Players probably gonna wind up in the dungeon, and I need some ideas.

[Skijarama]

To summarize, for the last 6 or 7 weeks, I have been running a D&D 5E game in which my party has been trying to locate a Knight who has committed a few rather bad crimes so that they can exact justice. They were instructed by an ally to try and prove him guilty of the crimes, but as it is, they don't have enough (any) evidence that would hold up in any court.

Either way, their characters are marching towards the king to try and locate the knight through him and then accuse him of said crimes. This is likely going to do one of 3 things; Get them all killed, get them thrown in the dungeons, or they become wanted criminals themselves.

In general I would simply like some ideas on where I can take all of this.

If you need more information on the context of the game in order to provide a good suggestion, feel free to ask. Our next game is on Sunday, the 1st of May, and I'd like to know what I am doing by this upcoming session or the one that follows.

[manny2510]

I'm not going to go into their pursuit of clues. Take the prison plot of the count of monte cristo and speed it up with magic. They get thrown into dungeon by the Kings archmagi because he knows that the knight is guilty, yet has a clever plan. He helps them to feign death in the dungeon, leaving the knight to pursue his crimes. With the alibi of death and a slew of new identities they go from there. Archmagi says that they will lose the element of surprise if they keep asking for help.

[Skijarama]

I'm not going to go into their pursuit of clues. Take the prison plot of the count of monte cristo and speed it up with magic. They get thrown into dungeon by the Kings archmagi because he knows that the knight is guilty, yet has a clever plan. He helps them to feign death in the dungeon, leaving the knight to pursue his crimes. With the alibi of death and a slew of new identities they go from there. Archmagi says that they will lose the element of surprise if they keep asking for help.

Well, that's much simpler than what I had in my head. I had ideas of some world-specific lore stuff going down that enabled them to leave the dungeon unhindered, but the problem is, that idea would work better for higher level players. My group is only level 4 XD.

So, that's one idea I can draw on, and a pretty damn good one at that. Thank you for the idea, but let's see if we can get a few other ideas trickling in here, shall we? :) You know, for options.

[NewDM]

http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/dungeon/index.cgi

Then just fill it with encounters that can be randomly generated on the same site. Have the kings guards just throw them in through a hole in the roof, that then gets covered by a metal grate.

The idea is that the bad people get thrown in there and you never hear of them again.

[Knaight]

There's also a number of options where they get busted out. They get thrown in the dungeon by publicly speaking out against the knight, which means that any enemies the knight made with their series of bad crimes (and those tend to make enemies) suddenly see that there's a group of competent adventurers thrown in jail for opposing said knight. All it takes is one person with both the opinion that the enemy of their enemy is their friend and the means to either break them out or help them break out, and it's in motion.

I'd be inclined to go more with the option where the PCs get aid in breaking out, what that looks like depends on the dungeon. If they're in a high tower, an arrow with a note and some very small but useful implements for escape (thin wire and small hook, small vial of acid, whatever) that gets shot through the window could work well. If underground, someone bribing a guard to "accidentally" leave a key where the PCs can get it and meeting up with them when they escape could do it. There's options.

[Falcon X]

Back in 3.5 Complete Scoundrel, they had legendary site called Otyugh's Hole. Legendary sites were cool because you also got something out of it. Of course, you don't have to give them anything and you could make a more complex dungeon out of it.

Otyugh's Hole
Beneath the cells and barred yards of Saint’s Cudgel
prison, below even its darkest, most secret torture pit, lies
an unfinished earthen basement that holds a crumbling,
ruined well. This fetid ditch is more than just a filthy
oubliette—it’s the otyugh hole, the bottomless black, the
“O” hole, a fearful legend among those who claim to fear
nothing, and its threat can snap even the maddest rabblerouser
back into line.
The most feared punishment within a prison, castle,
or torturer’s tower, an otyugh hole is a wretched solitaryconfinement
pit meant to disgust and break the hardest
convict. Any who enter face torments of darkness, silence,
and dread, but those who survive this ordeal become
underworld legends.

Lore: Characters with ranks in Knowledge (local) can
research an otyugh hole to learn more about it. When a
character succeeds on a skill check, the following lore is
revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: An otyugh hole is a prison cesspit where the foulest
prisoners are punished.
DC 15: Many forced into otyugh holes go mad, die, or
simply disappear. Those who emerge intact are heroes
among their fellow felons.
DC 20: Some jailers purposely or knowingly allow creatures
such as ghouls, slimes, or otyughs access to prisoners
thrown into otyugh holes.

Description: An otyugh hole is a disgusting, lightless pit
about 30 feet deep, usually covered with a rusting metal
hatch. Crudely dug to serve its purpose or converted from
some other ruined shaft, it reeks with the debris and waste
that trickles down from above. No sensory stimuli reach those forced into an otyugh hole except the warm wetness
and gagging reek of its knee-deep putridity.
Crude graffiti, scrawled by countless previous inmates,
often lines the lower walls of these horrific prisons. Those
who have survived an otyugh hole can determine who
really has endured its torments and who’s a liar by asking
about such scrawls. One infamous otyugh hole bears the
frantically scratched name, “Maercson,” both a marker
and a warning against the tentacled something that lurks
behind one of the pit’s crumbling walls.

Prerequisite: A character must be 3rd level or higher
to gain the special ability conferred by an otyugh hole.

Location Activation: Gaining the benefits of an otyugh
hole requires enduring a full week of existence within it.
The difficulty of this achievement depends on the state of
the pit, the level of guard activity surrounding it, and the
attentiveness of any creatures that scour the pit for food.
Gaining access to an otyugh hole—a place that officials
deny even exists—might be a challenge as well.
One difference between an otyugh hole and the other
legendary sites described here is that a lawbreaking character
might end up visiting (and thus gaining the benefit
of) an otyugh hole without intentionally seeking it out

Recharge: While any number of characters could
receive its special ability, an otyugh hole can grant its benefit
only once per week, and only to a single character (since it
is a form of solitary confinement). The site gains its power
from its exclusivity: Should a large number come to know
the pit’s details and claim (truly or not) to have weathered
its foulness, the exceptional accomplishment of enduring
the otyugh hole is cheapened and the site’s benefits fade.

Special Ability: A character who has endured a week
in an otyugh hole gains a noticeable edge to his personality,
which manifests as a bonus feat chosen from the following
list: Extend Rage (see the sidebar), Iron Will, Menacing
Demeanor (see the sidebar), or Skill Focus (Intimidate).
The character must still meet the normal prerequisite for
the feat chosen.

Duration: The emotional scars, and the resulting personality
change, resulting from confinement in an otyugh
hole are permanent.

[Skijarama]

http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/dungeon/index.cgi

Then just fill it with encounters that can be randomly generated on the same site. Have the kings guards just throw them in through a hole in the roof, that then gets covered by a metal grate.

The idea is that the bad people get thrown in there and you never hear of them again.

An interesting thought, but doesn't totally line up well with what I have in my head for the city they're in.


There's also a number of options where they get busted out. They get thrown in the dungeon by publicly speaking out against the knight, which means that any enemies the knight made with their series of bad crimes (and those tend to make enemies) suddenly see that there's a group of competent adventurers thrown in jail for opposing said knight. All it takes is one person with both the opinion that the enemy of their enemy is their friend and the means to either break them out or help them break out, and it's in motion.

I'd be inclined to go more with the option where the PCs get aid in breaking out, what that looks like depends on the dungeon. If they're in a high tower, an arrow with a note and some very small but useful implements for escape (thin wire and small hook, small vial of acid, whatever) that gets shot through the window could work well. If underground, someone bribing a guard to "accidentally" leave a key where the PCs can get it and meeting up with them when they escape could do it. There's options.

I like this one. Hadn't even crossed my mind that the knight would be making enemies by doing his crime stuffs.


Back in 3.5 Complete Scoundrel, they had legendary site called Otyugh's Hole. Legendary sites were cool because you also got something out of it. Of course, you don't have to give them anything and you could make a more complex dungeon out of it.

Hmmm... again, doesn't quite line up with the city. They're in the capital and the king, while a bit naive, isn't a bad man. I feel confident he wouldn't make use of such... torturing forms of punishment.

Thanks for the suggestions. If anybody has anymore suggestions to drop in, feel free.

[Temperjoke]

You know, being put into a prison/dungeon isn't necessarily a bad thing. I mean, the criminals in there might have information on the situation, or know who to talk to on the outside for info.

[Skijarama]

You know, being put into a prison/dungeon isn't necessarily a bad thing. I mean, the criminals in there might have information on the situation, or know who to talk to on the outside for info.

Fair enough of a point.

[Demonslayer666]

You could put a dragon in your dungeon...Oh wait, not that kind of dungeon...

Talking to the king directly may not be so easy unless the party has a lot of clout. You could force them to talk to advisers or other leaders first, and use that to give them a warning about accusing a knight in front of the king without proof.

You could also have someone approach the party that got wind they are looking for the knight, and drop a clue to the knight's whereabouts. Or if the informant is on the knight's side, they could send them on a wild goose chase.

You could always insert another problem for the players to deal with first, or something else to do that's more appealing. These should/could further the story and lead to the knight. For instance, a riot breaks out in town, and the party ends up helping a nobleman who just happens to know the knight. Maybe at the castle they see a job posting for adventurers that offers a lucrative reward.

[Skijarama]

You could put a dragon in your dungeon...Oh wait, not that kind of dungeon...

Talking to the king directly may not be so easy unless the party has a lot of clout. You could force them to talk to advisers or other leaders first, and use that to give them a warning about accusing a knight in front of the king without proof.

You could also have someone approach the party that got wind they are looking for the knight, and drop a clue to the knight's whereabouts. Or if the informant is on the knight's side, they could send them on a wild goose chase.

You could always insert another problem for the players to deal with first, or something else to do that's more appealing. These should/could further the story and lead to the knight. For instance, a riot breaks out in town, and the party ends up helping a nobleman who just happens to know the knight. Maybe at the castle they see a job posting for adventurers that offers a lucrative reward.

Some of these are pretty good ideas, and you make a good point about the party trying to see the king. They have virtually no influence around here, so seeing the king himself is probably not going to happen unless they pull some grand level shenanigans. Which, knowing them, they will.

[mrumsey]

You could also have them thrown into a 'free jail' (similar to Chronicles of Riddick). It could be an island, cave, or otherwise difficult place to leave for non-high level casters.

In there they could meet others who have been played by the knight (some honest, others may be less desireable). This could lead to an escape plan, creative use of the surroundings, maybe the party mage learning about creative replacements for spell components (ala Terry Pratchett: They could do the ritual with candle wax and a couple of eggs, but it's always been done with the blood of a demon and a golden feather found on the highest mountain of the Extremely Ominous Mountains).

This could also net some enemies in the underworld who played nice with the knight to get people thrown into jail (who are now OUT of jail) and all sorts of plots can pop up from there.

Heck, you can even have some of the guards who are onto the knights plans work with the team (when it is safe to do so) and start a revolution.

[Skijarama]

You could also have them thrown into a 'free jail' (similar to Chronicles of Riddick). It could be an island, cave, or otherwise difficult place to leave for non-high level casters.

In there they could meet others who have been played by the knight (some honest, others may be less desireable). This could lead to an escape plan, creative use of the surroundings, maybe the party mage learning about creative replacements for spell components (ala Terry Pratchett: They could do the ritual with candle wax and a couple of eggs, but it's always been done with the blood of a demon and a golden feather found on the highest mountain of the Extremely Ominous Mountains).

This could also net some enemies in the underworld who played nice with the knight to get people thrown into jail (who are now OUT of jail) and all sorts of plots can pop up from there.

Heck, you can even have some of the guards who are onto the knights plans work with the team (when it is safe to do so) and start a revolution.

Interesting idea. Maybe I could have them thrown in a normal dungeon first, then have them transported by the knight himself to an island in an effort to keep them from causing any more trouble if they are able to escape or something. This could be a mistake on his part, enabling the knight who trained him to catch on that something is wrong and start working to find out the truth. Then he could go and free the party when he learns that they have been screwed over.

[Delwugor]

Either way, their characters are marching towards the king to try and locate the knight through him and then accuse him of said crimes.
Not sure how your players would take to a session or two of political intrigue, but this screams politics to me.
How do the characters get the clout to see the king? Who do they have to hobknob, bribe or do a favor to get a noble's support?
How are some lowly adventuring commoner's going to demonstrate the guilt of an noble, rich and useful knight of the realm? Who would back up common adventurers?
Of course a knight high in the king's court would have backers, with money and influence to have the adventurers thrown out before the king even hears of it.
And what side would the commoner castle staff take? They know all of what really goes on, but fear to divulge anything.
The best political way to avoid unfounded rumors of misdeeds, assassins.
The best political way to confront unfounded rumors of misdeeds, duels of honor, many duels.
The best way to have the king dismiss common adventurers? Have them present their case, and then some "unbiased" noble rip their arguments and evidence to shreds. Belittle their capabilities and embarrass them to the king with the rest of the court laughing.
Maybe they need to prove themselves noble enough to present charges, sounds like a quest for a chest scale of an ancient red dragon.