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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Barendd Nobeard" data-source="post: 1121141" data-attributes="member: 960">OK, even better uses for the halfling's corpse.  See, my problem is that I would never think to use "Speak With Dead" to get info.  Big "duh!" to me.You're right--Susztam doesn't really get anything out of just killing them (except gear).So, is Susztam powerful enough to keep up the illusion and have it interact with the party?  'Cause if he can....the halfling should ask the party to get revenge for the one who killed him--Solom!  In this scenario, it doesn't have to be a vampire--it could just be a ghost asking for revenge.  OK, even better.  He can use permanent image to make an image of the halfling appear.  Now, if you stop concentrating, the image remains static.  So, I say (assuming the party does not know how the halfling died): <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Make a permanent image of the halfling as a statue (as if he was turned to stone--horrible grimace on face, etc.), somewhere the party will run into it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The statue "comes to life" (when Susztam is around) to beg party to seek revenge.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The statue returns to "statue form" when Susztam  needs to leave, or after a few minutes (it could even tell them that it can only manifest for a short time each day).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Naturally, the party has been asked to walk into Solom's lair and kill him.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Perhaps the statue even gives them a clue about an item that will help them.  Susztam plants the item where the party can get it easily, because the "halfling" has told them how to bypass the trap/guardian that guards it.  For example, the "halfling" could tell them how to bypass the 'Guards and Wards' trap ("I heard him utter a password, which was '------'"), which lets them catch Solom off guard and he directs them the whereabouts of a magic item that can help (wand of magic missiles, for example--never misses and helps "nickel & dime" the opponent to death; it could be hidden in a secret compartment, also password protected, in the empty student room).</li> </ol>The beauty of all this--the party thinks you (the DM) are "throwing them a bone" and helping them.  And you're just being a RBDM.As the battle progresses, if the party is not doing well and Susztam can turn the tide, well he can just pop in and finish off Solom and drive off the party (maybe with just a snide "leave before I kill you, too").  If they're not doing well, they won't stick around to fight a second powerful wizard.And then, the halfling can thank them for their help and send them off on another quest--to restore his soul or something.  And they're just working for Susztam.  Kind of permanently.  Collecting rare spell components, etc.Now, you have a long-term enemy--which they don't even know about.  Much later, Susztam could resurface, thank them for all their help, and leave the animated halfling corpse as a memento.Hmmmm.  Now I've to find a way to work some of this into my game.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />[edit - remove quoted text to save space]</blockquote>

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