Looking for a mystery type thing

[Goose]

For the most part i run a combat heavy game, but there are days when i want to accentuate the role-playing. One of our players cant make it to this weeks game since hes in 7-level school atm in texas. So i wanted to make this game a mystery type where i could write him out of a story rather easy. Heres what i was thinking. The party just arrived at the gates of Neverwinter at the end of the last game, so i was gonna have them all kinda split up when they get in the city and meet up later at the inn. During this time the fighter would get kidnapped and replaced by a doppleganger, but this is after the fighter dropped his trademark dwarven waraxe off at blacksmith to get something added or something, thats not really important. Anyway, when the dopp returns im hoping the players realize he dosent have his axe and kinda catch him in a lie. This should lead to the investigation. Heres where im kinda stumpped. I got an idea of the string of events they go through to find their friend again, but i cant figure out how to make it last a full 6 hour game session, if they are good and catch on quick then it could be done rather fast.

Anyway, i quess i rambled. I would appreciate any ideas anybody has even if its not even remotely related to my idea. Pretty much any mystery idea will help me. Thanks

Class make-up if it helps
5 gnome ench
5 dwarf cleric
5 blue goblin psion
5 elf rogue
5 human warr (missing guy)


sorry if this was difficult to read. And thanks in advance to anybody who offers any advice.

 

[Drawmack]

6 encounters. Each encounter contains 3 leads. Two of the leads are false and one is real.

Here is what this will do.
1) The encounters will average about an hour a piece (longer if they follow both false leads and less if they don't follow any false leads but they should average out to about an hour).

2) The players won't feel spoon fed because you're allowing them to follow up on the leads in any order they like

Now you've got the doppleganger in there so if the party splits up to cover more ground he's gonna just drop a pack of lies in their hands. What I would do is have the dopple ganger claim that his axe was stolen so that the PCs think that are on a different mystery then they really are. If you drop the dopple ganger in too early they'll be done the adventure in no time.

Have them find out that the dopple ganger kidnapped the fighter at the end of the session and go about rescuing him next week when he's there. This was the doppleganger as him and the fighter can both be played. For a nice twist have the party find the fighter before they know it's a doppleganger taking the fighter's place.

 

[KnowTheToe]

Now, I really like this concept. What is the motivation of the kidnapper? That will help decide how the dopple will behave. Has he been hired to kill the group? If so, he may lead them into a few traps by spoon feeding them misinformation.

Is he trying to steal their goods, then he may try and seperate the group from their belongings. This could be hard because PCs are so darn paranoid and possessive of their belongings.

 

[KnowTheToe]

I forgot to add..

It might be a fun twist if the players are told a powerful NPC in the city was responsible for the kidnapping and false evidence is provided. There could be a group of NPCs that have been hired to bring down this influential man and they are using the PCs as a tool.

 

[Goose]

The fighter in question wears a suit of magical plate mail that is a dark purple color. It is linked with the legendary purple dragon ( altho the PC's dont know this yet ) So the mastermind behind this could end up being the main villian in the game.

 

[Goose]

shameless bump