JeenLeen
2014-02-20, 03:14 PM
This has many spoilers about Kingmaker, some minor ones outside of spoiler tags.
I'm about to run the Kingmaker campaign, but the players have voiced wanting to stay low-level, so I'm planning on running the first three modules (up to level 10).
I have a general idea, which I'll put below in a spoiler tag, but I wanted to get some advice on how to build the final boss in a way similar to final boss of the campaign itself mixed with a almost-final boss.
My plot alterations and ideas for final boss
The being known as the Lord of the Rings had lived for centuries in the area. Legends tell of a powerful sorcerer (sometimes fae, elf, or human; legends differ) who was a master of using unique magical rings, and who even has the power to wear ten rings at once instead of the normal two. At one time, the entities of the fae realm tried to invade and seize the material plane. He, along with some others, defeated the fae and drove them back, severing the unity of the realms with the Ring of the Fae World. However, he perished in the attempt. Still, legends occasionally talk of a man who will lend a special ring to those with special needs, though many say these rings now carry a curse.
Richard is the Lord of the Rings. He was a human sorcerer granted long life by his fairy blood, but he enjoyed using Alter Self to appear as elf or fully fae. He did indeed stop the fae realm from invading earth with a band of heroes, but as he killed the leader of the fae forces, he was also slain. In the flux of magical energies, the fae spirits merged with some of the local wildlife—namely worms—which infested his corpse. When his comrades tried to raise him, they inadvertently created a strange form of a Worm that Walks with two personalities: that of Richard and that of the fae. The fae aspect took control of him and slew his comrades. He managed to get control afterwards and was driven insane by grief, blocking out many of his memories and ignoring the blackouts he has as his fae personality comes to the forefront. He has lived like this for the past thousand years.
The fae aspect has since planned to accomplish what they tried before, the breaking forth of the fae realm into the Greenbelt (and from that, potentially, to the rest of the world.) To this effect, it has worked through the centuries in preparation for this time, for every thousand years the barrier between the material and fae realms comes to its weakest point. Now the fae side is ready to warp the Ring of the Fae World to enable it to do the opposite of its intended purpose.
His mortal side fights against it at times subconsciously, but is also manipulated into helping it. Richard has been tricked into crafting cursed rings through the centuries. These have played small parts in keeping the Stolen Lands destabilized, and they are some of the main plot movers currently.
The below plot points are to give hints to the players about the Lord of the Rings. Knowledge rolls at applicable times could also give info (though I doubt my players will invest in such). I’m also thinking of having mortal-Richard subconsciously start writing hints about the ritual to create the ring in the city square after he moves to the city.
The Ring is powered by betrayal. The ritual has the following components:
1) Kill a being of light who trusts you and use its body to start the change of the ring (unicorn)
2) Cause a mortal to grow into power then fall (Stag Lord)
3) Cause nature to grow corrupt then fall (Owlbear)
4) Cause death to grow corrupt then fall (Cyclops Lich)
5) Destroy a society (kill the PCs and destroy their nation)
Dead Unicorn: instead of what is written in the module, this unicorn was killed by Richard. The human Richard was friends with it, but the fae side took control and killed it, using its horn as a material component for the ritual to alter the Ring of the Fae World. It didn’t see Richard kill it, but if revived it would wonder how it was killed and its friend unharmed. Richard doesn’t remember any details, but is perplexed about why one of his rings changed from metal to horn after a blackout.
Status of Erastil: instead of the statue in the module, this is a statute of the Ring of the Lord and his companions. The party meets Richard here (human personality), who gives some depressing storytelling about the statute if the players listen. If the players stay the night, his fae mind takes over and leaves in the middle of the night, summoning monsters to attack the players before vanishing.
Barbarian Caern: the Ring of Swimming is cursed with some minor curse, maybe a -2 to Acrobatics if not in water. It’s just an example of a Ring Lord ring from the past.
Stag Lord: instead of the Dream motivating him, the Stag Lord was chosen by Richard’s fae self. It motivated him and helped him get to a position of power. Recently, Richard put himself into position to be attacked by the Stag Lord and, in exchange for freedom, gave his possessions, including a cursed Ring of Charisma and Intimidation (+2 Charisma; +2 to Intimidation checks; cursed to give -5 Will saves and prone to vices (drunkenness, in the case of the Stag Lord)), which led to the Stag Lord’s current degradation.
New Event: soon after the city is founded, Richard comes and asks permission to open a ring-shop in town.
The Bard Rabble-Rouser: actually hired by fae-Richard, using Alter Self to appear as a dryad (but still lying, but this time the lie is that he’s from Pitax)
After Rabble-Rouser: If the party talks to him, Richard says that he thinks an old enemy was behind the bard rabble-rouser but then just looks frazzled if he tries to remember any details. At this point, Richard offers to help rule the nation if desired.
Guy who trained the Owlbear: instead of a ring woven from the fey’s hair, he was given a ring by Richard, Richard honestly hoping to help him as an animal trainer to help cultivate that area. The fae personality made sure it was cursed as in the book, however. Richard is distraught and saddened about the ring, if it is revealed to him, and wonders what happened to it to make it cursed.
The Lich: Fae-Richard tricked Richard into giving a cursed ring to this Cyclops about 800 years ago. Through the influence of the ring, Fae-Richard now awakens him.
Final Boss: when the party returns from defeating the lich, they find their ruling council dominated by Richard, now with the fae personality dominate. He hopes to kill the PCs.
Best ending: players subdue but do not kill their ruling court, and kill Richard or banish the fae aspect.
Middle ending: court is in chaos, but players kill or drive off Richard. He may return again.
Bad ending: players fail. City falls into ruin, ring is charged by betrayal, and the fae realm comes to earth
Part of my idea is that, if the players discover Richard earlier on and confront him, the fae side attacks. If they kill him early, cool, the lich is now the final boss. If they drive him off, he still attacks at the end, but doesn't have the royal council dominated.
Also, I was considering having the option of Resurrection working on him after he falls, allowing them to restore him.
Also, any advice on levels and power for a final boss like this? I was thinking something like Sorcerer 10 Worm That Walks.
And good equipment? The only big caveat is I don't want him to be able to innately fly. The team is a rogue, fighter, and buff/healer cleric, so it's low-to-mid op.
I'm thinking of having him wear 10 rings, but only 2 are magical at game start (Ring of the Fae World and a Ring of Nondetection or something like that.) As his goal nears completion, his rings gain more power (and thus he's a harder final boss if the players don't figure it out until after the lich fight.)
Comments? Build thoughts?
I'm about to run the Kingmaker campaign, but the players have voiced wanting to stay low-level, so I'm planning on running the first three modules (up to level 10).
I have a general idea, which I'll put below in a spoiler tag, but I wanted to get some advice on how to build the final boss in a way similar to final boss of the campaign itself mixed with a almost-final boss.
My plot alterations and ideas for final boss
The being known as the Lord of the Rings had lived for centuries in the area. Legends tell of a powerful sorcerer (sometimes fae, elf, or human; legends differ) who was a master of using unique magical rings, and who even has the power to wear ten rings at once instead of the normal two. At one time, the entities of the fae realm tried to invade and seize the material plane. He, along with some others, defeated the fae and drove them back, severing the unity of the realms with the Ring of the Fae World. However, he perished in the attempt. Still, legends occasionally talk of a man who will lend a special ring to those with special needs, though many say these rings now carry a curse.
Richard is the Lord of the Rings. He was a human sorcerer granted long life by his fairy blood, but he enjoyed using Alter Self to appear as elf or fully fae. He did indeed stop the fae realm from invading earth with a band of heroes, but as he killed the leader of the fae forces, he was also slain. In the flux of magical energies, the fae spirits merged with some of the local wildlife—namely worms—which infested his corpse. When his comrades tried to raise him, they inadvertently created a strange form of a Worm that Walks with two personalities: that of Richard and that of the fae. The fae aspect took control of him and slew his comrades. He managed to get control afterwards and was driven insane by grief, blocking out many of his memories and ignoring the blackouts he has as his fae personality comes to the forefront. He has lived like this for the past thousand years.
The fae aspect has since planned to accomplish what they tried before, the breaking forth of the fae realm into the Greenbelt (and from that, potentially, to the rest of the world.) To this effect, it has worked through the centuries in preparation for this time, for every thousand years the barrier between the material and fae realms comes to its weakest point. Now the fae side is ready to warp the Ring of the Fae World to enable it to do the opposite of its intended purpose.
His mortal side fights against it at times subconsciously, but is also manipulated into helping it. Richard has been tricked into crafting cursed rings through the centuries. These have played small parts in keeping the Stolen Lands destabilized, and they are some of the main plot movers currently.
The below plot points are to give hints to the players about the Lord of the Rings. Knowledge rolls at applicable times could also give info (though I doubt my players will invest in such). I’m also thinking of having mortal-Richard subconsciously start writing hints about the ritual to create the ring in the city square after he moves to the city.
The Ring is powered by betrayal. The ritual has the following components:
1) Kill a being of light who trusts you and use its body to start the change of the ring (unicorn)
2) Cause a mortal to grow into power then fall (Stag Lord)
3) Cause nature to grow corrupt then fall (Owlbear)
4) Cause death to grow corrupt then fall (Cyclops Lich)
5) Destroy a society (kill the PCs and destroy their nation)
Dead Unicorn: instead of what is written in the module, this unicorn was killed by Richard. The human Richard was friends with it, but the fae side took control and killed it, using its horn as a material component for the ritual to alter the Ring of the Fae World. It didn’t see Richard kill it, but if revived it would wonder how it was killed and its friend unharmed. Richard doesn’t remember any details, but is perplexed about why one of his rings changed from metal to horn after a blackout.
Status of Erastil: instead of the statue in the module, this is a statute of the Ring of the Lord and his companions. The party meets Richard here (human personality), who gives some depressing storytelling about the statute if the players listen. If the players stay the night, his fae mind takes over and leaves in the middle of the night, summoning monsters to attack the players before vanishing.
Barbarian Caern: the Ring of Swimming is cursed with some minor curse, maybe a -2 to Acrobatics if not in water. It’s just an example of a Ring Lord ring from the past.
Stag Lord: instead of the Dream motivating him, the Stag Lord was chosen by Richard’s fae self. It motivated him and helped him get to a position of power. Recently, Richard put himself into position to be attacked by the Stag Lord and, in exchange for freedom, gave his possessions, including a cursed Ring of Charisma and Intimidation (+2 Charisma; +2 to Intimidation checks; cursed to give -5 Will saves and prone to vices (drunkenness, in the case of the Stag Lord)), which led to the Stag Lord’s current degradation.
New Event: soon after the city is founded, Richard comes and asks permission to open a ring-shop in town.
The Bard Rabble-Rouser: actually hired by fae-Richard, using Alter Self to appear as a dryad (but still lying, but this time the lie is that he’s from Pitax)
After Rabble-Rouser: If the party talks to him, Richard says that he thinks an old enemy was behind the bard rabble-rouser but then just looks frazzled if he tries to remember any details. At this point, Richard offers to help rule the nation if desired.
Guy who trained the Owlbear: instead of a ring woven from the fey’s hair, he was given a ring by Richard, Richard honestly hoping to help him as an animal trainer to help cultivate that area. The fae personality made sure it was cursed as in the book, however. Richard is distraught and saddened about the ring, if it is revealed to him, and wonders what happened to it to make it cursed.
The Lich: Fae-Richard tricked Richard into giving a cursed ring to this Cyclops about 800 years ago. Through the influence of the ring, Fae-Richard now awakens him.
Final Boss: when the party returns from defeating the lich, they find their ruling council dominated by Richard, now with the fae personality dominate. He hopes to kill the PCs.
Best ending: players subdue but do not kill their ruling court, and kill Richard or banish the fae aspect.
Middle ending: court is in chaos, but players kill or drive off Richard. He may return again.
Bad ending: players fail. City falls into ruin, ring is charged by betrayal, and the fae realm comes to earth
Part of my idea is that, if the players discover Richard earlier on and confront him, the fae side attacks. If they kill him early, cool, the lich is now the final boss. If they drive him off, he still attacks at the end, but doesn't have the royal council dominated.
Also, I was considering having the option of Resurrection working on him after he falls, allowing them to restore him.
Also, any advice on levels and power for a final boss like this? I was thinking something like Sorcerer 10 Worm That Walks.
And good equipment? The only big caveat is I don't want him to be able to innately fly. The team is a rogue, fighter, and buff/healer cleric, so it's low-to-mid op.
I'm thinking of having him wear 10 rings, but only 2 are magical at game start (Ring of the Fae World and a Ring of Nondetection or something like that.) As his goal nears completion, his rings gain more power (and thus he's a harder final boss if the players don't figure it out until after the lich fight.)
Comments? Build thoughts?