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Kol Korran
2011-04-14, 04:49 AM
Itay, Tomer, Alon, Guy and Ariel, please read no further!

hey there folks! As i'm Dming a campaign, i sometime come to these forums asking for help and inspirations with ideas of mine. this is one of these times. :smallbiggrin: my players have finished an adventure and have some time to investigate the villain group they are facing, one of the leads i want them to explore is about a changeling artificer that calls herself (despite her dislike of the name)- "The Traveler" (the villains have taken the names of the dark six for some reasons).

background
but she is no ordinary changeling! (Fishy, if you're reading this- it's due to your idea!). this changeling who was a master of disguise and impersonating people, didn't find it satisfying enough. she wanted to BE those people, know how they felt, how they thought, how they were. so she researched and devised new magic items- personality shards (made of syberis shards) embedded in various items she presented as presents to different people she liked to "feel". the items would cause the person to like them, and as they were possessed, they would get an imprint of that person's personality. later on the item would be stolen, and the Traveler would rejoice in experiencing what it was like to be someone else.

but there is such a thing as too much. slowly slowly each personality shard, through multiple use would take a tiny bit of the traveler's personality into them as well, until she began to lose herself, not knowing which of the many personalities she actually was. she hoarded the multiple shards as a sort of way to gather herself.

then came her new master- a rakshasa who found her out, and disperssed most of her shards away to various allies, people and places, putting the Traveler in great distress, and promising her that if she'll work for him, he would finally let her have the shard that holds her true core, her true self.

so she did, but she began to distrust the fiend over time. and when a group of adventurers started to foil the Rakshasa's plans, and find some of the shards, a new hope has risen.

what i ask help with
in a change of pace of different heavy combat adventures, i want ot send the party on a multiple "McGuffin hunt"- the changeling has clues to the whereabouts of various shards, but she cannot explore herself, since that might tip off her master. so she contacts the party and give them her clues, to seek the shards out. she hopes that if she has enough gathered, maybe she could "collect" herself sufficiently together.

what i need:
- ideas for personality shards, and the personalities within. i don't want any highly known (as in mentioned within books) personalities, but rather interesting ones. when they first touch a personality item the personality tries to take over for a little while, so fun ideas are encouraged.
- ideas to who possesses or where they are held now. these should be challanging to the players mostly roleplay wise, though a combat or two should be fine as well. if you've played shadowrun- think of the investigation element that is so prevalent to the game. for various reasons, no ideas should take them out of Khorvaire, or into the Mournland.
- added complications: i'm putting the party against two other forces: agents of the Rakshasa who realizes that someone is after the shards, and a "private collector" who has quite a few means to pursue the items him/her self, out of their own interest. but i have no idea who comprises both threats exactly. suggestions are welcomed.

current shards the party posses, as an example:
- a clean-freak cook of the Aundarian court (still alive)
- a blind sage of the occult from Morgrave university (dead)
- a renown Talenta halfling tracker
- a jovial pirate lord known for his senses
- a dwarf "shadow adviser" to wealthy families of the Mror holds.

ideas i currently have for personality shards locations
- held by a minotaur/troll/ogre mage gladiator in Droaam in Grey wall (the party will have to either buy his freedom, or defeat him in gladiatorial combat)
- a prized possession of a bright noble kid in SHarn, held in her private extra dimensional vault. (tricky negotiation, or a curious mini dungeon)
- held by a highly valued Phiarlan performer, enhancing his abilities, backed up by the house.
- held by a priest in Thrane, who's mission is to free the spirit within. this is his personal quest. however- he has been wanred that demons in mortal guise would come looking for it.
- one of the shards, one of a Karranthi commander now dead, realizes what it is, and arranges to be attached to a powerful skeleton, giving it life once more.

i tend to writw long, thank you for reading. any ideas?
Kol.

Kol Korran
2011-04-15, 05:19 AM
no responses... aww shucks... :smallfrown:

Prime32
2011-04-15, 05:27 AM
One of the shards is imprinted with a PC or one of their family members, and takes over a changeling host.

JonRG
2011-04-15, 03:00 PM
Someone being controlled by the Inspired? Personality within a personality (within a personality if they're holding a shard). Ah, recursion. :smallyuk:

Spamotron
2011-04-15, 03:27 PM
At some point the changeling wanted to know what it was like to be a simple dirt farmer. The shard was made from a king in disguise who wanted to know the same thing :smalltongue:

Kol Korran
2011-04-16, 04:52 AM
hhmmmm...

@ Prime32: the shard containing obe of the party's family members might strangely kind of work. two of the characters are missing family members, which may have had contact with the traveler. i'll think about it. thanks! :smallamused:

@ Nyarai: the inspired? this might be interesting since one of the characters is a Kalashtar. what if the personality takes oner them, but looks nothing like a Kalashtar? now how to set it up. who would hold it?

@ spamotron: wanting to know how a simple farmer felt i can get, but i don't quite follow you with the king-in-disguise part. what do you mean the shard would be "made of him"? a bit confused here.

few responses. maybe i'll have to wait with the idea for when i can find time to elaborate it. too bad. still there is time... any further help? :smalltongue:

McSmack
2011-04-16, 10:12 PM
Sorry about the few responses. I was busy drinking and playing Super Mario Bros with the wife yesterday.

I think this is a great idea! Sounds like a fun campaign. Here's some things off the top of my head.

A shifter barbarian- The Traveler loves the idea of losing herself completely in her emotions.

A Valenar Cavalier -Because they are awesome

An elderly human grandmother- The Traveler wants to know about the wisdom that comes with age.

A gnome attendant (and professional gossip) at an expensive Trolanport spa.

Spamotron
2011-04-16, 10:31 PM
Its a Prince and the Pauper joke. Royalty disguising themselves as commoners for a variety of reasons is a very old trope. The changeling sought out a dirt farmer only to get a King in disguise instead.

JonRG
2011-04-17, 01:00 AM
I was thinking the shard would be made from a normal person of whatever personality that had been possessed or dominated by one of the Quori spirits that make up the Inspired. You could then give this shard to, say, Commoner Joe, who would have two other personalities floating around in his head for extra trippiness. As for a specific holder of the crazy shard, well... I'll have to get back to you. :smallwink:

You also might get more responses if you reframe your topic as request for interesting personality concepts rather than something explicitly Eberronian.

Kol Korran
2011-04-17, 08:34 AM
@McSmack: actually, the idea is for the current campaign. i'm writing the last session after i write this post, but the basic idea is that afterwards they either go to the shadow marches (with Daelkyr creations), to the Mournland (where they'll meet an organ peddler amongst other things) or searching for shards (whcih is what this thread is about)

liked your ideas, might incorporate them.

@ Spamotron: ok, now i got it. thanks.

@ Nyarai: you have a point about changing the title. i was aiming at personalities and holders specifically placed in Eberron, but more general ideas might be accepted too. ok, changing the name.