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Message: <blockquote data-quote="cstyle" data-source="post: 2260873" data-attributes="member: 15947">I should have clarified earlier that the party is low level and doesn't have access to spells like remove disease or wish.  The party cleric tried a standard cure light on her, which had no effect.  Likewise, the local NPCs do not have access to such spells.  This village is quite remote and was the opening setting for the game.  The ritual to free the devil actually happened back in the first session, and they're now getting to the point where things are coming full circle.  With that in mind, I intentionally made the number of mid and high level NPCs low, making it easy for the PCs to be heroes when things turn bad, as there are not a number of better (higher level) candidates running around.  Ciona is a mid to high level druid, and there are two other members of her order around, but they are low level.  The old village cleric died, and his young understudy has since taken over.  He is too low of level to have access to remove disease as well.So that tells you the resources they are dealing with: not much.  This is fine.  Ideally I would like the solution to be puzzle oriented, which requires just brain power to solve.  A first level commoner could have what it takes to solve the puzzle!  The dream idea has merit.  Perhaps the “oh so close” encounter with this creature of hell (understandably) scared the bajeesis out of her, and her mind has retreated into a dream world.  I picture the PCs entering her dream, which would be an old and beautiful forest.  They would come across Ciona, who would appear to them as a child, playing at the edge of a stream or pool.  They would then have to reason with the child to get her to come back.  If they used any kind of force used against her she would turn into a huge bear, take a few rather powerful swipes at them, and gallop off.  Or the forest could come alive and defend her.  At any rate, attempting to use force would be a step backward.Assuming I go the dream route, that just leaves three problems.  One, I need some clues to give the PCs that she might be lost in a dream.  I suppose this is as simple as a heal, knowledge religion, or knowledge the planes check.  Although it would be nice if I had some clue that was a bit more tangible than they make a dice roll and then just know it!  It would be even better if that clue was also a hint for problem number two.  Problem two, what do they have to do to convince her to come back?  Three, how do they actually enter the world of dreams, or enter into Ciona's specific dream?  For this last problem, I may have to give the party additional resources in the form of an NPC.  Perhaps one of the other druids performs some group hypnosis on them and some how links them to Ciona, getting them into her dream?Speaking of which, hypnosis is a simple (though less visual) way to accomplish the same thing.  It doesn’t require the PCs to enter the world of dreams, so that problem is eliminated.  Perhaps one of the druids has hypnotized Ciona a number of times, and tried to convince Ciona to return to them.  So far she’s had no luck.  There are a number of oddities that come out during the hypnosis, pieces of the puzzle, but the druid is unable to piece them together.  She asks the PCs to sit in and see what they think.  If I go this route, the only real problem I have is coming up with a puzzle for them to piece together. Your thoughts?And thanks!</blockquote>

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