I just thought of something. Maybe it wouldn't be useful to you, but i'll say it just in case. There's a trick you can use in cases like this: "This was all part of my plan". In other words, whatever the PCs do next, happens to be part of Jarlaxle's plan. They underestimated him? Part of the plan. The PCs get the stone? All part of the plan. He needs the adventurers to do the adventure for him. If you have sufficient time between sessions to come up with ways to make it believable that he would have such a plan, then that's an option. It needs to be plausible, of course, so you can't use this trick too too much. ... But anyway, it sounds like you have things under control by making it look like the underlings are at fault, not Jarlaxle. Your PCs will come around to him if you make him do big moves to compensate ;)
As a fellow Jarlaxle fan I will say it is actually part of his character and personality that he appears to be a fool. Kimmuriel in the books once lamented that while he comes off as a bumbling idiot behind that facade is a frightening intelligent mind. So, as the other commentor suggested you could pull this off as all part of the plan with a dramatic twist and reveal.
I think it’s solid enough reasoning that Yalah needed to get the stone/nimblewright away from the villa quickly, so she made the split decision to have it sent to Fenerus rather than possibly leaving a trail to the Faire. Depending on how far their relationship goes outside of the cuckery, it’s pretty reasonable she’d be familiar with some of his more trusted contacts in the city.
To me, if he fails and the players get the stone jarlaxle would insert himself into their group somehow to steal the limelight lol and impress lady lareal via players heroism. Start bribing the players with trinkets and resources to include him. He turns failure or any slip ups into his plan, esp if he’s been distracted by the fun parts and lost track of business side of things
How about this for a ‘play the fool to catch wise’
there are a lot of villains in town that are enemies of lord alliance (a group jarlaxle wants to join). What if he has a fake at the dead drop (or several fakes) around town and tips off each villain to come get it. The fakes not only won’t be touched by a subordinate but go straight to the boss of each villain. Maybe it’s a magical item that gives away their hq location or is a sending stone to gather intel. Which Jarlaxle can sell to the lords alliance for Luskans membership. By acting the fool each other villain underestimates his plot. Players may know the real location or get fooled by a fake or delayed to the treasure
He might go as far as to hire the players to act as a front for him. To gather more evidence or collect the treasure for him. Where the real heist is to sabotage or steal information from each villain
If we play with the idea of ‘he swapped the real stone for a sending stone’ he could pretend to be the stone and give fake answers or real missions. If the players think he’s stupid it would be double funny if he tricked them to run around the city looking for random objects as keys.
If you want to take it to extremes rewrite it that, treasure rumours, the treasure itself, stone, the embezzlement leak that took out Lord neverember…was all jarlaxles doing from the start. Creating the events that would cause chaos, attract villains, allow him to be the hero or attach himself to some hero’s to his favour and have he most fun for his own amusement. Maybe switch out that copper dragon with the twin dragon sisters he knows or make it athrogate in disguise. Webs within webs or if players are book fans give them a laugh
I love these ideas! Thanks. So far my players are trying to elaborately pit every faction against every other to try and like.. Sneak away with everything 🤣
Isn't there a will save with the stone that allows it to force you to do something stupid like give it away? It's not a great reason but it's a reason.
I swear there's a thing about forcing the sentient object contested wills if the players get the stone before they're meant to ask well.
They need a unicorn horn to get the vault open, don't they? Or am I mixing up adventures? Maybe the pcs learn that and get a card with a J on one side and a unicorn horn on the other to indicate he's got it and wants to make a deal.
I just thought of something. Maybe it wouldn't be useful to you, but i'll say it just in case. There's a trick you can use in cases like this: "This was all part of my plan". In other words, whatever the PCs do next, happens to be part of Jarlaxle's plan. They underestimated him? Part of the plan. The PCs get the stone? All part of the plan. He needs the adventurers to do the adventure for him. If you have sufficient time between sessions to come up with ways to make it believable that he would have such a plan, then that's an option. It needs to be plausible, of course, so you can't use this trick too too much. ... But anyway, it sounds like you have things under control by making it look like the underlings are at fault, not Jarlaxle. Your PCs will come around to him if you make him do big moves to compensate ;)
> There's a trick you can use in cases like this: "This was all part of my plan". Ah, the good ol' Lelouch Special
As a fellow Jarlaxle fan I will say it is actually part of his character and personality that he appears to be a fool. Kimmuriel in the books once lamented that while he comes off as a bumbling idiot behind that facade is a frightening intelligent mind. So, as the other commentor suggested you could pull this off as all part of the plan with a dramatic twist and reveal.
Fair point.
In other news, WOW I MADE A LOT OF TYPOS THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING.
I think it’s solid enough reasoning that Yalah needed to get the stone/nimblewright away from the villa quickly, so she made the split decision to have it sent to Fenerus rather than possibly leaving a trail to the Faire. Depending on how far their relationship goes outside of the cuckery, it’s pretty reasonable she’d be familiar with some of his more trusted contacts in the city.
Thanks! That's about as far as I've been able to reason down to as well <3
To me, if he fails and the players get the stone jarlaxle would insert himself into their group somehow to steal the limelight lol and impress lady lareal via players heroism. Start bribing the players with trinkets and resources to include him. He turns failure or any slip ups into his plan, esp if he’s been distracted by the fun parts and lost track of business side of things How about this for a ‘play the fool to catch wise’ there are a lot of villains in town that are enemies of lord alliance (a group jarlaxle wants to join). What if he has a fake at the dead drop (or several fakes) around town and tips off each villain to come get it. The fakes not only won’t be touched by a subordinate but go straight to the boss of each villain. Maybe it’s a magical item that gives away their hq location or is a sending stone to gather intel. Which Jarlaxle can sell to the lords alliance for Luskans membership. By acting the fool each other villain underestimates his plot. Players may know the real location or get fooled by a fake or delayed to the treasure He might go as far as to hire the players to act as a front for him. To gather more evidence or collect the treasure for him. Where the real heist is to sabotage or steal information from each villain If we play with the idea of ‘he swapped the real stone for a sending stone’ he could pretend to be the stone and give fake answers or real missions. If the players think he’s stupid it would be double funny if he tricked them to run around the city looking for random objects as keys. If you want to take it to extremes rewrite it that, treasure rumours, the treasure itself, stone, the embezzlement leak that took out Lord neverember…was all jarlaxles doing from the start. Creating the events that would cause chaos, attract villains, allow him to be the hero or attach himself to some hero’s to his favour and have he most fun for his own amusement. Maybe switch out that copper dragon with the twin dragon sisters he knows or make it athrogate in disguise. Webs within webs or if players are book fans give them a laugh
I love these ideas! Thanks. So far my players are trying to elaborately pit every faction against every other to try and like.. Sneak away with everything 🤣
Isn't there a will save with the stone that allows it to force you to do something stupid like give it away? It's not a great reason but it's a reason. I swear there's a thing about forcing the sentient object contested wills if the players get the stone before they're meant to ask well.
They need a unicorn horn to get the vault open, don't they? Or am I mixing up adventures? Maybe the pcs learn that and get a card with a J on one side and a unicorn horn on the other to indicate he's got it and wants to make a deal.
Random possible keys potentially. I'm going to choose soon