"You traitor!" [4e]

[Christopher K.]

Hey, I'm trying to run a session where everyone controls an NPC made using the DMG's guidelines[P189] on a standard dungeon crawl. For starters, they're each playing a character they aren't familiar with in terms of gameplay to make things a bit awkward and encourage people to try new things. (Fighter plays a Ranger, Wizard plays a Paladin, Rogue plays a Warlord, and Cleric plays a Warlock)

Now here's the obvious twist: One of the players is actually a traitor and only one player is suspicious that sabotage could be involved. How is it recommended that I provide this information? Should I outright tell everyone that one of them is a traitor(secretly telling the one person of their role) or should I provide everyone with sealed envelopes so that only the one person knows that there is a traitor among them and can either keep the secret to keep the party moving or tell people when the time comes? Also, since this party is almost certainly doomed, what sort of foes should they encounter in the dungeon to give the normal group incentive to explore the dungeon?

[Tengu_temp]

All you should tell them that those are temporary characters, not the PCs they will play for real later. Keep the existence of the traitor a secret for everyone but the traitor himself, more fun that way.

On a sidenote, I really don't think if making those characters using the NPC-creating rules is a good idea. That leaves them with fewer options, more HP and less damage potential, making combat much more boring.

[Galdor Miriel]

I agree, use the character builder to make four quick characters and you are done. Give them all something juicy in terms of background or motives though, not just the traitor, that way when you pass notes around it will still not be obvious which is the one being influenced by the DM.

[BG]

I agree, use the character builder to make four quick characters and you are done. Give them all something juicy in terms of background or motives though, not just the traitor, that way when you pass notes around it will still not be obvious which is the one being influenced by the DM.

This.

Come up with some other backstory so you don't just have "the traitor", "the guy who suspects the traitor" and "the other two". Give them all an in character reason to suspect any of the others of being a traitor.

Also, make sure the players know that this will be the kind of game where they shouldn't grow attached to their characters. I've found that players are much more likely to go for broke when they know it's only temporary.

[BobTheDog]

A quick suggestion:

Start off in the entrance of a a cave that connects to some very old ruins, right after a cave-in. They all meet there (see below) and have to work together to find the exit.

Warlock
Known to all: He has recently sacrificed some children to his dark masters (works best with hell or dark pact) and the Warlord was chasing him. He ran into the cave to hide.
Secret: He was actually being controlled by something when he did it, he is not actually evil.
Disclosed information: As they progress, he should get bits of information on the Ranger.

Paladin
Known to all: He was studying some ancient inscriptions in the ruins when the other three arrived.
Secret: He is a heretic paladin, i.e. he has been cast out by his faith and would likely be punished if they ever found him.
Disclosed information: He has explored parts of the ruins, so give him some help when choosing paths, or even a partial map of the place.

Ranger
Known to all: He is a local guide/tracker and is helping the Warlord in the search for the Warlock.
Secret: He is an evil cultist. The ruins they are in are an ancient shrine to [insert fell being here] and if he can find the altar/portal/guardian, he might be able to feed these three losers to it and be rewarded.
Disclosed information: Give him bits of info to help him lure the others to the wrong path (towards the "boss" instead of the exit).

Warlord
Known to all: He has been selected to bring the Warlock in to face his penalty (likely death).
Secret: He is a bounty-hunter. He doesn't really care about morals and principles, as long as he gets paid.
Disclosed information: As the game goes on, let him figure out that the Paladin might actually earn him an even nicer profit than the Warlock.

There you go, 4 characters that have no reason at all to trust each other need to stick together or die. :smallbiggrin: