So the PCs are in possession of a maguffin that the BBEG and her minions want. The group recently came up with the idea to Trap the Soul on one or more powerful bad guys. I read this spell and I'm at a loss.
On one hand, I wanna reward them for creative thinking. On the other, I don't wanna skip any memorable encounters. The two major baddies (whose names they know) are a quite intelligent. I could simply say that both are far more intelligent than the PCs but I don't wanna strong arm them.
Please let me in on situations you might have encountered like this in the past...
This should probably be in the Kingmaker forum.
This should probably be in the Kingmaker forum.
I agree but it's also universal advice right? My game is in two hours and this area seems to get more response.
Monetarily the spells require a 16,000gp gem for one and a 24,000gp gem for the other. Do they have the resources for this? Additionally are they capable of casting it themselves or are they relying on an NPC/Scroll/etc?
They definitely have the resources and can cast it themselves.
So the BBEG gets trapped in a normal, non-magical gem? Shatter is a second level spell. Sure they have at least one minion capable of casting it, especially if the BBEG had been scrying on the party and knows of their plan.
This should probably be in the Kingmaker forum.I agree but it's also universal advice right? My game is in two hours and this area seems to get more response.
Monetarily the spells require a 16,000gp gem for one and a 24,000gp gem for the other. Do they have the resources for this? Additionally are they capable of casting it themselves or are they relying on an NPC/Scroll/etc?They definitely have the resources and can cast it themselves.
i say let them do it, then have the other bad guy send enemies to retrieve the gem, extra encounters essentially.
So the BBEG gets trapped in a normal, non-magical gem? Shatter is a second level spell. Sure they have at least one minion capable of casting it, especially if the BBEG had been scrying on the party and knows of their plan.
but its not nonmagical, it's magically containing the bad guy
I would say that they can attempt to cast the spell on them while in their prescence granting a will save and having to combat any existant spell resistance.
They would not accept a trigger object from their enemies, at least not without some other form of magical coercision to get them to do so. BBEG should not be played as dumb, and they should be smart enough to be aware of magical traps. Even if they use a sympthay spell as described in Trap the Soul, the BBEG would still get a save versus that.
I know my players. They will probably cast the spell on one of the bad guys then take the gem and put it in an extra dimensional space like a bag of holding. Then hide the bag of holding.
Unless I'm running the game wrong, a spell like Discern Location will tell the caster that the gem is in an extra dimensional space but I'm pretty sure that it won't reveal where the extra dimensional space is.
Is this accurate?
Claxon, the more 'insidious' of the TtS variants does not allow a Save or SR. It's crazy.
Well now they have an entirely new thing to deal with, kidnap one and have them torture him, possibly using spells to attempt to force coercion meanwhile the party is racing to rescue him before he talks
Hazrond, good call. I think the best thing about this situation is that it's only gonna work once. Lol. Plus this baddie has more than enough minions to force a coercion. Should be pretty fun! Thanks all.
Essentially in my mind you should let them do it and if they succeed? Well now you have more story as the enemy and the party work to find/keep it hidden respectively
Hazrond, good call. I think the best thing about this situation is that it's only gonna work once. Lol. Plus this baddie has more than enough minions to force a coercion. Should be pretty fun! Thanks all.
glad to help :)
I don't think an object in another object would count as either picked up or accepts. They have to interact with the trap the soul object directly, which makes this a bit more difficult to pull off.
Yah. This is where the PCs need to find out some way to trick the enemy into accepting the trigger object.
And if they do the research to find out something the person in question will like, and can reasonably be expected to pick up, let it work...
...but only once. After that, the baddies will be on their guard. (Particularly if Iluthiak is the first to get hers; Nyrissa will be on her guard after that.)
Claxon, the more 'insidious' of the TtS variants does not allow a Save or SR. It's crazy.
Which doesn't work unless the BBEG touches the item directly. And no BBEG is going to accept an item from someone they don't know since they know the kind of magics that exist in the world.
So in order to employ this method, they would need to employ other magic to compel the BBEG to touch it.
It's within, your BBEG doesn't have to be stupid and accept anything players try to give him.