How To Kill off NPC Politicians

[SpartanDH45]

I am currently running a campaign where I want the main villain to manipulate the PCs into killing certain NPCs. This mainly includes politicians whose absence leaves a vacuum in power that the villain can take advantage of. The villain also wants to have the PCs suffer as well. The idea was that the assistant to the ruler of this city state was planning to power himself up to take the throne from his superior. The PCs thwarted him. I thought it would be a great idea to have a certain person who would have stood to benefit from the coup be the villain. He wants to kill people off so he can move himself up. Because the PCs are responsible for his lack of power he wants to bring them down as well. I have a few ideas for ways to kill off different politicians.

Have an old general (now politician) be accused of a crime and in his accusation by the PCs requests a fight (Or starts one in rage).

Have a politician hypnotized (Or some other mind altering affect) so he thinks he is a bandit leader (Or other minor villain). Make him disguised so he is killed before being found to be the politician.

I currently have plugged in a clue to a false villain via a note of orders for a group of goblin bandits. I figured that the real villain could use him as a puppet to throw off the PCs. I think it would be also fun to make the real villain pretend to be an ally to the PCs while plotting their downfall.

Any suggestions as to how to kill off politicians are welcome.

(Note-The group includes a Fighter, Wizard, Druid (These three come regularly), Rogue, Cleric, and Paladin (These do not))

[hymer]

It may be easier to frame the PCs rather than manipulate them into murdering someone. Simple illusions can make someone look like the PCs, and if they have (or at least make it seem they have) somewhat similar powers and use them to kill the politician while being witnessed (and pretending to try to silence the witnesses), you have a case.

[SpartanDH45]

I might end up doing that as well. I just like the idea of the PCs being manipulated into doing the villains bidding. I might have other missions that may, in their completion, result in the loss of prestige of certain politicians (Maybe some dirt on a well liked politician or something). I just need things that may advance the villain's career.

[Koo Rehtorb]

Be prepared for the possibility that this may not work. Don't force it if it doesn't.

[Honest Tiefling]

I think they should be framed as a back up. For instance, unless someone has powerful scrying magic, the PCs could just maim and bury the body of the powerful politician because bandits tend to be in remote areas. And unless the assistant is doing the scrying, there's a chance that the politican is revealed to be a bandit leader...Which raises all sorts of questions. Why would a powerful man betray his own city? And why would he do it personally, instead of hiring people? Why was he calling himself by a different name? Which might put the focus on the completely erratic behavior of the politician which is just plain fishy.

If these politicians aren't completely on the level, there is the easier path of throwing the PCs into their legal or not-so-legal schemes. Perhaps if there is a high charisma bard, they could seduce the favorite mistress of one of them, who might get angered by the intrusion. They could be sent to break up a gang that actually had deals with one of the politicians. Or as a twist, one of them has shady, underhanded deals because he is working with a secret organization to end slavery. But the PCs kicking in the door don't know that, and the chances of the truth getting out without getting muddled is quite low...And even if it did, those who sympathize with this organization are going to be upset at the PCs anyway.

Basically, channel the inherent chaotic force of a PC and point them at the politicians. Use their plot breaking powers for your own purposes!

[ATHATH]

Red Fel, Red Fel, Red Fel.

[Hopeless]

Easiest way is to frame them, leave evidence pointing to them then arrange an ambush to incite the PCs and if they resist have someone do the deed revealing the faked evidence which the PCs can confirm or subtly reveal they knew making them accomplices?

[Braininthejar2]

give the party member a cursed item that will get him berserk. Have a henchman disguised as a politician provoke him and run, dissapear behind the corner just as the real politician arrives.

Invite them to a big hunt, use illusions to provoke a hunting accident.

Have a female agent seduce the politician, and then frame the player as her lover, triggering a duel. (in the improbable case of a pistol duel - load the guns with blanks and have a sniper ready)

[jayem]

I think they should be framed as a back up.
Seems to make sense, the motives there.
It might even be possible to have some aspect relating to the framing be telegraphed (as a clue they use to identify the old plot, either too late to avoid the framing or even post fact). Show some evidence of corruption, show some photos to get the fingerprints on.
Or maybe the 'people totally working for the Politician' steal some identifiable titbits from the party, if caught it raises enmity, if not caught the props are there.

[Mordar]

I believe you can probably get this to work once...maybe hitting multiple targets in the one go.

Don't frame the PCs...that's too easy to get out of in a world of magic and detect spells.

Frame up the politicos...take something they are actually doing (best if it is a little shady, but not necessary) and "frame" it up as something much bigger and much worse. Then set the PCs on the path of investigating the criminal enterprise that leads them to the politicos.

You need to make the details convincing, and make sure the PCs wouldn't be comfortable just approaching the politico directly and confronting them with magical interrogation. But if you can pull it off it keeps the villain secret, fits the political infighting style and avoids direct confrontation with the PCs. And if it fails, it still advances the story in a much more satisfying manner than "guy went berserk and started a fight to the death".

- M

[Bohandas]

If they're anything like the politicians around here I'd recommend Holy Smite

[Slipperychicken]

Have a questgiver stir up rumors about the officials' corruption, then just pay the PCs to whack him. The people who were supposed to be the clean-up crew instead collect the bountiful evidence the PCs will leave behind.

[Dr paradox]

I recommend not completely tricking them. Or rather, move the trickery to a higher level. Instead of throwing politicians unwittingly into their crosshairs, have the villain pose as an underground freedom fighter battling an conspiracy within city government, with all manner of invented crimes placed at the feet of the targets. Add in some crimes actually committed by the villain, either to further his own plan or only to blame the politicians.

[SpartanDH45]

These are great suggestions. I really like Dr. Paradox's freedom fighter idea though I might lean toward a more anticorruption idea. The established setting clashes with the idea of a freedom fighter, but corruption can happen anywhere.