GM discussion thread.

Ah, I love impatient characters.

Do you mind if I help out with the assassination attempt thread, whenever the players get around to that point? I'd love to throw in a few curveballs, if you don't have plans for this already.

Would be interesting to see just how resourceful the players are capable of being...

Help where inspiration strikes. Just run stuff by me first, please.

I'll ask less often for you to run stuff by me once you've been running for a while. I have high confidence in you, but I had to take Tila off the CotF GM team because she kept ignoring my plot and improvised where there were already contradictory plot elements in place, which I did tell her about, but she forgot and didn't double-check.

So, I prefer to err on the side of caution at first.

That's fine, I totally understand.

Here are the potential "curveballs" I thought of that could be thrown in. Note that some are mutually exclusive (i.e., they won't pair with one another).


* The Archbishop befriended an important city or military official on his most recent trip to the baths, and extended this person an invitation to join him at the opera on the night of the assassination attempt. As a result, security around the operahouse has been tightened slightly. The greatest security will be found in the area around the opera box, which will now feature several heavily-armed guards.

* The Archbishop's staff has received an anonymous tip that someone intends to try to harm or kill him at the opera. As a result, security has been greatly tightened around the operahouse, and everyone who enters is subjected to a search for weapons and contraband.

* The diva that the Archbishop was looking forward to hearing on the night of the assassination has suddenly come down with a sore throat, and as a result she will not be singing. Dejected, the Archbishop decides not to attend the performance, but sends a proxy in his place.


All of this information would, of course, be available to anyone who makes a Gather Information check prior to the assassination attempt. Of course, if the players blunder in (and it's starting to look like they might), they'll be landing in very hot water. This would be a good opportunity to warn the players that they won't survive the game without foresight and careful planning.

Lolz, I know what mutually exclusive means.

I'm amused at the thought that the Praetor Syndicate may have done exactly what they were thinking of doing, tipping off the law so that the would-be assassins get caught, opening up the playing field for someone else to do the deed.

What if both sides tip off the law? That's hilarious.

Rumors could spread of the thousand ninja assassin squad stalking the Archbishop (or something equally ridiculous and more thematically appropriate).

I will voice my approval of tipping off the guard as Balthazar Menelaos, but that doesn't mean anyone will listen.

Maybe the Archbishop will refuse to show up at all in that case, and will be safely sequestered in an undisclosed location while the Watch follows up on both ends.

Oooh. xD

Perhaps that would work to the Syndicate's advantage, especially if they have someone close to the Archbishop who would benefit from him being separated from most of his retinue... if you catch my drift.

OR the Archbishop could hire a body double.

That's another good one! Bravo.

I have to post as Balthazar to get them talking some more.

Any suggestions for the Ender's Docks thread? Any suggestions on getting the half-drow mortician into the game?

A body could be delivered to him or something. Not sure.

I've been a bit creatively blocked lately due to RL issues bringing me down. My mood is improving, but it's hard to get rolling again.

I'm running tabletop tonight, so I'll probably be more productive here tomorrow. I have to pay some attention to Gwynneth and CotF. I just started throwing monkey wrenches into Gwynneth, so I'm happier with it now.

Well, we're headed to the Grindhouse at the moment. Maybe the owner knows who that winter wolf was supposed to be shipped to?

Send him one of the people who have fallen victim to the K'talla spores, with a request from the Watch that he determine the cause of death. Since he's part drow, and the spore is supposedly a drow concoction of some kind, he may have some knowledge regarding its origins and who might have it and such.