In my campaign, the PCs have angered a rather evil cult, and are now targeted by a hired assassin, who is charged with making them disappear without arousing suspicion.
I'm looking for ways to have the assassin attempt on the lives of the PCs, in a way it would look like an accident.
So far, I have:
- a heavy wooden beam falls from the roof of a house being built, dealing lots of damage to unaware PCs and those with poor reflexes.
I need two others, and your help will be gladly appreciated! :)
Patton comes to mind; A wagon's wheel is chocked by a stone, stone crumbles, wagon rolls rapidly down hill crushing the PC. Or perhaps the stone was *removed* at an opportune moment?
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I might add that drowning is also plausible; One cannot swim in armor. Of course, this necessitates the particular PC be *alone* at the time of drowning. Perhaps they left the group to fetch water? Tsk!
The methods are largely dependent upon your PCs' levels.
If they are low-level, the assassin could introduce a natural poison or disease into their food, then add more of it to a certain food or water that they drank so that it appears that the sickness came from somewhere else and they were just unlucky. The assassin would be even happier if other people suffered the effects as well so that it appears even less likely that the PCs are being targeted specifically.
If the PCs are higher level, the assassin likely has access to more powerful magic. S/he might tail them on their next adventure and cast a Summon Monster spell from a scroll when the PCs become engaged in a critical battle. Sending extra monsters in to the fray against the PCs may kill some, or all, off without them being any the wiser.
Suggest you get inspiration from the Song of Ice and Fire novels. Plenty of ideas in there.
SPOILERS BELOW FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T READ THE BOOKS
My favourite would be drug their wine just before a hunting expedition and then let a boar / griffon / owlbear fight them for you.
Failing that, any sort of poison that imitates a disease or natural death as mentioned above.
And finally, since I just read it last night....contact or ingested poison on a coin. You just know those adventurers are never going to turn down gold and some may even bite it to check its real.
Divide and conquer. A good assassin should be able to research and observe his prey without being noticed, and then lure individual PCs into situations designed to pose the greatest threat. For instance, IMC a hired doppleganger posed as another member of the party, claiming that other members of the party were in danger in order to lure the fighter into an ambush by hired magic users thugs. At the same time, the party's magic user was lured into a compromising position with a prostitute (i.e. most clothing, spell component pouches, and other protective talismans removed) as a devil was summoned to attack him.
Arranging a conflict to occur also works, as in the assassins poses as a traveler gambling with a PC. The assassin fixes things so that the PC wins, accuse the PD of cheating, and draws steel. Simple dispute ending in bloodshed and death, which would not seem to be tied to any sort of organization.
Then there is the old waylaid by a "random" encounter set-up. Bandits/ruffians abound, both on the road and in the big city. Robbers can also be murderers, and this time it is the PC who is the target.
Accidents are also good.
Too much of this stuff, all lumped together, is obviously going to set off some alarms in the players of course, assuming they don't think there is a Killer DM on the loose for no reason. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Arranging a conflict to occur also works, as in the assassins poses as a traveler gambling with a PC. The assassin fixes things so that the PC wins, accuse the PC of cheating, and draws steel. Simple dispute ending in bloodshed and death, which would not seem to be tied to any sort of organization.
I thin most assassins worth their salt, would try to avoid getting into direct conflict with his target. I think it'd be more likely, the assassin would sit at the same table as one of the PCs who is also gambling, rig it much like you described, and try to set things up so some other gambler at the table is the one who is cheated and decides it's time to "take this outside". This gives the assassin plausible deniability ("Hey, I had nothing to do with it! I didn't even pull out my blade!"), allowing him to walk away with clean hands should an investigation result from all of this.
The added benefit in this (from the assassin's point of view), is the possibility the PC target could end up winning the fight. Better some unsuspecting schmuck be the one to get killed, right?
You make it sound like the assassin won't be around 7 levels higher than the PC. What, did you think an assassin would play all nice and fair? Nope. And the type of PC that would be challenged in this was would tend toward the more lightly armed/armored, and in a place where weapons more dangerous than a dagger would not be acceptable to carry, which would include most any civilized area. If somebody is going to come after a group of adventurers, they are probably going to be aware that the gloves need to come off. This isn't Joe Schmoe the peasant and his friends that the assassins would be targeting.
A simple cut with a deadly poisoned blade tends to help out in such a situation that I outlined, rather than get in a fair fight with PC. And the poison need not act instantly or be blatantly obvious. Maybe just a cut, then "somebody" breaks things up. The assassin and PC go their separate ways...excepting the PC will soon enough be affected by the poison, and perhaps die.
Also, what makes you think the assassin wouldn't be disguised while gambling, such that, if anybody does come looking for them, they will be nowhere to be found? Assassins follow no rules, and so why they would trick another into a conflict that they cannot be sure of what the result will be? Fist fight, or knife fight? No way to be sure, let alone that they will kill the PC.
Another factor are the levels of the PCs themselves. We don't know what level they are at all. If they are low level, there are many more ways of killing them off that that wouldn't raise as much suspicion as other methods would, were they of a higher level.
Lastly, I have only on one occasion had to send an assassin after an adventuring party. One characters was savagely murdered, another 6 were left unconscious from wounds(one of which was poisoned and died minutes later), and one was left still active but with only 8 h.p. left. The assassin nearly got them all. The PCs were much more careful in how they operated after that. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
It seems most of us can agree that any assassin 'worth his weight in salt' would operate covertly, without regard to life or rules of fairness. Direct action against PCs, unless the assassin is a dual or multi-class fighter/assassin, seems foolhardy. Poison, traps, and back-stabbing are the hallmarks of most thieves, not direct conflict. Furthermore, why not act indirectly instead? If the cult of which you speak knows of the PCs, perhaps slay/murder someone(s) near and dear to them, be it a supporter, aide, or ally (family member?) instead. Terror is the meat and drink of assassins.
Finally, not all 'assassins' need be of the thiefly sort. You could design an 'assassin' who is a fighter, an evil cleric, or even a mage (or multi or dual-class options, as well). If I might add, what Power does this cult worship?
Thanks for the fantastic ideas and discussion so far, very helpful.
To answer your questions:
-the characters are low-level (2, we play Pathfinder)
-the cult in question is the cult of Gra'azt led by Audry Lillybrook
I agree with those who say that any attempt will be indirect, and that the assassin will not reveal himself until the very last minute, when all else has failed. That's the driving idea behind my various assassination plots.
I have now:
-a wooden beam falling from a construction site
-a cart without driver going down the road at full speed
-a brawl in a tavern that goes wrong and were weapons are drawn following the manipulation of some brutish NPCs by the assassin
Thanks for the information. Is this assassin going to be a continuing nemesis, or a brief nuisance? Have you already created said villain?
I admit I know next to nothing about Pathfinder and am a 2nd edition person myself. However, I gather that your PCs couldn't handle an mid-level assassin (experienced, that is), who might have access to some nasty poisons or magical items. Nevertheless, any assassin who takes a contract from a cult of Gra'azt (if this information is known) is going to be really vile and cold-blooded, without any compunction for killing anyone who gets in the way of his/her targets.
I would suggest, for the assassin's 'last' trick, the old standby (forgive the obvious cliche') of poison or some type of drug, placed in a drink, or food, or coating a doorhandle, or shot by an arrow or blowgun from a safe, hidden distance. If your assassin has any kind of snaring or traps ability of note, perhaps design a simple tripwire coated by the substance. Then there's always the garotte around the neck trick, if he/she can get a single PC alone and strike...
Try this one. Have the assassin use a disguise to appear as the town's captain of the guards. Have the captain of the guards ( the assassin) confront the group and tell them that he knows some of their dark secerts (if he knows any or not) and demands hush money. They have to meet him at a bar for the payment later that night. Have the bar where the players are to go, be where the real captain hangs out. When and if the party shows up to "pay off" the capatin, thing should get very interesting
The art of disguise is always a good ploy. So is forgery. Combine both, and 'trumped up' charges against your PCs, wherein they must use their wits, diplomacy, and the like instead of brute force, is always a nice twist. Baronzemo's idea is a clever one. That should certainly cause some trouble for your PCs. If they somehow get tried and convicted, the cult has exacted its revenge by imprisoning them (indefinitely?), and perhaps can have them 'rubbed out' while serving time.
I have now:
-a wooden beam falling from a construction site
-a cart without driver going down the road at full speed
-a brawl in a tavern that goes wrong and were weapons are drawn following the manipulation of some brutish NPCs by the assassin
Anything else? One last one will be welcome
MGB,
I still think the natural disease would be the most coincidental appearing assasination, particualrly if you habitually check such things (I use modified versions of the charts found in AD&D1 DMG for that). The problem is that if it's a slow moving disease, a Heal spell would solve that, assuming the have the money or the connections for that. Toxins would work, to. Then, the PCs' and the authorities would be looking at the cook. Call in the Board of Health!
You added the proviso that the attempt should appear "accidental," presumably so that it won't be traced back to the assassin or the cult. The problem with the tavern brawl (or having them "randomly" waylaid) is that it leaves a human link that can be unraveled. So anyone directly participating should be unwitting, and even then, they're still a link to whoever hired them, so they'd need to be assasinated in turn, which starts to get complicated...
Flint's poisoned coin isn't subtle, but it avoids the direct contact problem, as well as the "too many potential blabbermouths" problem, since the assassin could do it him (?) self. Perhaps there's a way to make the poisoning look "natural," so that the PCs don't realize that the coin is the vector. Don't ask me how.
I assume that Pathfinder uses the skill system. Falling beams would require "Set/Disable Traps" to do right, the runaway cart probably the same, unless the draft animal is still on, in which case "Animal Handling" and perhaps "Profession: Teamster."
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Flint's poisoned coin suggestion actually comes from one of Robert E. Howard's Conan adventures. When I get my books unpacked, I'll get you the exact story.
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Nope. And the type of PC that would be challenged in this was would tend toward the more lightly armed/armored, and in a place where weapons more dangerous than a dagger would not be acceptable to carry, which would include most any civilized area. If somebody is going to come after a group of adventurers, they are probably going to be aware that the gloves need to come off. This isn't Joe Schmoe the peasant and his friends that the assassins would be targeting.
