Need some ideas [ZG Dying Skyseer SPOILERS]

[Noodle]

So, we had our monthly session yesterday.. we started with the Hiding in Plain Sight encounter. With a level of teamwork & tactical cooperation I haven't seen out of my players before, they actually managed to take out Cillian Creed. Creed was focused on getting the doctor, who was right next to our cleric, Pieter. Pieter managed to land a daily radiant attack, which revealed Creed for all to see (and turned off his insubstantial). Then the rest of the party delayed actions until after Sam, our warlord went. He landed an attack that gave the rest of the party a damage bonus for the rest of the turn. With the party in close quarters, and the judicious use of action points, they were able to drop him in one round. He never got a chance to phase out of danger.

I'm inclined to allow our spirit medium, Ash, to speak with Creed (who they still know as Roger Porter, but recognized in death as MacBannin's butler). I asked that we delay resolution of that until I had time to think about it, so that's still pending. We continued with the rest of the session - they spoke briefly with Quital, but high-tailed it out the chimney well before his hour was up. (They heard an explosion in the distance.) Then, they proceeded to the Smuggler's Night encounter, so I haven't yet had to deal directly with Creed.

I have a couple of different options that I can see:
* Creed died (allowing Ash to speak with him), but the hallowed sanctuary of the church allowed him to regain life. He left the church, spoke with Quital, and they blew up the explosives to cover his tracks
* Creed died (allowing Ash to speak with him), but his spirit hangs around in the Bleak Gate and may still be able to take part in his later encounters
* He's dead, Jim - and no coming back. MacBannin himself steps in to direct the attack on Nevard .. or sends some other flunky?
* The hallowed sanctuary actually kept him from dying in the first place (so Ash doesn't get to speak to him) .. not a fan of this one, since the doctor should have been able to tell dead from alive, and this may have changed their behavior

Before I make a final decision, I just wanted to get some ideas from other DMs on how to handle this unexpected situation. I'm proud of my players for the good teamwork - I don't want to do anything to penalize them.

 

[Falkus]

Thought: There's nothing in the Spirit Mediums power that compels answers, as I recall from Nilasa, her spirit requires persuasion before she's willing to give the details on her mission. Interrogating Creed should give clues; but he won't give up the entire details of his relationship with MacBannin. He is a patriot (albeit a misguide one), and that should persist after death.

Hmm, a suggestion: How about having interrogating Creed's spirit be the lead that lets the party find the warehouse with the technicians?

 

[RangerWickett]

Hindsight being 20/20, when Creed died he should have looked like a horribly scarred man with a flayed face, seeping black blood. Without illusions he wouldn't have been identifiable as Macbannin's butler.

But yes, Creed's spirit would either refuse to answer or lie to mislead them. Depending on how comfortable you are tricking your players, and how cool they are with trying to figure out if a villain is lying, he might boast that he is indeed Macbannin's butler, but that Quital offered him supernatural power if he became a spy. Make up some bulls**t about a plan to collect evil mana from the mountain under the eyes of the mayor, in order to create monsters. Top it off with a mocking laugh and a claim that when he doesn't report in, his accomplices at the Danoran consulate will be on the next boat to Cherage, and there's nothing the party can do to stop them.

(If they fall for it, that will get them on a wild goose chase long enough for word to reach Macbannin, so he can formulate a new plan.)

I like the idea that Quital recovered the body, performs a raise dead ritual, and sends him back to work.

 

[mort655]

I've run into a similar situation, though from the opposite end. Rather then finishing Creed in the final encounter, my group chose to subdue him in order to have him stand trial.

Saxby had Creed sent to Slate for trial mainly to get him away from the PCs but also give him opportunity to escape, and he did.

I figure Creed will make a return as an antagonist in a later adventure, after he's had some time to gain power and nurse a healthy hatred for the PCs.