Kol Korran
2011-03-28, 03:41 PM
If you're either Itay, Guy, Tomer, Ariel or Alon, get out now!
A while back, while my players just reached 3rd level, they had a lead that might lead the through the Mournland- Eberron's bizarre-everything-can-and-will-happen world. I then asked for advice concerning a special encounter i was planning, that depended heavily on the particular personalities and abilities of the characters. there was a thread you don't need to read, some good advice, and i was set. however, the players chose to go another way.
they might be checking the route to the Mournland now, and for the most part i think the game is fine, but some characters changed, 2 players are playing brand new characters, and so i thought to ask for help again. let me explain:
the encounter is completely ad hoc and not supported in the rules, but it's been a long time since i DMed, and i'd appreciate advice.
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 irrelevant- 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 Mournland.
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 equal to the 2 CON lost, and it should be equal between the characters. something cool, but not game changing.
- flavor: there is a 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 Psychic warrior (we treat magic and psionics the same). he plays a bit like Roy. his powers tend to be either things to increase his defense, or damage output. he is a main damage dealer, but also takes up a lot of damage, and not well i thought of 2 ideas::
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? +2CL?)
Ritual: the Organ peddler 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.
Skin graft of the stone giant: "i hear your tribe has a pact with the stone brothers" (true) "you could become a bit more like them, by losing some of yourself"
Benefits: he gets a +1 to NA normal, and can use a psychic power to increase this to +4? +5? +6? 2/3 times per day.
Ritual idea 1: the ogre brings out a geodic stone upon which are strung patches of skin, and blood. as the half giant touches it he starts to turn to stone, slowly, while his skis is peeled away painfully, in shreds, the process continues until he is turned to stone. after a bout a minute more, the stone figure moves, the half giant in his new skin.
2) A dwarf warmage. the player loves blowing stuff, lives for that, is somewhat of a rules lawyer and a power gamer (compared to the group that is). my problem is that the character is brand new, and other than loving drink, i know nothing about him. i hope i get another meeting at least till they get to the organ peddler, to learn about him. the player has displayed somewhat evil tendencies with previous characters. but not with this.
i need help with this one. my ideas are to maybe grant him some organ of a dragon, or an elemental? i don't want to push the "evil tendencies" angle to much, because i think the player is trying to veer away from it.
this may be the most powerful player in the group (he tends to be), so i'm looking for cool interesting options other than raw power.
3) Half elf Rogue/ Duskblade the rest: 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. he carries a curse that propels him to do heroic deeds, that he fights as well as he can. the curse cannot be removed, and the player doesn't want it to be. he loves to talk his way out, and is quite the smoother talker.
Mane of the Lamia: "i see the trickster in you. one who uses words before swords. The hair of the Lamia holds it's power over others. will you take it?"
Benefits: he'll get some bonus to social skills, and can use suggestion 2/ day.
Ritual: the ritual need to look simple, since the character is abit... squeamish. the Ogre might agree to do the gruesome parts. a stunned/dead lamia is brought, only it's hair moves. the scalp needs to be cut, but the mane tries to shove the cutting hand away. the he needs to put the bleeding sculp on his head, where it attaches to it and painfully roots into it. thereafter the mane moves slightly all the time.
i'm not sure this is a good ritual. i think the player might reject it up front. something more subtle may be needed.
4) the Kalashtar woman wizard/sorcerres/ultimate magus: very charismatic and smart, plays as a good vizier/ advisor/ spell for every occasion, prefers to use her spells to circumvent problems, rather than fight. in the past she expressed an interest in the fey, but has since been far more focused on pure arcane power. her beauty is a source of pride for her, so the change needs to be (mostly) ascetic. i have two ideas in mind:
Organ: The skin of a nymph "the power of the fey can be yours, for only a kiss"
Benefit: she can use "stunning beauty" 3/ day. ("all shall love me and despair"), like the nymph power, only not blind, just stunned for 1d3 rounds
ritual: the ogre brings out a large uprooted tree from the wagon. near it's bark is the face of a captivated nymph. "kiss" says the ogre. as they kiss the nymph hugs her, and slowly the skin creeps into the sorceress skin, melding into it, making her skin seem a bit darker, but not much. the nymph ages and dies by this process, through the kiss. 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.
damn... i forgot the second idea.
5) Aasimar female cleric of a goddess of honor, self sacrifice and good (Dol Arrah). however the character had been captured by the main villains and been subjected to a lot of pressure, and so she... cracked a bit, done evil things, and is basically trying to redeem herself and do good, though at times she may become a bit less hinged. the party still doesn't (and probably won't) know she is an Aasimar. the player wishes to keep that secret as lon as he can. she's been the "batman cleric" so far, buffing, having a scroll for most cases, but she also loves to charge into battle, sometime raging. (her name is Savage, and the passion domain enables her to rage).
again, i'm not sure what to do with this one. obvious choice will be to offer a piece of either an angel or a fiend. but which one? and what effect will it have? help?
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.
A while back, while my players just reached 3rd level, they had a lead that might lead the through the Mournland- Eberron's bizarre-everything-can-and-will-happen world. I then asked for advice concerning a special encounter i was planning, that depended heavily on the particular personalities and abilities of the characters. there was a thread you don't need to read, some good advice, and i was set. however, the players chose to go another way.
they might be checking the route to the Mournland now, and for the most part i think the game is fine, but some characters changed, 2 players are playing brand new characters, and so i thought to ask for help again. let me explain:
the encounter is completely ad hoc and not supported in the rules, but it's been a long time since i DMed, and i'd appreciate advice.
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 irrelevant- 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 Mournland.
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 equal to the 2 CON lost, and it should be equal between the characters. something cool, but not game changing.
- flavor: there is a 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 Psychic warrior (we treat magic and psionics the same). he plays a bit like Roy. his powers tend to be either things to increase his defense, or damage output. he is a main damage dealer, but also takes up a lot of damage, and not well i thought of 2 ideas::
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? +2CL?)
Ritual: the Organ peddler 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.
Skin graft of the stone giant: "i hear your tribe has a pact with the stone brothers" (true) "you could become a bit more like them, by losing some of yourself"
Benefits: he gets a +1 to NA normal, and can use a psychic power to increase this to +4? +5? +6? 2/3 times per day.
Ritual idea 1: the ogre brings out a geodic stone upon which are strung patches of skin, and blood. as the half giant touches it he starts to turn to stone, slowly, while his skis is peeled away painfully, in shreds, the process continues until he is turned to stone. after a bout a minute more, the stone figure moves, the half giant in his new skin.
2) A dwarf warmage. the player loves blowing stuff, lives for that, is somewhat of a rules lawyer and a power gamer (compared to the group that is). my problem is that the character is brand new, and other than loving drink, i know nothing about him. i hope i get another meeting at least till they get to the organ peddler, to learn about him. the player has displayed somewhat evil tendencies with previous characters. but not with this.
i need help with this one. my ideas are to maybe grant him some organ of a dragon, or an elemental? i don't want to push the "evil tendencies" angle to much, because i think the player is trying to veer away from it.
this may be the most powerful player in the group (he tends to be), so i'm looking for cool interesting options other than raw power.
3) Half elf Rogue/ Duskblade the rest: 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. he carries a curse that propels him to do heroic deeds, that he fights as well as he can. the curse cannot be removed, and the player doesn't want it to be. he loves to talk his way out, and is quite the smoother talker.
Mane of the Lamia: "i see the trickster in you. one who uses words before swords. The hair of the Lamia holds it's power over others. will you take it?"
Benefits: he'll get some bonus to social skills, and can use suggestion 2/ day.
Ritual: the ritual need to look simple, since the character is abit... squeamish. the Ogre might agree to do the gruesome parts. a stunned/dead lamia is brought, only it's hair moves. the scalp needs to be cut, but the mane tries to shove the cutting hand away. the he needs to put the bleeding sculp on his head, where it attaches to it and painfully roots into it. thereafter the mane moves slightly all the time.
i'm not sure this is a good ritual. i think the player might reject it up front. something more subtle may be needed.
4) the Kalashtar woman wizard/sorcerres/ultimate magus: very charismatic and smart, plays as a good vizier/ advisor/ spell for every occasion, prefers to use her spells to circumvent problems, rather than fight. in the past she expressed an interest in the fey, but has since been far more focused on pure arcane power. her beauty is a source of pride for her, so the change needs to be (mostly) ascetic. i have two ideas in mind:
Organ: The skin of a nymph "the power of the fey can be yours, for only a kiss"
Benefit: she can use "stunning beauty" 3/ day. ("all shall love me and despair"), like the nymph power, only not blind, just stunned for 1d3 rounds
ritual: the ogre brings out a large uprooted tree from the wagon. near it's bark is the face of a captivated nymph. "kiss" says the ogre. as they kiss the nymph hugs her, and slowly the skin creeps into the sorceress skin, melding into it, making her skin seem a bit darker, but not much. the nymph ages and dies by this process, through the kiss. 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.
damn... i forgot the second idea.
5) Aasimar female cleric of a goddess of honor, self sacrifice and good (Dol Arrah). however the character had been captured by the main villains and been subjected to a lot of pressure, and so she... cracked a bit, done evil things, and is basically trying to redeem herself and do good, though at times she may become a bit less hinged. the party still doesn't (and probably won't) know she is an Aasimar. the player wishes to keep that secret as lon as he can. she's been the "batman cleric" so far, buffing, having a scroll for most cases, but she also loves to charge into battle, sometime raging. (her name is Savage, and the passion domain enables her to rage).
again, i'm not sure what to do with this one. obvious choice will be to offer a piece of either an angel or a fiend. but which one? and what effect will it have? help?
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.