Help vs. Scrying

[the_bruiser]

Hello all. I'm DMing a relatively low-magic, gritty-feeling campaign in Greyhawk's Bandit Kingdoms. We've currently played over 30 sessions, and I'm running into a problem. I want as best I can to play the party's foes "realistically," in a setting where *most* of the NPCs are evil, including the greedy baker, etc.

The party has spent a lot of time in and around Stoink, and have done the following (among their various other acts):

Killed the head of the Slavers Guild, a major political and economic force in this campaign.

Killed his son when he took over the local Guild chapter, who has since been Raised.

Assassinated the Mayor of Stoink, with some impromptu help from the Mayor's son who has since taken over the position - while the new Mayor doesn't really hate the party and they did him a favor, he also doesn't want to get his role in his father's death to become know.


In short, there are a lot of powerful people who'd rather the party become dead. These people would have great access to scrying magic, in particular through the local temple of Iuz.

Is there anything that I as DM can suggest to keep this from working? Thanks.

 

[Corlon]

well, there are a few spells that block scrying, the players could use these or find some sort of sanctuary (a place where someone has one of these spells permanently up).

As for the bad guys not using a spell that would grant them access to a group of people they want dead, and the fact that they have pretty easy access to this power, I'd say no, there isn't a way to justify them not scrying.

It may be time for the PCs to start running, cause it just isn't too smart to assasinate multiple powerful people (a mayor AND a major slave guild owner?).

It may soudn mean, but it could take the campaign in a very interesting and unintended direction.

 

[Thanee]

Unless you use the Scry - Teleport technique, they can still hide themselves and change positions or hideouts whenever they detect a scrying spell (there's Detect Scrying to do that). Sure, their lives will be a bit paranoid from then on, but if you are known to a group of powerful enemies, that's what happens, I guess.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Coredump]

I am at a slight disadvantage, since I know nothing about Iuz. But maybe these will work.

Would the clerics of Iuz be willing to work for the head of the Slavers guild? Would they be willing to work for those wanting to do evil. (killing the party?)

If it is low magic, how many crystal balls (etc.) are available? Maybe none?

If it is low magic, how high level are the high level casters? If they can't cast greater scrying, that is another limitation.

Normal scrying only lasts a min/level. Arcane scrying has an eye of a hawk/eagle as a component. Just how many of those are easily available?

If the players were clever, they were well disguised/etc. while meeting with these folks, so I would still give the +5 bonus for only knowing second hand. If not much is known about them, I may even give the +10 for not really knowing anything.

It says you can see about 10' in each direction... but it doesn't say how clearly...If you treat is like in the movies, the subject is clear, and it gets cloudier until the 10' mark, when they can't see anything. This makes scying less useful for determining where they are.

You can rule that viewing by scrying is not sufficient for teleporting.
I haven't looked to see how easy it is to detect scrying...but rulings that make it easier, makes scrying less useful.

You could make something that allows you to determing who is scrying on you. Making it more 'risky' to scry on people.

You could rule that only the one doing the scrying can actually see the subject, thus only the Iuz clerics would see anything. (also thwarting the teleport part.)

Well, hopefully those will help for now.

 

[terrainmonkey]

First of all, iuz is a god and can see anything he wants to see. if he is starting something evil, he would definitely find out where the party was staying and send a group of hombres to capture, torture, and kill them. this might lead the campaign into a direction where, even though he might not know EXACTLY where they were, he would have a reasonable idea as to a certain location or area they were adventuring. then, he could send the party there, to find out why his schemes and a couple of his goons had been taken out. He would try to find out who they were, what they were up to and if it would be wise to either hire them or kill them. scare them a little when they get back to town and have one of the npcs tell them that people have been looking for folks who fit thier description. then, have the Pcs go to other towns to find out the same thing from townsfolk and innkeepers. This works really well if you have two groups of Pcs, one good, and one evil, who know nothing of each other and when they get to the point they are meeting, have both parties meet at the same place and duke it out. I've done that before, and it is FUN and Hell!

 

[Saeviomagy]

It's a mere DC 20 int check to notice a scrying sensor.

After that, there's a battery of anti-scry spells. Not to mention the fact that a counter-scry is possible "I want to scry on the guy scrying on me".

Or better still "I want to scry on the stupidest friend of the guy scrying on me". Which is more likely to work.

 

[the_bruiser]

Thanks for all your comments thus far. I'll address a few points:

Yes, Iuz' clerics are willing to help in this case, their cooperation with local authorities has been established, and they have the ability to do scrying.

Scrying back doesn't help very much - we already know who is scrying on us, it's the priests of Iuz.

Having the party run far, far away isn't much of an option - the parties have established a town of rescued slaves, freed prisoners, converted guards, etc., that they'd be loathe to abandon. Further, the entire story arch to which we've been working involves - eventually, somehow - striking serious blows against the Slavers Guild, destroying it if possible, and I don't just mean in Stoink. And bloodying Iuz' local minions as much as is practical in the process.

The party would rather die fighting protecting the town than flee and leave 500 people to die or re-enter slavery. We even have a ranger/cleric of Tritherion and a pseudo-paladin of Tritherion.

So I'm trying to think of an excuse for not having them hunted down like rabid dogs at this point .

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

scry counters

scry counters:

False Vision (the best IMO)
Mordenkanien's Private Sanctum

teleport counters:
The spell in complete arcane (forget its name) that alerts you to incoming teleports near you and gives you a round to ready actions, etc.

Ken

 

[Pyrex]

So I'm trying to think of an excuse for not having them hunted down like rabid dogs at this point .

Why make excuses? Go ahead and hunt them. It'll be fun.

Besides it's only fair, your PC's have been hunting them...

But be fair about it, how many resources (gp and/or mid-to-high level casters) are they willing to devote to tracking the PC's? Once they've tracked them how much can they afford to spend retaliating?

Once the party wizard makes the DC 20 INT check to notice the scrying sensor, I'm pretty sure the party will invest in Detect Scrying and probably Private Sanctum right quick.

 

[isoChron]

No light - no scry