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Earthwalker
2014-08-15, 05:10 AM
I am looking for advice with my plans for my next Pathfinder session. Its all to do with memory and losing memories. The last session I had the PCs interact with some magical water. It seemed to be able to show memories, its worse than they know. It wants more memories.

My plan is for the PCs to stop at a ruined castle (only a few towers shown above round the rest has been burried as the castle pretty much sank. As the explore the castle they find the water (Water tat seems to be able to slowly flow up hill). Also they witness an ork (or someone else) step in the water get stunned then forgets what is happening.
This all seems a bit disjointed as I mainly just have some ideas of scenes I am hoping to see. I want my PCs scared of the water. So it can slowly follow them down a corridor as they try to work out what to do so the water can’t touch them.

First Issue to comment on.
I plan to start the session by telling them they are stood next to a ruined tower, with no memory of how they got here. As they explore I will play out a series of flashbacks. In the flashbacks they are free to do what they want. So when they walk into the tower we will play out a scene from the night before as they first entered, met an NPC and sheltered from the rain.

Next Issue
I am planning on having the water eat memories. I am unsure what to use as mechanics for this. I am thinking of wil saves to avoid the effect but unsure how to implment the effect.

Oppersition
Finally to over come the water I was thinking of a story being played out with ghosts of the long dead (memories broght to half life by the water) playing out a story and the players interactions changing the story. Need a good story for the players to interfere with.

Controlling the water
I was also thinking the water has turned hostile because it has eaten the memories of one too many evil creatures (I am thinking ork, as the ranger has that as favourite enemy) So getting to the heart of the water and removing the taint, or maybe a noble sacrific and giving good memories would reverse the corruption.

Lots of words with no questions but I am hoping to hear some good ideas / stories that could come from this. Also advice if starting in media res was the best idea.

The party for what it mattes.
Hobbit Ranger 2
Half-Elf Life Oracle 2
Gnome Summoner 2

Cazero
2014-08-15, 07:32 AM
I think starting in media res was a good plan if you intend to put successive flashbacks. Knowledge of the past when you deal with partial memory erasing is like knowing the future in any other situation.

Icewind Dale 2 had a short part comparable to this. It was a day loop backward rather than memory loss, the relative order of scenes end up being similar : what happened last is shown first, and you walk around talking about people you saw tomorrow, knowing how events will turn out and only the most passive of NPC can remember you inbetween loops. You end up preventing the loop to ever forming and the resulting paradox is never adressed, but still.



Oppersition
Finally to over come the water I was thinking of a story being played out with ghosts of the long dead (memories broght to half life by the water) playing out a story and the players interactions changing the story. Need a good story for the players to interfere with.


I think the story in question should be related to the castle they're in and the water itself. Maybe how that water got it's properties, how the castle fell (maybe from an orc army), or both at the same time.
The water could be the result of an attempt to counter a well poisoning with a poor choice of arcane magic, but letting it unexplained would probably be way scarier.

Earthwalker
2014-08-15, 07:58 AM
Thanks for the reply.


I think starting in media res was a good plan if you intend to put successive flashbacks. Knowledge of the past when you deal with partial memory erasing is like knowing the future in any other situation.

Icewind Dale 2 had a short part comparable to this. It was a day loop backward rather than memory loss, the relative order of scenes end up being similar : what happened last is shown first, and you walk around talking about people you saw tomorrow, knowing how events will turn out and only the most passive of NPC can remember you inbetween loops. You end up preventing the loop to ever forming and the resulting paradox is never adressed, but still.

I have not thought about the chance of a paradox, the characters will play out the flashbacks and may never fail when interacting with the water, offreing no oppertunity to explain the session start. I suppose there can be more than one trip into the castle, they are suffering from memory lose so who is to say what they have forgotten. I will have to think on this. I have a choice of accepting a paradox, or railroading a section of the flashback.


I think the story in question should be related to the castle they're in and the water itself. Maybe how that water got it's properties, how the castle fell (maybe from an orc army), or both at the same time.
The water could be the result of an attempt to counter a well poisoning with a poor choice of arcane magic, but letting it unexplained would probably be way scarier.

I have an in game explanation for the water and why it is like this. It will get exploired in the campaign if the players want to. (I hope they do but who knows). I am going with the idea of an Orcish army invading the castle tho. Will get them involved in the defense of the castle. At its heart the water is feeding on the anger and hate of the orcish warlord that failed to take the castle, the water could sustain him, keep him alive enough so it has memories.