D&D 5E What is dead may... not be dead

[Gonat]

With spells is really simple (as many other have already said).
The right illusion can simulate all the execution, gallows and guards included.
Or simple trickery and corruption.

And do not forget that a simple hood for the convict can go a long way. You show the face once at the audience and then hood him. So.. if the hanging was fake the criminal don't need high acting skills to fool the people watching and if magic was involved no worries, the end of polymorph or other spells will be discreet as long as the spell only altered the face of the convict.

 

[n0nym]

the end of polymorph or other spells will be discreet as long as the spell only altered the face of the convict.

That's actually really smart ! They coud have shown his face to everyone then hooded him. This way the polymorph trick isn't revealed. I like that !

AS for illusions, the guard captain has to believe him dead, so the whole execution can't be an illusion I think.

 

[aco175]

You can have him die, being horribly burned at the stake )- PC victory). While being burned, the demon spirit inside him bursts out and speaks horrible revenge against the PCs and the town before fleeing into darkness.

You can have him die, being terribly hanged in public )- PC victory). The next morning the PCs are awoken when news comes of the body missing and all the workers in the graveyard having died. The dying gasp of the lone survivor speaks of the body rising off the slab in some form of listless zombie being and killed everyone (go on without me, my time here is done...)

Whatever scenario you have you can give the players a victory and still have the BBEG come back. A simple raise dead works the first time and after the PCs burn and scatter his body you can have resurrection the next time followed by clone the third time and wish the fourth. This method begins to wear on the players though so maybe use it only once.

 

[manduck]

Your comment just totally inspired me to create some kind of secret order that resurrects dead convicts for use in [insert nefarious purpose here]. They somehow blackmail them, or possibly disfigure the face beyond recognition, etc, and yeah... fun times.

Thank you.,

That's a really fun idea. Especially if you use villains that the PC's have done away with in previous adventures. Suddenly they cross paths with mysterious raised cultists that seem to know them somehow...

I may just have to use this idea one of these days, so thank you!