Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sorcerer Jax 03-01-04, 11:40 AM	REcently our 4th level party has locked wits with the cunning theif "honest al". We were passing through a large city to pick up supplies, and we happened by his shop. We talked, bought a few trinkits, and then left. About an hour later game time, our party ranger realized that his money-belt was gone, he had just lost about 80 gold. (since he was broke this was a major pain the ass). We knew it had to be him as we had been mounted on our horses since we left, and no one else had the change. Our party ranger decided to take the most direct approach, stormed back to his shop, and threated to kick the crap outta him if he didn't return the money. "Honest Al" shouted for the guard (there was a guard stationed near his shop), and the ranger narrowly avoided being arrested. During the debate with the guard, Honest Al was present, after the arugmenent, another money pouch with 50 gold went missing. At this point, the party is :censored::censored::censored::censored: :censored::censored: off, and decided to go to whatever lenghts was needed to get that money back. So far we have -- Had the goverment run an audit. Descretly searched his shop. Ransacked his shop. Sent in actors with a lot of money to try and catch him in the act of pickpocketing. None of them worked, how do we take this guy down!?
TheGogmagog 03-01-04, 12:43 PM	Have you considered it isn't honest Al, but another person who filched from you shortly after that encounter? Have a cleric/wizard cast locate object and try to locate the coin purse. If that doesnt work, go back to being robbed with the cleric/wizard already locating the coin purse in your posession. The rogue won't detect any magic in the purse since the spell is on the caster not the item. I'm sure he knows you are baiting him at this point and will cast detect magic on the coin purse. Unfortunatly, the rogue has the upper hand here, and you might be better off leaving the encounter go. Only the opponent gets a spot check to detect the attempt. The rest of the group only gets a check if they are "determined to note where the item went". If other members of the group are watching the item, the rogue could make a sense motive check (another one in his favor) to see what item you are watching, then just steal a diferent item.
Thegreatmonkey 03-01-04, 01:12 PM	Couldn't it be the guard? He was definately right there during the second pocket picking, and shouldn't he have been near during the first one if he's stationed nearby? Just a thought...
Sorcerer Jax 03-01-04, 02:22 PM	The guard wans't near the first one. -- We don't have a cleric, and our wizard dosn't know locate object. -- Give up on the encounter, and admit to being beaten by an NPC commoner? NEVER!
Not a monkey 03-01-04, 02:46 PM	Just take a tip from modern banks and have a PC or NPC alchemist make up a paint-pack for the next bait you send in there. No magic, and you'll have him (yes, horrible) redhanded. If you don't have any... uh... inconvenient paladins in your party, you might also consider a rather more destructive payload.
Sorcerer Jax 03-01-04, 02:52 PM	The problem is, we tried that and screwed it up horribly. Now he's onto us and has his guard up.
ehrin 03-01-04, 03:11 PM	let me see, in order to recover 130 gp, you have HIRED actors (spent good money chasing bad), and RANSACKED his shop (commited crimes with a huge chance for a fine). Why not HIRE a mage to do the locate object? Can't be much more expensive that breaking and entering, criminal trespass, vandalism, destruction of property, etc. that you are already on the hook for.
Sorcerer Jax 03-01-04, 03:14 PM	Actually, given that this is a low magic world, yes, it CAN be more expensive. Acutally, were near broke at thsi point anyway.
Not a monkey 03-01-04, 03:50 PM	Originally posted by Sorcerer Jax Actually, given that this is a low magic world, yes, it CAN be more expensive. Acutally, were near broke at thsi point anyway. Hell, if it's that bad, why didn't you just fight fire with fire? You had the opportunity both to search AND ransack his shop on different occasions, but not to pocket any valuable merchandise? Don't you have any rogues (or for that matter anyone with a just plain sneaky bent) in the party?
Sorcerer Jax 03-01-04, 05:31 PM	Yes and no. Yes, we have a rogue. No, duing out search of the shop the rogue found out the hard way that Honest Al put a trap on his safe. He's said that he's washing his hands of the entire arrair and won't help us.
Garrum 03-01-04, 11:16 PM	Were your character's given a chance for a spot check to notice the theft? Or did the DM just decide that you were going to have your money stolen, come hell or high water, fair play be damned? If he just decided to make you lose money with no chance to stop it, just give yourself the money back, and ignore his protests. Call him a pansy as you do this for best effect. If he did give you a chance to stop it and you failed, and you are dead set on getting even, for the time being just mark his location and continue on with your mission. Go and gain levels, get powerful, and then go back to that town. Then make it your mission in life to ruin him, both mentally and financially. Go invisible and start stealing little things like shoe laces and buttons off of shirts. Put animal dropping in corners and snakes in his bathtub. Leave notes that are mostly gibberish in his underwear drawer, claiming that his theiving ways have aroused your sexual desire for him. Maybe put a horse head in his bed. Place persistant illusions of naked hermaphrodites with enlarge cast on thier genitals in front if his store, dancing to "The Tequila Song". Have illusions of him having sex with animals in public. Anything and everything to screw him up. Then, after it has had time to work, go and talk with him, and ask him if he enjoys what his actions have brought about for him. Then teleport all of his money into the local church and orphanage, leaving him dead broke, and mentally vandalized. It might be a good idea to make sure he was actually the theif before all of that though.
Sorcerer Jax 03-02-04, 11:34 AM	Were your character's given a chance for a spot check to notice the theft? The DM says we did. It might be a good idea to make sure he was actually the theif before all of that though. Uh....................................ok . yourscary