Speak with Dead Question

[DungeonmasterCal]

So, I'm starting a new campaign next week. The kernel of the story I ripped off from Cartoon Network's "One Piece" series, but only that. The idea that a pirate king, on the day of his execution, declares all the treasure he ever plundered is hidden and the secret of its location dies with him, is a great hook...heh...pirates..hook...anyway... In a world with spells like Speak with Dead, how do I keep the location a secret if the players get the bright idea to have a cleric cast this spell on the corpse?

Edit: Could a mod move this to the correct forum? I wasn't paying attention when I posted it in this one. Sorry!

 

[MatthewJHanson]

You can cast this spell on a corpse that has been deceased for any amount of time, but the body must be mostly intact to be able to respond. A damaged corpse may be able to give partial answers or partially correct answers, but it must at least have a mouth in order to speak at all.

Have him be cremated, eaten by sharks, or something else to get rid of his body.

 

[CronoDekar]

If it's been a long time, his body has probably deteriorated leaving behind only a skeleton, which would make it difficult or impossible to speak. There's always having someone bring him back as undead -- I mean, what necromancer wouldn't want his own pirate captain zombie? Or if there was a malicious person who knew of Speak With Dead, he could break off the pirate captain's jaw or remove his tongue.

Also note that Speak With Dead says "Answers are usually brief, cryptic, or repetitive.", so even if they find the body then there's no reason they'd get a direct answer out of him. I'd probably say through DM fiat that sense he intended to take the secret with him to the grave, then the answer would be particularly cryptic.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Thanks to both of you!

At the start of the game, the PC's will be part of the crowd witnessing his execution. I had thought to have him hanged (everyone love's a hangin'!), but was concerned about the Speak with Dead. I guess because it was 2 a.m. and I was up because of a migraine when I was reading the SwD spell, the phrase CronoDekar quoted didn't register. That would fit the tone I'm trying to get across if they try SwD.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

The simple answer is someone beat them to it. Once the spell is cast, it will take a week before it can be cast successfully again. Maybe the guys who got there first cut out the corpse's tongue just to be safe - or turned him into a zombie, because you can't speak with dead on a body that was once undead. It would set up a great contest between the PC's and someone who they initially don't know.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Oh yeah...they won't be the only ones looking for the treasure. I plan to have at least one major NPC and his crew as their rivals.

 

[Psimancer]

I know it is a little grotesque, but have the pirate bite off his own tongue during the hanging – it should stop the SwD…

 

[eris404]

errrr...he gets a Will save, doesn't he?

 

[Psimancer]

errrr...he gets a Will save, doesn't he?

Only if of differing alignment to the caster.