I have the large brush strokes. Now onto details... crap

[fencediddy]

OK so he is the premise.  The players have been framed > thrown in prison > experimented on (given a gestalt progression with a find out what is going on before you die downside).

Now I am at the point where they were left for dead but found by the "benevolent" seemingly nice near Epic NPC who "just wants to help".

I want to go towards the PC's (lvl 8 with 4 lvls of gestalt) taking down the organization that gave them this disease of they are gonna die. Along the way unlocking more gestalt levels and in the end inadvertently helping the nice NPC get her hands on the serum of gestaltyness and the head seat in the organization they were trying to destroy.


I just need the middle bits... I am horrible at middle bits.

The plane they are on is Ravnica for all the MtG players out there.  For those that dont know what that is, think New York as an entire plane then add in Eberron guilds.

NPC is a lvl 18 changeling mob boss type character who will in the end hopefully sit on the head of the Guilds counsel and thus rule a larger section of the plane.

Any thoughts on how to acheive my lofty goals?

[SneeR]

I know what you shouldn't do. Don't make FR's Elminster. Don't make Mr. High Level there run the show or outshine the PCs. If he seems like he could solve evrything, then why hasn't he? Make sure that the PCs and he are on equitable ground.

Some ways to do that are make objectives require his specialties in one area and he needs the PCs to be somewhere else doing things he can't at the same time. For instance, he needs to get into a base with a giant Wall of Force round it. The PCs battle their way to the runes that power the Wall, shut it off long enough for him to get in, then out whileholding off enemies. Or better, yet, have the PCs do the sneaking in and out while he shuts off the wall, since only he with his infinite wisdom knows how to shut off such runes.

Or, if you want, make the NPC have a crippling disability that prevents him from being uber.

Anyways, have you made up any NPCs? What classes are the PCs? Your OP was incredibly vague, and I can't throw out any greater detail in my plot hooks than you give me!

[fencediddy]

PC's 
Multi class from hell template monger melee heavy gestalting into psion.  Chaotic Evil
Duskblade gestalting into sorc with the hopes of warwaever  Neuteral Good
straight sorcerer havent heard any plans for his gestalt levels Choatic Neutral
Net build fighter warblade psionic warrior illithid Neutral Evil
Cleric gestalting in rogue. Lawful Good

I have made the Wardens that were hunting them> 4 lvl 12's  Warforged Grappler, Bounty Hunter, SpellWeaver (MM2), Cleric.
The wardens are the stories bad guys so far. They will be the force endorsing the experiments on the prisoners.
As far as the elminstering of my NPC. she is very much a quest giver constantly with the Exclamation points above her head.  Aside from that she is extremely specialized in stealth thus assaulting buildings will never be her forte.  Only lvl 18 until she gets her hands on the serum.  My players have expressed interest in this game going epic so I am not to concerned with making a 18 gestalt non caster. 

The guild that imprisoned them is big into "genetic" type experiments. The original job that got them imprisoned was "cleaning up" a 28 days later scenario that had been quarantined successfully. 

The Affliction the PC's have is giving them gestalt like powers along with the paragon race template from Unearthed Arcana. In addition to the good they also have blackouts that potentially put them out for days at a time and will in the end cause them to turn inside out and explode (haha for the galaxy quest quote). They have been given the rough estimate of one month until the exploding by the NPC.  No one asked how she knew this....

Really my plot dilemma is how do I get the NPC on the head spot on the guild with her using the PC's for the dirty work...<< total background plot until they are high enough level to deal with her.

I need hack and slash dirty work  that would destabilize the guild enough for the NPC to wrest control of it.
I dont want this to be a Zelda get this item now go get this item.  Kidnappings and espionage are definitely in the works here along with strong arm tactics.
All this said they still need to be given the chance to find their cure to unlock the rest of their gestalt levels and keep from dieing.

[SneeR]

Here is a list of potential objectives:
[spoiler]
Go get the gem that powers their genetic-mixer thing to stop there genetic mixing.

Infiltrate enemy base and interrogate certain person, either there, or after kidnapping them.

Infiltrate enemy base posing as enemy and gather general intel.

Assassinate lead scientist/alchemist/technomancer/leader.

Free the people being held and experimented on.

The base has been comprimised! Find a spot and build a new secret base where the genetic testers can't find you.

The disease that grants them gestalt has unexpected, harmful side effects. Get the retrovirus, which won't cure it, but will retard the virus' harmful effects as long as it is taken. You need more retrovirus regularly!
[/spoiler]

[fencediddy]

love all of them... especially that last one.. makes me think of Teal'c from SG-1 after he gets tritonen

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Or, if you want, make the NPC have a crippling disability that prevents him from being uber.

He's getting close to death of old age, and as an abomination against nature reincarnation is not in the cards.

He's got some weak pseudoimmortality stuff going on, but what he really needs is the gestalt serum.  He currently needs to sleep 20 hours a day to remain stable.