RB: Removing a mentor

[BSF]

Heh heh, I've done that too. Where the NPC they were using as a crutch coughs up that assertive answer that everyone is sure is going to be right, but is somehow wrong. It's fun. I really _hate_ it when my players stop thinking for themselves.

But, I didn't bring it up since die_kluge is angling for that time bubble thing.

 

[der_kluge]

That's a good idea, Bard. I was thinking that, in the last room there could be this enourmous hourglass with beads of sand that fall through cosmically slowly, and there would be this dial where the PCs could dial the speed down as slow or as fast as they desired, but currently it's set on "insanely slow". So, that would give them some indication as to what is going on, but the realization won't set in until they finally manage to get outside.

And having the mentor turn on them would be a cool idea, too. Right now, the mentor has around 40 crew members which are all commoners and experts that manned the ship. The PCs could meet up with them eventually and the mentor could be a vampire with his flock of minor vampire minions.

 

[snarfoogle]

What I would have done is, instead of removing the mentor, I would cripple him. He'd still be alive, if they really needed his help, but his legs would be broken so he'd be stuck at a base camp unless they make a lift for him and carry him everywhere they go. If they need his help really badly, they're going to have to trek to him through the miles of jungle.

 

[heimdall]

I'm thinking mutiny. The remaining crew realize they're in this boat (pun intended) because of the leader. Half of them are dead. The remainder don't ever know if they'll ever get home again, but it sure doesn't look like it. The main folks who would step up and defend the leader are nicely tucked away in a tomb. While the leader sleeps, the crew kill him. Put his head on a spear and basically desecrate the rest of his body sort of thing.

No need to do the time thing. Allow normal time to pass. When the party emerges they'll find the leader's head, but not the rest of the body. They'll also have on their happens a mutinous crew who looks at them as partially to blame. And unless the party is able to win over the crew immediately, the mutiny is going to threaten to consume them, too. Of course, even if they do win over the crew, there will always be the seed... meaning you have a simmering plot line.