PC Role Reversal

[tennyson]

I'm DM'ing a group a five level-6 PCs through a homebrew campaign and next session will be throwing in a little twist to spice things up. I'd really love to get some comments/suggestions as to how to run this as effectively as possible. Here is the abbreviated version:

The group is currently stopping in a seaside community (for a few days) which has experienced a rash of grisly murders over the past few months, unbeknowst to them. The reason for the adventurers staying in the village are unrelated, but they soon begin to hear the strange stories and notice the hesitant demeanors of the people. Over the next day or two, they will be in a position to investigate first hand some of these atrocities, with very potential suspects coming to light.

After staying in the town for sometime, one of the nights they will experience something different. I would like to hand out NPC profiles that the PCs will have to assume the roles of. The sheets will have a brief description of the NPCs' personality etc. Most likely, the PCs will be familair with these NPCs, having met them during their time in the village.

Anyway, my group (playing the parts of the NPCs) will be split up, one of them in the local tavern, the others at the docks for some midnight fishing (or something to that effect). The players will then be seperately attacked by the mysterious killer(s), and have a chance to defend themselves. Chances are, they will die, and the deaths and manner of killing will be described in great detail. If some of the characters escape, so be it, that NPC will live. Essentially, the players will get to see the world from the eyes of the victim.

The next morning, the guards will have found the remnants of the killings, and the PCs will now be able to investigate the murders from the other side of the camera. The twist is: the charcaters are the killers. I'll need to drop a subtle hint so they recognize it during their investigation (perhaps a splotch of blood, or a piece of ripped clothing). Something that will make the PCs realize the truth of it.

This will eventually lead them on to the BBEG who is controlling various aspects of the village's minds. Perhaps he is located in the village itself, or maybe he does it from afar, haven't figured it out yet. I just think it will be great to know that the PCs were actually running from themselves at one point!

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Has this been done before - is there anything I can use as a reference or guide? Any help/ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[weem]

Sounds fun for sure, though I have a question...

Did the PC's really kill these NPC's, or are they led to believe they did? I wasn't really clear on that.

The idea of them finding a ripped piece of a cloak in the victims hand and realizing it is from their own cloak is a cool idea. The problem is if they really DID commit the murders, there could be some resentment from the players at having not been able to control their characters... "I wouldn't have done X" etc.

The last game I ran had the players assuming the roles of some crew members of theirs who were kidnapped. I did a write up here on ENW about it and I have also made some Companion Sheets that were used for it you might be interested in as well.

 

[tennyson]

Sounds fun for sure, though I have a question...

Did the PC's really kill these NPC's, or are they led to believe they did? I wasn't really clear on that.

The idea of them finding a ripped piece of a cloak in the victims hand and realizing it is from their own cloak is a cool idea. The problem is if they really DID commit the murders, there could be some resentment from the players at having not been able to control their characters... "I wouldn't have done X" etc

This is a good point and one that I have mulled over. I don't believe this particular group would mind, especially if the force that was driving them could be explained as extremely powerful. However, I honestly have not made up my mind on this aspect.

The companion sheets look great (although we're running 3.5)!

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

Another thing you can do is give some of their character descriptions in flash images, when they are the NPCs, i.e. hair or eye color, specific weapons, holy symbols, tattoos, scars, markings of any sort that the PCs have. Try to really get them into the heads of the NPCs and what they are able to see or not see as cinematic as possible.

Another idea is to have them wake up sore and still tired, unexplained scratches or bite marks (from when the NPCs were defending themselves). Have the players describe in great detail what they do to defend themselves as the NPCs for later reference. This could really get into their heads.

I ran a Ravenloft campaign where one of my players was cursed with lycanthropy into a werewolf. He awoke the next morning after a full moon without memory of the night before, but he was covered in blood and gore, his clothes were ripped to shreds and there were prints of a large wolf near his camp. He found a small cottage nearby and inside all the grisly evidence of a large animal attack with a dead family inside (great detail was given as to the scene of the attack).

Just an example of what I mean by cinematic detail and getting into their heads with what they were compelled to do by the BBEG.

 

[fba827]

when the NPCs are getting attacked, be sure to include a visual description of some attack style that one of the PCs frequently uses. i.e. if one of the PCs is a cleric that often uses flame strike, describe how the NPC is running away as this column of fire rains down from above... or for a magic-missle happy wizard, how sparks of arcane energy come out from the darkness striking the NPC down and the last thing he sees as his eyes fade over with flood are the leather boots of his killers walking up to his now lifeless corpse...

(the idea being to pick attacks that the PCs frequently use - of course, don't make it so obvious that the players figure it out right away)...

 

[roguerouge]

Warning! Warning! This is not a novel. Repeat: this is NOT a novel people!

I think that removing player agency is a bad move, personally. Perhaps it will work with your group, though. May I ask why a BBEG would invest in serious magics like this, when you can accomplish a frame job just as easily with a shapeshifter or the first level spell, disguise self?

 

[Leatherhead]

This kind of breaks down in the meta-game. Are the Players supposed to solve the mystery or are the Characters supposed to solve the mystery? How would the characters know what is going on if they can't even remember the killing from their own point of view?

And you should also make sure your players are ok with playing characters who are doomed to die horrifically in extremely one-sided fights. Not everyone enjoys that kind of thing.

 

[tennyson]

Thanks for your replies, everyone! I can definitely appreciate the fact that this type of scenario may lend itself more to the cinematic and (for the scene) take the option out of the PC's hands.

As to why they would be in this type of situation: it's not so much a frame job as an attempt by the BBEG's to spread doubt and fear among the populace.

In short, a group of nobles have gathered in secret and created a new church, totally fabricated. Then they have spent the past few years spreading the edicts of said church, along with the ten "Pillars of Doom" which dictate the end times. They are have employed a group of powerful magi to replicate these events.

The new church is the only one who can "help" the populace, and begins to win their favor, collecting tithes and power for their protection (all lining the nobles pockets). This particular instance in which the PCs find themselves is one of those "Pillars".

So the frame job is not as important as the fact that innocents can randomly be turned against their allies. It's a powerful magic focused not on the PCs, but on the town - I just thought it may be more shocking to have the PCs be one of the prime players - with the obvious shot at redeeming themselves.