roguerouge
First Post
Also, you guys rock!
Theater Adventure
- Thread starter roguerouge
- Start date
jdrakeh
Front Range Warlock
Though not a d20 adventure, the old Children of the Sun RPG core book has a great adventure that takes place in an old theatre, involving Cthulhu-esque god things, madness, horror, and mystery. The core book can be found for a very deep discount at several online vendors.
Peni Griffin
First Post
roguerouge said:
Ooh, perfect. I think you'll find that creating such a character and developing him here will pay dividends later - in plot hooks, in access to resources your PC shouldn't have, and in a plausible emergency backup for those days when the dice hate her. In a book series he'd be a love interest, but even if she rejects him for that purpose, as a Bard she really ought to have a stable of Admirerers. And if he wants work within the system to reform the corrupt cops and she hates the cops for corruption, he may well come to her for assistance he can't get from his organization once this adventure establishes her as a competent, trustworthy-within-limits contact (from his point of view).
If the Impresario isn't the first victim, it should be because somebody else walked into the trap intended for him. Getting rid of the Impresario creates dismay, confusion, and - most importantly - a power vacuum, all of which can be exploited. Subsequent victims should be chosen based on their roles and their order will depend on the opportunities presented by their daily routines. Understudies should all have ironclad alibis for their main's demises, as the plan goes kaput if the Method Man's proteges are arrested for murder instead of getting to step into the roles. The Child Impersonator is nearby for every death and, therefore, a suspect, especially once the HBA connection is turned up; but s/he has seen the murderer in action and is on his/her way to impart this knowledge to somebody (cop, PC, or superior at HBA) when s/he is killed in a hasty improvisational way to prevent the giving of evidence.
These deaths should not just be accidents, they should be (except for the improvised Child Impersonator murder) spectacular, theatrical accidents - works of art, in fact. Because the Method Actor is devising them, they should also be "in character" - the Impresario gets shut in his own vault, the Aging Battleax's high note shatters a precisely-placed crystal that pierces her jugular, the Avuncular Drunk (an obvious choice for First Cast Member Death - who doesn't want the unreliable lead replaced by the understudy?) appears to take a misstep during rehearsal of his elaborately-choreographed swashbuckling routine and brings the chandelier crashing down on his own head, that sort of thing. Clues to the traps that sprang these accidents would include things like marks in the dust (or dust wiped away), the classic half-cut-through board or rope, the crystal goblet that the PC knows wasn't there before the rehearsal, etc.
So as not to run through your NPCs too quickly, give them Reflex saves and Spot checks to evade these traps - for purposes of the mystery, a failed attempt is as good as a successful one, and your player is bound to think of all those mysteries in which the culprit diverted suspicion by making himself look like a victim.
roguerouge said:
Oh, most excellent! "The cops are not likely to send their best man", and they are corrupt, means they will send someone they don't like and want to keep out of the way -- who absolutely will be the best man, only the PC won't realize it at first.
Some detectives the other cops don't like to take inspiration from:
-- Colombo (messy, apparently absent minded)
-- Lt. Tanaka from "Magnum, PI" (messy, small, from a racial minority)
-- Can't remember their names, but two odd ball British detectives from a recent series about the current day Scotland Yard -- an Oxford-educated Lord whose existence pisses off the rest of the force and is far too high class for his job to everyone's views (but is actually good at) and his #2, a Cockney single mom who irritates men and needs to take a lot of time off to care for elderly mom (but is also very good at her job)
-- Dirty Harry, who never follows rules, is rude to civilians, damages a lot of property, and doesn't check in with his superiors ever
-- Any of the "Untouchables" from the movie. The old beat cop who tolerates corruption and knows everything but doesn't get involved (the Sean Connery character). The young, dedicated go-getter who wants to clean up everything (Elliott Ness). The young officer who hasn't been corrupted yet (Stone). Or the desk jockey who somehow ends up on a real case (the IRS guy).
BTW, the Aasimar Costume Designer should seem shallow, self-centered, and possibly gay, but he actually isn't any of the above. The clothing designer in the recent British 1930s-set comedy "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" is who I'm thinking of.
Also BTW, go re-see "Shakespeare in Love", there's gotta be stuff to mine from there.
Last edited:
roguerouge
First Post
How do I deal with Speak with Dead, Zone of Truth, Detect Thoughts, and Detect Evil?
arscott
First Post
Speak with dead is easy. The murderer is using elaborate traps--falling chandeliers, poisoned prop-weapons, etc. The victims don't know any more about the murderer than the hero does.
ZoT, Detect Thoughts, and Detect evil are tougher.
The method actor will probably be immune to detect thoughts most of the time. IIRC, it only detects surface thoughts, and he can use his acting training to "get into character" in a way that moves any thoughts of guilt away from the forefront of his mind.
ZoT might be foiled the same way--acting doesn't count as a lie, even if it otherwise would be. I'd establish that right from the start, though, so the PC doesn't feel cheated.
As far as Detect Evil--Neutral characters can still murder people, and there might be other sources of evil not directly connected with the crime. Maybe the theatre itself detects as evil.
Side note: I think It might provide interesting dramatic potential if the the Ingenue believed that she was the primary target (whether or not she actually is).
ZoT, Detect Thoughts, and Detect evil are tougher.
The method actor will probably be immune to detect thoughts most of the time. IIRC, it only detects surface thoughts, and he can use his acting training to "get into character" in a way that moves any thoughts of guilt away from the forefront of his mind.
ZoT might be foiled the same way--acting doesn't count as a lie, even if it otherwise would be. I'd establish that right from the start, though, so the PC doesn't feel cheated.
As far as Detect Evil--Neutral characters can still murder people, and there might be other sources of evil not directly connected with the crime. Maybe the theatre itself detects as evil.
Side note: I think It might provide interesting dramatic potential if the the Ingenue believed that she was the primary target (whether or not she actually is).
roguerouge
First Post
arscott said:
"It's all about me! Me, me, me!"
roguerouge
First Post
Will My PC Figure This Out?
Will my campaign's lone PC (named Dior) figure this one out: too early, too late, just right (after a few murders)?
The murderer is the Method Actor, and he has some blackmail and morally questionable behavior. The motive is to advance his artistic agenda by getting his followers in the understudies to prominent roles. The means are "accidents."
0. The Method Actor begins hiding easily-found liquor bottles throughout the theater, hoping the Avuncular Drunk gets rid of himself by drinking himself out of a job.
Can be discovered by a search check.
1. Murder of the Aging Battle Axe : Midway through rehearsals, killed by falling sandbag to advance career of Bina (an extra into the Method Actor's groove) after Dior’s gone. Declared an accident by people at theater, but Sgt. Durph takes his time with the body and the scene. Then declares it an accident.
Murdered first because any number of understudies, Ingenue, Avuncular Drunk, Impressario, Ghost, and Dior could have wanted her dead. Also throws suspicion towards those who hate Dior too, as it could have been Dior, but she was sick that day of rehearsal, resting her voice.
Can be discovered as murder by checking the ropes themselves. Could guess motive from the Bore (a Method extra who's already ascended due to the quality of his voice), Bina, and conversation. Couldn’t prove anything, however, without slipping Method Actor an elixir of love and a kickin’ Diplomacy check, which would only get him to recruit Dior. Confession likely thrown out in court under these circumstances.
2. Blackmail of Gorsky the Impressario: Method Actor next finds out about the Mob-Gorsky connection, he’ll start blackmailing Gorsky to cast his people, threatening to tell his other investors of his true financial position or to inform to the Mob boss about how badly rehearsals are going. He’d offer himself as the solution to Finn, the Mob boss, never realizing the danger or admitting the possibility of being wrong about his acolytes.
If he’s feeling pressure from Dior’s suspicion, he’ll kill Gorsky hoping to push attention on Finn.
Can be uncovered through gathering info in underworld and figuring out precarious finances, Impressario's increasing desperation for show to go on, guessing that understudies had some help from watching them, speaking with dead on the Lech (later), or intimidating it out of Gorsky.
3. Murder of the Letch : Killed due to blackmailing, but also advances Edwin’s career, a stupid and handsome extra into the Method. He saw the Method Actor hiding liquor in the Avuncular Drunk’s room while he was returning from spying on the nocturnal activities of the Ingenue and Edwin. Figured out that the Method extras were getting promoted via blackmail and skullduggery, tried to blackmail the Method actor for some lovin’ from the extras. He was expecting a girl to visit him, as agreed, when he died. Has cost of throwing suspicion on to the Ingenue, whom the Method Actor believes is a convert to his agenda. Suspects include every woman who ever met him, and Gorsky.
Murdered on stage after the original dulled weapon is “misplaced” backstage and a real one is used by the Bore, who really does kill him on stage. It’s the performance of the Lech’s life. Killing in this way also aids the Bore, who may become a better actor due to the trauma of the experience.
Hidden passage indicates forbidden knowledge, Speak with Dead details attempted blackmail, lack of an extra who was going to meet him indicates premeditated murder. Find the missing weapon!
4. Murder of the Avuncular Drunk: Killed because he’s taking too long to drink himself out of the part, if Dior stops him. Falls down stairs, due to a shove. Killing advances career of Jardin, a pedantic actor not yet a convert to the Method, but likely will become one.
Since he’s been drinking more heavily in mourning for the Aging Battle Axe, it looks like an accident. It throws suspicion on the Impressario, and, perhaps, on the Ingenue (if people put together the relationship with Edwin, or an embarassing scene on stage). Who doesn’t want the unreliable lead replaced by his understudy?
Extra bottles indicate malice aforethought, physical evidence leads to murder, re-examining physical evidence eventually indicates prior accident was murder, footprint moves investigation away from Finn.
Murder of Child Impersonator: Strangled hastily for what he saw. Murderer has no alibi for the crime. Victim saw who murdered him.
Murder of Janis the Gossip: Falling axe from wall mount kills her for what she heard. No alibi.
Clues:
• Search for bottles: A Search 20 of the entire theater turns up way too many bottles for even the Avuncular Drunk to have hidden himself.
• Motive: That the replacements are all Method actors or likely to become so can be discovered by asking them the right questions or gathering information about this issue directly. Nobody volunteers the acting philosophy because they regard it as irrelevant unless directly asked.
• Why’s the Battle Axe on the Warpath? A diplomacy check on the Ingenue, Impressario, or Drunk discovers that she’s upset with Gorsky over casting Dior and having a love scene between the Ingenue and the Avuncular Drunk, who were lovers.
• The Avuncular Drunk Knows: He was trying to advise the Ingenue to drop the Method Actor, whom he suspected of unchivalrously using her. A Listen check catches the end of a blow-up argument between himself and the Method Actor.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: On 2nd murder scene, Search 25 sees a scuff mark from a shoe not of the Child Impersonator’s size and identifies it as significant because it is roughly of the same age of the scene by the amount of dust there. Cops will provide data if the PC is absolutely stuck.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Due to 2nd murder, that leads Durph to test ropes similar to those from the first murder with fraying and with knife. Concludes after a day the rope was cut with a very sharp knife. Immediately fixates on following up the Scurvytown red herrings (the Mob, the Fight master), then on the Ingenue.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Bianca Altanish, Life Researcher, discovers a pin-prick hole at the cartoid artery in the Avuncular Drunk’s neck while preparing his body for cremation. This is inconsistent with a fall and points to murder after the fall left the man helpless.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Bianca Altanish notes at the scene of the crime that the strangulation marks come from a human man with below average strength, wielding a rope from behind.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Bianca Altanish notes at the scene of the crime that this body is that of a halfling, not a human boy.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Sargent Durph finds a broken piece of string near the axe that killed Janis, which was how the axe fell.
• Search: The Lech spies on women in their dressing room. Search to find hidden passage or holes in walls.
• The Ingenue’s Sex Life:
o Diplomacy among the main cast reveals rumors of her casting couch session with Gorsky to escape the extras, her rejection of the Lech, her October-May affair with the Avuncular Drunk and resulting blow-ups with the Battle Axe, and her current affair with the Method Actor.
o A Gather Info check among the stage-hands finds the above plus that she’s been seen canoodling with a handsome extra behind the Method Actor’s back.
o A Gather Info check among the musicians finds none of those rumors but instead that Gorsky believes she’ll never be a star.
o A Gather Info check among the extras finds the current affair and that she’s a believer in the Method. She isn’t, but they believe she is because she tells the men she’s sleeping with what they want to hear.
• Presence of a Curse: Red Herring, but also why the Method Actor acts now
o Tristan and Isolde has a reputation of being haunted by ill-fortune.
o A GI check 10 reveals ghost tales and speculation that it’s the composer, a neglected extra, or the spirit of an anguished Ingenue seduced and abandoned. Told in a manner of kidding around, theatrically, or to scare the Noobs and extras.
o A Search check 20 of the archives of the Lydian temple or a Diplomacy 15 of the gossip or the drunk leads to the knowledge of a ghost. Every 5 by which this succeeds, reveals an extra clue: never someone with good reviews, death by a panicked flight through the theater, death by accident (a falling axe), or a visiting performer who died of stage fright before her first performance. There’s also more than a few reports on backstage drama in EVERY performance.
• Finances: The Swan Street Slicer is dragging down sales. (Gather Info 10 results in idle conversation with box office gossip.) Success here gives +2 circumstance bonus to uncovering financial difficulties.
• Finances: The theater and the Impressario are in financial difficulties. (This can be uncovered with a Gather Information 15 check in the right underworld circles, a GI 25 elsewhere, a Search check on the reviews and news coverage, or with a Sense Motive DC 26.) The money troubles motivate his unusual casting of the PC against vocal type and his PR use of her heroism.
• Finances: Janis is skimming lightly off the top, which prevents her from coming forward later. Can be uncovered by catching her in the act, after hours, or by a search through the financial records of the theater by a professional.
• The Child Impersonator is on the scene for every discovery of the murders.
o “That’s No Boy!”: Seeing through the disguise requires a Spot 22. Clues to real identity include Perform +0 skill (although he is a good actor) and he has to re-roll his Disguise +12 when around cards at a -2 modifier due to his addiciton to gambling. This is how the Method Actor knows his real identity.
o The Cabin Girl: Dior has the good luck to have a cabin girl, Rajya, who knows the real Timothy on sight, as he belonged to an Easterners rival group of kids until recently. “He used to pull her hair and throw rocks, but otherwise he was kinda nice. You know. [Nods]” If pressed, she gives a story that starts in the middle, rockets right to the beginning, then off-handedly mentions the end.
• Otto Parsam the Fight Master: Under diplomacy, will admit that he dislikes the Lech (lack of manliness), the Bore (lack of charisma in his fighting), and works in Scurvytown (Knowledge: Local).
• Who was last seen with the missing dulled weapon?
Divination Spells:
• Speak with Dead is easy. The victims don't know much about the murderer: the Aging Battle Axe was due to a trap, the push from behind for the Avuncular Drunk, the falling axe was a remote controlled trap for the Gossip, the strangulation from behind of the Lech… The spell does reveal the Lech’s blackmail scheme, the blackmailing (only) of Gorsky by the Method Actor, and that he was waiting for some lovin’.
• The method actor will probably be immune to Detect Thoughts most of the time. It only detects surface thoughts, and he can use his acting training to "get into character" in a way that moves any thoughts of guilt away from the forefront of his mind. His training means that he can use his Disguise/Performance check instead of his Will save.
• Zone of Truth might be foiled through half-truths or refusals to answer or appeals to their physical relationship.
• The theater itself detects as evil while the ghost remains. The Method Actor, the Lech, the Child Impersonator, and the Ingenue all read as low-powered, selfish evil.
Will my campaign's lone PC (named Dior) figure this one out: too early, too late, just right (after a few murders)?
The murderer is the Method Actor, and he has some blackmail and morally questionable behavior. The motive is to advance his artistic agenda by getting his followers in the understudies to prominent roles. The means are "accidents."
0. The Method Actor begins hiding easily-found liquor bottles throughout the theater, hoping the Avuncular Drunk gets rid of himself by drinking himself out of a job.
Can be discovered by a search check.
1. Murder of the Aging Battle Axe : Midway through rehearsals, killed by falling sandbag to advance career of Bina (an extra into the Method Actor's groove) after Dior’s gone. Declared an accident by people at theater, but Sgt. Durph takes his time with the body and the scene. Then declares it an accident.
Murdered first because any number of understudies, Ingenue, Avuncular Drunk, Impressario, Ghost, and Dior could have wanted her dead. Also throws suspicion towards those who hate Dior too, as it could have been Dior, but she was sick that day of rehearsal, resting her voice.
Can be discovered as murder by checking the ropes themselves. Could guess motive from the Bore (a Method extra who's already ascended due to the quality of his voice), Bina, and conversation. Couldn’t prove anything, however, without slipping Method Actor an elixir of love and a kickin’ Diplomacy check, which would only get him to recruit Dior. Confession likely thrown out in court under these circumstances.
2. Blackmail of Gorsky the Impressario: Method Actor next finds out about the Mob-Gorsky connection, he’ll start blackmailing Gorsky to cast his people, threatening to tell his other investors of his true financial position or to inform to the Mob boss about how badly rehearsals are going. He’d offer himself as the solution to Finn, the Mob boss, never realizing the danger or admitting the possibility of being wrong about his acolytes.
If he’s feeling pressure from Dior’s suspicion, he’ll kill Gorsky hoping to push attention on Finn.
Can be uncovered through gathering info in underworld and figuring out precarious finances, Impressario's increasing desperation for show to go on, guessing that understudies had some help from watching them, speaking with dead on the Lech (later), or intimidating it out of Gorsky.
3. Murder of the Letch : Killed due to blackmailing, but also advances Edwin’s career, a stupid and handsome extra into the Method. He saw the Method Actor hiding liquor in the Avuncular Drunk’s room while he was returning from spying on the nocturnal activities of the Ingenue and Edwin. Figured out that the Method extras were getting promoted via blackmail and skullduggery, tried to blackmail the Method actor for some lovin’ from the extras. He was expecting a girl to visit him, as agreed, when he died. Has cost of throwing suspicion on to the Ingenue, whom the Method Actor believes is a convert to his agenda. Suspects include every woman who ever met him, and Gorsky.
Murdered on stage after the original dulled weapon is “misplaced” backstage and a real one is used by the Bore, who really does kill him on stage. It’s the performance of the Lech’s life. Killing in this way also aids the Bore, who may become a better actor due to the trauma of the experience.
Hidden passage indicates forbidden knowledge, Speak with Dead details attempted blackmail, lack of an extra who was going to meet him indicates premeditated murder. Find the missing weapon!
4. Murder of the Avuncular Drunk: Killed because he’s taking too long to drink himself out of the part, if Dior stops him. Falls down stairs, due to a shove. Killing advances career of Jardin, a pedantic actor not yet a convert to the Method, but likely will become one.
Since he’s been drinking more heavily in mourning for the Aging Battle Axe, it looks like an accident. It throws suspicion on the Impressario, and, perhaps, on the Ingenue (if people put together the relationship with Edwin, or an embarassing scene on stage). Who doesn’t want the unreliable lead replaced by his understudy?
Extra bottles indicate malice aforethought, physical evidence leads to murder, re-examining physical evidence eventually indicates prior accident was murder, footprint moves investigation away from Finn.
Murder of Child Impersonator: Strangled hastily for what he saw. Murderer has no alibi for the crime. Victim saw who murdered him.
Murder of Janis the Gossip: Falling axe from wall mount kills her for what she heard. No alibi.
Clues:
• Search for bottles: A Search 20 of the entire theater turns up way too many bottles for even the Avuncular Drunk to have hidden himself.
• Motive: That the replacements are all Method actors or likely to become so can be discovered by asking them the right questions or gathering information about this issue directly. Nobody volunteers the acting philosophy because they regard it as irrelevant unless directly asked.
• Why’s the Battle Axe on the Warpath? A diplomacy check on the Ingenue, Impressario, or Drunk discovers that she’s upset with Gorsky over casting Dior and having a love scene between the Ingenue and the Avuncular Drunk, who were lovers.
• The Avuncular Drunk Knows: He was trying to advise the Ingenue to drop the Method Actor, whom he suspected of unchivalrously using her. A Listen check catches the end of a blow-up argument between himself and the Method Actor.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: On 2nd murder scene, Search 25 sees a scuff mark from a shoe not of the Child Impersonator’s size and identifies it as significant because it is roughly of the same age of the scene by the amount of dust there. Cops will provide data if the PC is absolutely stuck.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Due to 2nd murder, that leads Durph to test ropes similar to those from the first murder with fraying and with knife. Concludes after a day the rope was cut with a very sharp knife. Immediately fixates on following up the Scurvytown red herrings (the Mob, the Fight master), then on the Ingenue.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Bianca Altanish, Life Researcher, discovers a pin-prick hole at the cartoid artery in the Avuncular Drunk’s neck while preparing his body for cremation. This is inconsistent with a fall and points to murder after the fall left the man helpless.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Bianca Altanish notes at the scene of the crime that the strangulation marks come from a human man with below average strength, wielding a rope from behind.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Bianca Altanish notes at the scene of the crime that this body is that of a halfling, not a human boy.
• Cops/Physical Evidence: Sargent Durph finds a broken piece of string near the axe that killed Janis, which was how the axe fell.
• Search: The Lech spies on women in their dressing room. Search to find hidden passage or holes in walls.
• The Ingenue’s Sex Life:
o Diplomacy among the main cast reveals rumors of her casting couch session with Gorsky to escape the extras, her rejection of the Lech, her October-May affair with the Avuncular Drunk and resulting blow-ups with the Battle Axe, and her current affair with the Method Actor.
o A Gather Info check among the stage-hands finds the above plus that she’s been seen canoodling with a handsome extra behind the Method Actor’s back.
o A Gather Info check among the musicians finds none of those rumors but instead that Gorsky believes she’ll never be a star.
o A Gather Info check among the extras finds the current affair and that she’s a believer in the Method. She isn’t, but they believe she is because she tells the men she’s sleeping with what they want to hear.
• Presence of a Curse: Red Herring, but also why the Method Actor acts now
o Tristan and Isolde has a reputation of being haunted by ill-fortune.
o A GI check 10 reveals ghost tales and speculation that it’s the composer, a neglected extra, or the spirit of an anguished Ingenue seduced and abandoned. Told in a manner of kidding around, theatrically, or to scare the Noobs and extras.
o A Search check 20 of the archives of the Lydian temple or a Diplomacy 15 of the gossip or the drunk leads to the knowledge of a ghost. Every 5 by which this succeeds, reveals an extra clue: never someone with good reviews, death by a panicked flight through the theater, death by accident (a falling axe), or a visiting performer who died of stage fright before her first performance. There’s also more than a few reports on backstage drama in EVERY performance.
• Finances: The Swan Street Slicer is dragging down sales. (Gather Info 10 results in idle conversation with box office gossip.) Success here gives +2 circumstance bonus to uncovering financial difficulties.
• Finances: The theater and the Impressario are in financial difficulties. (This can be uncovered with a Gather Information 15 check in the right underworld circles, a GI 25 elsewhere, a Search check on the reviews and news coverage, or with a Sense Motive DC 26.) The money troubles motivate his unusual casting of the PC against vocal type and his PR use of her heroism.
• Finances: Janis is skimming lightly off the top, which prevents her from coming forward later. Can be uncovered by catching her in the act, after hours, or by a search through the financial records of the theater by a professional.
• The Child Impersonator is on the scene for every discovery of the murders.
o “That’s No Boy!”: Seeing through the disguise requires a Spot 22. Clues to real identity include Perform +0 skill (although he is a good actor) and he has to re-roll his Disguise +12 when around cards at a -2 modifier due to his addiciton to gambling. This is how the Method Actor knows his real identity.
o The Cabin Girl: Dior has the good luck to have a cabin girl, Rajya, who knows the real Timothy on sight, as he belonged to an Easterners rival group of kids until recently. “He used to pull her hair and throw rocks, but otherwise he was kinda nice. You know. [Nods]” If pressed, she gives a story that starts in the middle, rockets right to the beginning, then off-handedly mentions the end.
• Otto Parsam the Fight Master: Under diplomacy, will admit that he dislikes the Lech (lack of manliness), the Bore (lack of charisma in his fighting), and works in Scurvytown (Knowledge: Local).
• Who was last seen with the missing dulled weapon?
Divination Spells:
• Speak with Dead is easy. The victims don't know much about the murderer: the Aging Battle Axe was due to a trap, the push from behind for the Avuncular Drunk, the falling axe was a remote controlled trap for the Gossip, the strangulation from behind of the Lech… The spell does reveal the Lech’s blackmail scheme, the blackmailing (only) of Gorsky by the Method Actor, and that he was waiting for some lovin’.
• The method actor will probably be immune to Detect Thoughts most of the time. It only detects surface thoughts, and he can use his acting training to "get into character" in a way that moves any thoughts of guilt away from the forefront of his mind. His training means that he can use his Disguise/Performance check instead of his Will save.
• Zone of Truth might be foiled through half-truths or refusals to answer or appeals to their physical relationship.
• The theater itself detects as evil while the ghost remains. The Method Actor, the Lech, the Child Impersonator, and the Ingenue all read as low-powered, selfish evil.
Peni Griffin
First Post
It's impossible to say what a player's going to latch onto or cop to, but I think you've got enough clues scattered around, a sound enough grasp of going on, and enough NPCs in position to give her a nudge if absolutely necessary that she should be able to solve it unless you two get into one of those mutual incomprehension impasses - against which there is no defense except flexibility on the DM's part!
It's a little complicated, but it wouldn't be a good mystery if it were simple. Don't be disappointed if you don't wind up using everything and make sure you have a good enough grasp of the Method Man's character to improvise his behavior when Dior does something you never in a million year's thought she'd do, and you should be okay.
Good luck and have fun.
It's a little complicated, but it wouldn't be a good mystery if it were simple. Don't be disappointed if you don't wind up using everything and make sure you have a good enough grasp of the Method Man's character to improvise his behavior when Dior does something you never in a million year's thought she'd do, and you should be okay.
Good luck and have fun.
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