D&D 5E Help Me with Fey Masquerade

[plisnithus8]

I’m going to use parts from the Kobold Press Courts of the Shadow Fey.
I’m adding a masquerade ball; I have a list of magical masks for the party to wear.
It takes place at a Fey mansion filled with snooty Fey nobility.
The party just found out one of their favorite NPCs has invited them as her entourage at her family’s masquerade ball.

I’d like some suggestions, tropes, intrigue, events, encounters, random events, etc. that could be used in this scenario.
I want it to be mostly role-play, but there could be duel.
The fey will try to trick players, make strange bargains, and laugh at the players’ faux pas.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Eis]

in for the ideas....I'm going to run a royal ball in the near future and a big fey party in the semi unknown future

some of the ideas that I am working on are an NPC that has an inconvenient crush on someone in the party, the "requirement" that everyone dance at least for one song and an ancient feud between rival families that erupts in some sort of conflict, not necessarily combat, after a slight insult sets it off

I have a few more but they might not be suited to the Fey aspect of the OP's request

 

[MarkB]

One idea that springs to mind may not work for you.

At some point one of the Fey unleashes an effect upon the party. The guests' masks meld to their faces, and they gradually begin transforming into the creatures they were masked as. Maybe it's only for the night, as entertainment. Maybe it's permanent unless someone can stop it.

 

[plisnithus8]

One idea that springs to mind may not work for you.

At some point one of the Fey unleashes an effect upon the party. The guests' masks meld to their faces, and they gradually begin transforming into the creatures they were masked as. Maybe it's only for the night, as entertainment. Maybe it's permanent unless someone can stop it.

I love that. Characters who fail at some etiquette or are not Fey origin or don’t have status to be at the masquerade are polymorphed.

 

[plisnithus8]

in for the ideas....I'm going to run a royal ball in the near future and a big fey party in the semi unknown future

some of the ideas that I am working on are an NPC that has an inconvenient crush on someone in the party, the "requirement" that everyone dance at least for one song and an ancient feud between rival families that erupts in some sort of conflict, not necessarily combat, after a slight insult sets it off

I have a few more but they might not be suited to the Fey aspect of the OP's request

These are great ideas. Most are themes in the Courrs of the Shadow Fey book but definitely worth detailing out for the masquerade.

 

[Dausuul]

Lifting a theme from "The Masque of the Red Death..."

Perhaps someone attends the ball dressed as the archdevil Mephistopheles, which the fey (who hate and fear Asmodeus's minions) regard as very bad taste. Since this is a fey ball, the use of magic to "mask" oneself is common, but no one can pierce the illusion shrouding this person. The PCs are asked to figure out who is underneath the devil costume. They discover that the disguise can't be pierced because it isn't a disguise--this really is Mephistopheles, who has infiltrated the event intent on enslaving the fey lords to the service of Hell.

 

[Arvok]

The type of mask someone wears could affect how they interact with other masks. For instance, a blue mask has advantage on Insight checks vs red masks and Intimidation checks vs green. Blue masks also suffer disadvantage on Deception checks vs black and Insight checks vs yellow. The PCs all have different colored (or themed or whatever) masks; they might spend half an hour or more of real-world time just trying to figure out the mechanics so as to use them to their best advantage.

 

[plisnithus8]

Yes

Lifting a theme from "The Masque of the Red Death..."

Perhaps someone attends the ball dressed as the archdevil Mephistopheles, which the fey (who hate and fear Asmodeus's minions) regard as very bad taste. Since this is a fey ball, the use of magic to "mask" oneself is common, but no one can pierce the illusion shrouding this person. The PCs are asked to figure out who is underneath the devil costume. They discover that the disguise can't be pierced because it isn't a disguise--this really is Mephistopheles, who has infiltrated the event intent on enslaving the fey lords to the service of Hell.

I like this but might use Lolth instead.

 

[Eis]

in a Fey situation I think it would be fun to have a commoner who wandered into the situation by mistake as happens all the time in the fairy tales....but instead of surviving by their wits they latch onto the party and so the PC's have to babysit the poor farmer/shepherd boy/local wise woman until they get them safely out of the party

 

[Elon Tusk]

The type of mask someone wears could affect how they interact with other masks. For instance, a blue mask has advantage on Insight checks vs red masks and Intimidation checks vs green. Blue masks also suffer disadvantage on Deception checks vs black and Insight checks vs yellow. The PCs all have different colored (or themed or whatever) masks; they might spend half an hour or more of real-world time just trying to figure out the mechanics so as to use them to their best advantage.

I really like the pairing idea, maybe though instead of color interaction I'll use beast masks that are related lion/lioness or wolf/sheep.