Everyone has probably encountered the scenario in a game where an important figure is assassinated.
Often the assassin leaves town immediately after the job so the question is did you go after the assassin or stay and try to go after the people who hired him?
Who did you try and bring to justice, how did it turn out and why did you/your character make that choice?
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Often the assassin leaves town immediately after the job so the question is did you go after the assassin or stay and try to go after the people who hired him? Who did you try and bring to justice, how did it turn out and why did you/your character make that choice?
The traditional response is to track down the assassin to try and find out who hired them at swordpoint.
The traditional DM counter-response is for the assassin to say 'I never met them' (roll Sense Motive, okay, he's lying) 'Fine, I'll tell you!' (ker-chunk, mnagically poisoned thinaun crossbow kills him, doing eleventy-bazillion points of damage, annhilating his soul and disintegrating his body so that you can't Speak with Dead or Raise Dead this valuable source of information).
So instead, cut to the chase and kill off the rest of the royal family (anyone who stood to gain from the King's death), preferably by planting evidence that they conspired to kill the King, and then, after 'unmasking the traitorous kinslayers' and frog-marching them to the gallows, usurp control of the kingdom 'for the good of the people, to ensure stability, prosperity and the rule of law in this time of tragedy and upheaval.'
If you happen to find out who the assassin was, send him a fruitbasket and a nice card thanking him for making your party rulers of the land.
Persig, by way of Set - "The player plays by the rules. The infinite player plays *with* the rules. The game player plays with the DM's head."
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Another option:
Track the Assassin down. Meet & greet, establish rapport. Be very careful not to tip your hand as far as who you are or why you know this person.
Through time, persistence, and shared interests (wait, you like knives and stabbing people? me too. how do you feel about poison?) get to be the assassin's friend/business associate.
Once he's your pal, flip him on his original employer, using your newfound closeness and fabulous material wealth (you have that, right? dead king, open treasuries, etc...) and target the original employer with the original employee.
In the meantime, do the above suggestion, and take over the kingdom/city/fiefdom.
This works best if you're an opposite gender, high-charisma, bard-type that can really sell the relationship.
-t
opposite gender, high-charisma
Depending on how far you're willing to go, alter self and an eagle's splendor can really help with this. :P