Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 TheWhatsit Jul 24, 2014 18:15:45	Hello all, I'm looking to continue an adventure I recently sent some first time players on. They have found a young prince taken hostage by a cult for a ritual, and now have to guide him home. Upon the homecoming after a few minor bumps they are welcomed as heroes and a party is thrown in their honor. During the party an influencial worker for the prince/baron/duke/whatever I decide to name him escorts the PCs to a private room within the castle. The man explanes that the nature of the royal's wedding was to secure uneasy peace between two neighboring territories, but the princess has been cheating on the prince for several months now, and if the prince ever found out his ego could lead to the princess's execution and a subsequent war. To prevent this the PC's must kill the princess and frame a barbarian tribe. The latter likely being taken care of by the man.   My questions/concerns:   How should the PCs be advised to go about killing the princess? I want most if not all of them contributing in some way ( 2 fighters, a cleric, magic user and rogue) I'm more of a role-playing DM than a dice-rolling DM. I want them to actually think creatively and solve problems instead of rolling to see if they know of a good poison.    How can I keep the princess dead? raise dead spells exist in this campaign, but not true ressurection, in other words, most, if not all of the body must be present or the princess could just be revived. I was thinking perhaps a specific "true death" poison but I want my PCs to play a more active role. Perhaps a getaway team in a wagon ready to take the princesses body to a nearby lake for "dissposal"   I have the basic idea but it needs the nuts and bolts to secure it together. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
#2 Shiroiken Jul 24, 2014 19:48:34	Honestly? This is not a good adventure for new players. It's not a good adventure for a lot of experienced players who may have qualms about murder. The following advice is based on the assumption of experienced rpg players who are at least decent at problem solving. Otherwise, I'd bail on this idea.   The best, but most complicated way to set this up would be to lay out the princesses routine for the next week or so, and have the NPC give them her official schedule. Let them plan out whatever they want, and allow the NPC to give advice, but no definitive plans (he needs to stay "innocent" to avoid Zone of Truth). Let the PCs check out the various areas of the schedule so they can plan, and just let them try whatever they think will work. Some stumbling blocks you could use: she's delayed by the Prince or other important NPC, she goes off the official schedule to see her lover, a non-killable witness (such as the Prince) is with her, etc. Just make sure you have a long enough schedule for some of their plans to be foiled (hopefully without revealing themselves).
(Reply to #2) TheWhatsit	Shiroiken wrote:
#4 bawylie Jul 24, 2014 21:39:58	In all honesty, I would not advise them in HOW to accomplish anything.    If they accept your quest, it's on them to figure out how it's done. If they have questions, answer honestly or ask them what they do to learn the answer. Of you want them to think and play creatively, reward creative play.    It might even be interesting to introduce a moderately powerful cleric, who CAN raise dead (by reputation). If they don't take this into account and neutralize the cleric (somehow), then the princess comes back alive the next day and the mission is harder for the increase in guards, etc.    if they do remove the cleric from "the game" then you have a ready explanation why she can't be re-raised. The guy that does that wasn't available.