Character theft...

So my hotmail account is no more, due to it being hijacked, and the team at hotmail wanting my credit card details before looking at unblocking it. Which is usually what the spammers say, too.

So that spurred me into finally getting a Gmail account, which seems harmless, although wresting control of this blog from the hotmail to the gmail account was long and interesting, and, judging from online comments, all my pictures from posts before this might vanish in time.

We'll see.

Anyway, this has given me a few brief ideas about the PCs being replaced or impersonated while they are away looting a dungeon or two.

Imagine when they get back, and find that they suddenly have overdrawn accounts at their favourite shops and services, have offended, or, worse, 'borrowed' items or money from acquaintances, or even have apparently been involved in carousing endeavours. In this case, all repercussions fall on the returning heroes but none of the benefits.

And their good (or not so good) names are besmirched until they find and extract confessions or coin from the perpetrators, or set about looting and raiding to pay back the amount borrowed, as hard, cold cash can usually make up for other misdemeanours. Except for marriage...

Who might carry out this amusing character assassination?

1. A PC's evil twin, either known or unknown to the PC.
2. An illusionist that the PCs have ticked off in the past, by slaying his or her master or apprentice, looting their tower, or killing their mooks.
3. Doppelgangers on a strange and unexplained mission.
4. The PCs themselves, from a few years in the future. They returned to have some fun at their own (past selves) expense, because the future is not fun at all.
5. The Shadow Dragon Assassins, who specialise in humiliating rather than killing targets.
6. Ghosts or spirits associated with the party, who can do a good impersonation at night.
7. Neighbourhood youths, who are wearing the armour or clothes the party upgraded from during their last shopping spree. This is childhood fun, and killing or beating the children will not endear anyone to the local population.
8. A bard and his friends. Looks nothing like the party, but he's such a good talker and has such wonderful compliments...
9. The local shopkeepers have decided to exploit the party, as they can obviously afford it. But there are so many red herrings to chase.
10. All the dead party members have risen and started carousing, causing issues and misunderstandings. Forget the tavern burning down - try explaining to the Mayor's daughter how her new beau was killed by decapitation 6 months ago.
11. Demons. Always demons. Make the PCs do unnatural and strange actions to prove to the townsfolk that they are not demons themselves.
12. The party's prime Nemesis is toying with them, or trying to distract them while stealing the MacGuffin or something.