I’m working on the next adventure for my group, who just picked up a bunch of meds to deliver to an epidemic-stricken planet. They’ll arrive on planet, and shortly after delivery, the local nobles throw a feast to celebrate the supplies and forthcoming healing.

At the feast, one PC spots someone from his background, who works as a lieutenant for the BBEG’s slaver ring. What the PCs eventually find out is that one of the not-so-noble houses is selling its peasants to the slavers for medicines (the PC shipment is just one of several needed for planet-wide healing).

I’m reviewing the new Investigation rules from No Disintegrations, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the PCs could go from a single spotting across a crowded room, to a shootout freeing the slaves about to be shipped out and toppling the corrupt noble.

The PCs are pretty new to roleplaying, so I want to strike a good balance of keeping the plot moving and having them actually solve the mystery/puzzle. Only other thing to note is the lieutenant is supposed to be a long-term adversary and so should escape the planet.

Thoughts/suggestions?

For spotting the lieutenant, could it be someone from one of the PC's background, making it easier to recognise the NPC as being up to something (or out of place, at least)? Perhaps that NPC has a particular laugh, and so the PC hears the NPC and would be told something like "You'd know that laugh anywhere, it's low-life muscle for hire Baddie Badson who you had a run-in with last year on Nal Hutta. But what's he doing at a fancy occasion like this?"

This could lead them to approach him, or try and observe him whilst trying to hide in the crowd of the party. When he knows they are there, he could try to bluff it, or just straight run for it.