PDA

View Full Version : A Swell Evil Campaign (Modified Pathfinder)



JohnnyCancer
2011-02-18, 01:54 PM
I've had the great pleasure of playing in a campaign of evil characters intended to playtest the DM's random world generation system. He's developing it to generate terrain, nations, natural resources, inhabitants, technology levels, and a number of other factors. In addition, he worked with each player to create a custom 20 level progression to fit our individual characters that's supposed to replace a number of the typical magic items (attribute and armor increasing items mostly) and give us some flavorful and thematic powers.

The party has mostly demonstrated loyalty internally, but presents an image to outsiders ranging from petulant to maniacal. The current roster is as follows:

Slayke von Malister: A bellowing, gravel-voiced Tiefling fighter with ambitions of conquest and ascension to full demonhood. He's a veritable dervish in battle, fighting with a sword, shield, his bladed tail, and an enchanted dancing sword; all of which he can engulf in flame. He's the nominal party leader, and his progression focuses on making him increasingly demonlike until he hits full demonhood at 20.

Valkus: An Azer fighter/rogue who worships a proscribed, evil dragon god. He disdains his homeland's ascetic lifestyle to pursue dragon-like greed. He wades into battle clad head-to-toe in black plate armor and a thundering fullblade, all taken from the King of Morpheria when the party captured him. His progression is similar to Slayke's, making him more draconic.

Obgua: A taciturn human ranger from a distant land. Obgua seeks out worthy foes to hunt and murder, or sacrifice to his Goddess; Zaiku. He wishes to restore Zaiku to her full glory and return to his home. His progression grants him a variety of trick shots with his bow and various powers in connection to his ancestors and his Goddess.

Zaiku: An evil goddess trapped in the body of a mortal woman. She retains a measure of her Oracular powers. Her progression slowly restores her divinity and gives her a special connection to Obgua. So far, this has equated to her stealing the memories of anyone sacrificed to her by Obgua; she does not retain these if the sacrifice is somehow brought back to life.

The Momus (my character): A gaunt, faceless, shadow sorcerer from another reality; he first appeared in an extradimensional shack owned by Slayke. The Momus communicates only sparingly through whispers of magic, but he has demonstrated a strong protective streak towards the party; using his magic and stealth prowess to rescue every member from some calamity at one point or another, he also tries to protect the helpless from the party's wrath which he usually fails to do. His progression makes him stealthier, scarier, and difficult to pin down.

Oziro/Aderon: The latest addition to the party, a changling rogue who favors an elven form. Not much else is known about him, but he takes great pleasure in larceny and the training of wild animals. His progression makes him something of a spymaster; building a network of agents and contacts and reinforcing his ability to play different roles.

Sir Ennis (NPC): A priest of the Roiling Chaos of the Nine Winds, he's inordinately apathetic; finding amusement is most of the party's antics and fond of making his companions beg for healing. He has no custom progression and is practically a nonentity in combat.

Former Member: Rolli, a pyromaniac goblin sorcerer. His progression would have brought him closer to elemental fire if Obgua hadn't murdered him (with Slayke's tacit approval) for wearing out the party's welcome in several places with acts of arson. (he died before the Momus joined the party, his player then created Zaiku).

The story so far consists of Slayke and Ennis setting out from more cosmopolitan lands to seek out new territories. They meet Obgua and Rolli along the way and find a nation of technologically advanced, ascetic Azers. The dissident Valkus aids them and joins the party. After adventuring among the Azers, they discover a conspiracy of Changlings infiltrating the Azers. They head to Changling lands to find out more, stopping in a small Elven land that is a client state of the Azers. Rolli's continued acts of arson finally prompt his murder, and in the process they discover that the vassal elves are also changlings; though uninvolved in the conspiracy.

Fancying a bit of casual ultraviolence, they attack the keep of the local lord only to discover him in the midst of some manner of ritual involving a chained up woman. This turns out to be Zaiku who Obgua rescues first from the faux-elven lord's ceremony, then from Slayke's lust. The party then plunders its way to the changling lands. In the midst of uncovering the conspiracy, they collect a reward from a grateful official, but forge his letter to increase their reward before deciding to simply take what they please from the city's arsenal. Slayke opens his extradimensional shack to store their spoils, only to find the Momus who lets himself out.

The party is disturbed at the sight of the Momus and his presence in what they thought was a secure space. They contemplate killing him when the conspirators then strike, causing a battle that wrecks havoc in part of the city. The Momus begins his trend of looking out for the party, sneaking around to use his spells on isolated assassins and plucking fallen party members out of harm's way. In the chaos, Obgua, Valkus, and Zaiku are knocked out and some of their spoils stolen back. The conspirators tipped their hand too soon though, because the party presents the slain assassins to the authorities. The assassins are themselves in the employ of the authorities, and they discover their immediate superior is involved. The party helps capture him and pegs their theft of the arsenal on him. Claiming to have gone unpaid, they are granted land instead.

(to be continued).