Ending a quest with a last second steal from the players

[Quartz]

I think you might be pitching this too soon. Let them have a couple of adventures to gel as a group and to let their guard down as to long-term plot. You might also consider having the villain hire the heroes, and, if you don't want an immediate melodramatic monomaniacal speech, then a session or two later have them find out they were duped.

 

[Rune]

any examples of how not to do it "heavy-handed" because I can't think of any way to do it that isn't...

Sure:

If I were going to try something like this, I would let it develop for a lot longer than over the course of one level. I would also try to give the PCs plenty of rope to hang themselves in this respect. I would give them plenty of clues that someone was after them and/or the artifact, but I would also give them plenty of time and opportunity to let their guard down. You know, so they only have themselves and the villain to blame.

Then, I'd make sure that the villain struck them when they were weakest and taunted the party while he was at it. Mercilessly.

The point, of course, is for the players to hate the villain, not be pissed at you. Basically, that requires time and subtlety.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Here's an idea for stealing the artefact. The thief is a master of disguise, either due to skill or magic. He could even be a doppelganger. The thief approaches in the guise of an NPC the PCs are likely to trust, such as a high ranking priest of a lawful good god. He offers to unlock additional powers of the artefact, or he spins a story about the artefact being one of a set (players are suckers for the ol' Collect The Set plot) and says that if he has a chance to perform a ritual on it, he'll be able to find its twin. Another possibility is to claim that the artefact is evil and will harm the wielder, and offer to destroy it.

 

[pemerton]

Plenty of sensible posts in this thread. I tend to agree with [MENTION=40176]MarkB[/MENTION]'s ideas. [MENTION=177]Umbran[/MENTION] also makes a good point about how to structure the "quest" in relation to the theft.

My question to [MENTION=95351]Omegaxicor[/MENTION] is: how are you actually intending to resolve the theft at the table?

Assuming you're running some version of D&D, none has very sophisticated action resolution rules for theft (other than disarming weapons or picking pockets). If you just fiat the action resolution and tell the players that the thief snatches the item from them and runs off, that could reasonably be taken as GM railroading.

[MENTION=21169]Doug McCrae[/MENTION]'s suggestion for the actual action resolution is good in this respect. Provided the players get their Insight/Sense Motive checks (if you're playing an edition that includes such abilities) then you're not actually having to fiat the action resoution mechanics. You're just tricking them, and that's generally fair game (though still needs to be handeld with care, I think).

 

[Sunseeker]

I would generally say that it should be used rarely, and you should take care to ensure that there's absolutely no way for your players to stop it, without simply giving the foe a heaping helping of plot armor. Because if your players actually can encounter the foe in some manner, then that foe CAN fail.

EX: Having someone steal it from their pockets as they walk home would IMO require a stealth/thievery/sleight of hand check, and unless you give them an obviously unbeatable score(which I advice against), that means there is a possibility of failure. Which means the players could catch the guy.
OR: Someone shows up right as they reach the artifact and swipes it. If they're within 30', expect an attack roll from everyone, even the non-ranged guy tossing a rock at the thief.

The ideal situation is to either have someone take the artifact before the players ever arrive. No contact with the enemy, means no chance of stopping the foe(short of time travel).

 

[CAFRedblade]

Have them deliver the artifact to their employer, who then plans to have it secured. PC's go off on their next adventure, or are waiting on it during downtime, when news gets back to them that their previous employer has been killed or his offices/workplace destroyed. Either this can bring the PC's back into the story revolving around the artifact, or it remains background info for now.

 

[Omegaxicor]

OK, I have been thinking and if one person believes it requires lots of time to build up then that's an opinion, if several are all saying the same thing it is probably true.

I will rethink the quest but I was going to have several NPCs come with them into the Temple, several might die in the process but of those that survive one picks up the artefact and while two argue over whether to actually give the artefact to the employer or keep it the NPC holding the book says that he has another idea, give it to HIS employer and activates a swift-action magic item that teleports him away. there's a bit more to it but that's the short hand of the first draft I had, now I am thinking more about delaying the quest until later...

 

[ImperatorK]

Make sure that the players have a chance of preventing the theft. The NPCs should be of appropriate challenge and steal the artifact fair and square (my making appropriate checks or having appropriate abilities). If the players do manage to keep the artifact, don't let them use it just like that, make them go on quest(s) in search of information and lore about the artifact to learn how to operate it or activate its powers (sorta like a Legacy weapon).

 

[magnusmalkus]

I have a similar scenario brewing... the PC's are escorting an item on a long journey when the Big Bad Evil Guy (a Lawful Evil dragon nemesis of the PC's employer) turns up demanding it. He's ultra powerful and knows the PC's are carrying it.

If they don't turn it over, he'll threaten to destroy them (but won't - after all, he knows he caught them off their guard as their employer was not aware this nemesis, the dragon, was 'back' and he only wants the item).

When he's done hearing their objections/pleas/counter-threats, he'll summon minions (appropriate to the PC's level) to keep the PC's occupied while he starts smashing wagons until he finds it (the item he's looking for is indestructible).

This way the BBEG gets away with the item, the pc's wind up feeling they got away with something (their lives)... and just for good measure, I'm going to steal the idea that the item is useless without that key element that he left behind in the PC's possession.

Maybe that perspective can help you in your dilemma... good luck!

 

[Quickleaf]

I will rethink the quest but I was going to have several NPCs come with them into the Temple, several might die in the process but of those that survive one picks up the artefact and while two argue over whether to actually give the artefact to the employer or keep it the NPC holding the book says that he has another idea, give it to HIS employer and activates a swift-action magic item that teleports him away. there's a bit more to it but that's the short hand of the first draft I had, now I am thinking more about delaying the quest until later...

You're working off a great pulp archetype! I think the best way to handle it is subtle foreshadowing of the theft/betrayal and a really engaging villain (the thief). The place I'd start is motive. What is the thief's motivation? Don't make it just money, tie it into the game world, and tie it into the PCs' interests and backgrounds.

Next I'd think about the thief's plan A and once you've hammered that out come up with a Plan B to adapt to their first plan getting ruined. What resources does the thief need to accumulate to pull this off? What contacts do they need to make? Witnesses gotten rid of or paid off? What sort of decoy might the thief plan to throw the PCs off track?

Since it soon like you want a significant portion of the campaign to be tracking the thief, I agree giving at least a couple sessions where the players get a feel for the thief NPC's personality is important. It's these sorts of fleshed out villains (who may not seem obvious villains at first) who manage to outplay the PCs that draw more hate than even BBEGs.