A few questions.

[Luna_Mayflower]

I have a few questions for those of you out there who may be able to answer them:

1. If a Vampire covered their entire skin, face and all, with thick layers of cloth, would they be protected from the damage of the sun. Only, I feel a little cheap just giving the Vampire Protection from Sunlight, since it just removes a huge weakness from a Vampire. But coverings seem more reasonable.

2. At one point soon in the game, I want one of the main villains to call a very temporary truce with the players so that he can talk about something important with one of the PCs, the party's leader in fact. However, the problem is that the talk must be private between him and the player, so they'll have to talk alone. Does anyone have any tips as to how to convince the PCs that this villain won't just break the truce and kill the player with a spell or something once they're alone. I plan for the villain to honour his word (he's Lawful Evil, after all), but I'm not sure how to get the players to be ok with the private talk.

3. Could a Neutral Good NPC be returned to life as a Mummy by their god to allow them to continue in providing the aid they did in life? If so, could they be both still good, and be free-willed as they were in life?

4. If an NPC is drained to 0 CON by a Vampire, but his body is recovered before he turns, or even after he turns to a Vampire, is there any way to remove the original Vampire's control over the NPC, short of killing the original Vampire? Would a Break Enchantment do it? What about Limited Wish? (Even though no one in the world has Wish or Miracle yet, would they do it?)

5. What is the average size for a medieval army? Or, more to the point, one in D&D. I've got about 15,000 soldiers on each side, with Devils, Undead, high level NPCs and Giants as more powerful forces. Does that sound about right?

Thanks for any help,
Luna.

[AuraTwilight]

1. If a Vampire covered their entire skin, face and all, with thick layers of cloth, would they be protected from the damage of the sun. Only, I feel a little cheap just giving the Vampire Protection from Sunlight, since it just removes a huge weakness from a Vampire. But coverings seem more reasonable.

Go for it.


2. At one point soon in the game, I want one of the main villains to call a very temporary truce with the players so that he can talk about something important with one of the PCs, the party's leader in fact. However, the problem is that the talk must be private between him and the player, so they'll have to talk alone. Does anyone have any tips as to how to convince the PCs that this villain won't just break the truce and kill the player with a spell or something once they're alone. I plan for the villain to honour his word (he's Lawful Evil, after all), but I'm not sure how to get the players to be ok with the private talk.


Zone of Truth. He's willing to be put under Geas.



3. Could a Neutral Good NPC be returned to life as a Mummy by their god to allow them to continue in providing the aid they did in life? If so, could they be both still good, and be free-willed as they were in life?


Why wouldn't their god just revive them? Or bring them back as a Deathless?



4. If an NPC is drained to 0 CON by a Vampire, but his body is recovered before he turns, or even after he turns to a Vampire, is there any way to remove the original Vampire's control over the NPC, short of killing the original Vampire? Would a Break Enchantment do it? What about Limited Wish? (Even though no one in the world has Wish or Miracle yet, would they do it?)

A Wish or Miracle might. But the only real way to break the control is to either keep him from coming back as a vampire, or kill their sire. Even if they come back as a free vampire, though, they'll be Evil.



5. What is the average size for a medieval army? Or, more to the point, one in D&D. I've got about 15,000 soldiers on each side, with Devils, Undead, high level NPCs and Giants as more powerful forces. Does that sound about right?


Sure.

[Nettlekid]

I agree with most of the above, so just to add in my own two cents.

1. I'd say yes, it would work, but you can also use the spell Cloak of Dark Power (Drow Domain, level 1, from SpC) for a non-homebrew effect. It says it protects creatures harmed by sunlight from that harm. Get an amulet of it!

2. Hmm, if you portray him as truly Lawful Evil (especially if he's like a Devil or something that CANNOT break their word) then hopefully the party will trust him. Alternatively, use something like Geas on himself, ordering himself not to harm the PC. Might Peacebond, or an area warded by End to Strife work? Or, alternatively again, perhaps some use of Telepathy or a similar ability so that the villain and PC can have a discussion without actually having to be alone?

3. Since Mummies are USUALLY Lawful Evil, and not ALWAYS Lawful Evil, I say go for it. (Also I hate the alignments forced onto monsters just because of their race anyway.) Even though Negative Energy is usually viewed as Evil, I could imagine a more open-minded god to bring them back as you described. Especially as a Mummy, since Mummies in our world are created as respect for the dead. You might want to change out the Mummy Rot disease for something less evil-feeling, like maybe granting Touch of Golden Ice or another ravage from the Book of Exalted Deeds.

4. I would argue that Protection From Evil or a Magic Circle Against Evil set in place before the NPC rises as a Vampire would prevent the mental influence of the creator Vampire, as the spell protects from mental control. And of course, a strong enough Command/Control Undead would do it too. But yeah, I'd say Wish could do the job too.

5. I've got no idea about this one, but that's probably fine. One strong caster is easily worth thousands of low-level melee troops.