Map of Chult Turned to Stone! *SPOILERS*

[Brotton Goodfellow]

Hey Enworld peeps, my players got themselves into a sticky situation and like a Mindflayer I'd like to pick some of your brains for ideas.

My players went to Nangalore to retrieve the black orchid for the bird dance ritual thing that will let them fly. One of the characters, an Indiana Jones type, got himself turned to stone by the medusa who resides in Nangalore. This is a bit of an issue, because this player had the map of Chult on his person when he was turned to stone. If you know anything about ToA, the map is vital to the party and the adventure!

So how do I resolve this in a fun and meaningful way? I'm not willing to simply give the players access to Greater Restoration (a spell available at 9th level, characters are 3rd). And to simply hand them another map would cheapen the idea that the map they had was the only semi-complete map of the lost peninsula.

So what should I do?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Side-quest to find a scroll or some other one-time use of greater restoration. Make solving the problem part of the adventure.

 

[plisnithus8]

Have the PCs struggle without a map.
Have the guide say he has memorized a map.
Have the characters have obtained a new map.
Have the players be catured and taken to another major place on the map.
Have the PCs track another adventuring party that does have a map.
Have the PCs learn about magic that can unpetrify.

 

[Li Shenron]

Intelligence checks to recall important bits from the map?

 

[Ymdar]

Have the PCs make Intelligence checks to recall the map and if they fail change the adventure into a survival style game where they need to keep track of water, food and dry socks.

 

[jasper]

spoilers Spoilers spoilers
....
Ok be EVVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. Ask Zalkore to reverse her ability and free the map but she can keep her victim.
Or Room 3. Page 77 the Chwinga maybe of help.

 

[Staccat0]

Yeah, I might just say “Some of your characters have probably heard of magic that that reverse these sort of effects but it’s especially powerful and rare magic. Maybe someone back in town has a lead on it... the problem is finding your way back without a map”

I would turn finding home base into a big ordeal. How to do that... well... I don’t know. I’m assuming the book has mechanics for when players are totally lost. If they are lost for TOO long they maybe run into another group from one of the forts. Maybe they extort the party.

I would also probably give the stoned player the choice to make a new or temporary character. Maybe one with a map just to keep things from stalling out and getting tedious if nobody actually cares that much.

If they get back and everyone seems heavily invested in saving Indiana Jones you could always have one of the Merchant Kings who deals with magic have a scroll but demand something super shady in return.

It should certainly have a cost. The trick is making the players feel the cost without it becoming a tedious mess nobody wants to return to the table for. The hex crawling in ToA is not the best hex crawling ever.

 

[Istbor]

Introduce a quest to an ancient shrine long lost in the jungles. There, rumors spoke of a powerful talisman that is able to reverse the effects (so long as it is worn by the afflicted).

With this, you can have a cool side quest, a limited magical item and the longer term goal of a more permanent solution to Indy's problems as an interesting character arch.

Plus you get the map back.

 

[mvincent]

Room 3. Page 77 the Chwinga maybe of help.

Yup: a Chwinga bestowing a charm of restoration is your best bet. Alternately, someone at Kir Sabal might be able to cast the spell, but...

my own players had to travel all the way back to Port Nyanzaru to find someone to cast the spell (any guide should know the way).

 

[pukunui]

In my game, Syndra's map of Chult was digested (along with the PC that had been carrying it) by the King of Feathers.