I'm running There is No Honor online, and have just begun Part Four: Peril Under Parrot Island.
My players' PCs have just returned from a fruitless investigation of Shadowshore (Gather Information rolls were below 10, earning them a variety of dead-ends and deliberate deceptions). I was intending to introduce the informant the next morning, but one of them has come up with an interesting alternative.
His character is a goblin wizard who spent most of his starting gold (2nd level) purchasing a Dire Bat from the Sasserine animal dealers. He's come up with the plan of waiting until after dark, then casting locate object from a scroll and doing a 3-minute sweep overflying Shadowshore, attempting to locate the signet ring Vanthus stole from his mother (since Lavinia has its twin, he'll have a very good visualisation).
I'd really like to keep the Parrot Island expedition in the adventure, but I don't want to outright rule that the attempt will fail. If Vanthus is staying with the Lotus Dragons at this time, chances are he'll have the ring with him and be detectable even underground - I don't see him thinking to put the ring in a lead box or anything.
Then again, the PCs did make quite an impression on Shadowshore this afternoon, so Vanthus is likely already setting up his plan with Shefton Rosk. Maybe I could have the wizard pick him up as he meets Rosk, then by the time everyone else arrives Vanthus has departed and they think catching up with Rosk is their own idea.
Any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Since he already cleaned out the vaults the rings is rather worthless to him now. Perhaps Vanthus has given the ring to Brissa Santos. She is out of town in krakens cove making deals for her family. Or he sold it to get more funds. I don't know your in a tough spot, as a DM I'd hate to do without the Parrot isle scene it is so well written. Perhaps the better more creative DM's here can offer more.
Whenever possible, let the PCs win. If they come up with a wild plan that should work, let them. Removing their ability to influence events will drop the level of fun much faster than missing out on a cool area of the adventure.
That being said, remember that DMing is like playing games with little kids; you want to let them win without letting them know you're letting them win. So use their creative ideas to steer them where you want.
In this case, alter the timeline so that the ring is IN Parrot Island, in Penkus' pocket. Vanthus is smart, cunning, and ruthless; if he even for a minute suspects that after the looting the vault the ring could be used against him, he'd ditch it in a heartbeat. And what better way than to slip it into the pocket of a person he's planning to strand in a hostile area?
That seems just like Vanthus, at least as the rotten cancer I played him up to be.
Since he already cleaned out the vaults the rings is rather worthless to him now.
I thought of that, but he did still have one vault to clear - the one the PCs and Lavinia find the remaining family funds in.
It has been two days since then, so I guess maybe he could have made another attempt on that vault, learned that his sister was making enquiries about him, and got rid of the ring just in case - he is fairly smart, after all, so the use of locate object might just occur to him.
If possible, alter the timeline so that the ring is IN Parrot Island, in Penkus' pocket. Vanthus is smart, cunning, and ruthless; if he even for a minute suspects that after the looting the vault the ring could be used against him, he'd ditch it in a heartbeat. And what better way than to slip it into the pocket of a person he's planning to strand in a hostile area?
That seems just like Vanthus, at least as the rotten cancer I played him up to be.
That's a very good idea. I may just have to go with that one. Maybe even play it up as an aborted attempt to pin the blame for his parents' death upon Penkus.
Cool idea. I agree with the idea that you should let the players succeed when they come up with a good plan. So how to let them succeed while staying on track?
How about Vanthus has just rented a rowboat on his way to Parrot Isle in advance of the informant? Locate Object finds him at the docks but by the time they get there they see him rowing off into the night? They get their own boat then and follow him to Parrot Isle.
Excellent Idea black bard!!!! It acomplishes both the parrot isle encounter, and letting the PC's win. Love it.
Thanks for the suggestions, everybody.
As it turned out, my players decided to return the Locate Object plan to the back burner, and have one more try at conventional questioning in Shadowshore. This time their Gather Info checks were successful, and they've just been intercepted by Shefton after questioning Panchi, so the plot is actually continuing right on course.
I have a feeling they'll be swift to resurrect the plan once they finish with Parrot Island, though, and at that point I think I'll let it lead them directly to the Lotus Dragons guildhall.