Cardea
2015-02-01, 03:12 PM
So I've been running Shackled City since October of 2013 over Skype. While I have had people leave and enter and leave, I've had a few consistent players throughout all the nonsense. My players consist of:
[PALADIN], Grey Guard of Kord. He is a Warden of the City, and sworn to protect it. He has built himself up as the Tank of the group, and has Goad.
[DUSKBLADE]. Originally a mail man of various Arcane Universities and smaller private schools, he now serves as the main damage of the party.
[CLERIC], Radiant Servant of Pelor. He is the right hand of the newly recovered Temple of Pelor in Cauldron, aiding his higher up through good times and bad. He is the healer.
Now while each of them have their own things going on in addition to the campaign's progress, I want to bring your attention to Cleric.
[CLERIC] picked up Leadership when he first could. Player spoke with me about it, and I agreed it, but warned him that it was going to matter. He couldn't just list them off as a number. And there was going to be consequences for taking the feat, both good and bad. He accepted. A group showed up not long after, saying they were part of a new congregation, looking upon [CLERIC] as a figure known as the 'Lightstar' of prophecy. He also met his Cohort a few hours later, a Shadowstriker of Pelor. They met, and his Cohort introduced himself as Brother Samson. This was maybe around... April or May of last year, I believe. They continued to adventure and as time progressed, the player unknowingly began using passive Light-based spells to contribute in combat without having to waste spell slots. While some shenanigans ensued, he later realized he was becoming brighter and brighter... like a star. He shrugged it off, and continued on with the game.
Now, the main city the game takes place in, Cauldron, has three main temples. St. Cuthbert, Kord and Wee Jas. There is a temple of Pelor, but it is small, and at game start, the two highest ranking members of the small temple disappear. This is actually why [CLERIC] came to the city; to investigate. But increasingly through the game, at base, is that the main priest of Pelor in the city would seemingly grow more mad and crazed, accusing the Wee Jas temple of horrid, horrid things, some of which against his temple. Well, he's not wrong. But since [CLERIC] has been there, fixing it, improving it, gaining followers and NPC allies, this path was changed to where the head priest is simply paranoid. Still, rightly so.
Eventually the party goes to investigate the temple, and lo and behold, a clue is revealed about the disappearances of the two missing priests of Pelor. At the scene of the crime, [CLERIC] figured that they were assaulted with Flame Strike. The clue, as they enter the final room, was Flame Strike. On the group. [PALADIN] makes his save. [DUSKBLADE] makes his save. [CLERIC] does not, and dies, since we are using Vile damage mechanics, and he sustained some from the last battle.
While dead, the party puts forth the effort to get funds and a spellcaster for True Resurrection. [CLERIC], in the meantime, talks with dead Pelor priests, and a smaller god who is in service to Pelor. He also finds out, that Brother Samson is his ancestor, four generations ago, frozen in time when he finished his Shadowstriker training, waiting to be brought back for when the next Radiant Servant of Pelor came to be. Turns out, it would be his own descendant.
But [CLERIC] is eventually brought back not a day later, and they continue with adventuring and finding out the root of all the problems, albeit with more care. While away, they level up, and [CLERIC] receives new followers. Now, he hadn't seen anyone new in a few levels, he realizes. He'd been out adventuring and dealing with being dead that, while his current followers grew in power, there wasn't as many as he should have. As he made his way in town to thank those who supplied Diamonds for his TR, he finds... that the Pelorian Inquisition is in the city.
He meets with their Leader, one of the men who overlooked his training, whom [CLERIC] loathes. The man discloses that since he has [Named Weapon of Legend found in Chapter 5], he would receive the Ring of the person who the weapon was given to. And while [CLERIC] enjoys the ring, he is also told that the Inquisition escorted a massive pilgrimage to the city. All of whom are his followers. Because of his death and deeds and level up, [CLERIC] went from Leadership 20, to Leadership 24. That is a difference of 67 people. One of the things that people don't take into account about Leadership is population. You are gradually getting people who know you by name and look upon you in awe, but they are still people, and have people lives, and occupy people space. The Leader of the Inquisition informs him that there are pavilions outside City Gates with his congregation, who are currently under guard of the Inquisition. He then leaves, and [CLERIC] takes as many healing-capable followers of his as he can, to treat the old, young, sick and injured.
Once outside, he does just this, but he also notices that certain people are missing limbs, and that the Inquisition has them all burning in a fire. He speaks with the man in charge of the guard there, and finds that many people were going mad and losing control of one or two of their limbs. He is working on replacing them with new magical limbs made of copper and iron, and informs [CLERIC] that these people were also suffering from visions/nightmares of two snakes, worn by an unseen figure. People who have played or run Shackled City before will know what this refers to. But something that was overlooked, despite being told, was this: The Inquisition is dressed in black and red, and wear symbols made of obsidian and iron. Many of whom are Grey Guards, many of whom will resort to drastic or unthought of methods to achieve victory and glory for Pelor. Who frequently make use of flame and fire to burn and inspire fear in non-believers and enemies alike... and hate undead, for they cannot suffer the same way that mortals can.
Ladies and Gentlemen, one of my proudest things I've done as a DM in all my years of D&D: I have introduced Pelor, The Burning Hate, into my campaign, after nearly a year of planning.
Edit: Edited to remove PC names.
[PALADIN], Grey Guard of Kord. He is a Warden of the City, and sworn to protect it. He has built himself up as the Tank of the group, and has Goad.
[DUSKBLADE]. Originally a mail man of various Arcane Universities and smaller private schools, he now serves as the main damage of the party.
[CLERIC], Radiant Servant of Pelor. He is the right hand of the newly recovered Temple of Pelor in Cauldron, aiding his higher up through good times and bad. He is the healer.
Now while each of them have their own things going on in addition to the campaign's progress, I want to bring your attention to Cleric.
[CLERIC] picked up Leadership when he first could. Player spoke with me about it, and I agreed it, but warned him that it was going to matter. He couldn't just list them off as a number. And there was going to be consequences for taking the feat, both good and bad. He accepted. A group showed up not long after, saying they were part of a new congregation, looking upon [CLERIC] as a figure known as the 'Lightstar' of prophecy. He also met his Cohort a few hours later, a Shadowstriker of Pelor. They met, and his Cohort introduced himself as Brother Samson. This was maybe around... April or May of last year, I believe. They continued to adventure and as time progressed, the player unknowingly began using passive Light-based spells to contribute in combat without having to waste spell slots. While some shenanigans ensued, he later realized he was becoming brighter and brighter... like a star. He shrugged it off, and continued on with the game.
Now, the main city the game takes place in, Cauldron, has three main temples. St. Cuthbert, Kord and Wee Jas. There is a temple of Pelor, but it is small, and at game start, the two highest ranking members of the small temple disappear. This is actually why [CLERIC] came to the city; to investigate. But increasingly through the game, at base, is that the main priest of Pelor in the city would seemingly grow more mad and crazed, accusing the Wee Jas temple of horrid, horrid things, some of which against his temple. Well, he's not wrong. But since [CLERIC] has been there, fixing it, improving it, gaining followers and NPC allies, this path was changed to where the head priest is simply paranoid. Still, rightly so.
Eventually the party goes to investigate the temple, and lo and behold, a clue is revealed about the disappearances of the two missing priests of Pelor. At the scene of the crime, [CLERIC] figured that they were assaulted with Flame Strike. The clue, as they enter the final room, was Flame Strike. On the group. [PALADIN] makes his save. [DUSKBLADE] makes his save. [CLERIC] does not, and dies, since we are using Vile damage mechanics, and he sustained some from the last battle.
While dead, the party puts forth the effort to get funds and a spellcaster for True Resurrection. [CLERIC], in the meantime, talks with dead Pelor priests, and a smaller god who is in service to Pelor. He also finds out, that Brother Samson is his ancestor, four generations ago, frozen in time when he finished his Shadowstriker training, waiting to be brought back for when the next Radiant Servant of Pelor came to be. Turns out, it would be his own descendant.
But [CLERIC] is eventually brought back not a day later, and they continue with adventuring and finding out the root of all the problems, albeit with more care. While away, they level up, and [CLERIC] receives new followers. Now, he hadn't seen anyone new in a few levels, he realizes. He'd been out adventuring and dealing with being dead that, while his current followers grew in power, there wasn't as many as he should have. As he made his way in town to thank those who supplied Diamonds for his TR, he finds... that the Pelorian Inquisition is in the city.
He meets with their Leader, one of the men who overlooked his training, whom [CLERIC] loathes. The man discloses that since he has [Named Weapon of Legend found in Chapter 5], he would receive the Ring of the person who the weapon was given to. And while [CLERIC] enjoys the ring, he is also told that the Inquisition escorted a massive pilgrimage to the city. All of whom are his followers. Because of his death and deeds and level up, [CLERIC] went from Leadership 20, to Leadership 24. That is a difference of 67 people. One of the things that people don't take into account about Leadership is population. You are gradually getting people who know you by name and look upon you in awe, but they are still people, and have people lives, and occupy people space. The Leader of the Inquisition informs him that there are pavilions outside City Gates with his congregation, who are currently under guard of the Inquisition. He then leaves, and [CLERIC] takes as many healing-capable followers of his as he can, to treat the old, young, sick and injured.
Once outside, he does just this, but he also notices that certain people are missing limbs, and that the Inquisition has them all burning in a fire. He speaks with the man in charge of the guard there, and finds that many people were going mad and losing control of one or two of their limbs. He is working on replacing them with new magical limbs made of copper and iron, and informs [CLERIC] that these people were also suffering from visions/nightmares of two snakes, worn by an unseen figure. People who have played or run Shackled City before will know what this refers to. But something that was overlooked, despite being told, was this: The Inquisition is dressed in black and red, and wear symbols made of obsidian and iron. Many of whom are Grey Guards, many of whom will resort to drastic or unthought of methods to achieve victory and glory for Pelor. Who frequently make use of flame and fire to burn and inspire fear in non-believers and enemies alike... and hate undead, for they cannot suffer the same way that mortals can.
Ladies and Gentlemen, one of my proudest things I've done as a DM in all my years of D&D: I have introduced Pelor, The Burning Hate, into my campaign, after nearly a year of planning.
Edit: Edited to remove PC names.