Kol Korran
2010-09-10, 07:26 AM
If you're either Itay, Guy, Tomer, Ariel or Alon, get out now!
The campaign in question basically takes place in Eberron, but that is not really relevent.
i am DMing for a group of friends, and they might enter the Mournland (a bizzare country where all kind of bizzare things happen, more towards the creepy or gruesome. well, at least in my Mournland).
i need help with a strange sort of encounter i'm designing. it's completly ad hoc and not supported in the rules, but it's been a long time since i DMed, and i'd appreciate advice.
This is Urgent as the game takes place tommorow evening...
the basic concept is that the party meets a strange wagon, with an amiable and friendly looking ogre (who acts quite unlike an ogre) driving it. the wagon has no beast pulling it, but it doesn't seem to matter. he knows the characters by name, and may even hint about secrets they have. but all of that is irrelevent- he is here to make a sale!
what does he sell? organs, and powers associated with them. the organs replace the characters, or are added to them, in return for the appropriate character's organ (or a piece of), and a small amount of money. there is also a cost in general health, as the "exchange", shakes the system. (the character loses 2 CON).
the process is reversible (as well as CON gain) but costs a bit more money. the players don't have to accept, just thought to introduce an interesting encounter for the mournlands.
i need help with:
- Ideas: i made some ideas for most characters except 1. but i'd appreciate other ideas for the other characters.
- balance: i want the exchange to be fairly equel to the 2 CON lost, and it should be equel between the characters. something cool, but not game changing.
- flavour: there isa small ritual of exchange for every organ. i'd like it to be somewhat disturbing. ideas are welcome. i suck at this.
also, any way to make the organ peddler more interesting (or the scene) in general) would be appreciated.
lets begin:
1) Half Giant Pssychic warrior (we treat magic and psionics the same). he plays a bit like Roy. so far he think his casting is lacking a bit:
The heart of an ogre mage: "a big fellow like you, with magic in his mind, needs magic from the heart to fuel it! here, this belonged to a brother of mine. sort to speak."
benefits: Manifester level goes up by 1 (+1CL)
Ritual: the Organ pedder gets the body of an ogre mage from his cart, opens his chest and ribs to expose it's still beating heart. he then makes a shallow cut over the rib cage of the half giant, and says "now hug" as they do the half-giant's rib cage opens and the hearts... "flop" into place.
2) ELf cleric necromancer: she has the entire "queen of the undead routine on her. the player is somewhat of an opportunistic rules lawyer.
The Bone Marrow of a lich: "you seek to master the dead, gain some of their power to increase your own!"
Benefit: all the summoned or animated undead gains +4 to str, and 2 HP per HD (as if he has the augumented summoning feat, only also for animated undead.
Ritual: the organ peddler takes out a some bone that looks between a giant inkpen and a needle. he sticks it into the necromancer's legand painfully draw the bone marrow... slowly... then he takes out a box, and takes out a parchment from within. there is a line with some archaic name at the bottom. he gives the inkpen to the character, and asks her to sign (this is just to frighten the player, he heates signing things), the peddler than traces the inkpen over the name, whcih draws it (the lich's bone marrow) into it. stick it to the neckromancer, and Voila!
3) Half elf Rogue1/ Duskblade the rest: this is my problematic character. the player made it into a sort of a coward that prefers to avoid conflicts, but when he has to (most of the time due to a compelling curse), he carries a punch. for those of you who know Discworld, think of Rincewind, but with actual capabilities. he hasn't emphasized anything he wants yet.
ideas? i thought maybe the skin of a displacer beast (giving him blur for some rounds a day?) or maybe some sort of etheral jaunt ability (but that seems to powerfull). ideas?
4) the Kalashtar enchantress sorceres: very charismatic, plays as the sociable yet slightly naive good natured woman, prefers to use her spells to circumvent probles, rather than fight. she expressed an interest in the fey.
Organ: The Skin of A dryad "the power of the fey can be yours, for only a kiss"
Benefit: she gains another spell known (of her choice) of level 1 and level 2, of the Druid's list.
ritual: the ogre brings out a large uprooted tree from the wagon. near it's bark is the face of a captivated Dryad. "kiss" sasy the ogre. as they kiss the Dryad hugs her, and slowly the bark creeps into the sorceress skin, melding into it, making her skin seem a bit darker, but not much. as this happens the wood whitnes and peels, looking sickly and dead, and so does the dryad. since the player is basically good, i may goad him by saying the dryad seems to implore her, or the ogre might says she is suffering slowly. not sure about it yet.
5) Poisondusk lizard man swordsage (focusing on tiger): this guy is the bastard of the party. think Belkar. he loves his poisons, and we've made a bit relenting rules for making them, so he carries quite a few.
Organ: either part of the brain, or a chemical gland of a young water naga (in my version of monsters the nagas are masters of poison. look at my signature if you're interested). "the secrets of the poison masters are yours... for a little price". I though of giving him an actual poison gland of some creature (baby wyvern? scorpion? water naga?) but as the other powers stay effective to higher levels (i think) while poison doesn't scale well.
The DCs to resistof crafted posions goes up by one. the brain gives him the knoweldge, or the poison glands gives him an extra substance.
Ritual: the player is a bit unshockable, as is his character, so i have no good ideas. the Brain could be pretty simple with cracking up his skull and infusing the Naga brain piece in (maybe with a few Naga memories?) the chemical gland eludes me though.
if you've been SOOOOOOO kind to read this far, please let me know what you think. help me make a fun encounter for my players!
Thanks a bunch,
Kol.
The campaign in question basically takes place in Eberron, but that is not really relevent.
i am DMing for a group of friends, and they might enter the Mournland (a bizzare country where all kind of bizzare things happen, more towards the creepy or gruesome. well, at least in my Mournland).
i need help with a strange sort of encounter i'm designing. it's completly ad hoc and not supported in the rules, but it's been a long time since i DMed, and i'd appreciate advice.
This is Urgent as the game takes place tommorow evening...
the basic concept is that the party meets a strange wagon, with an amiable and friendly looking ogre (who acts quite unlike an ogre) driving it. the wagon has no beast pulling it, but it doesn't seem to matter. he knows the characters by name, and may even hint about secrets they have. but all of that is irrelevent- he is here to make a sale!
what does he sell? organs, and powers associated with them. the organs replace the characters, or are added to them, in return for the appropriate character's organ (or a piece of), and a small amount of money. there is also a cost in general health, as the "exchange", shakes the system. (the character loses 2 CON).
the process is reversible (as well as CON gain) but costs a bit more money. the players don't have to accept, just thought to introduce an interesting encounter for the mournlands.
i need help with:
- Ideas: i made some ideas for most characters except 1. but i'd appreciate other ideas for the other characters.
- balance: i want the exchange to be fairly equel to the 2 CON lost, and it should be equel between the characters. something cool, but not game changing.
- flavour: there isa small ritual of exchange for every organ. i'd like it to be somewhat disturbing. ideas are welcome. i suck at this.
also, any way to make the organ peddler more interesting (or the scene) in general) would be appreciated.
lets begin:
1) Half Giant Pssychic warrior (we treat magic and psionics the same). he plays a bit like Roy. so far he think his casting is lacking a bit:
The heart of an ogre mage: "a big fellow like you, with magic in his mind, needs magic from the heart to fuel it! here, this belonged to a brother of mine. sort to speak."
benefits: Manifester level goes up by 1 (+1CL)
Ritual: the Organ pedder gets the body of an ogre mage from his cart, opens his chest and ribs to expose it's still beating heart. he then makes a shallow cut over the rib cage of the half giant, and says "now hug" as they do the half-giant's rib cage opens and the hearts... "flop" into place.
2) ELf cleric necromancer: she has the entire "queen of the undead routine on her. the player is somewhat of an opportunistic rules lawyer.
The Bone Marrow of a lich: "you seek to master the dead, gain some of their power to increase your own!"
Benefit: all the summoned or animated undead gains +4 to str, and 2 HP per HD (as if he has the augumented summoning feat, only also for animated undead.
Ritual: the organ peddler takes out a some bone that looks between a giant inkpen and a needle. he sticks it into the necromancer's legand painfully draw the bone marrow... slowly... then he takes out a box, and takes out a parchment from within. there is a line with some archaic name at the bottom. he gives the inkpen to the character, and asks her to sign (this is just to frighten the player, he heates signing things), the peddler than traces the inkpen over the name, whcih draws it (the lich's bone marrow) into it. stick it to the neckromancer, and Voila!
3) Half elf Rogue1/ Duskblade the rest: this is my problematic character. the player made it into a sort of a coward that prefers to avoid conflicts, but when he has to (most of the time due to a compelling curse), he carries a punch. for those of you who know Discworld, think of Rincewind, but with actual capabilities. he hasn't emphasized anything he wants yet.
ideas? i thought maybe the skin of a displacer beast (giving him blur for some rounds a day?) or maybe some sort of etheral jaunt ability (but that seems to powerfull). ideas?
4) the Kalashtar enchantress sorceres: very charismatic, plays as the sociable yet slightly naive good natured woman, prefers to use her spells to circumvent probles, rather than fight. she expressed an interest in the fey.
Organ: The Skin of A dryad "the power of the fey can be yours, for only a kiss"
Benefit: she gains another spell known (of her choice) of level 1 and level 2, of the Druid's list.
ritual: the ogre brings out a large uprooted tree from the wagon. near it's bark is the face of a captivated Dryad. "kiss" sasy the ogre. as they kiss the Dryad hugs her, and slowly the bark creeps into the sorceress skin, melding into it, making her skin seem a bit darker, but not much. as this happens the wood whitnes and peels, looking sickly and dead, and so does the dryad. since the player is basically good, i may goad him by saying the dryad seems to implore her, or the ogre might says she is suffering slowly. not sure about it yet.
5) Poisondusk lizard man swordsage (focusing on tiger): this guy is the bastard of the party. think Belkar. he loves his poisons, and we've made a bit relenting rules for making them, so he carries quite a few.
Organ: either part of the brain, or a chemical gland of a young water naga (in my version of monsters the nagas are masters of poison. look at my signature if you're interested). "the secrets of the poison masters are yours... for a little price". I though of giving him an actual poison gland of some creature (baby wyvern? scorpion? water naga?) but as the other powers stay effective to higher levels (i think) while poison doesn't scale well.
The DCs to resistof crafted posions goes up by one. the brain gives him the knoweldge, or the poison glands gives him an extra substance.
Ritual: the player is a bit unshockable, as is his character, so i have no good ideas. the Brain could be pretty simple with cracking up his skull and infusing the Naga brain piece in (maybe with a few Naga memories?) the chemical gland eludes me though.
if you've been SOOOOOOO kind to read this far, please let me know what you think. help me make a fun encounter for my players!
Thanks a bunch,
Kol.