Egiam
2009-11-24, 04:12 PM
I am planning out a 3.5 third level Eberron adventure set in Stormreach. It revolves about hunting down an object stolen by a local thieves guild. I have plenty of cool ideas, but one problem.
How can they find the thieves in the first place?
Gather info seems like an easy way out, as does a clue at the crime scene... but how should I execute this? What DC for gather info? What clue? What else? They are not high enough level to have access to powerful divination.
The hideout is an old building in a poor area of stormreach. You walk up to heavy wooden door, knock rhythmically five times, and a sentry allows you in the door and down the stairs. There is likely 2-3 of these strongholds throughout the city. I want this to be a very open-ended game, but here is a likely timeline:
-they encounter patron, get hired
-go to scene of crime, research
-gather info in public
-track down member, follow to 1st stronghold (protected by basic divination and traps)
-kick down the door, stab things
-Halfing apprentice wizard (second in command here) tries to escape with some money by throwing illusions at them (like the one that makes multiple copies of the caster).
-They find map of other strongholds in the city.
-That night (if the wizard escaped) a 4th level Warforged assasin tries to kill them.
-If they survive, they charge into other 2nd stronghold. Enemies spring a trap. The PCs must be smart to survive here. (Bilbo Baggins, anyone?). Think invisibility and sneaking to get past guards. They grab the object, and rush out. On there way out, they trigger a trap, alerting the guilds leader, who teleports to the scene. The leader is a Wizard, and a much to powerful threat for them to handle. The PCs must either be lucky, or run away with the object.
-While they were looting the area, they find books/maps, which leads us to the next adventure.
-They return the object, get money and girls.
-That's the end of the episode.
How can they find the thieves in the first place?
Gather info seems like an easy way out, as does a clue at the crime scene... but how should I execute this? What DC for gather info? What clue? What else? They are not high enough level to have access to powerful divination.
The hideout is an old building in a poor area of stormreach. You walk up to heavy wooden door, knock rhythmically five times, and a sentry allows you in the door and down the stairs. There is likely 2-3 of these strongholds throughout the city. I want this to be a very open-ended game, but here is a likely timeline:
-they encounter patron, get hired
-go to scene of crime, research
-gather info in public
-track down member, follow to 1st stronghold (protected by basic divination and traps)
-kick down the door, stab things
-Halfing apprentice wizard (second in command here) tries to escape with some money by throwing illusions at them (like the one that makes multiple copies of the caster).
-They find map of other strongholds in the city.
-That night (if the wizard escaped) a 4th level Warforged assasin tries to kill them.
-If they survive, they charge into other 2nd stronghold. Enemies spring a trap. The PCs must be smart to survive here. (Bilbo Baggins, anyone?). Think invisibility and sneaking to get past guards. They grab the object, and rush out. On there way out, they trigger a trap, alerting the guilds leader, who teleports to the scene. The leader is a Wizard, and a much to powerful threat for them to handle. The PCs must either be lucky, or run away with the object.
-While they were looting the area, they find books/maps, which leads us to the next adventure.
-They return the object, get money and girls.
-That's the end of the episode.