Thread replies: 11
Thread images: 1
Thread images: 1
File: 1490885903382.jpg (389KB, 1600x917px) Image search:
[Google]
389KB, 1600x917px
>a rebellious noble takes advantage of a moment of weakness and tries to push his claim to the throne
>campaign starts in the middle of a siege
>The players are part of a mercenary army hired by the pretender
>They fight through the castle and into the throne room, but the royal family is gone
>They collect their payment and look for a new quest
>Down at the docks a merchant is looking for mercenaries to escort his shipment of pottery across the sea
>Once aboard it is revealed the king and his children were hiding below deck
>He tries to recruit them
>They must travel to the nearby city states and assemble an army to take back the kingdom
>Had a map prepared for this, wrote down what each city state would demand in exchange, etc
>Players attack the bodyguards, kill most of them and throw the survivors overboard
>IM THE CAPTAIN NOW
>They sail the boat back to port to turn in the king and his children for a bounty
What do?
>>
>>52516415
The New King gives official positions as the new diplomats. Same quest, but now they're sent to these places to bargain treaties to further cement his claim as new King.
>>
>>52516415
>What do?
Well, what do you want to happen? Do you really want to keep the pretender in place or not? What plotpoints do you have prepared?
On top of that, this isn't anything unusual. Sellswords fight one war on one side and another on the other, or sometimes even one battle on one side and another on the other. Hell, Condotierri sometimes switched sides during a battle because the other side offered them more money.
>>
Given that they're mercenaries and just want their money, handing over the king for a bounty was the better option by far.
They were practically guaranteed to be rewarded, and that reward came immediately. Any payment the king could have promised them would have been off in the distant future, and be reliant on him regaining his throne—which at that point was neither assured, nor even very likely.
Going along with it would also have been risky and difficult—rather than just fighting under someone's orders, they would have had to work as a small unit, defend the royal family from attacks, and risk their lives on a daily bases (rather than just once in a while as they would as part of an army).
And what for? The promise of a reward if this defeated king who needs to beg the help of some sellswords somehow manages to rally a new army and defeat the guy who took his castle and forced him into hiding?
Knights sworn to the king or idealistic heroes might have gone along with this plan, but not some seasoned swords for hire.
>>
>>52516415
Am I against or with your player here? Get another pretender to cite a second war with the evidence of the King children. I still have a job and there is kingdom to destory. For the glory of the dragonborn!
>>
>>52516498
This is pretty good to use the material you already had in mind.
>>
>>52516498
This is a good reply.
>>52516516
This is a shit reply.
>>
this: >>52516498
or this: >>52518184
when a kingdom has a change of ruler, his legitimacy is likely seen as very low, and all sorts of other would-be pretenders are probably out there. One might be looking for some mercenaries to overthrow this new upstart.
>>
>>52516516
oh man Condotierris are cool.
also a humble video suggestion for anyone interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAfNQ_XiPjQ
i also recommend the videos on the sengoku jidai and admiral yi
>>
>>52516415
Well you go along with it, since you never had any control over what direction the scenario was going. You're DMing a game, not writing a novella.
>>
>>52516415
They arrive back in port, only to find the usurper assassinated and the city in turmoil. Let them figure out how to deal with the disgruntled king in their trunk, and the larger situation.
Thread posts: 11
Thread images: 1
Thread images: 1