I need help with the murder mystery part of my adventure I'm writing. Basically the PCs are locked inside an old keep with a group of twelve friendly elven rangers. One of these elves is a vampire (the murderer) and the rest is just figuring out who.
Somethings I've thought of are:
- Earlier in the quest I describe the killer as 'a little pale'.
- They'll find a dead elf with punctures in his neck.
- They'll see an elf who has blood on his lip and says its from the fight earlier (truth)
- A shadow demon is also in the area and can add havoc.
- Most of the elves should survive (six or more)
But I need other ideas/events/advice on running this part.
Thanks.
Have the vampire ranger "die" mysteriously, perhaps appearing as though he were poisoned to death (since he is immune, he could leave signs of very real poison). Any heal checks indicate to the PCs that the victim's heart stopped and died of "Constitution damage."
In truth, he has used a scroll (or similar magic item, using use magic device if necessary) of magic jar and is now parading around in one of the OTHER rangers. This is an excellent means of misleading the heroes into believing one of the innocent rangers is actually the murderer. After all, who would suspect a corpse with no heart beat of any wrongdoing? Since they are all trapped within the keep, spell range isn't much of an issue--he will always be near his jar, original body, and plenty of available hosts.
What's more, if they kill the host body in hopes of stopping the murders, the vamp simply goes to the jar before possessing another body.
If all goes well, the PCs may begin to think a possessing ghost haunts the keep, rather than a vampire.
Can the PCs discover the truth before they are all murdered? Will they be able or willing to stop one of their own should they be possessed?
I like the suggestions mentioned above. As long as your PCs are smart enough to remember that this is a world with magic and aren't just looking for conventional solutions to the murder. Normally if you plan something you need at least 5 clues/ 5 ways for them to find a clue. Because they will miss 3 and misinterpret one.
What I would do in that situation is have lots of clues and setup, then be willing to adlib/rewrite the whole thing if they start going down the wrong path.
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There are a lot of low level things that can disrupt the plan.
A paladin...detect evil.
Detect Magic, Detect Undead.
So he needs defense against that. Lots of good methods for that. What level are you running this at?
Have two or three lairs where the vampire hides out. Maybe one is the keep's crypt so that his coffin does not look too out of place. Make the first lair easy to find with a clues that lead to the other two lairs. The other two lairs should have something similar. When they find the coffin they should find a clue as to how to discover the vampire.
Have the number of rangers originally be 13 or more. That way you can put in vampire spawn. If they find one at the first lair they might think, well job's done. Then they find another one dead.
Somethings I've thought of are:
- Earlier in the quest I describe the killer as 'a little pale'.
- They'll find a dead elf with punctures in his neck.
- They'll see an elf who has blood on his lip and says its from the fight earlier (truth)
- A shadow demon is also in the area and can add havoc.
- Most of the elves should survive (six or more)But I need other ideas/events/advice on running this part.
Thanks.
About the pale . . .there is an alchemical item that allows the dead to be appear life like. No need for pale.
NO PUNCTURE WOUNDS IN THE NECK. That is so passe. I reccommend a single puncture mark to siphon off the blood.
I like blood on the lip.
I think the shadow demon is a needless distraction.
If the elves are smart, the vampire is going to have a really harsh time. First, NEVER SPLIT UP. Elves don't need to sleep the way humans do but they do need to rest. Half on and half sleeping is a good 12 hr plan. The other 12 hrs the are going to tear the keep apart.
First of all thanks for all the posts and ideas.
Second, let me explain a little more about the setting.
- Magic is very uncommon because its illegal (only 2/9 in the party are casters and one of them is me(who'll be very sick at this point)).
- Vampires aren't quite normal, so they don't have the whole coffin bit. And the vampire traveled there recently with the other elven rangers, when they got caught by the 'locals' of the city, and then by the dragon.
- The keep is inhabited by a few demons, but do not necessarily need to be there.
- The elves kind of know about the demons already, and so they wouldn't really go too far through the keep in fear of running into them.
- This part is only one part of the adventure, not the focus.
- They aren't really locked in the keep, rather locked the world out, because there are undead all around the ruined city outside and a VERY EVIL dragon on the rampage.
- Also one of the PCs will likely be a vampire by that time because of other factors.
Mostly I just want ideas for clues or events that might happen. I expect no matter how hard I try the PCs will do something unplanned, so just a list of ideas will be the most helpful.
I do like the faked death idea.
As for the magic jar idea, I could just have a shadow demon use it and ad havoc.
Instead of puncture marks, I could just do hastily slit throat from which the vampire fed.
Instead of puncture marks, I could just do hastily slit throat from which the vampire fed.
You could allow a high DC heal check to determine that there is less blood around the wound than there should be. It isn't as blatant as the two neck punctures, but it gives them a skill based hint.
The real concern is if any of your players are familiar with House on Haunted Hill or And Then There Were None, which both feature a "but how could he be the killer? He died in act 2!" trope.
This makes me want to run a big murder mystery in which the killer really is the blatantly obvious one and not any of likely-because-they-are-so-unlikely types. Or pull a Clue and have everyone be a murderer, including a few PCs (it was an accident, honest!)
You could allow a high DC heal check to determine that there is less blood around the wound than there should be. It isn't as blatant as the two neck punctures, but it gives them a skill based hint.
I like it and I'll do a Perception check as well to see that the blood has been sucked up and otherwise disturbed just for some variety.
But if people wouldn't mind, I'd really like ideas for clues pointing to the killer/that he is a vampire.
Ex. (one I just thought up) They are walking down a hallway with flickering torches, and I'd allow a Perception check to notice something wasn't right about the shadows cast. But then with a much higher DC They would know specifically that one of the shadows was absent. This would help give them an idea to look for abnormal qualities of the vampire/potential killer.
You could allow a high DC heal check to determine that there is less blood around the wound than there should be. It isn't as blatant as the two neck punctures, but it gives them a skill based hint.I like it and I'll do a Perception check as well to see that the blood has been sucked up and otherwise disturbed just for some variety.
But if people wouldn't mind, I'd really like ideas for clues pointing to the killer/that he is a vampire.
Ex. (one I just thought up) They are walking down a hallway with flickering torches, and I'd allow a Perception check to notice something wasn't right about the shadows cast. But then with a much higher DC They would know specifically that one of the shadows was absent. This would help give them an idea to look for abnormal qualities of the vampire/potential killer.
How about a perception check to notice he isnt breathing... or isnt acting like he is breathing very well.
A check any time they touch him to notice how cold he is.
Have him avoid mirrors. Place an abbandoned service hall(church) in one room and have him make up excusses as to why he avoides it.
Have a NPC accidentally get cut or injured and the Vamp quickly leave the room as if he is in pain.
Have him mention events or people that give a knowledge history to notice it would make this elf much older then he looks.
If all else fails the PC that is becoming a vampire could get a odd fealing when the vamp is in the same room with him.