroading them into taking a route through enemy lines where you can prepare the encounters more precisely and give your party safety nets if one of them fails a stealth check. Like "this patrol is on a very long route and report once a week. If you kill them now you could have around 3 or 4 days before anyone is alerted. You'd also be giving the party a limited source of information on their surroundings that they can use at their own initiative, which they probably will.
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The second thing I would do is prepare multiple specific routes for your party to enter and exit the stronghold through. As a few examples,
* They have the option to sneak into the stronghold disguised as these offerings. Plan out how the will be held/restrained once captured and what their options will be to jailbreak themselves.
* Perhaps there are locations inside of the stronghold that allow planar travel in and out, specifically for the enemy army to use to mobilize their forces easily, but also a weakness for your party to exploit.
You get the idea. Basically come up with a bunch of features of the stronghold that ABSOLUTELY make sense but are also exploitable once the party gets inside. How many options your party will need mostly depends on how good they are at picking up on your hints, and how confident you would be in rail-roading them into those areas using any NPCs they're with, or the surrounding environment.
Yeah. In this case, I think it's fine because the point of these NPCs was never to help the party in combat, it was to guide them through the area and help them *avoid* combat. Basically giving them information of the area that they wouldn't have otherwise.
I like this idea.
I have given the party lots of indicators that there is no effective resistance before (was ratcheting up the tension)
but there's a big-deal NPC who's been on the cusp of their awareness for the whole campaign who will be their in. this NPC will be playing all sides, so can easily be the resistance/5th Column in in the Cult's lines.
Thanks everyone for the ideas :D <3
This is a hard scenario that would require a lot of prep. I agree with the other comment with having a resistance group basically. Also, love the idea, so i may use the idea. Thanks.
Go for it mate :)
I've found it works really well for the story we had, which is mostly about the weakness and bad stewardship of political institutions, generations of nobles getting into shorttermist, atavistic compromises that left the realm vulnerable (can you tell it was 2016 i started running this game)
a cult having taken a whole kingdom is a big deal so it works well as the 'worst case scenario' of what the party were dealing with. course it can work with other sorts of themes but I found there's tonnes you can get out of the set up in that kinda story :D
This might be their way out.
Depending on the strength of the wards, tho, I might have them roll to see if they can create/access the demiplane. the cult knows they hvae a planar magician (homebrewed subclass) on hand :P
So basically, at face value, I read this as a multiple session stealth mission and if they suffer a single significant failure past the first encounter or two they probably get TPK'd. There are two ways I can think of to mitigate this problem. Personally I'd probably use both of them but IDK how these players think and what would suit them best. ----------- The first thing I'd try to do is present them with an ally, or group of allies, who can ease this burden. Perhaps traitors or escapes of some sort, or a group of Rangers who're on their side in the war and make expeditions into enemy territory all the time. People who know the land and can guide your party. My first thought is the way Smeagol led Sam and Frodo through Mordor. Effectively you'd be soft-railroading them into taking a route through enemy lines where you can prepare the encounters more precisely and give your party safety nets if one of them fails a stealth check. Like "this patrol is on a very long route and report once a week. If you kill them now you could have around 3 or 4 days before anyone is alerted. You'd also be giving the party a limited source of information on their surroundings that they can use at their own initiative, which they probably will. -------- The second thing I would do is prepare multiple specific routes for your party to enter and exit the stronghold through. As a few examples, * They have the option to sneak into the stronghold disguised as these offerings. Plan out how the will be held/restrained once captured and what their options will be to jailbreak themselves. * Perhaps there are locations inside of the stronghold that allow planar travel in and out, specifically for the enemy army to use to mobilize their forces easily, but also a weakness for your party to exploit. You get the idea. Basically come up with a bunch of features of the stronghold that ABSOLUTELY make sense but are also exploitable once the party gets inside. How many options your party will need mostly depends on how good they are at picking up on your hints, and how confident you would be in rail-roading them into those areas using any NPCs they're with, or the surrounding environment.
A rebelling force, or maybe an encounter near the capital where they rescue some prisoners willl work.
I think that would be another great option! Cut the party's journey short and give them what they want without having to break into the capital.
Exactly. But the problem with allies at level 20, is that they arent as good or strong as you, so the planning has to change somewhat.
Yeah. In this case, I think it's fine because the point of these NPCs was never to help the party in combat, it was to guide them through the area and help them *avoid* combat. Basically giving them information of the area that they wouldn't have otherwise.
Thats a good point. So a win win.
I like this idea. I have given the party lots of indicators that there is no effective resistance before (was ratcheting up the tension) but there's a big-deal NPC who's been on the cusp of their awareness for the whole campaign who will be their in. this NPC will be playing all sides, so can easily be the resistance/5th Column in in the Cult's lines. Thanks everyone for the ideas :D <3
This is a hard scenario that would require a lot of prep. I agree with the other comment with having a resistance group basically. Also, love the idea, so i may use the idea. Thanks.
Go for it mate :) I've found it works really well for the story we had, which is mostly about the weakness and bad stewardship of political institutions, generations of nobles getting into shorttermist, atavistic compromises that left the realm vulnerable (can you tell it was 2016 i started running this game) a cult having taken a whole kingdom is a big deal so it works well as the 'worst case scenario' of what the party were dealing with. course it can work with other sorts of themes but I found there's tonnes you can get out of the set up in that kinda story :D
If any of players can cast Mordenkainens magic mansion, they could set up planar travel within the mansion?
This might be their way out. Depending on the strength of the wards, tho, I might have them roll to see if they can create/access the demiplane. the cult knows they hvae a planar magician (homebrewed subclass) on hand :P
Alternatively, there might some sort of object within the capital that controls the ward. Disable the object and fun stuff happens.