TallerSpine
2018-02-03, 07:37 AM
The game is in the Eberron setting. The party have been trying to stop a necromancer who is using an artifact to create a manifest zone with Dolurrh. The party has received vague prophecies that the changeling rogue in the party should not use the artifact or there would be dire consequences. During the preparation for the final battle, the necromancer has one of her minions bring this rogue to her and hands him the staff. It is an intelligent item. Its purpose is to establish a permanent connection with Dal Quor. But the necromancer's will was getting in the way.
The necromancer was frustrated and frequently lost in a battle of wills with the staff. It was the staff's idea to give the changeling a shot (knowing the prophecy). The rogue failed the will save. So I said the staff was dominant. Apparently the player hard dominating and believed that he no longer had a will of his own. The staff ordered the changeling to use the staff. He botched his UMD roll. I had him roll randomly to see what plane was affected. He rolled a 12. On the chart for planes in the ECS, it was Dolurrh.
My thought was, by botching the UMD check, instead of creating a manifest zone, it caused the plane to crash into the material. Now, I'm giving the party five days to fix the issue or Eberron will be destroyed.
Few questions:
1. How might I rectify this with the player confusion? I was surprised when the character used the staff. It was not like him unless he was under compulsion. I feel like something should be retroactively done. Do I allow him to take back the actions of last session, he refuses to comply and the staff fights with him for a little while but is otherwise unable to force him to comply? Do I retroactively say the staff somehow used compulsion on him to use it? Do I say he used it by accident? Or do I leave it to him to figure out a non-metagamed reason he used it?
2. The staff has one purpose: to bring about a permanent link to Dal Quor. It doesn't know anything about what it happening. At this point, it is panicking, screaming at the changeling, "What did you do? Fix it! Fix it, Fix it, Fix it! Fix it now!" I'm thinking as the planes start to collide, demons from Dolurrh begin "crashing" into the material plane. Inevitables from Daanvi sense the disturbance and are tasked with investigating and meting out punishment. What other powerful entities might take notice of this event? Who might know how to fix it? Does anyone have any ideas for how to fix it?
The necromancer was frustrated and frequently lost in a battle of wills with the staff. It was the staff's idea to give the changeling a shot (knowing the prophecy). The rogue failed the will save. So I said the staff was dominant. Apparently the player hard dominating and believed that he no longer had a will of his own. The staff ordered the changeling to use the staff. He botched his UMD roll. I had him roll randomly to see what plane was affected. He rolled a 12. On the chart for planes in the ECS, it was Dolurrh.
My thought was, by botching the UMD check, instead of creating a manifest zone, it caused the plane to crash into the material. Now, I'm giving the party five days to fix the issue or Eberron will be destroyed.
Few questions:
1. How might I rectify this with the player confusion? I was surprised when the character used the staff. It was not like him unless he was under compulsion. I feel like something should be retroactively done. Do I allow him to take back the actions of last session, he refuses to comply and the staff fights with him for a little while but is otherwise unable to force him to comply? Do I retroactively say the staff somehow used compulsion on him to use it? Do I say he used it by accident? Or do I leave it to him to figure out a non-metagamed reason he used it?
2. The staff has one purpose: to bring about a permanent link to Dal Quor. It doesn't know anything about what it happening. At this point, it is panicking, screaming at the changeling, "What did you do? Fix it! Fix it, Fix it, Fix it! Fix it now!" I'm thinking as the planes start to collide, demons from Dolurrh begin "crashing" into the material plane. Inevitables from Daanvi sense the disturbance and are tasked with investigating and meting out punishment. What other powerful entities might take notice of this event? Who might know how to fix it? Does anyone have any ideas for how to fix it?