Re: [HOE] Ongoing story line

[John.Hostetter@hsc.com]

>Whilst I like the concept of the unfolding, ongoing story line
>(I enjoyed trying to guess at the whole DL->HOE big secret a whole heap)
>it has caused me a few headaches, and I'm hoping someone out there can
>suggest me a way out of the problem I have.

<Snip all the explaining of your problem>

Seems to me like your problem is this:  You want to run Boise Horror, and
have your players be the heroes, rather than have them miss out on all the
juicy bits contained in the adventure.  However, you have two anti templar
in the party, and this makes it REAL difficult to get things going.


I see a couple of solutions:

1)  Have the events happen to other people, and the party hears about it.
This is the easiest method, but by far the least satisfying for everyone
involved.  Last resort if you ask me.

2)  Turn the players into real templars, then run the adventure.


Possible spoilers contained in this message.  Proceed at your own risk.


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I like the second option much better than the first.  You could slowly make
the players see the evil of the path they are following, Let them see some
truly evil anti-templar doing vile acts, killin' babies, murderin'
innocents, whatever it takes.  Then make it clear that as long as they stay
on the path they are on they WILL turn, its just a matter of time.  Let em
hear voices pleading with them to do certain things.  Have it start with
small things, and if they comply, move it up to larger and more offensive
things.  Make it into a story of redemption, and a real struggle to pull
themselves out of the whole they dug themselves.  If the one character
decides to off him/her-self dont stand in the way, after all, some people
have gone too far down the dark path to be reclaimed.

Have them turned back to good by someone important too... Aaron McConnel,
Jo, or even Simon.

 Here is what I would do.  If you havent run the adventure in the back of
the Templar book this works great.  Have Modeen himself recruit the party,
let him sweet talk them, whatever it takes to convince them to join the
warband going to attack Boise.  Have him lie to them outright if need be
("We are going on a DIPLOMATIC mission to Boise...").  Along the way, a
true templar manages to infiltrate the group and is discovered trying to
escape.  Modeen being a sadistic guy that he is, tortures the poor soul to
death (Make it real gruesome).  But let the templar get in some last words,
all about justice, and caring.  Make it clear that Modeen thinks he is
right, but that he is really just insane.  Then have the party visited in
their dreams by the dead templar, visions of burning homes, dying people,
and themselves at the center of a slaughter of innocent townsfolk.  A
little later during the journey to Boise, Modeen asks them to do some
scouting.  The party encounters Aaron McConnel spying on the group.  Aaron
tries to talk the party in to changing sides (Try to make him real
persuasive.. all about the evils they have caused, the depths of Modeens
treachery, whatever.  If a fight breaks out, have Aaron throw down his
weapons and refuse to kill people he believes can still be heroes.  Try to
turn them.  If they turn, great, you get to have Aaron send them back to
Boise with a message for Simon, (Meanwhile Aaron goes and confronts Modeen,
who kills Aaron, and you can then run the Adventure in the Templar Book
almost as is)  If the party doesnt turn, Aaron still refuses to fight, but
manages to escape from the party.  You can have Aaron try again if
necessary, make the journey to Boise take a significant amount of time.
After another couple of attempts to turn them, all of which have failed, he
walks into Modeens camp and challenges Modeen to single combat.  During the
combat they talk, discussing ideologies, make it clear that Modeen is far
down the path of evil.  During the battle Aaron gets the upper hand,
disarms Modeen, clearly has him beaten (Not dead, just beaten) when Modeen
does something dirty... grabs a gun, impales himself on Aarons sword (he is
immune after all) and strangles him, something just not right/fair.  Modeen
kills Aaron, but only by cheating.  Make Aaron the honorable one, emphasize
the cruelty and evil present in Modeen.  If the party still doesnt get it,
run the adventure in the templar book with an NPC group being the proposed
heroes trying to defend Boise, but let them fail.  Possibly have a "Last
stand" in new Boise by some townsfolk armed with pistols, pitchforks, and
shovels, a very sick Simon, even Billitnikoff, show them the scenes from
their dreams of themselves leading a slaughter.  Then let them confront
Simon.  Have him look them right in the eye and call them servants of the
reconers, then refuse to defend himself from them.  If they decide to
attack (heck, even if the get this far) then you have some hard-core
characters and I would probably have Simon kick some player behind.

Sounds epic to me, redemption and sacrifice throughout.

John






, I would have Aaron McConnel be the one to finally bring them back into
the fold.  Only to be killed