Making The Players Think They're To Blame: The Perfect Pasty Thinks He's The Murderer

[Leliel]

Well, as some of you already know, I am enthralled with the idea of DMing an all-lycanthrope, non-evil game. Misunderstood monsters are my specialty, and lycanthropy in a game where it doesn't affect your alignment is pretty much indicative of the ultimate misunderstood monster.

Of course, when the players are dealing with something that quite possibly makes them go into "self-loathing" territory IC, it's impossible for me to let that up. So, if the players fear of losing self-control is aroused in sufficient quantities to bait a hook, I created this adventure idea:

Players arrive at [PUT LARGE CITY NAME HERE] to find themselves in the grip of a murder mystery. It seems a serial killer is stalking the streets, and his victims seem random and arbitrary. Simple, no? However, when the players investigate further, they find that the victims look like they were ripped apart by some great beast, and they look as if they massive bites taken out of them. After every lead turns up shy, the PCs find evidence that they themselves did it. Under any other circumstance, they would naturally reject this assumption, but they are werebeasts, and the seemingly animalistic nature of the crimes seems indicative of an inner beast out of control. This, combined with the rather disturbing dreams they have of late, and the presence of animal pawprints of the species of the PCs beast form will hopefully make them believe that they need shackles in their room.

It's all a red herring, of course.

The killings, although they are relatively random in nature and they are by a cunning monster for food, there's nothing "misunderstood" about the real perpetrator and he is fully aware of his actions. As it turns out, the city is inhabited by a Dusk Giant (Heroes of Horror, pg. 147-149; basically, what happens when you give a troll the other half a brain and then some), who, upon learning that a bunch of werebeasts with consciences were
heading to his domain, saw the perfect opportunity to eat a bunch more people then usual and get away without being noticed. After staging his crime, he left it sloppy on purpose and tearing out Hit Die-laden chunks with his teeth, while using a bit of Oneiromancy (He has class levels in scryer, which is how he knew the PCs were showing up) to give the PCs nightmares about blood and carnage, and, after learning what their animal forms were, laying fake tracks. If all goes as he planned it, the PCs will not put up any opposition to their arrest or turn themselves in, while he gets to advance to Greater category.

So, what do you think of this idea? How about some ways to clue in the PCs that they're being framed?

[senrath]

I like the idea. As for letting them know they're being framed, maybe have the Dusk Giant slip up a bit. Maybe improperly sized animal prints, or maybe even have the prints be of the wrong species.

Edit: Or maybe have part of the group (but only part) catch sight of one of the crimes happening. When they move to intercept it, they learn that while it might still be a lycanthrope, it wasn't one of them.

[Stiz]

I like it, but i have to say it's been done, a lot.

Here's a nice twist, only frame one particular member of the group..... make the rest of the group think that it was one of their own that's been less then care full about locking themselves up at night.
see how long it takes the group to start tearing each other apart. It would be great if they were convinced Bob did it right up to the point where they beat the hell out of them and only the sound of a large shadow trying not to laugh finally gave it away!