One of the coolest things about Ptolus is that the city is so rich and the organizations so powerful that technically everyone can be brought back to life if someone believes it’s necessary…

What you say about buttkickers wanting closure is true. Also for those of us who tend to play power-hungry characters (evil or not). However, recurring villains are COOL, especially if they grow with the characters (little Billy from the playground is back to get you).

As a DM, I’ve adopted a rule from the old SAGA Marvel rules (paraphrased)-

If you capture or kill the villain, it wasn’t the real villain. If it was the real villain, there will be a clone somewhere. If you destroy the clone, then someone will time travel and bring them back anyway. So stop worrying about it.

I also wish to apologize for the awful editing (or lack thereof) of this post. I cleaned it up some… but I’ll make an extra effort to prevent this in the future.

Is it X-mas yet?

I for one like recurring bad guy and will be willing even as a player to let it slide this time as long as he did not tortured or slaughter anyone that is. That gives you a lot of room.

But that is the position of the storyteller in the group. The buttkicker don’t like anyone to live on to bug them another day and they will do whatever they can, if any slight is perceived, to deal with him now.

Given that Math and Eric are buttkickers it’s them you must convinced first, the others usually have been convince long before them…

Excellent suggestions Dean! I love them all.

Of course with the players reading these Adventure Prep articles for hints every time I post them, I won’t come out and say what I’ll do.

But all these will be integrated in my apporach with the player’s future relationship with the Balacazar and Killraven.

Thanks again!

Thanks!

I just wrote a bit on the Balacazars and lost it, so here\’s the short version:

Always make the first contacts look pure and make sure it is a win for the characters. A grateful merchant offering some discounts or a bureaucrat who is about to hassle them lets them off, perhaps muttering, \”Oh, its YOU.\”

If their predilection for goodness is well known, the crime families wouldn\’t come out to them, but would use middlemen. In fact, using some commoner types in thrall to the family might work well, too. I\’m thinking children work well as intermediaries, here. They also make good shields for the bad guys if the meeting goes badly.

And don\’t forget various other things that could happen. A disguised member of a family could build a relationship with a character, perhaps turning into something real that turns the tide later on, either for or against the characters, as the story demands. Just so many possibilities.

And the good thing is, by using intermediaries for now, it could be the Balacazars, the Vladdams, or the Commissar. You never know. Leaves it open for you when you need a hook later.

But the thing is, the first contact should never look gray. It should always appear pure on the surface. Get them hooked, then show them the tarnished underbelly. Sets up a more forceful climax.

And yes, my players get paranoid.

I too am curious to see where it will go!