So, my players decided they want to dig up Vanthus and have a conversation with him...Any thoughts?
better yet, a maxed out simulcra, and have him spill the whole story ;)
Yup, knows all he does, and this one is fully honest and willing to tell everything.
Have a demon, sent by Demogorgon, suddenly appear and scoop up his remains before the characters have a chance to use the spell.
Well, I imagine Lavinia might have something to say about the party exhuming her recently deceased brother, though I'm sure the party would be able to convince her that it's absolutely neccesary.
Best solution is to think of a creative way to get rid of Vanthus's body. How about:
* The party arrive at the graveite, only to find it's been dug up as if by some tremendous apelike beast... and Vanthus's remains are gone.
* The grave is intact, in fact appears completely undisturbed. But the body simply gone.
* They dig up the body, but when they cast the spell, it ignites in mysterious flames and turns to ash - laughing all the while (remember the Isle of Dread is aysterious place... the normal rules of magic don't have to apply).
* The spell seems to function normally at first, giving you a great oppurtunityto do a little creepy foreshadowing of events to come. But then the body unexpectedly animates, and attacks the party, crumbling into dust when destroyed.
Have a demon, sent by Demogorgon, suddenly appear and scoop up his remains before the characters have a chance to use the spell.
That's pertty close to what I ended up doing. WHen they cast the spell, I had the body animate, possessed by a small part of an aspect of Demogorgon. IT cast some spells, did some damage and then the PCs destroyed the body for me.
Creative Director
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WARNING: Spoilers follow!
Vanthus's body plays an important role in "Serpents of Scuttlecove," when Demogorgon transforms it into a death knight and he triggers that adventure's beginning, but if your PCs destroyed his body earlier, no probelm. There's a work-around.
As for speaking with dead or simulacrum (that's a really brilliant method of interrogating the dead, by the way), you fortunately don't have much to worry about Vanthus spilling too many beans. He can certainly tell the PCs where the Crimson Fleet base is, and can also tell them about how the leader has a ship that can sail to the Abyss and back (that's where he became a half-fiend), and can probably tell the PCs a little about Scuttlecove and the Crimson Fleet, but he actually doesn't know much at all about Demogorgon or the savage tide, apart from the fact that the shadow pearls explode into them. He doesn't know what they're for. Only a few people in the Crimson Fleet do.
Vanthus's body plays an important role in "Serpents of Scuttlecove, when Demogorgon transforms it into a death knight ... the Abyss and back (that's where he became a half-fiend)...
Here is a question that takes this issue in a slightly different direction:
What if, during the battle for Farshore, Vanthus is dismissed as per the spell (I have a player in my group that loves that spell)? He is an outsider now, so he'll most likely be sent to the Abyss (or 20% chance he goes elsewhere).
He won't be killed so there won't be a body for Demogorgon to use to make him a deathknight (unless that is Vanthus' penalty for failure when he shows up in the Abyss unexpectedly - Demo slays him and raises him as a more effective servant). Although the PCs would still get the VP and XP for defeating Vanthus at the battle, it may mess with the story a bit and would be fairly anti-climatic.
Any suggestions on how to deal with this very possible situation? Would Vanthus return to the material plane to seek revenge a few days after the battle?
Any and all ideas are welcome.
While he's an outsider I believe he is still native to the Material Plane so dismiss has no effect (at least while he's on the Material Plane), its the same sort of thing as 20th level Monks. Being the Outsider type just means that part of you essence is from another plane. Dismissal only sends back creatures to their native plane (20% chance of an error), since Vanthus would already be on his it wouldn't work.
You need the Extraplanar subtype to be able to be dismissed, it doesn't matter what type you are. You gain this whenever you travel to a plan that you aren't native to and lose it when you return to your own plane.
Note: If/when the PCs travel to the Abyss they will gain the Extraplanar subtype, even though they are humanoid type still, and if an evil Demon decides to cast Dismissal on them then they will (on a failed save) hopefully find themselves back on the Material Plane.
Hmm that's given me all sorts of Evil GM ideas. I'll Heightened Dismissal the party fighter.