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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 03:58:33
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Well met all,
I´d like your advice on how to best handle a situation in which the PCs are attacked by assassins while sleeping in an Inn. There are five PCs and four assassins. All four assassins are thieves, so they have the possibility of moving silently. Realistically, if the assassins manage to move silently, they could quietly slit all of the PCs´ throats.
Of course, I want to give the PCs a realistic chance of waking up and fighting back, but I´m wondering how best to handle the mechanics of die rolling in this situation. What do you suggest for a "do you wake up?" roll. Which dice? what modifiers? All comments and past experience welcome.
Cheers,
Afet
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Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 04:38:32
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Should set watch, even while staying at an inn  If the party has a rogue character, I would expect em to set up precautionary measures. adventuring bands draw attention. if they don't, maybe a squeaky floor board or some other slight in the dead of the night noise. |
Edited by - scererar on 20 Apr 2008 04:42:18 |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1075 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 04:42:03
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Maby the Pc are more worth if caught alive, thats a good reason fore an assassin to use speep / paralazysing poison.
A way that the Pc could get a chance, is if one of is a wizard and has an familirer.
Rember one thing.. There is a reason whey erevybody fears assassins, so if you make this incounter too easy, they will have no reason to fear them another time.
One last thing... some assassins like to make a mark on their wichtims.
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Victor Ograygor The Assassin and Candel keeps cellar master
Everything I need to know about life I learned from killing smart people.
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 05:16:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Afetbinttuzani
Well met all,
I´d like your advice on how to best handle a situation in which the PCs are attacked by assassins while sleeping in an Inn. There are five PCs and four assassins. All four assassins are thieves, so they have the possibility of moving silently. Realistically, if the assassins manage to move silently, they could quietly slit all of the PCs´ throats.
Of course, I want to give the PCs a realistic chance of waking up and fighting back, but I´m wondering how best to handle the mechanics of die rolling in this situation. What do you suggest for a "do you wake up?" roll. Which dice? what modifiers? All comments and past experience welcome.
Cheers,
Afet
Most Inns have someone that will walk the halls at times...but that is a simple thing for assassins to bypass.
Their door may or may not have a latch on the inside instead of a lock...something that makes it hard to get into a room without the sleeper hearing the wooden slat being broken obviously.
If they do get in the room somehow, a listen check (not sure of the modifier for a sleeping target) would come into play.
If the assassin does get a knife on the throat, it would be an automatic critical (for maximum damage I think, but can't recall the rules off hand right now).
To me, that would be a surprise round followed most likely by another free sneak attack the following round if they win initiative.
I'm not sure on the rules though...but that is the first thing that came to mind...I'm deep into 1st Edition AD&D right now and have flushed my brain of later materials...sorry I couldn't be more help. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 05:19:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Victor_ograygor
Rember one thing.. There is a reason whey erevybody fears assassins, so if you make this incounter too easy, they will have no reason to fear them another time.
I agree completely that this should not be an easy encounter. I suspect that the PCs will post a watch, but I´m not going to instruct them to, of course. The assassins will observe to see if a watch is posted. If there is a watch, one of the assassins, who is known to the PCs and has gained their confidence, will quietly come to the door in the night and ask to come in as he has information that the PC´s are in danger. He and another will attempt to silently kill the watch, while the other two enter through a window and make for the sleeping PCs.
I like the squeaky floor board idea.
What would you do for "wake up" die rolls? I could, of course, just tell them that they are awoken by a sound, but that strikes me as too easy.
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Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
Edited by - Afetbinttuzani on 20 Apr 2008 05:22:21 |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 05:28:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Afetbinttuzani
[quote]What would you do for "wake up" die rolls?
That's covered under the Listen skill description in the PHB. I believe PCs get a -10 penalty to Listen while asleep... (so you'd have to have each PC roll Listen vs. each assassin's Move Silently, at a -10 penalty... not an easy thing to do, but possible provided one PC rolls 20, which becomes the equivalent of a 10 with the -10 penalty, and has a good Listen skill modifier...)
Of course, every assassin worth his salt should max his Move Silently ranks, making it virtually impossible for someone to hear him/her sneak up while sleeping... |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 05:52:10
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From long, long, loooong practical experience, I can assure you that players hate losing their characters in "insta-kill," no-save events. I'd suggest a creaking floorboard which might be heard by a Listen roll, or some strong odor on one or more of the assassins (garlic, B.O., cat urine, whatever), which a sleeping character might detect as unpleasant enough to awake him.
In the alternative, use your DM's prerogative to "fudge" a die roll: play out the encounter normally, but have the first PC who is attacked suffer only slight wound, which should suffice to set off a howl to awaken the others.
If any of the characters has a familiar, especially a nocturnal one, such as an owl, the presence of strangers should set off empathic panic bells in the human(oid) it owns.
Be aware that there is a feat in the Conan RPG which allows for light sleep. (In Howard's "Conan" stories, no one successfully snuck up on Conan to attack him in his sleep!) If a character is about to gain a feat, offer that one up as one of several available from non-WotC sources. If a player takes it, well and good; if no one wants it, then maybe they deserve to be killed in their sleep. I mean, ... come on! ... no watch, no familiar or animal companion on guard duty, no caltrops, or marbles or broken glass on the floor, no wyvern watch, not even an alarm spell? "It's time to thin the herd," as they say....
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Feed the poor and stroke your ego, too: http://www.freerice.com/index.php.
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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 05:57:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
quote:
Originally posted by Afetbinttuzani
[quote]What would you do for "wake up" die rolls?
That's covered under the Listen skill description in the PHB.
I´m playing second edition rules and I can not find any reference to listening skills in the PHB except under the thieving skill, "Detect Noise". I assume, PDK, by your signature that you are playing 3.5 |
Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
Edited by - Afetbinttuzani on 20 Apr 2008 16:02:40 |
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GoCeraf
Learned Scribe
147 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 06:10:24
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Humorously enough, one of the members in the group I play games with played extensively back when second edition was primary. Since I've only been playing regularly for a couple of years, I can't really relate, but he says he misses the old days of characters dying regularly and new PCs arriving to fill in the gaps.
Personally, I think it's a load of crap. 
If you look elsewhere in the forums, you'll find a scroll on character attachment. Second OR third edition, killing characters instantly, when they have no realistic chance of saving themselves, is utterly lame.
The creaking floorboard idea is okay, I think, but there are a few others that I'd do, particularly if this is a roleplay-heavy group. One of the characters might be up later, due to meeting a contact down in the tavern area, or he might be returning late to the inn on some other business and sees that something is amiss, specifically when the hall-walker is lying in a pool of his own blood.
But whatever you do, unless you just really don't like your players, please don't off them without giving them a chance to defend themselves. REQUIRING a natural 20 to survive, no matter how dramatic, is pretty asinine.
All the best. |
Being sarcastic can be more telling than simply telling. |
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Vangelor
Learned Scribe
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 07:10:33
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If any of the party members is an elf, remember that elves don't actually sleep. ;)
Oppose the move silent check for the assassins with listen checks for the party. Even if you are asleep, an out of place noise will wake you. Unless the adventurers get drunk and pass out, I'd give them a listen check to wake in time. Of course, they may well be at a penalty in their actions if they have to defend themselves immediately. |
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Victor_ograygor
Master of Realmslore
Denmark
1075 Posts |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 16:38:54
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Listen is a Wisdom check in 3E, so I'd make it a Wisdom check in 2E. Make a check to hear something, and maybe a Constitution check to wake up after hearing something...
Unless characters are low-level, there's no mechanism in 2E for death from a single weapon attack (unless it's a big honkin' weapon). Even a crit from a dagger isn't going to kill someone, provided they have sufficient HPs. So when the first character gets attacked, he's going to wake up and make noise, and that should wake up -- or at least allow a chance at waking -- the other characters.
So, in 2E, I'd handle this as a straight Wisdom check, negatively modified by the level of the assassins (because they are going to be quiet, and they have been trained for it). Assuming no one wakes up before the first attack, then the first character attacked will wake up and make some noise (either a yell or a counter-attack or something), which will give the other characters a chance to wake up. |
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Karzak
Learned Scribe
196 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 16:44:51
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| Make them roll a save versus railroading. =p |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 16:46:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
Make them roll a save versus railroading. =p
Oh, please. Was that really necessary? Just because the PCs are attacked by assassins, that doesn't mean they're being railroaded -- especially since the poster is asking how to give them a chance to wake up and fight back! There is absolutely zero indication of any railroading.
This is a community where we try to help each other out. And the Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct mandates that we treat each other with courtesy. It would be nice if you could try to be friendly instead of sarcastic or elitist.  |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 20 Apr 2008 16:51:24 |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 17:10:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Afetbinttuzani
quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
quote:
Originally posted by Afetbinttuzani
[quote]What would you do for "wake up" die rolls?
That's covered under the Listen skill description in the PHB.
I´m playing second edition rules and I can not find any reference to listening skills in the PHB except under the thieving skill, "Detect Noise". I assume, PDK, by your signature that you are playing 3.5
Yes. As per 3.5 rules:
In the case of people trying to be quiet, the DCs given on the table could be replaced by Move Silently checks, in which case the indicated DC would be their average check result.
Action: Varies. Every time you have a chance to hear something in a reactive manner (such as when someone makes a noise or you move into a new area), you can make a Listen check without using an action. Trying to hear something you failed to hear previously is a move action.
Try Again: Yes. You can try to hear something that you failed to hear previously with no penalty.
Special: When several characters are listening to the same thing, a single 1d20 roll can be used for all the individuals’ Listen checks.
A fascinated creature takes a –4 penalty on Listen checks made as reactions.
If you have the Alertness feat, you get a +2 bonus on Listen checks.
A ranger gains a bonus on Listen checks when using this skill against a favored enemy.
An elf, gnome, or halfling has a +2 racial bonus on Listen checks.
A half-elf has a +1 racial bonus on Listen checks..
A sleeping character may make Listen checks at a –10 penalty. A successful check awakens the sleeper.
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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 17:17:53
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Thanks for the great advice. Thank you especially, Victor, for the link to the d20 Skills index. Since AD&D 2nd Edition rules do not appear to include a listen check, I will take the liberty of using the 3.5/d20 rules on this. I agree with Jamallo and GoCeraf's comments regarding "instakill" encounters. I have to balance the need for the assassins to present a real danger to the PCs with the need to give the PC's a fighting chance. Having said that, if the PCs fail to take any precautions, perhaps Jamallo is right to say that "it's time to thin the herd."
So, if the PCs take no precautions and just go to sleep, I will still give them a chance of waking up with the d20 Listening Skills Check. This is a near impossible roll if no noise is made. So, even if the assassins succeed in their "move silently" rolls, I will still do a "creak" check (8 or better on 2d6) whenever they attempt a task (opening door, opening window, crossing floor). I can justify this by the fact that the assassin, while she may move silently for her part, cannot know every creaking floorboard of every room in an old Inn ( only one of the assassins is from this town and they have no way of predicting which room the PCs will be in). If the assassins make a noise, I will give the PCs a bonus modifier of +5 on their Listening Skills roll to wake up and smell the impending death. In any case, as Wooly indicated, once the first attack is made, the others are likely to awaken, unless the PCs are attacked simultaneously (trained assassins would do so if possible).
Does this sound fair and practical?
PS. Karzak, to avoid accusations of "railroading", there are 5 PCs and I was already planning to have four bunks in the room. The Innkeeper will offer to put in an extra pallet and bring extra blankets. This is a hint to post a watch. |
Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
Edited by - Afetbinttuzani on 20 Apr 2008 17:33:40 |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 18:14:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Afetbinttuzani
Thanks for the great advice. Thank you especially, Victor, for the link to the d20 Skills index. Since AD&D 2nd Edition rules do not appear to include a listen check, I will take the liberty of using the 3.5/d20 rules on this. I agree with Jamallo and GoCeraf's comments regarding "instakill" encounters. I have to balance the need for the assassins to present a real danger to the PCs with the need to give the PC's a fighting chance. Having said that, if the PCs fail to take any precautions, perhaps Jamallo is right to say that "it's time to thin the herd."
So, if the PCs take no precautions and just go to sleep, I will still give them a chance of waking up with the d20 Listening Skills Check. This is a near impossible roll if no noise is made. So, even if the assassins succeed in their "move silently" rolls, I will still do a "creak" check (8 or better on 2d6) whenever they attempt a task (opening door, opening window, crossing floor). I can justify this by the fact that the assassin, while she may move silently for her part, cannot know every creaking floorboard of every room in an old Inn ( only one of the assassins is from this town and they have no way of predicting which room the PCs will be in). If the assassins make a noise, I will give the PCs a bonus modifier of +5 on their Listening Skills roll to wake up and smell the impending death. In any case, as Wooly indicated, once the first attack is made, the others are likely to awaken, unless the PCs are attacked simultaneously (trained assassins would do so if possible).
Does this sound fair and practical?
PS. Karzak, to avoid accusations of "railroading", there are 5 PCs and I was already planning to have four bunks in the room. The Innkeeper will offer to put in an extra pallet and bring extra blankets. This is a hint to post a watch.
Aye, giving hints is a good idea. You could even "hint" to them that the room has no lock or what have you...given enough foreshadowing a party should get a clue. If not, should one or two of them be killed it will teach them a valuable lesson for the future...and they can recover from it with a Raise Dead perhaps; maybe even sponsored by an appalled Inn Owner who doesn't want it to get around that assassins walk his halls! |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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GoCeraf
Learned Scribe
147 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 18:29:17
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I don't mean to sound antagonistic, but "teaching them a lesson" for not taking precautions while at an inn seems a bit silly, especially if the characters are a low level. I ran a game where (while the characters were third level), one character pushed his bed up against the door, pushed his dresser in front of his window, and set up an elaborate trap involving an alchemist's fire and a crossbow that, if it had gone off, would likely have burned down the inn.
Even if the players make a villain angry, they might not be completely aware. One reason adventurers stay in an inn is so that they can rest peacefully without posting a watch, especially if there's an inn worker patrolling the halls. I think the most realistic thing such a party would do in this situation would be to bolt the door and windows. No matter how quiet assassins are, they'll make some noise picking the locks.
Incidentally, if your group survives this encounter, I suspect they'll all start acting like that one player in my game. I call it metagaming, because the player is suspecting a plot-based encounter in the dead of night, and the character is preparing for it. |
Being sarcastic can be more telling than simply telling. |
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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 18:56:02
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quote:
Originally posted by GoCeraf
I don't mean to sound antagonistic, but "teaching them a lesson" for not taking precautions while at an inn seems a bit silly, especially if the characters are a low level. I ran a game where (while the characters were third level), one character pushed his bed up against the door, pushed his dresser in front of his window, and set up an elaborate trap involving an alchemist's fire and a crossbow that, if it had gone off, would likely have burned down the inn.
As it happens these are indeed mostly newbie third level players. In that sense, most encounters are to some extent "teaching moments". But I don't favor killing off PCs for "teaching" purposes. Though, I do favor having them reap the consequences of their actions. I simply want them to learn to be cautious in ways that are appropriate to the circumstances.
They have been warned by an NPC that there are those who would kill to prevent the thing they carry (an incriminating letter revealing a plot) from seeing the light of day; and I'm giving them a hint to post a watch. If they choose to pay no heed whatsoever and someone gets killed as a result, so be it.
None of my Players are likely to do anything as elaborate or foolhardy as the PC you mentioned. Here, it would suffice to post a watch.
In the end, as Dalor Dardon points out, there is always the possibility of resurrection; though I don't want PCs to think there is always a "get out of death free" card available.
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Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
Edited by - Afetbinttuzani on 20 Apr 2008 20:57:05 |
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Karzak
Learned Scribe
196 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2008 : 22:32:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
Make them roll a save versus railroading. =p
Oh, please. Was that really necessary? Just because the PCs are attacked by assassins, that doesn't mean they're being railroaded -- especially since the poster is asking how to give them a chance to wake up and fight back! There is absolutely zero indication of any railroading.
This is a community where we try to help each other out. And the Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct mandates that we treat each other with courtesy. It would be nice if you could try to be friendly instead of sarcastic or elitist.
Wow. That was meant lightly; I'm sorry if "railroading" is such a huge taboo to you that it can set you off to this extent. Also, it'd be nice if you could use the word "elitist" precisely. This, sarcastic? Quite, albeit it wasn't meant maliciously (and I apologize if anyone read it that way). Elitist? Now that's just bizarre. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 01:40:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Karzak
Make them roll a save versus railroading. =p
Oh, please. Was that really necessary? Just because the PCs are attacked by assassins, that doesn't mean they're being railroaded -- especially since the poster is asking how to give them a chance to wake up and fight back! There is absolutely zero indication of any railroading.
This is a community where we try to help each other out. And the Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct mandates that we treat each other with courtesy. It would be nice if you could try to be friendly instead of sarcastic or elitist.
Wow. That was meant lightly; I'm sorry if "railroading" is such a huge taboo to you that it can set you off to this extent. Also, it'd be nice if you could use the word "elitist" precisely. This, sarcastic? Quite, albeit it wasn't meant maliciously (and I apologize if anyone read it that way). Elitist? Now that's just bizarre.
Railroading is not a taboo. Accusing someone of railroading when there is no reason to make that call is something I find irksome, though. And some of your other posts have been overly sarcastic and elitist, so that was why I made that statement. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4689 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 02:24:48
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2nd DMG quote:
Overuse of assassins can often result in bitter feelings and outright feuding—player vs. player or player vs DM. Neither of these is fun or healthy for a game. Finally, it is a very risky business. Assassins do get caught and generally have no compunctions about confessing who their employer is. Once the target learns this, the player character will have a very dangerous life. Then the player character can discover the joy and excitement of having assassins looking for him!
No DM should be sendind assassins after PCs unless they have reasonable warning that an act of theires would cause the problem. A PC party knowing assassins might be coming clearly would at minimun have one awake at all times (or magic alarm). |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Karzak
Learned Scribe
196 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 02:33:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Railroading is not a taboo. Accusing someone of railroading when there is no reason to make that call is something I find irksome, though. And some of your other posts have been overly sarcastic and elitist, so that was why I made that statement.
Then perhaps it would be better to address your statement to posts of mine where it is relevant? At this rate, I half-expect you to see my name and immediately react with "DON'T BE SO ELITIST AND SARCASTIC HERE IS A LINK TO CODE OF CONDUCT" even if my comment consists of nothing more than "I like pie."
Also, seconding what Kentinal said. That is why I found the whole "my players will most likely have their throats slit" thing more than a little iffy. |
Edited by - Karzak on 21 Apr 2008 02:37:24 |
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GoCeraf
Learned Scribe
147 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 02:50:55
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[whisper]...Dude! Quit while you're ahead![/whisper]
Incidentally, in a game I've played with some friends, we had an apartment that was essentially our base of operations. Unfortunately, EVERY villain in the game knew where we lived, so if we felt like advancing the plot, we just slept there. With a combination of alarms on all the entrances, or just plain leaving the next morning if nothing happened, we were prepared for all the fights involving assassins carrying "writs of execution."
Maybe you should go for something different, like a wizard amongst a group of mercenaries who starts the encounter by just blasting the inn with a fireball. Then, it becomes an exciting ditch to get out of the building, either by diving through a window or making one's way to the bottom floor. If the mercenaries are waiting outside, it'll be a memorable battle involving daring accounts of escape, rescue, and battle!
And once the fire reaches the beer barrels in the basement... |
Being sarcastic can be more telling than simply telling. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 02:56:06
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| I think PCs should always set up a watch at night, or at the very least take reasonable precautions with regards to their soon-to-be vunerable, sleeping forms. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 03:29:12
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
I think PCs should always set up a watch at night, or at the very least take reasonable precautions with regards to their soon-to-be vunerable, sleeping forms.
I don't agree. Not all celebrities in real-world post a guard at their bedroom door at night. Sure, they have alarms, dogs in the yard, and a 15-foot wall with security cameras, but that's at home... when they travel, and go to an hotel, the only security they have sometimes is to be booked under a false name. I would expect that famous heroes would do something similar, and not fall prey to a constant paranoia... (*some* celebs are paranoid, but I'd say the majority are not, and have learned to live with it...) |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 03:29:12
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I may be biased since my other RPG of choice is Shadowrun, but in my mind, if the PC's have screwed up big enough to have assassins sent after them, they deserve whatever they get. And that's coming from a game where all you need to kill someone is a high-powered rifle and a window (I should know, I played a sniper character for years).
That said, there are varying levels of assassins, and some are better at sneaking than actually killing. If you want to use this attack more as a "boy we really must be onto something here!" emphasis point, I'd cut the number and level of assassins. 2-3 of level 1-2, for instance. After all, the PC's are supposed to be asleep, and haven't shown any real amount of competence to the bad guys (probably), so why would they pay top coin for the best there is? |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
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Zanan
Senior Scribe
Germany
942 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 10:05:28
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Need the "assassins" be rogues? I mean, one or two may be, others need not too.
Many pro's an con's. The common killer will simply try to sneak in and slit the throat. The average "assassin" (PrC) can easily (as in EASILY) get himself a potion of silence, take 10 or 20 on Move Silently / Open Locks checks (time is on his/her side), study each victim three rounds and DA it. Of course, by common sense, a sleeping character is helpless and as the DMG says, a dagger through the eye is, no matter what the rules say, a dagger through the eye.
If the players deserve it, they should be prepared (paranoia, alarm spell, guards and watches)? If they go unprepared, I still would not kill the entire group straight away, but leave a final and lethal reminder.
Speaking of which, check the 3,0Es Song and Silence for the various garrotes ... nasty tools. |
Cave quid dicis, quando et cui!
Gæð a wyrd swa hio scel!
In memory of Alura Durshavin.
Visit my "Homepage" to find A Guide to the Drow NPCs of Faerûn, Drow and non-Drow PrC and much more. |
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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 14:00:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Zanan
Need the "assassins" be rogues?
Again I reveal my newby status. The "assassins" I've been talking about are not really assassins in the class sense. They are rogues on the lower rungs of the Zhentarim ladder who are trying silence the PCs and recover from them a letter. These Zhent agents know full well that, if the letter remains a secret, they stand to become wealthy and powerful in the region (they believe), whereas if, in their incompetence, they allow the letter to fall into the hands of the authorities and thereby reveal part of a plot that has been years in the making, they will almost certainly suffer a long and torturous death at the hands of their masters. In other words, these "assassins" are actually self-interested rogues working together out of necessity. While they are not incompetent, they are not professional assassins.
Afet |
Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
Edited by - Afetbinttuzani on 21 Apr 2008 14:02:55 |
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Karzak
Learned Scribe
196 Posts |
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 14:04:45
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| How much magic do these assassins have access to, anyway? |
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Sleeping players attacked by assassins
