Oups...DM slip with NPC equipment...(RHoD related)

[Rising Phoenix]

Hello all,

My PCs just entered the Ghostlords lair and comforted Ulwai. After they slaughtered her minions I had her pretend that she was a captive with no equipment whatsoever (I had her appear in bed sheets and she was invisible the entire time the PCs were fighting her). The PCs believed all her lies about being captured and forced to work for the horde and thus have spared her (Thank you Saph and glibness ...)

However, I have no idea were she dumped her equipment (I wasn't thinking when I made her naked...XD) and the PCs searched her chambers thoroughly and found nothing. So where could she have hid her stuff? I think I've heard of a chest in which you can store stuff then send it to the ethereal plane for safe keeping but can't recall the name and its reference... Can anyone provide me with that reference or suggest another idea?

The PCs have plenty of ways to find the truth about her (elixir of truth, detect evil from the Paladin and the Ghostlord (they haven't met him yet). Thus I don't think I've 'cheated' too much... and I'd hate to say sorry but you you actually found x, y and z in room 12...(though I will tell them that if there's no other solution)

Thanks for any suggestions in advance!

R.P.

[Omegonthesane]

Invisible Bag of Holding with a contingent Sudden Recall on it? Might not be of her level, but you could make up a ring of something that lets her pull it off.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The spell you're thinking of is (Leomund's) Secret Chest, in the PHB. There's also a spell called Shadow Cache in the Spell Compendium, not quite as safe but significantly lower level.

[Rising Phoenix]

Thanks for your references and ideas.

The spell you're thinking of is (Leomund's) Secret Chest, in the PHB.

Ouch...That's quite pricey and even though Ulwai is loaded, I wouldn't wanna use it, save as a last resort (also where would she hide the replica on her person?...I can think of a few, ahem, *places*)

There's also a spell called Shadow Cache in the Spell Compendium, not quite as safe but significantly lower level.

This is cheap and could work since she's planning on running away from the PCs within the day...hopefully anyhow...

Any other ideas?

Cheers!

R.P.

[evisiron]

Personally, if you don't mind a bit of a rules bend, have an animated invisible chest moving around. It would most likely be flying to avoid sound giving it away, and would have been avoiding the PCs while they searched.

The upside to this is if they are meant to discover it, it could mess up and accidentally bump into someone (narrow door perhaps). People go on alert, hunt for invisible stuff, find the chest. Sorted.

[Rising Phoenix]

Personally, if you don't mind a bit of a rules bend, have an animated invisible chest moving around. It would most likely be flying to avoid sound giving it away, and would have been avoiding the PCs while they searched.

The upside to this is if they are meant to discover it, it could mess up and accidentally bump into someone (narrow door perhaps). People go on alert, hunt for invisible stuff, find the chest. Sorted.

This is cute, so cute that it's nearly evil.... I like this a lot... Could become the party mascot if they manage to catch it lol.

Thanks!

R.P.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I have no idea if there's a spell or anything like this, but you could make the stuff dismissible. When the wielder doesn't want them, they disappear, and if they do, they appear again. Rather like the Keyblade.

[OverdrivePrime]

Ouch...That's quite pricey and even though Ulwai is loaded, I wouldn't wanna use it, save as a last resort (also where would she hide the replica on her person?...I can think of a few, ahem, *places*)

Aside from the obvious joke-inducing hiding spots - does she wear earrings? A lot of women (particularly in fantasy movies) wear earrings to bed and may not have them removed even if captured. One of her earrings could be a tiny replica of the chest that except upon very close inspection, would look like a normal gold and ivory stud earring. The other could be similar shaped, and either would reasonably cost at least 50 gp. As Leomund's secret chest only has one-time cost (you don't need to make a new pair of chests every time you cast it) it would be pretty reasonable that a character of appreciable power and wealth would have a set created and make liberal use of it.

For the short term, however, Shadow Cache seems like a great solution.

If she's not a caster, you could key either of those spells to a 1/day or 3/day ring equipped to cast the spell, and have the ring subject to a permanent magic aura (appear as nonmagical) spell.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Personally, if you don't mind a bit of a rules bend, have an animated invisible chest moving around. It would most likely be flying to avoid sound giving it away, and would have been avoiding the PCs while they searched.

The upside to this is if they are meant to discover it, it could mess up and accidentally bump into someone (narrow door perhaps). People go on alert, hunt for invisible stuff, find the chest. Sorted.

Magic of Eberron grants the relatively cheap Packmate Hormunculus, improving that should get what you want.

[Rising Phoenix]

Thank you all for your advise.

I think I am going to settle with shadow cache as it's the simplest and easiest solution. If I have time, however, I will probably stat out that flying invisible chest (what would it require? A lv 5 wizard with craft wondrous item and the spells fly and invisibility?)

Cheers!

R.P.

[MickJay]

Did they actually check everything? Under the bed? Between the boards of one or other piece of furniture? Did they find a double (or triple) bottom in a chest? Did they push the nose of the statue? Pull all the books from the bookshelf? Press one of the stones making the frame of the window? Simplest things are the best ;)

[PinkysBrain]

No ... if the players feel like they have to spell out tearing everything apart to a minute detail then they very well might start doing it, instead of a routine search taking a couple of dice rolls everything takes 30 minutes all of a sudden.

[AslanCross]

Aside from the obvious joke-inducing hiding spots - does she wear earrings? A lot of women (particularly in fantasy movies) wear earrings to bed and may not have them removed even if captured. One of her earrings could be a tiny replica of the chest that except upon very close inspection, would look like a normal gold and ivory stud earring. The other could be similar shaped, and either would reasonably cost at least 50 gp. As Leomund's secret chest only has one-time cost (you don't need to make a new pair of chests every time you cast it) it would be pretty reasonable that a character of appreciable power and wealth would have a set created and make liberal use of it.

For the short term, however, Shadow Cache seems like a great solution.

If she's not a caster, you could key either of those spells to a 1/day or 3/day ring equipped to cast the spell, and have the ring subject to a permanent magic aura (appear as nonmagical) spell.

Actually I like this idea. Ulwai is described as wearing a lot of mithral jewelry.

[Rising Phoenix]

"Did they actually check everything? Under the bed? Between the boards of one or other piece of furniture? Did they find a double (or triple) bottom in a chest? Did they push the nose of the statue? Pull all the books from the bookshelf? Press one of the stones making the frame of the window? Simplest things are the best ;)"

I disagree with this coz I agree with the following


"No ... if the players feel like they have to spell out tearing everything apart to a minute detail then they very well might start doing it, instead of a routine search taking a couple of dice rolls everything takes 30 minutes all of a sudden."

Aslan (and everyone) yeah it does feed thematically and all, but I do feel like am cheating a little too much doing that. Then again she's smart and has an entire army behind her...

[Lochar]

Personally, if you don't mind a bit of a rules bend, have an animated invisible chest moving around. It would most likely be flying to avoid sound giving it away, and would have been avoiding the PCs while they searched.

The upside to this is if they are meant to discover it, it could mess up and accidentally bump into someone (narrow door perhaps). People go on alert, hunt for invisible stuff, find the chest. Sorted.

As long as it's not made of sapient pearwood.