atomicpenguin
2013-08-27, 02:46 PM
I have an idea for a tool that GM's can use. Its a play on the old DnD convention where a smart player starts asking questions the GM can't answer and so the GM simply states "A wizard did it." Well, I present to you now the Tale of Sarda: The Wizard Who Did It.
(Note: The concept and name of this character come from the webcomic 8-bit theater)
Long ago, in the age of the first men, there was a boy named Sarda who lived in a small village. He was thirteen and apprenticed under his father when a stranger came to the village, an old man (or woman, the story is rather unclear on this point) wrapped in a cloak. The stranger went from door to door, seeking food and shelter for the night. But the villagers, unaccustomed to strangers and wary of this newcomer, turned the stranger away. Finally, the stranger came to the doorstep of Sarda's parents, who also turned the stranger away. But before the door closed, Sarda saw the look of disappointment in the stranger's eyes. And so Sarda quickly went out the back door and told the stranger to wait and return when his parents were asleep. And so the stranger waited and, sure enough, Sarda was there to let the stranger in. They shared a meal from the stores of Sarda's parents and a long, meandering conversation. Eventually, the chitchat turned to the subject of the other races, the elves, the fey, and the like. Sarda mused aloud about how neat it would be for humans to have their own magic just like these races did.
What Sarda didn't know was that the stranger was, in fact, the deity of magic. This deity was looking for a human who was worthy of the responsibility of being the first human to be gifted with magic and Sarda, through his generosity, proved himself to be worthy. So the next morning, Sarda awoke to discover the stranger had left and that he had been gifted with magic. What follows is a series of magnificent adventures, during which Sarda discovers the secret to eternal life. And so, with eternal life and near omnipotent magical power, Sarda asked himself what he should do with his life and decided to experience everything there was to experience in life. Literally everything. So now he goes around, typically in disguise, doing any and everything there is to do.
The point of Sarda is that whenever your players pose a question that you cannot answer, simply say "A wizard did it" and secretly compose a story of how Sarda did whatever it was. For example, I had a laser puzzle in one of my dungeons and, to make it harder, I said that the mirrors couldn't be rotated without a special rotating device. One of my players pointed out that it takes less force to rotate something than to move it around a room. In response, I would simply say "A wizard did it" and compose a story about how Sarda wanted to break the laws of physics with magic that one time.
I am okay with and in fact encourage using this character in your campaigns. Weave him into your world's backstory and add to the legend of Sarda. Here are a few of the things that Sarda has done. Please feel free to add to the list in your posts below:
-Sarda once desired to experience conquering a kingdom. He raised an army from various Orcish tribes and neighboring kingdoms and used strategic genius only available to an ageless being to conquer a kingdom, demanding that the king surrender and part with his crown as a symbol. Sarda took the crown, placed it upon his head for a long moment, then gave it back and said goodbye, leaving with his entire army never to be seen again.
-Sarda once traveled to the top of a tall mountain in one of the most remote and dangerous lands in order to obtain a rare herb to put in his stew the next day.
-Sarda once applied him self to the task of finding a way to magically transmute gold into lead. He succeeded, but accidentally left his notes in a tavern in a large city. Because the people mistranslated his notes, Sarda accidentally invented alchemy.
-Sarda once became a magical vigilante defending the streets of a certain city, then went back in time so he could also be the head of the criminal organization that he was originally fighting.
(Note: The concept and name of this character come from the webcomic 8-bit theater)
Long ago, in the age of the first men, there was a boy named Sarda who lived in a small village. He was thirteen and apprenticed under his father when a stranger came to the village, an old man (or woman, the story is rather unclear on this point) wrapped in a cloak. The stranger went from door to door, seeking food and shelter for the night. But the villagers, unaccustomed to strangers and wary of this newcomer, turned the stranger away. Finally, the stranger came to the doorstep of Sarda's parents, who also turned the stranger away. But before the door closed, Sarda saw the look of disappointment in the stranger's eyes. And so Sarda quickly went out the back door and told the stranger to wait and return when his parents were asleep. And so the stranger waited and, sure enough, Sarda was there to let the stranger in. They shared a meal from the stores of Sarda's parents and a long, meandering conversation. Eventually, the chitchat turned to the subject of the other races, the elves, the fey, and the like. Sarda mused aloud about how neat it would be for humans to have their own magic just like these races did.
What Sarda didn't know was that the stranger was, in fact, the deity of magic. This deity was looking for a human who was worthy of the responsibility of being the first human to be gifted with magic and Sarda, through his generosity, proved himself to be worthy. So the next morning, Sarda awoke to discover the stranger had left and that he had been gifted with magic. What follows is a series of magnificent adventures, during which Sarda discovers the secret to eternal life. And so, with eternal life and near omnipotent magical power, Sarda asked himself what he should do with his life and decided to experience everything there was to experience in life. Literally everything. So now he goes around, typically in disguise, doing any and everything there is to do.
The point of Sarda is that whenever your players pose a question that you cannot answer, simply say "A wizard did it" and secretly compose a story of how Sarda did whatever it was. For example, I had a laser puzzle in one of my dungeons and, to make it harder, I said that the mirrors couldn't be rotated without a special rotating device. One of my players pointed out that it takes less force to rotate something than to move it around a room. In response, I would simply say "A wizard did it" and compose a story about how Sarda wanted to break the laws of physics with magic that one time.
I am okay with and in fact encourage using this character in your campaigns. Weave him into your world's backstory and add to the legend of Sarda. Here are a few of the things that Sarda has done. Please feel free to add to the list in your posts below:
-Sarda once desired to experience conquering a kingdom. He raised an army from various Orcish tribes and neighboring kingdoms and used strategic genius only available to an ageless being to conquer a kingdom, demanding that the king surrender and part with his crown as a symbol. Sarda took the crown, placed it upon his head for a long moment, then gave it back and said goodbye, leaving with his entire army never to be seen again.
-Sarda once traveled to the top of a tall mountain in one of the most remote and dangerous lands in order to obtain a rare herb to put in his stew the next day.
-Sarda once applied him self to the task of finding a way to magically transmute gold into lead. He succeeded, but accidentally left his notes in a tavern in a large city. Because the people mistranslated his notes, Sarda accidentally invented alchemy.
-Sarda once became a magical vigilante defending the streets of a certain city, then went back in time so he could also be the head of the criminal organization that he was originally fighting.