In need of an intro, or hook

[Coredump]

I am running a module where the players need a 'diamond that has been touched by death'. The solution given in the module I don't like, for a number of reasons. I have figured out the ending of this section, but need a beginning.

Dooniro is a fairly wealthy aristocrat, he is also secretly a cleric of an evil god (disease, plague, sickness, etc.) Dooniro is a sadist, faked his older brother's death and keeps the brother in a crypt. He has spent years tormenting him, and torturing him, inflicting him with plagues and healing, and repeat. (This 'worship' is how he became a cleric) His brother is now barely recognizable as being once human.

Dooniro has taken to 'helping' the sick and the poor, particularly the orphans. (In truth, it is a way for him to spread disease, and to enjoy their suffering) Occasionally, if a child is very near death, he will take him home, to make his last days/hours as 'comfortable' as possible.
Dooniro has a walking cane, with some small diamonds in the handle, his will use this cane to hit the targets of his sadism, and has, on occasion, killed them this way. Thus the cane is the target of the players.

My plan is for the players to be told that Dooniro is a sadist (but not a cleric, that is a surprise), but they (being good) will need proof.
They will discover/get the proof, and Dooniro will run away, the PC's will chase, they will get to the Crypt. The PC's think he is trapped, but he lured them there, to be fed to his 'brother' as he escapes.
Dooniro gets away, the PC's kill the brother, the PC's find the brothers signet ring (diamond) so they have found the ingredient, but have also garnered a recurring villian that will want them dead, and will be hard to fight. (Well known, respected, helps the poor, etc.)

If it matters, the party is 7 characters, 5 third level, 2 second. I am thinking Dooniro Aris4/cleric5, but that can be changed.

So folks, how do the PC's get the proof, yet Dooniro still gets away? And the proof can't be enough to incriminate Dooniro to the authorities.....

thanks

 

[Quickleaf]

If I'm understanding you, you'd like a way for the players to become aware of Dooniro's evils without providing them with hard evidence that could incriminate him, right?

- Speak with dead on the brother. They may need to recruit a death priest to do this (perhaps one who is in league with Dooniro and tips him off). Speak with dead is a creepy spell that would surprise most court rooms. It would be a risky move in a courtroom, 50% of being accused of witchcraft and arrested.

- Who else was fed to the brother? Perhaps their family started an investigation, and since the PCs got involved have been watching them. With Dooniro fleeing town, they approach the PCs and reveal that Dooniro has been attacking children. The family wants PC's help opening up an orphanage for Dooniro's victims (perhaps his next target?)

- One street urchin got away from Dooniro and has the scars to prove it. Several bruises could only have come from Dooniro's diamond cane, however the authorities (if approached before bruises fade) aren't too sure and won't make the connection, though they will want to confiscate the diamond and question the boy.

 

[ThoughtBubble]

Unfortunately, I'm a little too out of it to give actual good advice at the moment, so instead, I'll say the following. Don't get your heart set on things going the way you want them. Players find the darndest ways to mess things up.

The easiest thing I can think of is that the mutant brother makes a good scapegoat (after the party cremates him and investigates), and enough money passes hands that any athorities who think this is a little weird are more than glad to shut up and take the bonus.

"Those kids were getting tortured and killed? Obviously, it's the work of that fiendish creature! I mean, look at it! Doesn't that look like something that would beat children to you?"

 

[Sigg]

My first thought was that the party rogue, or even better a npc rogue-for-hire infiltrates the evil lair and witnesses the evilness....proof enough for the party but a quick ticket to the dunjon with the "authorities"...especially when the offended party is an aristocrat. Or the even more cliche... having a conversation with the "cleaner" who arranges for the disposal of Mr. Evil Man's handywork, someone who will gladly talk for gold to vigilantes, but refuses to incriminate himself to the "legitimate authorities". Also, in the time it takes for the PCs to fight the brother, the villian can have scoured all traces of his religious pursuits from his lair so that if the PCs do bust in with the posse in tow they are embarrassed to find no trace of the alleged crimes and so are discredited and maybe even prosecuted themselves.

 

[Coredump]

Hmmm.. I can tell that what I am thinking is not what I was writing....

Dooniro lives on family estate. (how big or small can be changed, but at least well off). His brother has been kept in a crypt that is *not* on his estate. (longer story, but where it was has a burned down house and is abandoned. It used to belong to some of his 'congregation')

This is what the PC's get.

They get told that Dooniro is a sadist (source does not *know* about brother, but rumors may be okay. Source does not know about him being a cleric), and has beaten/killed people with his cane, among other tortures. But there is no proof for the authorities.
The party will believe this, but want more proof before they act.
I want them to see proof.

So, I need them to see proof, enough that they are willing to attack (kill?) Dooniro and take his cane. But I want a scenario where it is likely that Dooniro will escape so the party will chase him. He will go to the crypt, and the party will follow, and then he will 'trap' them there.
There is no way to tie Dooniro to the crypt once he leaves, so the party will I *know* he is evil, but not be able to prove it, and not powerful enough to deal with him. (yet)

He does not feed kids to his brother, he takes them home and brings them back for a 'proper' burial, once they have 'passed away' at his house. (He is *such* a thoughtful man...)


Thanks for the input, this is great...

.

 

[Sigg]

If the party has been told about the evil, what more proof do they need? Other than witnessing the beating and torture for themselves what more proof could they get? Perhaps someone who can cast clairvoyance can show them a beating/torture session.....maybe they could obtain an article of clothing from a victim for that purpose. This, of course, would depend on said article not being able to used against Mr. Evil...maybe due to mainstream predjudice...or perhaps the article can get "lost" somehow. Also, how much proof they actually require seems to me would depend more on where they fall on the law/chaos axis....chaotic or neutral goods might not need as much incentive to act as the more law-bound heroes. Another important detail is what social/governmental system is in place...in a feudalistic system, the bad-guy's word alone might be good enough to refute almost any level of proof from "mere commoners", and that's even without greasing palms. Combined with the testimonials of common folk who have benefitted from our nefarious villian's "benevolence" any proof short of a public demonstration by the evil one himself might be insufficient to convince most of his guilt. Heck, we've seen that in modern times Of course that would also all depend on what kind of arcane/divine means are in place for determining these sorts of things. On the other hand bad priest guy could appeal to his own god for protection too.

 

[Coredump]

If the party has been told about the evil, what more proof do they need? Other than witnessing the beating and torture for themselves what more proof could they get?

Either see the actions, or get some physical evidence. Something more than just being told.

The trick is to let them see, or find, the evidence, attempt to confront Dooniro, and let Dooniro (likely) get away.


It can be a simple scenario....just some trigger to get the action started.

 

[werk]

It can be a simple scenario....just some trigger to get the action started.

So, they've learned that he is evil, but want to investigate to confirm/deny. I'd think that the party would tail, survail, and gather info about the guy, so that's what you need to prepare.

I'd not let them learn anything particularly damning, but maybe they could see him asking street urchins to come to his home to 'help clean the wine cellar'. or he could find a beggar collapsed on the side of the street, approach him, find that he is dead, and say something like 'such a waste' and then he cracks the dead hobo's head in with the cane and walks away with a sad sigh. or from gather info, the party could get stories from peope of him acting this way or propositioning people. Maybe he has a small cabal of sadists that meet the third thursday of every month in the back room of an inn (they know nothing of the brother, etc, but could confirm his evil-osity). If he's an aristocrat, I'm sure his fellow aristocrats will jump at the chance to air all of his dirty laundry (and total lies).

I think what you are trying to do is confirm their suspicions without showing your whole hand. Take a look at this guys stats and play him accordingly. Average people do not hatch mastermind plans (that succeed).