Astral Projection while your body is abducted

[darthauthor]

So I am setting up an adventure.

Need some feedback to stay within the rules of the game.

An astral projected person contacts either the players or another who contacts the players (the astral projectors friend or at least someone who was supposed to guard the body). They have lost their body. Its not where they left it. They need the players it.

The astral projecting psychic has 5 minutes per level.
Which only matters when they coexist with the physical plane.
I think they get a week per minute in the Astral Plane?

So the adventure is intended to be a fast pace run were, the players need to be detectives. The body has to be close by (same hotel)

They ransom the body,

"Delivery X amount of credits and/or special item X at location Z by time W or else!"

Maybe the astral projector's should be a friend of the players or at least next door neighbor. Maybe the players should be the ones who gaurded the body.

So they were slipped a sleeping drink and food. Then woke up and the body was gone.

Have to work out the clues that are left behind for the players to find and what perception difficult checks, skill checks, or spells and/or psionics they need to find either the kidnapper or the body. Unless it is all about the ransom location.

Assuming the kidnappers are NOT an idiot they have some kind of plan.

They thought out a place to hide the body. Took a picture or something with the body to leave behind as proof or something along with the ransom note.

I will need a map of the building they are in if it is going to be searched. But it is supposed to be a fast paced adventure so they don't have time to search every room. The time sensitivity requires them to think fast.

So thinking it thru, "How can the players win the day?"

Locate spell is the first to come to mind? With the picture the victim and samples of their hair and such they have plenty to work with.

Psionic power, Remote Viewing would give a birds eye view but that may only reveal the building the body is in.

Psychic Omni sight is stopped by Walls. So they can't see thru walls. IF the abductors planted electronic listening devices they could be found but can a tech person trace the one who is listening in on them?

Smell. There are clothes and such with the astral projectors scent on them. It would be effective if the adventurers had a Dog Boy or just a trained dog. Likewise, a Psi-Stalker could get a psychics sense.

Tracking or tailing won't work since there is no trail.

The Intelligence skill, with a successful roll, should give them a clue or two.

ID undercover should give the players a gut feeling about the Staff if they ever come accross them in person.

Computer hacking does not have the time but accessing the security cameras would show who comes and goes from the lobby of the hotel. So the Mark did not leave the hotel.

The coexisting astral projector can be around but the players need "see invisible" to follow them. They are supposed to have something like a 60% chance to locate their own body. Which sounds good except for the projectors limited time. I assume the astral traveler does not have a room number appear in their mind but either a picture or a general direction.

If the location I use is a hotel then most rooms will look alike. Differences being in light coming in the window or not and such; that sort of thing.

Need to create clues for the characters.

Detective questions like: Who knew where your body was going to be when you astral projected?

To make sense, the villain can't be some all knowing godling. Habits are let our enemies predict what we are going to do. So the victim used the same room all the time (lucky room) when astral projecting. Hotel staff knew.

Computer reservation.

I think it would make more sense if three of the hotel staff are the kidnappers. Their motive, credits (directly or in exchange for item X). They have access to keys for all rooms. They have access to the reception desk where reservation records are kept (on computer maybe). So they would know what date their Mark would at the hotel. They come in once a week for a projection. They bugged the room to know when they are in the room and if the target was going to astral project and how many guards their would be. They drugged the food and drinks brought by room service. They were sent complementary. Because, they didn't want the guard falling asleep until after the target astrally projected. Coffee, baked goods, and charcuterie.

Should complimentary room service you did not order be a RED flag? Well, let's say the hotel is a VERY prestiegous hotel and likes their repeat customers but the food was NOT the managers idea and they have no record of food beign ordered or sent.

So how did they drug them? Sleep spell? fast enough. Any other way would take to long or they kill them. So they have to either have a scroll and can read or have an amulet with the spell or one of them is a spell caster.

So the detective players would find the "bugs" maybe if NOT magical traces of knock out drugs in the food and drink.

The red herrings are: the people who checked into the hotel the same day, the hotel engineer/technician who serviced the rooms on the floor, the person who stayed in the room checked out that morning, person who wants item X (ask the astral projector or guard), the waiter guy who delivered the food and drink.

That last one is a big one. The abductors would not want any mistakes to happen with the coffee so one of them would deliver it. They waiters wear white gloves so there would be no prints. May have used a spell like Charismatic Aura, Charm, etc. Used sleep spell on coffee and water.

Who is in on it? The waiter, front desk clerk, the maintenance technician.

They want the ransom (credits and/or item x) dropped down the laundry shoot that will be conveniently pocketed instead of loaded in the laundry truck with the linen table clothes. Following the truck will lead to a legit laundry service. The credits/item x is staffed in a sack in an air vent.

The body. Left on a bed in one of the unoccupied hotel rooms on a different floor. Records have conveniently been altered reflect the room was reserved by the the man who previously

Its possible the heroes can find the body without paying the ransom and even before it is due.

When, or even if, the heroes question the technician he will lie claiming no knowledge of any electronic listening devices. They were bought on the black market and the only thing connecting them to the technician would be for the underworld sales person to name him as having sold them to him. In his defense there is no proof he put them in the room. In theory, they could have been place there while the guard was asleep to over hear what he would do after he woke up.

The guard should be able to id the waiter. Who will deny any wrong doing as he was just doing his job and knew nothing about any kidnapping or putting anything in the food and drink.

What should I add or have overlooked?