Witch in the Swamp needs to give a quest.

[Cliffork]

One of my PC's died very early on in our new campaign. He's new to RPing and really liked his character so I'm giving them one chance to revive him. There's a swamp to the South-East of where I started them that contains a witch who would be powerful enough to resurrect the character, for a price. I've made her so that she is very powerful but has been bound to the swamp because she was too powerful to be taken down at the time. I need something that the witch would need fetched or something that she would need done, but cannot do so herself because it is outside the swamp.

Any ideas? The party is only 3 strong. A gnome healer, a hengeyokai-fox monk, and the dead character is a catfolk ranger. He is going to be joining up as a young minotaur racial class I built (for someone who was going to play but bailed) until his character is resurrected.

[GM Rednal]

Well, there's always some kind of rare potion ingredient for something she wants to make. She doesn't necessarily have to explain what it is... XD So the PCs could be tasked to go get a plant of some kind, that's guarded by a monster up a nearby mountain?

[Cliffork]

GM Rednal wrote:

Well, there's always some kind of rare potion ingredient for something she wants to make. She doesn't necessarily have to explain what it is... XD So the PCs could be tasked to go get a plant of some kind, that's guarded by a monster up a nearby mountain?

Ooooh wait a second, are there any sentient plant monster type things? If not I could just make one, but the plant monster could be the ingredient!

[Lathiira]

If she's so powerful she had to be bound to the swamp, I imagine this witch might want out. Have the group go find a magical crystal. She'll use it in a ritual that will ultimately let her roam free again. This crystal could be deep in the earth or high up on a mountain, maybe even under the sea. Maybe she can manage to even be friendly enough that she'll be on good terms with the PCs later on and send them out for more materials. When she's free, maybe then the PCs will have to find a way to stop her for good....

[GM Rednal]

Yes, there are sentient plants. ^^

[Philo Pharynx]

List of plant creatures

[coldvictim]

Could go either full serious roleplay and ask for the egg of a forest drake or some such. or, what could be equally fun, is having her insane due to being stuck in the swamp and just wanting Digestive biscuits.

"Oi loved Digestive Biscuits before I was trapped here, if you would bring me a dozen I would be very grateful."

Then the players could either buy from a shop, or use cooking skill.

[Akkurscid]

The witch just wants her sisters shoes... =)

[Dave Justus]

I would strongly suggest that rather than have the player run a different character until raised, you have the Witch do the raise up front, but unsure compliance with a geas of something like that. That way the dead PC can be part of the adventure, gain experience etc.

I would probably go with a recovery of something stolen theme. Either a former apprentice, a ward or just a clever thief made off with something and the witch wants it back. Depending on how much you want to screw with them, the item could be very dangerous to return to the witch and the thief could be 'good'.

That is one reason to go for the raise first, pay later method. It looks like a really good deal, the other two agree to the geas to get their friend back, and then it turns out that the price was much higher than they thought, classic evil witch stuff.