Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 OgreBane99 Apr 02, 2015 9:26:48	This also works the other way, for players spying on the bad guys.   I'm not too familiar with the spell options in this new edition just yet.  What are some of the best ways of gaining information using magic?  Scry, animal messenger, etc?  I'm looking for ways that the Cult of the Dragon can spy on my party members, but also give them ways to thwart such attempts.   I'm looking for spell options or combos that people have already discovered are good options to legitaimately spy on the party and allow the Cult to know information about the party, such as strengths, weaknesses, favored spells and of course family members to target for attacks.   Thanks!
#2 AaronOfBarbaria Apr 02, 2015 9:36:55	The easiest is the invisibility spell and someone actually sneaking up and watching what the party is up to - especially if you are looking for the players to have a chance to notice and then thwart the spying.   The scrying spell is designed for info gathering, but because of the specifics of how it works can often be very unreliable since a character saving against the spell is immune to that spell from that caster for 24 hours - the baddies would have to target each member of the party in turn for more chances to get a peek at what the party is up to, or have multiple casters trying to scry, or both.
#3 SterlingRat Apr 02, 2015 11:55:53	The party are heroes/mercenaries/adventurers. Cultists have a few easily sacrificed minions & dragon allies love to escape mid-battle. So your friendly neighborhood cultist comes to the adventurers and hires them to recover his caravan which was taken by those darned evil kobolds and their dragon master. He observes their preparations, learns their names, offers to show them to the site & makes small talk on the way. After their triumphant victory (even though the dragon got away) he will hold a feast in their honor... learning more about them.   The best way to get to know someone is to walk up and say "Hello." You might not want him to introduce himself as a spy for the cult, though. and maybe toss in a few extra suspects, since you want them to figure out there's a bad guy before they figure out who the bad guy is.      So... cult spy joins a merchant caravan and sets them up to be attacked near the group's base of operations. The cultist talks the leader of the caravan into hiring the party. Spy observes. Spy Reports.
#4 Ralif_Redhammer Apr 02, 2015 12:03:29	Shapechanging, invisible Quasit familiar that the caster can see through. The warlock in the party has already used that trick on me. I was starting to get antsy about them figuring out the whole dungeon…until it came to the first locked door.