I have an interesting opportunity for a side-adventure in my current game, and I am looking for evil ideas to throw at the players. Here is the situation:
The party members are all third level. The party looks like this:
Davvin Del Tarrion: Half Elf Elemental Warrior. He is the eldest son of a baron, from the baron's first marriage. His father remarried and had other children. (This is a custom profession that I made up and named before the Combat Companion came out. It has nothing to do with that profession. This one specializes in internalizing elemental aspects, like taking on the strength of elemental earth or the speed of elemental light.)
Benjamin Snyder: Human Warrior Monk. He is the son of one of the Baron's guards. Raised to be a companion and bodyguard to Daavin.
Natkin Krop: Human Magent. Bastard son of a noble. His stepmother hates him and keeps trying to arrange accidents for him, as long as they can't be traced back to her.
Jalal Ironfist: Dwarf Fighter. Younger son of a dwarf trading clan. Sent to college in the Kingdom to learn more about trading with humans.
Priscila "Hutch" Hutchinson: Human Dabbler. Daughter of a stable master and part time blacksmith. She is just starting to learn to use a little magic.
The situation is, they were all at the Royal College of Relian for various reasons. Some in the "servant's finishing school" some to study magic and the gentlemanly arts. Hutch worked in the stables. There were a couple assassination attempts focused "near" the party. One half-elf student at the college was killed. He looked a lot like Davvin. The whole party got poisoned, but survived. They decided to let the world think they poison had killed all of them, and now they are believed to be dead by most people. Davvin is the actual target, but they aren't quite sure of that yet.
Leaving behind everything except what they went out to dinner with (in a very upscale restaurant, it was a celebration of sorts), they set out to the far away city where Baron Del Tarrion presides. Before they travel half a day, they intercept a messenger on the way to the Royal College, and get him talking. They learn that Baron Del Tarrion has been assassinated, but no details.
Deciding that riding all the way home is too slow, Davvin (I call him Dave, the player hates that) decides to spend the money for the party to take the train.
As you might be able to tell, I am using the geography of Shadow world, but the magic and technological progression is different. The culture is mostly at a Renaissance level of social and technological development. However, with the addition of magic into the picture, other things become possible. A simple Heat Solid spell, used to power a steam engine, could be used to move a train. In this case, some of the major highways have trains running parallel with them. Only a few of the major trade routes have this as yet, but more are always being built, since it has turned out to be a huge money maker.
Our party has boarded the train, and they are about halfway through an eight hour trip. It is an hour or so after sunset, and they have just learned that Davvin's "Rival NPC (Greater)" is also on the train. He may or may not know the PCs are on the train. Benjamin went off to discuss the finer points of monastic discipline with a couple young ladies of questionable judgment, and none of the others know where he is. Natkin is in the dining car getting drunk with a couple dwarves, and is currently passing -10 to all actions, heading for -15...
I was just "winging it" while they traveled, but now I see that this is a great opportunity. I have never done any kind of encounter on a moving train. I would like to come up with something truly evil for them for the next time we meet (three weeks from now).
So, all you Evil Geniuses out there, what would you do?
Steve
