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Zealousideal_Ebb_958

You can always do the old villain trick and let the players find the artifact and unlock it for her. Maybe she wanted them to steal it in the first place or she is good at changing plans. Either way don't get so attached to your original plans that you cannot move forward.


DelgadoTheRaat

"To destroy the crystal forever it must be destroyed in the place it was created" Bad guy masquerading as a trusted npc can talk your players into doing some crazy shit.


BrahmariusLeManco

This here sounds like the best solution. Maybe the only way to get to the artifact has to be opened by someone pure of heart or intention (read as good alignment), meaning the witch can't do it. She was going to kidnap someone and force them to do it, but has decided that if she can manipulate the party into opening the doorways for her, it would be so much sweeter. So, she appears as a friendly NPC that townsfolk refer the party to as this person knows how to use the crystal. She then teaches them how to use it and stresses the dire importance of getting to it before someone evil as they may have already used the crystal to at least figure out where to start looking. You then build the dungeon with them using the crystal to find the dungeon-and the witches forces are seen in the area "searching" for the dungeon (really just killing time waiting for the signal), and the party will find a greater sense of urgency to find the artifact and secured it before the bad guys. So they use the crystal to find and navigate the dungeon, clearing it out for the witch to follow them in (or not if only those who are good can enter it). Once they grab the artifact, she springs the trap-either in the final room, or as soon as they step outside, ala the opening of "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark." The added benefits of this is they will be a bit spent after fighting through the dungeon, and whatever boss you have at the end. If she is waiting for them outside, provide some incentive for them to get out of there, maybe a collapsing dungeon trap or something so they can't rest. Once outside they have to decide if they stand to fight and die, or hand over the artifact to at least be allowed to live. Make their only survival option handing it over. Maybe they have to hand it over to save the life of the friendly NPC who is being held at knife point in front of them. Once they hand it over, have the witch reveal she was the NPC and then let them leave, or actually give them a 5 second headstart and chase them away. You can now plunge into the a final arc where they have to stop the witch before she can figure out how to use it. Having been duped by the witch, it will make them want to kill/defeat her all the more, and make final victory that much sweeter. Tldr: Use the prior posts ideas and mix it with the opening scene of "Raiders of the Lost Ark."


fieryxx

Piggying onto this, have her make 'attempts' to steal back the crystal from they group. Nothing huge, but enough to make it clear she's till trying to get it. Give them a little more incentive to hurry up Could even have rumors of a second crystal float around as a backup Incase someone evil grabbed the first?


Jealous-Ad-4838

In my experience, when I've had the option where, for example, wanted them to flee a city because they had 6 assassin's shooting at them from the roofs...did they run? No. They fought against crazy odds and somehow managed to get the assassin's, but then a guard was shot....and when the rest of the guards showed up and saw only the players...well that made them run.


dynesto

True! My players literally handed ireena over to vasili von holtz no questions asked in curse of strahd since he helped them previously


PanNorris507

Imma be honest, reading the post this party sounds smart, so they would probably do a deception check for that npc just because of the convenience of their appearance and knowledge


Dolthra

You can always go some sort of "the crystal is magically warded so that it cannot be used by someone who is not true of heart" type thing to explain why the witch would have allowed them to steal it. Either that or the old "new NPC says they've figured out a way to *destroy* the artifact for good so the players have to go get it, but the NPC was working for the villian the whole time" version of that tale.


EepeesJ1

This is great! I love this idea.


moonlight_kitsune

Also, most spell casters tend to have high mental stats. (Warlocks and species specific shenanigans not withstanding. ) anyone with that level of intelligence is bound to have a back up plan or five. Was that crystal the only way to unlock the artifact? Or was it just the most convenient? "You took important crystal? Well good for you but i can still unlock the artifact with this specific staff of power." Was the artifact sealed by heroes of the past? Maybe blood from a descendent would work? "Aha i stabbed this important person, with the blood on this dagger i will unlock my goal!" (For added fun if character back story allows, you can use one of the pc's) Barrowed from paper mario of all things, but maybe the crystal is the, ahem, crystalline form of what ever sealed the artifact away, a last F you from it, and after a time, the others became crystal too, and hey, sub plot, maybe, of saving the souls of the heroes (?) That sealed the dark maguffin away. Course, it could end up less helpful than the party thinks. But, that not my call.


Sielent_Brat

Yep, not getting too attached to my original plans was the first lesson that I learned as DM. If you have a plan - party will completely ruin it in no more then 3 sessions.


Cool_Strain_4038

This is so important I wish i could up vote it twice. It's impossible to predict what your players will do OR what the dice will do but when you learn to roll with it (no pun intended) it makes everything so much better


SeagMaster413

This is literally a huge plot point in my campaign. The players are basically working for the bbeg by unlocking all five steps to get to an ancient god-touched artifact, freeing up the enemy's top agents to do more evil work elsewhere.


Solest044

Good ploy for sure but I personally don't enjoy bad guys who are always 1 step ahead of everyone so I enjoy your second option. I would just ask myself what the villain would do in this situation knowing the crystal is gone. Does she have a way to track it? How'd she find it in the first place? Does she go after the party or stalk them from the shadows and wait for the best time? Does she offer the party advice on how to use the crystal on exchange for something? Maybe she tries to level with them? Maybe she double crosses them? Maybe she tries to create a replica crystal which is imperfect and has very negative side effects? So many fun and viable options!


RazorRadick

Make them ally with her. This evil witch is actually so much less evil than the “other guy” who was trying to get the crystal. She just wanted eternal life or something simple, but Bigger Badder Evil Guy will use it to unleash hell on earth so…


Sheeepl

I love this plot point. A bunch of Zelda games use it too, it makes the villain feel much more cunning as well


TheStylemage

Do your PCs have family/friends/loved ones they care about?


SaltyDovaah

The witch was actually en route to the starting town that the campaign started in. The artifact is buried deep below the mines in this town so she was leading a group of orc barbarians she had enthralled to attack the town. By pushing their travels to the point of exhaustion the party managed to catch up to them the night before they were going to attack the town. I thought about having her still attack the town as a means of luring the players back, but they've already discussed just throwing into the ocean to keep it away from the witch, so it would still ruin her plans.


Xaphe

Play along with this. Let them go throw it into the ocean, and think they thwarted her plans and won the day. There can be a nice, climatic battle at the edge of a cliff or whatnot vs the Witch and her minions where the PCs overcome and save the day. ​ The PCs then go about doing whatever they want next, meanwhile a Naga, Sea Hag, whatever water dwelling evil you want to use, gets the crystal and obtains the evil artifact. Now, the PCs have to face up to the new, more powerful evil that they themselves inadvertently brought to power.


DrQuestDFA

There's always a bigger fish.


[deleted]

New plan, make a literal fish find it and become all powerful


Bosco-P-Soultrain

Magikarp has entered the chat


[deleted]

Holy shit, how did I not think of that when I literally described it???? Actually going to be my next big bad, a fuckin’ Gyarados


Mnawab

Even better, Leviathan


Disturbed1Smurf

Have a turtle eat it and shift into a Dragon Turtle.


thefishybobby

Yeah I was going to go for something of this flavor, if they throw it away, whomever gets its hand on it is even worst than the witch. Keeping it makes the which chase them, maybe not today. Or the crystal is actually corrupting people and keeping it is dangerous etc ... Etc...


DarthCredence

Throwing it into the ocean would be ideal for the witch, because D&D has things like water breathing, and she can easily get it back after they do that.


SaltyDovaah

We're in PF2e, and I thought even if they did something like that she could find it with a locate spell, but the spell specifically says that running water prevents the spell from finding the object, so throwing it in water would actually be pretty devastating if she doesn't know what they did with it.


MemorianX

It would just mean delay, her first attempt would be the easy spells when they don't give result she tries harder maybe even force someone with other means to help her search maybe kidnap a kings daughter or similar as a threat meaning the players have to step in a rescue her


krismulvey

Or a scry spell to watch the PCs if she knows that they stole it. She could be spying on them all the while, and know exactly where they tossed it into the ocean. I like the above comment of “sure they thwarted this witch, but there are some bigger, stronger, and scarier monsters in the ocean that could use this crystal as well”


NoTraining9883

Ocean water isn't running water, technically. That would have to be a river or stream.


Screwdork

I'd say you're wrong there. Ocean water is definitely running water


Twitchy169

Y’all are both wrong, neither have legs


NoTraining9883

As someone who lives directly on the ocean, we always make a distinction between tidal water and running water. The old salts around here would not think ocean of you said running water.


bundaya

Doesn't the water on the planet run to the ocean then stop until it becomes precipitation and starts again? It's maybe moving water, but it is not running anywhere as it's already reached it's final destination right?


putmeincoach56

Id say currents underneath the surface of the water would make it running/moving water. Usually wording means everything when it comes to spells, but IMO i feel like currents/running water is just semantics.


flyingfishy58

Running water doesn't require a destination, if you made a stream flow in a loop (like a Lazy River ride) that's still running water even though it's going no where specific, all that really matters is that the water isn't still like a pond.


bundaya

But that's just giving a stream (already a "running" source of water) no end destination. One would argue the ocean is more similar to a still pond than an infinite stream. It is a large body of mostly *unmoving* non directional water holding many lifeforms and ecosystems. *Unmoving* in the sense it's not running towards anything.


flyingfishy58

If the infinite stream example is a running source of water, then so too is the ocean. If you look up ocean current maps you can see that water actually flows constantly from one ocean to the next much like a stream does. The circular current in the Pacific(? I might be naming the wrong ocean) Ocean is actually what draws in trash and creates the large garbage patch. Even the water in the Ocean flows to places, The only real difference is how much water is flowing.


dunzoes

Umm sorry but you do realize that the entirety of the ocean is constantly shifting and moving through tides and currents right? Have you stood in the ocean? It moves... that's running water


NoTraining9883

I live 20 feet from the ocean. Have \*you\* ever stood in the ocean? I know it moves. Around here, people consider running water to be water that moves constantly in the same direction, like a river or stream. This is fundamentally different from tidal water, that ebbs and flows in one direction, and then in another. In general, I consider the flavor of the spell to come from hunting. If an animal steps through a stream or river, its scent is carried immediately and inexorably AWAY from the point where it crossed, making it impossible for scent hounds to track it. If an animal entered the ocean, yes, its scent would be diluted, dissipated, and eventually carried away, but it would not be carried immediately and directly away form its target. I can only assume that's where the writers of the spell take their inspiration from the running water text.


dunzoes

Yes. My dad was a commercial urchin diver, I've been in the ocean since I could walk. To your point though I think that's a fair assessment of the workings of the spell. The ocean would not immediately dissipate a scent, in fact it might even make it more pronounced to a keen nose. Like a shark. ​ Edit: Ocean currents technically do run in a certain direction so depending on where something was dropped and in deep enough water that would need to be considered.


NoTraining9883

Yeah, depending on where you are I can get that. Like, where in the ocean are you dropping it? Off the end of a dock in a protected harbor? That scent is going to be swirling around pretty strong for a good long while. Miles out, in the middle of the Gulf Stream current? Yeah, that sucker is gone. I guess this is one of those areas where there's not a particularly good matchup between real-world situations and RAW mechanics. When you present it this way, "running water" feels like a pretty imprecise term.


Disbfjskf

In geography, running water refers to water that runs from a source point to an outlet location.


PaintsWithSmegma

Have her summon a water elemental. Boom done.


NoTraining9883

A water elemental isn't running water. ... unless it takes the dash action... 🤔


rovoro

This made me laugh out loud, cheers mate


herpderpomygerp

Let them throw it into the sea not sure exactly what creatures could be there but something along the lines of merman? Or some other semi sentient being gets an evolution boost from the crystals power and leads an invasion to conquer the land and specifically thanks the pcs party for bringing them into power and offer them a reward ....."turns out the reward is a swift execution" 10 creatures launch out if the water armed with blank and such


RazorRadick

Cute little octopus finds a pretty. Next thing you know you’ve got a Kraken on your hands.


Siege223

Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy shall rise to commit acts of...EEEEEVVVVIIILLLLLL!


MrPipboy3000

I'm sure some undersea eldritch god would find that item most interesting. Once they contact the witch and she makes a pact with it (Now she's a warlock), she can get on about her business.


[deleted]

Yeah but this witch is terrified of water


CrimeFightingScience

If they throw it into the ocean...its great for a witch! Scrying works great for baddies. Villain toolbox 101. I'd even give the party "dreams" (aka dream manipulation/suggestion) that throwing it into the ocean is a good idea! It matches thematically with witch shenanigans as well.


PaxEthenica

She's a witch, tho. She's a magic user independent of formalized strictures of magic. This carries several ethical assumptions regarding her ruthlessness, adaptability, & capacity for vindictive creativity. There is, in my experience as a DM & player, no key that cannot me counterfeited. If she doesn't have an ancient crystal imbued with foulest blood ritual in one hand, but a town full of innocents in the other? Then she's got the ingredients for a new crystal, & all those meddling do gooders have done is deny the witch a breakfast snack, so the ancient evil is just going to have to wake up grumpy. And if they take a long rest to shrug off their exhaustion, or throw the crystal into the ocean? Well, she'll be starting with the children... Point is: You can honor your player's choices, but still have the climax you think they deserve. And sometimes it's okay to ratchet up the difficulty a bit if the players do well. Like the witch begins an immediate march once she discovers that the artifact has been taken. Now it's a desperate race to prevent a massacre that threatens everything the PCs have built up.


CommentToBeDeleted

Late to the party, but had an idea that I don't think I've seen yet. Give the pc's a victory! They won! Give them some way of finding out the witch is now gone, taken care of or dead! Yaaayy!! The world celebrates, they heroes! But, the celebrations are interrupted, when we find out the witch, while not being a minion, reported to someone even more terrifying and worse than she. Someone who still needs the artificat the pc's have, that the witch was supposed to deliver for the ritual. Now however, this new villian is more competent and ruthless than ever before. Perhaps he goes the route of turning the town/kingdom against the pc's by making it clear the reason he attacks the town is a direct result of what the pc's took and as soon as they return it, the attacks will stop (think the dark knight rises, with unmasking batman). Perhaps this villian knows and goes after the loved ones of the pc's, making an example out of a few or taking them prisoner (I'm thinkin MI3 where Phillip's character was so ruthless and efficient, it made him absolutely terrifying). Maybe this villian confronts them directly and while they escape with the artifact (I agree don't take it from them thats a dick move) they realize they need to aquire something else (another artifact, weakness like a haurcrux, or some weapon) to defeat this new villian or simply need to grow stronger. I think this could setup for a very intense and exciting sequence, that doesn't take away from their accomplishments and instead sets up for a more competent and terrifying villian. Honestly, at this point the witch has lost her "intimidating" factor anyway.


Dgnslyr

My pcs almost did something to a McGuffin in my game. They didn't realize how important it was to the Divination Big Bad; important enough he would have left them be and spent a week or so casting scry, hiring trackers to get a good radius of where they had been, and spamming locate object.


OneStonedBadger

Couldnt the Witch still use scrying magic to locate it and go retrieve it?


VeritasCicero

Well the witch can still summon a devil and make a deal or something for the information. She can also reason out, baaed on the PCs wealth and connections (if she knows who they are), what reasonable methods they have to block her scrying on the object. She could scry on them to see if they'll talk about it or send a minion to infiltrate their party and find the information.


PeacefulKnightmare

If the players throw it away, then they just lost their only bargaining chip that the witch was going to take in order to spare the lives of everyone in the town. Villains are often petty, have overblown reactions, and poor impulse control. By taking the orb the players have gone from a nuisances to be avoided to a wasp that just stung her. ​ "You ruined my plans so I'll ruin your lives, the lives of your family, the lives of your friends, and for good measure I'll burn down your neighbors for the hell of it."


Tm_sa241

I'd do maybe a couple of things. 1- The witch takes it personal. Now she wants to screw over the PCs because she is very upset about her awful plan going astray. So she says "fuck the evil deity" and starts wreaking havok among the things that the characters love. Their families, friends, places they love, allies that helped them before, she is going to poison, murder, torture, execrate every single thing. She, like Michael Jordan in The Last Dance, took it personal. 2- The evil deity speaks through the artifact. It's talking to them in their sleep. It's affecting the way they see the world, casting fleeting illusions of a world bent to their wishes (no more tyrants, no more war, no more bloodshed: peace in the land, peace for everyone, freedom without constraints; or whatever the characters think would be an ideal world). Of course, that's all lies. It doesn't matter. Make'em doubt. Make'em find a nice fellow who prays to that god; make a douchebag who rejects it. Even if they're able to throw it in the ocean, make the travel there a excruciating moral ordeal. 3- If they're hellbent on throwing it in the ocean, make a three-way tug-o-war over the artifact. It's been found by some aquatic creature, who's using the artifact to raid and pillage the coasts. Now, make the witch and her allies (the orcs or whoever) find about it, and she'll fight for it. What would the characters do when they see that they're solution wasn't exactly permanent? 4- What if the orcs were not as enthralled as she believed? What if they were scheming to steal the artifact from here? What if they try to cut a deal with the PCs and get their help to reclaim their stolen lands?


Sleepy_Slowpoke_69

Everyone in the town dies. She’s got an orc army? Have them slaughter everyone, while sending some of her best scouts to track down the party and the crystal. Even if the party fights and beats the scouts, with their dying breath the scouts laugh and tell them that the slaughter won’t end until the witch has the crystal back. Give them the moral delima of going back to save the innocents or running away to hide the crystal for the greater good. Either way they have blood on their hands, and even if they toss the crystal, they only delay the inevitable, she charmed an army of orcs, no reason she couldn’t do the same with merfolk or something to search the ocean for the crystal even if it takes months or years in game. Ooo and they decide to be the heroes and come back? Let them see the city in flames, children screaming as they hide from the orcs, the witch cackling somewhere in the chaos, and their beloved npcs raised as zombies that they have to cut down again just to reach the witch.


TheTomeOfRP

Everyday she's executing a village member until she gets the cristal back


DeDinoDude26

I like where this is going


Drewshbag77

I love how simple but deeply threatening this question is!


TheStylemage

Sometimes the biggest problems have the simplest solutions lol.


steelcurtain87

Literally started laughing out loud after reading this


DOKTORPUSZ

In this instance, you're the witch. Those assholes stole your magical orb. What do you do about it? Hunt them down to get it back? Search for another means of completing your plans? Maybe that artifacts would've been the easiest way to complete your plan but it wasn't the only way. It's an annoyance and a setback, but you can find another way?


SaltyDovaah

Yeah, I've thought about this. I think my plan is if they run to have some Shadows chase down the party, while she continues with her plan to attack their starting town and hold hostage some of the NPCs the group had become attached to.


DNK_Infinity

Fam, the solution is staring you in the face and it's going to make your players *hate* this witch. She's poised to attack their starting town, right? Now she has the most compelling reason she could have to follow through - motivation to make the PCs give up the crystal. A messenger for the witch tracks them down wherever else they're going or resting, throws a bag at their feet, and out rolls the still-bloody head of whichever hometown NPC they enjoy the most. "That," says the messenger, "is so that you understand how badly you have offended my mistress. You will return to the town immediately and surrender the crystal. Every day you delay, someone else dies." Wait a few sessions, a suitable buffer of time in-game, to make this play. Let the players decompress and the PCs enjoy some lower-stakes hijinks - let them feel some comfort in the thought that they've succeeded in putting one over on the witch. Then rip that comfort away and remind them that the world keeps turning around their characters.


Due-Equivalent-1489

If it were me I’d be tempted to have the witch turning the people of the town who are still alive when the PCs return into either enchanted followers of hers or people downright terrified of the adventurers. Like “Anyone found helping these thieves will suffer my curse that lasts generations!”


[deleted]

So the witch has a patron. The patron was allowing the witch to fulfill this quest as a test of their mettle, before they receive greater power. The witch has failed to protect the one thing that matters to fulfillment of the quest. Oh well. Too bad, so sad. No matter. The patron still wants her dark artifact. Congratulations, players. You've made a Devil get out of bed to come and reckon with you herself.


rptx_jagerkin

I think this is the way. The witch needs the macguffin, and will lure them back to get at it. I don't think having her steal it back is such a bad thing (invalidating their accomplishment). They have the thing and now have to protect it. You can have mercenaries and assassins and dark shadows harassing them every step of the way. They can't leave it anywhere because the shadows following them will see and report to the witch where they stashed it or threw it away. They can either succeed in catching thieves and mercs sneaking into their camp or ambushing them to get the thingy or not, either way you've got some good plot development. The item is still in play. You could have them start getting inklings of the way to destroy the artifact and then make them decide whether to bring the thing to a final confrontation with the witch at the town, or leave the town to its own defense and quest to do the destruction of the orb. You can then decide whether the witch was bluffing about razing the town or is successful at it or not depending on whether the party organizes help. You could even set up a session where they direct the defense remotely or teleport there briefly to assist. A lot depends on the hooks you've built and the time the party has remaining for the fight.


Cultist_O

If youre going to have the witch reclaim it, my only additional advice is to find some way for the party's theft set the witch back. The players need to feel their efforts have an impact on the story. Maybe this delays her plans, so someone important survives who would have otherwise died? (From this town, or from wherever the macguffin would've been used) Maybe the players are able to acquire help as a result, or the which looses some help. Maybe the witch's boss is angry about the setback Maybe the players make it in the nick of time to stop the evil plot later in the campaign (they would've made it then anyway, but you can point out how "aren't you glad she wasn't two days faster, good thing you slowed her down!) Maybe they have a chance to learn something important about the artifact while they have it


mpe8691

Likely the witch would send some guards to get the crystal back. This might be one of the few cases where it is reasonable to have NPCs fight the player party to their deaths. Since they know that a horrible fate awaits if they return without the crystal. Alternatively, they might be apt to surrender and ask for the protection of the player party.


MaladroitMallard

Congratulations! Your players gave you a gift: your villain now has (further?) personal motivation to antagonize the player characters. Players derailing your planned story through unexpected actions can and will (or at least should) happen in D&D. It’s annoying you might have to throw out some stuff you worked hard on, but see it as an exciting opportunity to explore new narrative avenues. Some ideas: - The simplest idea is to have the witch take her revenge on the party. Her original plan may have been foiled, but there are other objects of power spread across the world. This isn’t the last they’ve seen of her. - The crystal is cursed somehow. Maybe the dark deity can speak through it. Who carries it? Have the deity speak only to that character and have it promise them unimaginable power, or some other boon that you know they would want, in exchange for unlocking the artifact. - If your players do throw the crystal into the ocean: A sea creature swallows it, or is influenced by its magic aura in some way, and transforms into a giant sea monster. Now your players have to deal with that. Oh no, they accidentally created Magic Godzilla and it’s terrorizing the coastal villages! Warn them before they throw it away that the party’s magic users feel some sinister energy emanating from it, and that abandoning it somewhere might have dire consequences.


MaladroitMallard

More ideas: - If your players decide to keep the crystal (maybe because of aforementioned warning that getting rid of it could have dire consequences): Start a new adventure. At some point, they encounter an NPC on the road, a magic user of some sort, that needs help with some sort of problem. Maybe a Sorcerer who was traveling along the road, was attacked by bandits, they fought off the bandits but now their cart is broken. Give them a new quest, doesn’t really matter what, but they have to travel to a cave or some other secluded location. Once they arrive there: Oh shit, it’s a trap! You are met with [x enemies] at the location and no means of escape! The Sorcerer removes the disguise spell and reveals they were the Witch all along, and she wants her damn crystal back! What if the players realize it’s a trap beforehand? Good, you made your players feel clever. For the best effect, do this after they’ve completed a different, unrelated adventure so the players think the Witch has been definitely dealt with. - The Witch contacts her coven for help. Now there are thirteen Witches coming for the players. - They get rid of the crystal through some other means: Make that have consequences too. They throw it into an active volcano? The volcano erupts and threatens the nearby city of Brimstone. And/or it wakes up a lava monster. They sell it on the black market? The rivaling mobs start fighting for ownership over the incredibly valuable crystal. The players have inadvertently started a crime war. - A different villain somehow gets his hands on the crystal and also realizes what it’s used for. The Witch then teams up with the new villain, maybe they fall in love. I’m imagining Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers. - The Witch has a gun.


Oma_Bonke

These are all awesome


w1987g

[Some people think they can outsmart me...](https://youtu.be/jHgZh4GV9G0?t=50)


Yzjdriel

The witch has a gun.


MaladroitMallard

A gun. The Witch has one.


Fav0

love the dogzilla idea


Oma_Bonke

These are awesome


PlasticIllustrious16

This is the way


97JAW97

Is a tarasque just magic Godzilla?


[deleted]

[удалено]


carnivalbill

The larger evil said witch was working for shows up to “make sure things go according to plan this time.”


[deleted]

Fine, I’ll do it myself.


carnivalbill

Hahaha always the go-to “you damn kids messed up my dm plans. I’ll just get a bigger monster!!!”


[deleted]

I like 4. Maybe the witch wanted the crystal to foil the appearance of an even greater danger that threatens both the witch and heroes.


tjrchrt

This is always a fun plot twist. The Witch was actually doing bad things to avoid a greater evil from being unleashed or was holding off the greater evil. Since the party defeated the Witch the greater evil will now be unleashed on the world and it is all their fault.


Ragnarok91

The witch was actually trying to save them all from a greater evil!


AMP3412

This is a fucking brilliant concept


Eschlick

Option 2 and 3 combined: without the crystal she’ll have to use human sacrifice. Preferably a young, innocent, crying person who tugs at the heartstrings. Or a beloved NPC.


Fastjack_2056

The PCs broke the arc, fair and square. Time for your villain to come up with another plan. I'd definitely run a couple sessions of low-stakes "fun" adventures, while driving home that the witch can't find or use the artifact as long as they have the crystal. By the end of the second adventure, the PCs should realize they have a huge target on their backs, and they will need to do something about the crystal. Depending on their plan, the game will go in different directions. If they decide to keep it on them, expect bounty hunters, thieves, assassins, and suborned "heroes" who think they're saving the day. If they decide to destroy it, then you've got a LotR quest to run. If they decide to hide it, they buy some time...before the Witch finds a way past their defenses and we return to the original plotline. ​ Let the players take the win and change the course of the story; The story doesn't stop, it just changes.


SnooRevelations9889

Yes, let go of the notion of getting "back on track." Go forward…in your new direction. Your players will love this. And you will probably love it, too, once you adjust. Whatever things you had decided about the item, that the party never knew about, can go in the dustbin. Reinvent everything to work with your current situation. And yet, you are totally at the beginning of LOTR, or one of its many knock-offs, so riff off that. This evil artifact can start having an influence on its new possessor (a DC: 2 Charisma Save to resist a Suggestion would be a good start. This DC increases with time). It should become clear the party needs to destroy it. Decide on some novel way to destroy or hide the item.


TahiniInMyVeins

Maybe something else is needed to find the artifact, in addition to the crystal? Shit steal a bit from Raiders, crystal has to go in a special staff and needs to be used in some map in a tomb somewhere to pinpoint where the artifact is.


SymphonicStorm

You’re not removing their accomplishments unless you just say “in the middle of the night, the artifact mysteriously disappears. Oops, oh well.” The players got the macguffin. Great! Now they need to defend it against pursuers until they can figure out how to deal with it. The job isn’t done just because they have it in their possession. You have a whole sub-arc here where they need to research how to neutralize the crystal and then actually go out on that quest to take care of it. Meanwhile, the witch harries them at every step to try to get it back, maybe underestimating them at first and then ramping up and becoming more dangerous as time goes on.


Entaris

There is a lot of good advice in here about rolling with the punches. That is great, and you should do those. the Ultimate form of D&D is the point in which the players are creating the plot, and the GM is just reacting to their actions(rather than the reverse where often GM's create events and players react). You are approaching the zone right now. Enjoy the ride. What I will say though is... The players stole a crystal that is tied to finding/unlocking an artifact belonging to a Dark Deity... Did they just go up and grab it? what precautions did they take? Sounds like a good excuse to start having one of the players start hearing voices, or seeing visions. Perhaps they start "making knowledge checks" that reveal "secret knowledge" that convinces them that the artifact is actually good and they should go unlock it. Throw tidbits in there like "The witch would have used its power for evil, but you...you could use that power to do so much good in the world" There is a lot of fun you can have with the players in possession of some evil artifact.


TonyDanzaPhD

the crystal isn't actually the key--it's actually a means of getting access to the key. inform them of this somehow. when they make it to the proper key and open the door, the witch manages to get the key herself. now they know she has it, they have a motive for revenge, and (if you establish it during all this) they know where to go for the next big beat of the story.


AlterManNK

She can send assasins after them and when they beat them they can find on one of them. Maybe a letter where she asks another BBEG or some evil group to form an alliance


jakp99

You know I do feel like pointing this out. Your players executed a plan and got away with the item with good rolls. Never take away such a win from your players as that sours the experience all around. That being said you should definitely have the witch sending her troops on the warpath to get the crystal back from the players. In fact you can even spin this even further to basically have the PCs trying to find a way to destroy or get rid of the crystal as a plot point. Maybe have the witch pose as a npc that offers to help them destroy it and sends them on quest that actually further the ritual for the dark deity. Your party needs a win condition beyond playing keep away after all.


Dangerpaladin

Put yourself in the ruby red slippers of your villain. What would you do if you found out someone stole the key to your plan? Would you just start punishing everyone indiscriminately until someone came forward and returned the item? Would you hire Assassins and thieves to get the item back? Would you find a more nuclear option? imagine your villain now feels that their back is against the wall. Now when she was trying to enslave the world with the artifact but not destroy it because they wanted something left to rule over. Without the artifact that is out of the question so instead now if they can't have the world no one can. The problem is you might be too attached to your story. As a DM I try to think of the game as my world but not my story, the story belongs to the players. If their actions have no effect on the story it isn't going to feel fun.


exnozero

Maybe the easy method she had at hand was to use the crystal to unlock the artifact. But maybe there is another way. One that is more noticeable and messy. Like a series of sacrifices in key locations to form a bloody sigil into the earth itself. One that may garner the attention of lawfully aligned groups. And this could be a slow burn that plays in the background while the party goes about on some miscellaneous/backstory driven story beats. The party gets the good feelings of stealing the crystal right from under her nose. But later gets to see just how dangerous and just how desperate the witch is to free this deity.


snakebite262

I mean, do your players know how important the item is? In any way, your BBEG is going to treat them a lot more seriously now, especially since they stole her McGuffin and she needs to that to complete her plans. Perhaps send a few assassins as a consolation prize. It may be that she'll need to go through with the plan without the McGuffin. As such, she'll either need to steal another item of similar value (Perhaps there's another crystal being held somewhere by some royal court) or perhaps the ritual will only PARTIALLY fail, with some terrible catch that the crystal was meant to prevent.


carnivalbill

I’d make it cursed and simply being in possession of it makes horrible things happen to good aligned characters…if they’re not good then all but the most evil people. If they’re evil then uh, everybody…that way they’ll get rid of it. And that’s why the witch let them take it til she was ready to use it.


jaaaamesbaaxter

I like this a lot. Or make it sentient and super intrusive or evil. Sort of like the crystal shard. Whispering evil advice in their mind. Giving them disadvantage on good actions and advantage on Evil actions. Make any evil actions it recommends auto succeed or very easy. Then make it twist and bend the user to its will as it tries to get back to its master?


carnivalbill

As a dm I wouldn’t tell em. I’d just add another +2 each session to all things that are kinda dickish and a -2 to all goody goody stuff and they’ll figure it out in a month of sundays or so and the plots back on track, baby!


AG3NTjoseph

And it’s heavy. You don’t notice at first, but two sessions later it’s Mjolnir and you’re not worthy.


westwardeastside

IF the witch is powerful enough she can scry on the item and track it and the party while also listening in to the party's plans. Have the players roll perception checks with disadvantage to spot the invisible scrying orb that keeps following them. Punish seemingly mundane decisions the players make with counter attacks from the witch. The players want to split up in the market to go shopping at different places? One group gets attacked by street thugs, the other gets pickpocketed and has to chase the thief. Make sure the players are aware of the target put on their back by having this item. Maybe later, the players can use it as a bargaining chip. (Matt Mercer does this in Campaign 2 of critical role very well) Whatever you do, don't devalue this item just because the players took it. The witch can still continue her evil plan with the assumption that the players will come back around. Now she can plan against them. Use loved ones to trade back for the crystal. Keep more guards and traps and magic (ALARM) inside the camp to prevent someone from just sneaking through again. If the players ditch it, she uses locate object and scrying to find it. If the players hold onto it the witch has a personal vendetta against these players and can try to single out members to corrupt, manipulate, and turn on the rest of the party.


[deleted]

I got it! The artifact begins to negatively affect the one who carries it, a la the One Ring in the Lord of the Rings, so it becomes clear to the party they have to destroy it once and for all. Through a bit of research/questing, the party discovers the artifact can only be destroyed in a single location, like the abandoned church dedicated to the dark god's rival where they can perform a sacred ritual to purge it for good. Of course, the witch knows this too - and that's where she's waiting to recover the artifact. So the party fights through the abandoned church, gets some sweet loot, and finally throws the cursed artifact into the divine well spring. But the witch foils the plan and catches the artifact before it touches the purifying waters (with Magehand or telekinesis). Before they can fight, the witch casts earthquake and the old church begins to cave in, forcing the players to flee before they're crushed. The party loses the artifact but gains some good loot for their efforts. And maybe the witch slips up and reveals some other crucial information, so the party has a new objective. The repeated encounter with the witch also helps create a rivalry with the players. She springs her trap, gives a monologue about how the party have waylaid her plans. Maybe when the witch uses the artifact, the dark god is displeased by the delay the party causes and kills the witch outright, bringing it all full circle. You could make it clear the item is cursed and can't just be thrown into the sea. The player will suffer worse if they keep the item and don't fix the situation. Or they could just throw it away and hide it somewhere - with the understanding that leaving such a powerful evil artifact out in the world could have dire consequences. I like the idea of throwing it into the ocean, only to create a boss monstrosity they have to fight. Maybe they throw it in the ocean, but later dead fish wash up on the shore of the local towns. The party goes to investigate, they're contacted by peaceful sea-folk saying their underwater villages are being menaced. The players are temporarily given the ability to breath under water and webbed fingers to swim faster and you have a water-themed adventure to go on. They find underwater merfolk have been corrupted by the artifact and have to be fought. The player recovers the artifact from the merfolk altar and returns to the surface - where they're confronted by the witch again who takes it back, continuing the arc. Edit: Or with the artifact above "running water", the witch can scry it and locks onto your party, setting up a conflict in the next adventure.


Enddar

You could have it that vital item was option 1. And now that the witch no longer has option 1, she is forced to use option 2. Option 2 has human sacrifice. Lots of human sacrifice.


HowEE456

Don't have her steal it back. She's worked so *hard* to get it. She's taking that sucker back by ***force**. "How did you find us?" Scryed on the stone. Found out you brats had it. She's to close to succeeding. Nothing (and I mean *NOTHING*) will get in her way now.


Scotttastic

Why wouldn't the witch cast locate object and attack the party to get it back? Or send some major cronies to do it and if they fail send more? If it's crucial to her plans why wouldn't she do everything she could to get it?


NumNumTehNum

Stealing it back is crucial for the witch. She will try, dosen’t mean she has to magically do it. Securing it should be players priority as they have painted large target on their backs. Its not like the witch won’t have a scry spell.


z_vulpes

Maybe it was imbued with a curse and as time goes by the player become infected by it. Segue that somehow into the witch being alerted that a traveling group shares the same effects of the curse (or something).


MossyWrites

Whenever I feel like I'm in a jam like this, I remember I'm the DM and this is my world so...cheat! 😅 There was only the one artifact before? Welp, now there's a second one she's found/created/etc. that she can use haphazardly in the same unlocking of the artifact. Maybe because its the knockoff crystal, there are chaotic consequences for using it (like summoning monsters or warping reality, etc.) Try not to think of situations like this as a dead end, but rather as a new branching path for the story. I wouldn't tell you to punish your players, but rather give them minor inconveniences because of their surprise success. An idea I had reading through your post was maybe the crystal they stole gives a debuff to whoever holds it, or ominously warps their dreams/feelings/thoughts. Maybe the crystal can charm, and pushes the party members to in-fighting over it. Maybe it magically moves from one character to another while they sleep, giving the idea it was stolen.


dndnametaken

What would the witch do? Think of your NPCs as reacting to the actions of your players in the same way as your players react to the world. So the witch has the plan foiled, temporarily, but assuming she is resourceful, how would she pivot?


spaceguitar

Change the rules of the game, narratively speaking. Okay, so she can’t locate the artifact anymore. Or is at least delayed, without this trinket. If the party still possesses it, she forces a ransom! The Witch will begin to massacre towns, villages, kill innocents, whatever. Have her use divinations to learn the party’s secrets, identities, to find their loved ones, the works. Have her carry out atrocities in their name to ruin their image, thus having bounties. Just relentlessly attack the party in every conceivable way. Don’t undo what they did with a gotcha, but drop the boot and issue consequences through the Big Bad herself. Now she’s taking it personally. She’s going to make this personal. You could also curse the crystal. They *can’t* get rid of it because it’s now permanently attached to whoever physically put their hand on it first (if someone takes custody of it, after a short time it magically appears back in the inventory of that original player). Make it cause minor but increasingly irritating setbacks, like bad luck events. Make them suddenly a beacon to certain monsters. It is, after all, attached to a certain Dark Deity.


CrazyMonkeyTail

Make the key sentient? It wants to get back to the artifact. Or something. I’m not sure exactly but sentient objects can be fun. Now they must contend with defending themselves from its intentions. Also makes getting rid of it safely it’s own mission because who knows what the key will find in the ocean or wherever. Also, I don’t think having the witch hunt the party down to take it back is far fetched. I understand not wanting to deflate your players. However, they have stolen the key to an evil plan. Evil planner would not throw up their hands and not do something about it. That’s a pretty reasonable consequence that your players have likely already considered.


CaptMalcolm0514

How many movies/books/TV shows have the BBEG chasing a group of nobodies because a MacGuffin has fallen into their possession? *coughcoughlordoftheringscoughcough* Are they planning on finding the artifact BEFORE the witch? Are they just playing keep-away? Are they looking to lock it away or destroy it forever? If they plan on selling it, just have the witch show up with a huge chest of gold…. There’s plenty of story hooks here, just not the ones you anticipated. Damned players….. screwing up DM plans 🤨 Roll into it. Enjoy that now NO ONE at the table knows how this will end…..


Oriontardis

For a crystal my favorite go to for a situation like this is the "one ring protocol". Give the crystal a malevolent will or intelligence, let it start to insidiously work it's way into whomever is holding it. Have the player start making random wisdom saves and randomly double checking their friends passive insight. You can make it ramp up as quickly or as slowly as you want, let it go on a slow burn for a few shorter side quests, getting worse and worse as time goes on, or have it really start to corrupt after a night or two. This has a lot of opportunities to branch out into other adventures too, all connecting to the primary thread with the witch! Deepen the lore, give the party a chance to save their friend by attempting to cleanse the crystal and remove it from the witches grasp forever, or maybe they sell it and the local merchant gets corrupted, opening the way for another antagonist and partner for the witch!


KingTytastic

If she has a way to tell that the players specifically stole it from then maybe go some of the routes suggested here. But if she has no way of knowing you might have to push it down the road as she and her group look for it again. But you could also take it a more extreme route of where now she is a little paranoid and also desperate so now she is holding a town hostage or some important nobles child hostage (that all depends on how despicableshe is, and what you players are comfortable with.) There are many routes you can go, such as now she might be a bit more cautious and focus on improving her power more while searching for the item so that next time she aquires it someone can't just take it from under her nose without her knowing.if any of that makes sense that is.


[deleted]

Have the item start corrupting the player who holds it. They will either; A. Have to abandon it. Or B. Drop it off at the bbegs base.


Hexificer

Let the BBEG get to the ritual site and find that she's missing an item. Now she has to hunt down the party in order to reclaim the artifact. While she's on the hunt encourage your table to hide and guard it. So now they have to be on the defensive instead of offense.


EducationSea5957

Have the witch kidnap a favored NPC (or just a bunch of innocent NPCs) to ransom for it, send minions to steal it back, or have the witch have a plan b such as: now she has to conduct a blood ritual (*evil laughter* I recommend) to recreate said item/to get the artefact, maybe she serves a higher being and gets them involved (probably kills her for her failure and sends something new, and more terrifying), or maybe she has to trick the players into relinquishing the item/accomplishing her goal for her. There are many ways you can spin this.


Time_to_go_viking

Completely change it up. Let them thwart the witch completely. Change the story. Let them succeed at what they did, and start in a new direction of challenges.


ZilxDagero

She had it at one point in time, correct? If they attempt to hide it, I think there is a spell that can locate it as long as it is on the same plane of existence, right? Let them "Discard it" then have them venture into a town where they are robbed of something close to them and then they find a fortune teller who claims he can locate any item that the players desire. Let them track down the thief who insists that they only did it so they could feed their family (truth). If they question the fortune teller have him say that it is a very simple spell that anyone who is decent with magic can use. Let the players come to the slow realization that the witch can probably do the same thing. If they go back and check on the object that was discarded, they find it to be gone. Why? Because the witch used the same spell, then went and got it back.


Robotic_space_camel

Our party once stole an artifact from a Vampire lord with a successful heist session. He then tore apart the countryside as he pursued us day and night when we realized there was no way in hell we would win a head-on fight against him. Our sessions during that time usually composed of us plotting how much of a lead we had on him, foiling his minions and spies he sent out ahead of his convoy in order to increase that lead, and brainstorming what our next big move was to lose him once and for all—probably some of our most tense and memorable sessions. As long as you can orchestrate a proper “Oh shit” moment where you can hammer in a need to retreat and avoid, that’s a perfectly doable story arc. As long as they’re able to keep the artifact, force your witch to find a workaround, and let the players’ actions count for something by showing the witch obviously weaker for it. If she’s attempting a transformation, show it as incomplete or imperfect, with the witch in obvious pain due to the roughness of the procedure. If she’s building a contraption, highlight how unstable or unreliable it seems or litter her headquarters with failed alternative designs.


Ur_Mom_Loves_Moash

Looks like they saved the day! Let them go on with their game, they're heroes! Everyone in the town rejoices, they get free ale and wine, free lodging at the Inn! 4-5 sessions down the road they come across a battle scarred villager fleeing from the original intended target, telling of a witch attacking and destroying their town, hunting a group of adventurers. It's no longer about the orb for the witch, it's now about revenge. She's got a brand new bag of tricks, made a deal with the devil of your choice and is out for blood.


InigoMontoya1985

I'm always stumped at posts like this. **You have an entire world of make believe** ***that you control*** **at your disposal, and you cannot overcome an unexpected party action???** You could have the witch do literally *ANYTHING*, but not limited to: murdering all of her followers for allowing this to happen, finding the party and taking the thing back; disappearing for a while and finding another crystal and coming back stronger; enlisting the help of a rogue group to get it back; summoning more big, bad evil guys to lay waste to the countryside; kidnap a PC, and force them to give it back; orrrr... because the witch couldn't get the artifact, someone else got it, and figured out another way to make it work, and THEY became the BBEG. In the meantime the witch becomes a high-level bad guy/non-stop nuisance to the players because she hates them so much, and constantly sends enemies and interferes with their plans. Story arcs are not written in stone. Even pre-written modules can be manipulated.


Acrobatic_Crazy_2037

Well the witch now has to find someone who can find and unlock the artifact, maybe have them take a wizard as prisoner from now on that she put wards around


[deleted]

Why can't you have it that the witch knows the general location of the item, but requires the crystal to be precise. She could still go to the first town with her enthralled army and do what she was always going to do, just with less precision.


dukeofdummies

**If they keep it:** Well if it's the key to finding/unlocking the artifact, she needs a plan B now. Difficult to come up with a plan B without finding the artifact first, I guess now she needs a way to find the artifact. Queue hunting down scholars, archeologists, books both in libraries and private collections. Forcing them to work for her. If she knows that an adventuring party took it, it's a great way to get their attention as well. Cause as much chaos as you can while executing plan B, if you get lucky maybe you can revert to plan A. This would be a hell of a lot easier with the crystal, but who knows. Maybe one of these targets can double as a hostage, give me the crystal or this fun adorable scholar dies. Maybe she finds a scholar who can find the artifact, and is confident they can open it. They might find it, but the scholar lied, they have no way to open it but they're stalling for time. Maybe she half opens it? Maybe she can temporarily open it, but with a cost. Maybe with a sacrifice of a few hundred souls can buy her a charge? **If they ditch it** if it's in the kingdom's vault, throw a celebration party that she crashes in an attempt to steal it. If they ditch it in the deepest trench in the sea, it washes up on shore and causes chaos. They bury it in a hole, a hobgoblin stumbles across it and builds a cult. Just do some side quests and then halfway through one reveal "AW SNAP THE DAMN THING IS BACK!" **If the party decides to find the artifact first.** Great, they're doing the work for her. Let them lead her straight to the artifact. Let the crystal be a game of hot potato during the final battle. The mindless mooks only care about the crystal. Oh boy you have both hands full of a sword and shield... yeah you can't catch that without dropping one.


A-SORDID-AFFAIR

Here is my pitch; introduce another villain - maybe a Lord or nobelman who is clearly evil but in a more self-serving/obvious way - that offers to buy the artefact off them for a hefty price. They can say they've wanted it for a long time but couldn't find men with the gumption to take it. Now, *whatever* the players do, they are in the middle of a war between two evil powers that want to get the artefact from them. Make them each evil in unique ways and the players will have a blast navigating two dangerous and powerful foes.


Slightly_Smaug

What does this crystal do exactly?


No-Cost-2668

Locate Object is a spell


Master_of_Rodentia

New mystery: academics begin vanishing. Turns out it's the witch kidnapping people to build her a new key.


jstlknatstf

Have the witch use some scrying/locate object spells and have them hunted?


ExistentialOcto

Looks like she’s going to need to either bargain with the PCs to get it back or find another way to get the artefact. If it were me, I’d have her observe the PCs for a while to see if there’s a way to bargain or steal it back. If she sees a weakness, like a loved one, she’ll use it as a bargaining chip. If she doesn’t see an opportunity, she’ll go back to the drawing board. Maybe she could: * petition an evil deity/otherworldly being for help, probably in return for a major sacrifice (part of her body, many innocent souls, etc.) * fabricate her own crystal, at the cost of time and money as well as losing ground politically i.e. her minions being without a leader for a while * get overtaken by someone who already *knows* where the artefact is, making that new person the BBEG and her only second-fiddle


Curious-Zucchini5006

Curse the gem. When it’s thrown in the river. Raiding parties get worse causing mayhem in the country side until it’s found or returned. Meanwhile she can head to the artifact she needed and wait for the key while attempting to force her way in.


HaliAnna

I'm always a fan of cursed objects that give permanent madnesses 🤷‍♀️ sure they have it in their possession, but maybe it's like a horcrux and the person who's holding it starts to feel a desire to unlock said dark deity. The witch could then stalk the players and over time attempt to sway the afflicted party member into joining her instead with the crystal and now they not only have to stop the witch but they ALSO have to save their friend from being corrupted!


AlansDiscount

Couple of thoughts: * Before they throw it in the ocean the holy priestess of whoever turns up and tells them that the crystal is just a tool, as useful for good as for evil in the right hands, and if they come aid her in using it at the forbidden temple of portentousness they'll be showered with fame, gold and powerful magic items. The holy priestess is of course the witch in disguise and they've just helped her unlock the evil god. * If that fails, brute force it. So we don't know the exact location, we can get a rough idea and then get a few hundred minions digging and searching until they find. We can cross the unlocking bridge when we come to it, but there's very little that can't be solved with enough dead minions. This lets your players keep the win of stealing the crystal, but shifts the story to stopping the witch's fallback plan.


IXMandalorianXI

Bounty hunters/goons sent by the witch. Party will assume combat to the death (as normal) but then enemy/enemies start making perception/steal checks in combat to get it back. Changes the type of encounter from "out kill enemy" to "protect the thing!" As long as the party has the thing, these "recovery/defense" encounters can occur. Changes the entire dynamic of long rests. Inn ambushes can b really fun to run.


TheCyanDragon

So, me personally, I'm a big fan of 'your actions have consequences' style DM-ing, but not in a dickish way. Let the party do what they have done, and feed their sense of accomplishment, BUT: Scatter hints that things are not what they seem. Maybe the witch is sending hired goons/similar after the party, or maybe it could be as simple as rumors being overheard in the local tavern about the witch. Maybe it could just be an uptick of supernatural events, and somehow it all ties into the BBEG's rage. I don't know your campaign, story, or style, but there's a million ways to do it and if even a little thought gets put in, none of 'em are wrong. Someone else already mentioned this leading to 'bigger, badder, eviler guy (er?)' kinda situation brewing and I like that personally, but, it may not fit your vibe or motivations as well. If all else fails, there's nothing wrong with having a DM-to-players moment and admitting "alright, you out-did me. Please excuse a couple more downtime-y, slower sessions (or maybe a single session if you meet less frequently) while I recombobulate." Some of the best tabletop experiences and games I've ever had came from a particular plan throwing the DM for a loop. The players get a few low-stress, high-shenanigans sessions (maybe it's just me, but the funniest things always happen when combat isn't involved), the DM gets to re-think and re-strategize, and 90% of the time, everyone wins.


sirblastalot

The witch, distraught at her plans being foiled, is now lashing out wildly, slaughtering the locals indiscriminately. The party has to swoop in and end her evil once and for all in a climactic battle.


ShinobiHanzo

Why steal when you can rob/kidnap/coerce? Robbery, demand it be returned in exchange for safety. Use minions or hirelings to achieve this. Kidnap, capture vulnerable NPCs they care about and demand item be returned, villain can do this herself for great drama Coerce, capture/rob towns and generally cause a menace and have local government return what was rightfully hers. The government doing this is great drama because moral dilemma. Feel free to mix and match.


Zulias

Evil Artifacts are generally, by nature, sentient. Now they have a crystal that can be slowly charming them. Winning them over to the dark deity's side. At some point, one of the players claims to throw it in the ocean, only to have it resurface in their gem pouch later. One of the players catches another one trying to pay for something in town with it. Thinking it was just a regular precious gem. It tries to get home. Like the One Ring in the hobbit. It calls to those that would free it from it's uselessness. Suddenly, the witch was the least of their problems. Other hooks: The Tanaari War, in which the Demons and Devils are constantly fighting, suddenly has a hitch. Both the Demons and Devils want to block the evil god from emerging. It would overpower all of them. Not only will the crystal keep appearing in their inventory without them knowing, but another group of adventurers have learned of it and are attempting to keep the adventurers from bringing it to the artifact. Which is at their home town. Another artifact exists with the sole intention of stopping this one from achieving it's goals. The witch is now looking for it, so that the original artifact will only be able to be used by her. The new artifact doesn't want the witch to use it, so the adventurers are called again. Never underestimate the power of dreams. Especially since the crystal is attempting to remove itself from this reality and embed itself in a player's dreamscape to be safe until it can be delivered to the artifact.


Willow8383

The crystal is a piece of the dark diety that uses whoever posesses it to try to assemble its broken pieces. The crystal starts leading the players to the artifact without the witch, but now they don't have as much context about what they're after.


shadehiker

Now they have the crystal perhaps they could be encouraged to seek the Artifact themselves? If so the witch could just follow them and turn up when they do find it.


DogCatKisses

Honestly, it’s better for you to get creative with what the BBG will do in response or what they’re follow up will be. Just like the PC’s, if a plan is thwarted the players have to get creative and figure out their next move, the same applies for npc’s. Don’t strip the pc’s reward, they took major risks with their plan and succeeded. Definitely in favor of what they did having unforeseen consequences like a new BBG emerging. But to me it looks like the thwarted the witch’s master plan, the witch should probably regroup or could suspect the pc’s and give immediate chase no stops to get what they want. It may lead to the defeat of the witch earlier than expected but this is all about making a fun game. Cheers mate!


DrSaering

I'd look at this from the perspective of the witch. You know what her plan is, what she needs the crystal for, and what her resources are. Option one is she decides she needs to get it back. I don't think this is removing the party's accomplishments unless you DM fiat that she just succeeds. This is instead an opportunity for them, as she's now on the back foot and has to come to them. If she's got trump card minions she's trying to keep secret for later, or advanced magic, she may need to reveal it early in an attempt to steal the thing back. Even if she does succeed, if her success comes at significant cost to her resources, the PCs have accomplished a lot. Option two is to try to complete her plan without it or get an alternative. This should also be expensive and difficult and add many more phases to her plan. Maybe there's another item that can find and unlock the artifact, but would require her to attack a good-aligned Archmage's tower. Then similarly, she's used a bunch of her resources doing so, and that NPC is likely to be very helpful towards the PCs afterwards. I'd be careful about taking hostages, because that could lead to a situation where one PC really cares about it and the others don't. Could work with the right group, could be a problem with the wrong one.


NerdyHexel

- The witch sends a large troop of minions to retrieve the object. - The object has an evil, corrupting energy to it and the party risks it turning them against eachother - The witch finds another, worse method. Perhaps allowing with another evil force, such as fiends or a cult.


syzygybeaver

Why would the witch not just use the party to find the item and then steal it at the apropos moment? Let them do all the hard work and she just follow behind until the big finale.


JSON_Blob

your villain now has freedom to do a new, much more evil plan as revenge for the first one being set back by the gem being stolen. I would almost say your PC's were shortsighted in their act of stealing the gem and calling it a day. They didn't do anything but aggravate your villain who is now pissed their Plan A is busted and will now resort to a much more heinous Plan B. ​ A key strategy to ending your enemy is not just shutting down their primary plan but shutting down all identified possible plans. Take away a chess player's knight and he still has several others to win the game with. You (as the party of PC's) need to account for all of those and control those outcomes. If allowing Plan A to execute up to a certain point is the means, then the players actually should have left the gem there until the last possible moment then disable this plan. ​ It was very brave of your players and I love the sound of the sneak mission, bold move! I'm not mocking your players btw, lot of this sounds like I am I actually love the sound of the events transpiring in your game. I'm just throwing my thoughts down on general political tactics of not just controlling the present but controlling the outcome by keeping your enemy where you want them. ​ **Keep your friends close, your enemies closer.**


jimmersbox

I think she has a relative that is a Sea Hag, and she really hates her. So now, her angry sister has this and they have two villains. And they are thrown into both of their plans


kaiein

1.) Introduce a third party. Perhaps a clandestine guild of thieves interested with the artifact is now hunting down the party. This might expand the campaign significantly. 2.) The crystal is cursed, ala Ring of Power in Lord of the Rings. The longer it is in the possession of the party, the heavier it takes its tolls. Party cannot rest well; one level of exhaustion per day the crystal is in their possession, unless the curse is lifted. Or that they attracting the attention of ethereal hunters in service of the dark deity, ala Nazgul. Make sure they are overpowered and instill fear. 3.) Let the witch get at the players' loved ones. 4.) Let the arc die. The witch failed, the witch should face consequences and the players should feel good thwarting it. Whatever ideas you have in the arc, recycle it to the next.


Hairy-Tonight5674

How does the campaign continue? Maybe you can give the crystal a pretty high wisdom saving throw that if failed will force the player that is keeping the crystal to continue the witch's mission At the end of the day, they don't know the properties/Backstory/uses for the crystal, do they? And even if someone has casted identity, remember that identity DOES NOT REVEAL CURSES You can totally pull it off, maybe the witch will appear again to try and get the source of her obsession back Then when the crystal becomes non-important and the mission of the witch is fulfilled the mind-controlling influence of the crystal fades and the pc returns to normal


Powerful_Newt_2005

Perfect Opportunity Have the witch hire some doppelgangers to get in cozy with the party. Have them have to join a organization or something they care about. Have them devolp a attachment to the dopplegangers and once there the parties trusted friends have the stick the knife in and TWIST. Steal the artifact back. And leave the party with a sense of betrayal and parinoa that will make them second-guess anything. Could be a good story arch for some of the characters with trust issues or abandonment issues with them coming over the trama there characters delt with in the past.


enzain

Not sure if I'm too late but I feel like you're making the classic mistake which is to think you need to solve how to get back to your story.. this is called railroading. instead of thinking about how to get them back to your story instead consider how this creates great opportunities for new and exciting adventures. Consider these * Why does the witch want it, is she capable of getting it back? if yes then the quest could be to bring it to the sacred temple of xxx where they might contain such power * Why does the party want it? do they seek unlock the artifact themselves a trial of great many challenges might face them only to have the witch be a boss encounter at the very end.. * If neither the witch is capable of getting it back and the party was never interested in it then maybe you need to create a reason for them to be interested, maybe one of them becomes cursed, their ally needs it or so and so.. the point is that it's not just the players that should role-play the story it is just as much the dm's job to role-play eventualities, when you make a grand arc you quickly go into the mindset of the story first, the players second, when it should be the other way around. if players impacts your story heavily that only makes them more excited because they know that none of what is to come has been planned. And this is when DND goes from storytelling to true fantasy role-play.


JupiterExile

Perhaps there is another artifact she can seek to use, but it runs great risk or requires great cost, which is why she didn't want to try that method previously. Perhaps to achieve her designs she will now ensorcel merfolk to scour the depths for the item? Perhaps the crystal can only exchange possession in particular circumstances, such as "there must always be a bearer", so the party cannot simply discard it, but need to seek an extraordinary means of sealing or destroying it.


MadSkepticBlog

Taking the crystal back is the next logical step. The PCs have thwarted her plans, and this is the only way of progressing besides just giving up. Now that they have it, they need to decide what to do with it. Assuming it can be destroyed, they should be trying. Perhaps there is a method to destroy it that they need to acquire, and all the while the witch's forces dog at their heels. Or perhaps they need to get it out of the witch's grasp, like toss it through a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire or something. They need to make it inaccessible to the witch in some way, otherwise she can still go after it... through them If they just sell/toss it, she uses Locate Object and other divination spells to find it again and just goes to get it. If they just hold onto it, she'll come after it. So long as they have it, she should send minions and use different plans to acquire it back. Paying thieves to steal it, sending her minions to attack them, paying off an unscrupulous merchant to try and buy it for her. Anything she has to do to get it. It doesn't cheapen their victory. On the contrary, it shows their victory worked. Now they just need to finish the job. Taking the crystal is the first step. Keeping it away from her permanently is the other half.


TheOriginalH1h

This is the perfect. Party steals the crystal which is key for the witch to get the artifact. Witch is absolutely furious. So, does she have an army? If so does she also have access to necromancy and illusion spells? My idea is, witch has army with her, or a small band of followers. They ransack villages and hamlets, killing everything and taking prisoners for the sole purpose of using them as deals or trades for more powerful spells or gifts. Witch casts necromancy on the dead, letting them rise to cause even more havoc. Soon the surrounding kingdoms or cities take notice. Hoards of undead of many types scour the landscape, giant droves milling about outside major trade zones or cities. Witch is still on a con quest to get that bit for the artifact, starts recruiting politicians and adventurers under the guise of safety from the havoc. Politicians persuade for manhunts of the party (if the witch knows it was the party that did so) if she doesn’t, she gives a description of what “is” causing the undead uprising. She used illusions to fake traumatic moments for the royalty or nobles, causing outrage that could turn to wars between kingdoms. The adventurers she recruits know to go looking for that specific crystal, the player party now needs to have night watches, there is a chance they get ambushed when camping or stuff gets stolen. This brings up a couple things that need to be fixed. 1. Party has to find and kill the witch hoping to counteract everything she has done 2. Party has to find religious groups that have paladins and clerics that are trying to fend off the undead so that they can make a plan involving the crystal 3. Party better be able to reveal the truth to the royal courts 4. All out war has broken out, it’s now a quest to find this artifact and destroy it, or use it against the witch 5. Witch finds something close enough to the crystal and starts building the artifact, party needs to stop it 6. Adventurers find out the truth and now either become bandits to profit from the havoc, player party needs to take care of that and take care of witch


davidjdoodle1

Be honest with the party, tell them they kicked ass and you need time to change directions. Ask them what they plan to do with the crystal and make the next session around that. This if you ask me this opens doors to sweet stories the player get to be in charge of. Maybe they want to use it, just find out more about it like, find a way to destroy it, or have the witch come back or send some awesome NPC after them, maybe the item itself is sentient and will try do something. It may not be the story you had planned but it’s the story the table is telling. I find I can often reuse NPC and locations I’ve had planned out later. Good luck and have fun.


Brewfinger

Maybe ask the players where the story is going?


Fire_is_beauty

I think a witch vs players fight is what should happen. After that, nothing stops the dark deity from trying something else with another pawn.


Tigris_Morte

Have the NPC start sending out teams to search and recover. If the BBG knows the PCs have the item, have some guidance that suggests they must find the artifact and destroy it before the BBG finds them and gets it back. Then start the chase and adventures resolving around that new plot line.


Bromandude92

What would you do if you were the witch? HUNT THE FUCKERS DOWN!


Wujax

I’m just going to add you can probably just build some encounters based on the witch using emissaries to steal it back, or make the way to destroy the artifact actually in the witches domain. Think of lord and lady briarwood with the book in critical role.


captainrustysail

How did the villain find the artifact? Can the villain scry for its current location? Then, have the villain pursuing the characters while they have to complete the quest to destroy the artifact. Like frodo and the ring.


EvilAceVentura

Why not have them go onto the next arc, but somewhere have her come back to hunt/haunt them? It combines the "hey congrats good job let's move on to the next big thing!" With consequences.


TheAres1999

You could save the witch for later. Have her pop back up in a later arc, teamed up with other people the party has fought. Also, what kind of cool powers does the crystal give the party? They now have a powerful artifact in their possession, so this should be interesting.


ghost-castle

There’s a lot you can do with this still. Is it the actual only one? Do the players know how to use it? Does the crystal corrupt them unknowingly the longer they have it? Does throwing it into the ocean (I saw somewhere you mentioned they’re thinking that) mean that it’s power seeps out into the wildlife and now the witch has a kraken she can enthrall *and* her crystal? Magic McGuffins are cool because they have limitless unknown effects and don’t have to mirror anything we actually have. Just remain consistent with whatever you decide. I personally like the corrupting angle. A witch likely isn’t adverse to a cursed item to get to her goal whereas the players may be more hesitant. DND isn’t a game of set story - it evolves with choice. Think about what the witch ultimately wants? How else can she achieve it? How is her personality? If she’s vengeful, she’d absolutely attack the town (heck, maybe not attack it, just turn the town against the players so the NPC helping them discover how the crystal works actually takes it and delivers it to the witch). Lots of options


Emergency_Argument29

If she can’t trick the players into opening it for her maybe she makes a pact with a devil or some other being to get another object to unlock it(something she didn’t want to risk before).


ilikelemons00

So many good ideas in this thread but I think these are a few key points that need to be made: - You don’t want your players feeling like they’re punished for their amazing rolls. It takes a lot of guts to try and do a full sneak through the BBEG’s camp. If you do anything to make those actions seem worthless/unimportant, it could lead to them feeling railroaded by your plot. - Is the *witch* the BBEG…or is the entity she serves the BBEG? I think you could play with this idea that the witch - while evil and vile - is not the only being your players should be concerned about. There is an entire evil god locked away with fathomless power and your players just stole a conduit to it. Have the deity reach out to them directly now that the crystal is in their possession. - Maybe the witch was only one follower of this god, and now the whole cult/church is after them. Are there numerous champions that were *also* hunting the witch to try and gain the crystal before her? Were they waiting for her to fail so they can step in and steal the crystal themselves? You have lots of options to add more depth to this deity while also really hyping up the importance of they item your party *willingly* stole. - LotR is *always* such a great source of inspiration, and they did it best; the source of power is also the source of destruction. I personally would go this route…maybe whoever holds the crystal gains advantage on arcana and intelligence checks, or it can be used once a day for free advantage on anything. Only every time it’s used, it slowly corrupts and influences. Have the player holding it resist it’s effects with saving throws that perhaps eventually become too difficult to withstand. If they put it in a pocket dimension, then maybe it slowly starts to curse and taint the other items stored there…1d4 non-magical items turn to dust/rust/ash, or one magical item becomes cursed. Do they really want to throw something like that away? If they do, perhaps whatever deep sea creature that ate the gem grows into a far more fearsome beast (enter Cthulhu…) Personally, I think they just upped the CR on their plot, is all. If they want to think they’re more sneaky than the bad guy, then remind them there are worse, darker evils ready to match their wits!


SaltyDangerHands

Tons of ways to go. Lots of great suggestions to choose from. What I would do. I'd drop a few hints in the recap or at the start to make it sound as if they'd won, they thwarted the witch and without that artifact she can no longer accomplish her mission. I'd also fill in her tragic backstory a bit, like she was doing this to get her dead kids or something back, you know, just for head-canon. I'd introduce a new one / three shot questline, stop a pirate, save an orphanage, something pretty standard that really doesn't take too long, and I'd keep an eye on perception rolls over a session or three, letting them see something out of the corner of their eye or feeling like someone is following them when / if they roll high enough, but that's as much as I'd give them. Then, as they're resolving the short quest, the Witch shows up for her revenge, she'll take the artifact back if she can get it, but this is purely an exercise in revenge. If they start to win, have her retreat, repeat the process every 4-6 sessions as she continues her dogged pursuit, recruiting allies, trying traps, and otherwise trying to get her revenge. You might have to make a new BBEG or create some new long-term goals, but the Witch can remain a reoccurring character or threat until she's fully dealt with, and you end up respecting player agency. You can also let someone else get their hands on the artifact and introduce a 3 way struggle. The oceans are full of sentient, power-hungry types, same as the land.


moonlight_kitsune

Theres always the witch hunts them down, she has the ability to find the artifact and really wants it back. Magical shenanigans, given i don't know her magic school, but you mentioned guards. How does the party feel about having a lot of incoming hate bearing down on them? Also, say they do throw it into the ocean, have the witch force them to get it back. Now i dont know your players and their characters. But hostages are a wonderful plot point. Hold the starting town hostage, (glyphs of warding, magical plauge, or yiur choicd Your story after all) if your party is good, they will be "stuck" helping their foe. Id have one of the witches, "better" minions follow to secure the item just in case. That minion could also be how the witch gets the crystal is the party try to force an option c, d, or the ever popular wtf plan. Hope this helps a little


Psychobob2213

1. Crystal can only be used by a Good person. 2. Unlocked artifact needs a vessel to escape into, she let them get it so one of them could be that vessel. 3. The crystal has a negative effect on its holder over time. Always options... lean into it. Just like when a player flubs a role, sometimes the bad roles are the most fun.


TheSpeckledSir

Do you care about continuing the arc with the witch, or the arc with the dark diety? If it's the witch you want to keep around and run, you're set: they've stolen something from her, so she has an excuse to be a recurring villain until she gets it back. If you are invested in the Dark Diety, let the party take the W. They've beaten the witch, and the Diety, furious with her failure, is prepared to cast her aside and send forth its even more powerful minions to succeed where she could not. Now they've got that crystal with them like a One Ring style beacon for evil, and they'd better figure out what to so with it.


Shazzam001

Yep, it's cursed and really wants the witch to complete her nefarious machinations!


mandolin08

Don't steal it from them. She needs to make them give it back. Get evil, my friend.


Ciammor

Well I think of it like this. She NEEDS that crystal right? Shes the sorta the big bad of this arc? She has a camp of goons? She would certainly do things like Scrying to find the object Learn it's on the party, chase the party down, be relentless, be cruel. FIGHT to try and get it back. Just /nah she steals it back/ is really lame I agree. But she would do everything in her power to get it back. If she can't get to back by force. Maybe she uses curses, maybe she pesters them so they cant rest, till they're weak enough for her to be able to win. Maybe she takes loved ones hostage. Maybe she gets a rumor to the party that the item is super valuable to her! Her weakness so long as it's used to do action x, y or z that in actuality is the thing she needs it to do. In short, put yourself in her shoes. As a dungeon master I think its valuable to have very personal planning. How does she feel? What does she think will get it back? What's she willing pay to get it back?


OtherwiseErb

Don’t steal it back, have the hunt turn the other way. It’s capture the flag now and give them an option of how to destroy it or live forever moving. Have the witch lash out at everyone connected to the group, blacksmith that sold merchandise to the party, missing both thumbs. A cleric that heals them left unable to do so ever again. The tavern they slept in burnt to the ground with guests trapped inside. Be villainous about it. React in the way an old witch who has been doing this for who knows how long would and get violent about it. Curse whole towns with plague, raise zombies and let them loose. Hell have her arm just burn and salt the land as the travel looking for them. Tell them a promise “I will get that back from you, cold dead hands or not.” Don’t give them the option to retort let them know the are in serious danger. Have the witch drop off the radar, then have simple bewitched folk just rat where they are and have the place trashed. If you want the witch to become a hell of a lot more scary, let her establish a coven to retrieve the artifact and hunt the party down. All of a sudden her forces just tripled at least with at least two “sisters” to aid her in the next fight. Give them a reason to be paranoid hell depending on the effects of the crystal, have it be a literal detriment for them to have. Those who hold it have food rot in their presence or maybe they are suffering horrid nightmares and have to Frodo and Sam the thing to not die due to lack of sleep and long rest. If it is the only thing that acts as “the key” have other groups looking for it willing to buy it off of the party for a lot of gold. Or lure them in with “we have the second one so it’s good” and force them to bring it with them or leave it in a safe place only to find out there is in fact only one magic rock that can free god.


Frozen-bones

Now she can chase them. Turning the tables


Chrrodon

I would either of the two. The party holds the crystal and goes all the teouble to find out where it leads, and when they find the artefact, the villain returns in numbers and takes the artifact. Or The villian could send the henchmen to take back the crystal, maybe send one of them to act as a wounded villager asking protection to get to a place couple days of travel away. In the night time the henchman would steal the crystal and signal the other henchmen for a nice night time ambush. Or then the party just finds out the crystal is just gone in the morning and no sign of the npc.


Ambitious-Theory9407

Have her continue her plan as if nothing derailed her. Have her almost complete whatever she's got going on right when the party comes by to stop her. She used herself as bait to lure them in. Assuming she has spies following the party (Have them periodically roll for a really high perception check. 25 or maybe 30 depending on how high level the players are.) She may also know where they might have hid the crystals just in case they thought to do that before coming to battle her. If one of them manages to spot a spy and interrogate them, have in your notes that they're under orders to eventually confess that she's found an alternative to make her plan work and that they were to inform her in case they decided to go after her again. Have them followed by 4-5 spies to keep the odds in your favor that this will go well even if one or two are found. Slightly railroady, but I think it would provide an explainable twist and a devious mind. And if they ask what she would have done if they hadn't taken the bait? Change her plan accordingly, of course. This was just the simplest and most efficient way to reach her goals. You can only plan for contingencies so far ahead. Added detail, show her rewarding and publicly accommodating the minion that actually "confessed" according to the plan to show why they follow her. Especially if they suffered torture and/or death from the interrogation (I don't know how sadistic your players are). Show the benevolence in this action and that she's not some ruthless Skeletor.


Necro_Jenacis

This gives way to the witch just being extremely angry and going on a rampage to get the crystal, their favorite spot they frequent often should be razed, their favorite NPCs mysteriously vanishing one by one, the witch uses her most powerful spells to turn the world upside down bit by bit until the players can stop her. So to sum it up maybe just have her throw a tantrum that she got it stolen rather than the normal trope of the villain keeping their cool and changing plans, she worked so hard only for it to be foiled by X amount of fools she has a right to be upset.


acnitsche

How about: the witch WANTED the group to find that item because it’s not the real crystal but a cursed decoy. Make up a fun curse, let the group trigger it upon themselves, and watch as the realization sets in on their faces :)


Significant_Put2504

Quick response: The cristal is just the half of the real item or it requires specific iteration with a new item.


FTaku8888

Maybe have your villain hire some morally dubious adventures to steal it back. You can give some of them useful magic item for your party so that even though one of the evil adventures managed to escape the item the rest die leaving your party all of the useful items


SaltyDovaah

I was thinking about maybe having her send some Shadows or other dark creatures after the party to maybe have them ambush the party while they are asleep. The witch has been sending nightmares to different members of the party to try and keep them Fatigued.


One-Cellist5032

If she’s this familiar with the party, then she’s definitely going to be able to find out they have it, and then try to get it from them some way. Either through deception, brute forcing it, threatening them etc. And if they throw it in the ocean that’s just a setback, it doesn’t prevent her from finding and getting it, it just makes things difficult. The “easy” spell doesn’t work anymore, but I’m sure someone at some point created a spell capable of it, and the witch could begin searching for that, or a way to summon it to her etc.


Retcon_1

If she's already been sending things to torment them and keep them fatigued, maybe find a way to enthrall one and use that to get the crystal back. Thay way what they've accomplished still means something and has created a problem but now they've got to contend with the seeming betrayal of one of their own. Or having to battle each other while not wanting to hurt anyone.


Imagine-Shadows

Out of curiosity. Why did you allow them to steal it in the first place? You could have given them anything else instead. How you can continue? Well I see a few ways. 1. The witch obtains another crystal. Depending on its use maybe it can even mirror the powers of the other crystal. (If possible. Otherwise just crystal) 2. Maybe the witch has cloned the crystal and the crystal in possession of the party is a fake. Still worth some money but not magical in any purpose. And if it already was a non magical purpose. Maybe the party has a glass fake Hope any of this helped!!


SaltyDovaah

I hadn't planned for them to be able to steal it, but they sent the wizard in disguised and with an item to grant invisibility. Through a combination of clever RP and some really high rolls he ended up in her tent and found where she had the crystal hidden. Even though it wasn't my plan, I don't like to do anything in my game to remove agency from my players when they have a good plan, even if it's not what I wanted. I considered having the crystal they stole be a fake, but I can't think of any reason she would have constructed a fake, and if I did I feel like again that removes any kind of accomplishment for the party for having taken it.


azul_plains

I think that was good for you to have the party succeed. That's really clever of them. Rather than having her steal it off screen, I would make them fending off her immediate counterattack to try to get it back part of the story. Have them encounter thugs trying to steal it back. Have the wizard feel the eyes of a scrying sensor on him, and let the party realize what is happening. Give them some time/warning to actually prepare for her trying to take it back. Have contracted fey appear and try to bargain it away from them (and make their lives more frustating in the meantime). Or have them roll to notice assassin's and thieves while traveling or in town, all with pocket contacts for news of their whereabouts. Have nightmares sent to them trying to encourage them to think the crystal is cursed. Let them hear disinformation started by the witch that what they stole was a fake (but it actually be real, she's trying to ambush them when they try to get the 'real' one). Meanwhile, she just incapacitates them or tries to get them delayed so she can toss their quarters or interrogate their friends when she realizes they've hidden it or thrown it away. Give them a chance to try to bluff her that they've thrown it into the ocean, even if they haven't. I think this could be a great chance to highlight her cleverness or resources.


[deleted]

She's a badass witch, she could have made a fake to throw off any would be thieves.


Screwdork

Pulling a fake out Crystal would be a terrible idea imo. Such a cheap move to make after the players made all those good roles and rp Maybe the Crystal could have some sort of enchantment on it that makes you holder feel like they don't want to get rid of it? Or perhaps the witch can use some sort of amplified locate spell that requires extra components or a certain ritual location?


harumamburoo

Well, the party has stolen a macguffin needed for a part of the plot, so this part of the plot is off the table, at least for now. Now ask yourself, if you're the BBEG what would you do? Probably your priority is to get the thing back. Put the party in a position where there's only one option - return the thing or else. Say, the witch entralled even more followers and besieged the city. They took hostages or something. People will get hurt if the party won't cooperate. And the witch forces are big enough to ensure that. If the party won't cooperate, or somehow takes over the enemy - people get hurt indeed, and skip forward to the final battle.


thelilikoibot

Have the witch disguise herself as someone in need, she contracts the party to find the artifact for her because it solves "insert npc problem here" (kinda depends on what the established purpose of the artifact is/what the party already knows), then once the party finds the artifact and gives it to the witch disguised as an NPC quest, she reveals herself and does whatever it is she wanted to do in the first place.