We just started book 2 and ended the session just as the PCs finished casting Create Treasure Map on Banny Harker's corpse. I ended them on a cliffhanger because, well, we were out of time, and more importantly, I wanted a week to figure out what to do with this.
The reason they cast Create Treasure Map in the first place was that they managed to squeeze answers out of Ibor Thorn, who mentioned that Harker had been embezzling money from the Lumber Mill, and that perhaps the Scarnettis found out and were out to get him and reclaim the money. The PCs figured that they could rule out the Scarnettis as a suspect if they could find Harker's stash to make sure it's all there. So, the next logical step would be to cast Create Treasure Map on his corpse... right?
There are a few possibilities, and I'm not entirely sure how I want to go about this. I have a week to figure this out and would love any suggestions! They chose "local" as the scale of their map, so that's what I have to work with.
- Just give them the location of his stash so they can move on with the actual investigation. They're an RP-heavy group and tend to spend a lot of time just... talking and having civilized arguments in character, so I don't think it's a terrible idea to give them a little nudge in the right direction to help them get things done.
- Have the map lead to the second floor of the Lumber Mill to confirm the PCs' suspicion that Katrine had indeed been pushed into the log splitter, and perhaps come to the conclusion that Harker didn't murder her because his "treasure map" didn't lead to the log splitter itself. If they can connect the dots, they'll realise that their 100 gold didn't simply go to waste.
- Maybe Harker actually knew of some sort of treasure around the area, and now the PCs have to go digging. Perhaps he had been eyeing Chopper's Isle for a while, wanting to buy/build a house there where he and Katrine could live in peace. I wanted to run the Chopper's Isle sidequest for the group but we didn't have time earlier. I still think it would be pretty neat for them to have a base of operations in Sandpoint, as most of them aren't from the town and don't have homes there.
- Send the players on a wild goose chase to some rumoured treasure that doesn't even exist. I haven't figured out exactly how I want to go about this yet.
Whatever I choose, I want to make it a fun experience for my players. Create Treasure Map is one of my favourite spells, and I want to encourage my players to use it in the future.
I think it's a bit gratuitous to suggest that the players are skinning a corpse. The spell doesn't call for anyone to be fully flayed to work. A DM could rule that people have an objection to any kind of mutilation of the corpse, but those same people also might not even know a piece of him has been used, considering the circumstances.
Anyway, to weigh in on your options, Raisu:
"The map reveals the locations of what the creature deemed most valuable within its area." is the bit I focus on with the spell, which doesn't always translate to straight gp value (as the spell itself hints). Is his personal stash more valuable to him than Katrine? Could be the map leads to where he last saw her. Does he know where the money is kept that he's embezzling from, and is that money greater than his personal amount? That could be where the map leads. Is there a local rumor of wealth within the area- as in, could the map just lead to one of the manor houses outside of town because everyone agrees that they are stinking rich?
Getting the party moving via a quick solution- I can empathize with this.
Second floor of the lumber mill- my memory fails me to the significance of the second floor, sorry.
Chopper's Isle- see above. Agreed that giving them a place to call home in Sandpoint is a good idea, though.
wild goose chase- I wouldn't do this to them.
What if Harker knew about all the money Crade Hambley has hidden in his floorboards at the Hambley Farm? Harker's estimate of how much money Hambley possessed may even have been exaggerated - the spell indicates it creates a map based on what the creature believed to be true.
Whatever I choose, I want to make it a fun experience for my players. Create Treasure Map is one of my favourite spells, and I want to encourage my players to use it in the future.
Um... ick.
I would absolutely not encourage PC use of this spell on the corpses of people.
First of all... Unless they are a pack of thieves, what would make the PCs think that they are entitled to any of Harker's personal wealth? Any such treasures should go to his heirs.
Create Treasure Map requires you to remove a relatively large chunk of skin from the creature, and the map appears on the skin itself.
Doing that to a person is... distasteful at best, and could very well be considered an evil act. Certainly, no follower of a good-aligned god would sit for such an abuse of a corpse... and neither would a follower of Pharasma.
In civilized areas, depending on the nature of the local goverance, using this spell on a person may well be considered as desecration of a corpse by local authorities, and would be punishable by hefty fines and/or jail time. That's how I would rule it if this occurred in my Runelords campaign.
That said... I'd have the treasure map lead to any (or all of):
- Banny Harker's house (pick one of the unnamed houses in Sandpoint): a locked chest therein contains some family heirlooms
- Sandpoint Town Hall, specifically the vaults in the basement that serve as the town's bank
- Vindler's General Store, specifically Katrine's bedroom, as he had considered his betrothed as his greatest treasure.