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The Glyphstone
2007-12-16, 06:32 AM
My RL gaming group will most likely start spending a bit of time on the Plane of Shadow next session, and perhaps into following sessions depending on how much stuff I can find for them to do. The thing is, I need things for them to do, and ways I can set the "atmosphere" of the plane properly to make the session better.

The only atmosphere-related thing I thought of was having a bunch of black and white or greyscale pictures printed out (of people, trees, houses, that sort of stuff), and let them stare for a bit to get the proper mental imagery, since I've decided the Plane of Shadow would be much coolor if it were monochromatic.

For adventures, the primary hook bringing them there is an adult Shadow Dragon whom they rescued last session from an evil wizard, and accepted the dragonphile rogue as his servant in exchange for the debt. He'll probably be giving them tasks to start rebuilding his position in Xorvintaal (not that they will have any idea of it) - possibly going out to reclaim old, buried hoards of his that have since been "grown over" by other Shadow residents or the 'native' life.

Any other suggestions, on either ambience or actual content?

InkEyes
2007-12-16, 12:24 PM
The best thing about the Plane of Shadow is that it's like a mirror of the Material plane. A warped, dark mirror that can be quite disturbing to look at. The plane itself is full of dark mirages that can greatly disturb the minds of your PCs. The longer they stay in the Plane the more likely the Plane itself will draw memories of places the PCs know out of their minds and build a warped version around them.

The plane is also constantly moving, so Shadow Quakes are a big danger. Also it's really easy to get lost in the Plane of Shadow because what was in one place a week ago won't be there anymore.

DraPrime
2007-12-16, 01:00 PM
Distort things that are familiar to the players. If they go to the shadow plane equivalent of some city that they've been to a lot, then have the city be twisted so much that it's creepy. A city that they frequently go to on the material plane now might be completely empty, yet they notice someone looking at them from a window wherever they go. If they decide to go into the building to try to catch the person, there's no one there. Basically, create lots of creepy but harmless effects.

Doomsy
2007-12-16, 02:17 PM
Silent Hill. Not so much the demon filled part, but the scary abandoned atmosphere with the occasional horrible scene in it. Replace the fog with shadow, add in odd, meaningless noises. Like maybe the distant sounds of a song you can almost remember, or the occasional laughter from somewhere deeper in the darkness. Not necessarily evil sounds, but out of place. Darkness is all about the unknown.

Gralamin
2007-12-16, 02:24 PM
Previous posters have good ambiance suggestions. Content wise, I recommend using Shadowcasters if you have Tome of Magic, as well as binders with Tenebrous. These could be the Exarchs of another Dragon (possibly a Radiant Dragon...). They could also have Shadow Hand Swordsages and things like that. Or have mooks with liberal use of the Shadow and or Dark template.
At least thats what I'd do.

Edit: Also Xorvintaal wise, the Energy Aura ability works great with Shadow Dragons. A while ago there was a small discussion on it where it was determined that it generates the DM's choice of negative energy or Negative levels.

The Glyphstone
2007-12-19, 06:50 AM
Moving things around is a good idea, particularly since the group has a habit of trying to climb off the percieved and nonexistent railroad tracks, making it more difficult to supply encounters.

I had thought of the "haunted city" type idea, though in my case, it was going to be a sort of place where it looked perfectly normal and complete with population, except everything there was sort of insubstantial (or, the PCs are insubstantial) and have no idea the PCs are even there - except for the people's shadows, who can see the PCs and act alive, hissing, shaking their fists, reaching out to trip them, that sort of thing.

Any other suggestions?

Khanderas
2007-12-19, 07:07 AM
For adventures, the primary hook bringing them there is an adult Shadow Dragon whom they rescued last session from an evil wizard, and accepted the dragonphile rogue as his servant in exchange for the debt.

Sounds like a dragon allright. As thanks for rescuing me, you may become my servants. :smallcool:

Mr. Friendly
2007-12-19, 07:18 AM
The best thing about the Plane of Shadow is that it's like a mirror of the Material plane. A warped, dark mirror that can be quite disturbing to look at. The plane itself is full of dark mirages that can greatly disturb the minds of your PCs. The longer they stay in the Plane the more likely the Plane itself will draw memories of places the PCs know out of their minds and build a warped version around them.

The plane is also constantly moving, so Shadow Quakes are a big danger. Also it's really easy to get lost in the Plane of Shadow because what was in one place a week ago won't be there anymore.

Have all Shadow NPCs they meet resemble people they know on the Material plane - except with evil beards.

Keld Denar
2007-12-19, 08:46 AM
Do something really creapy, like have all the people look undeadish. Make their faces gaunt and their eye sockets sunken. Make their eyes a cloudy whitish color. All their finger nails are long, yellowed, and sharpened. If one of the PCs addresses someone, have them snap or hiss at them, then converse as normal like it didn't happen.

Also, nightshades and other unsavory creatures inhabit the plane of shadows. Nightwings in particular should flutter batlike above the PCs constantly. Always at the corners of their vision, they should see Shadows sink into the floor or walls out of sight. The PCs should get the sense that they are ALWAYS being watched and followed. Because they are. Living creatures wandering aimlessly on the Plane of Shadows are likened to wounded gazelle in the middle of the open savanah.

Also, you could have huge Spheres of Annihilation drifting slowly and aimlessly through the plane. They pass through solid objects leaving gaping holes. Slowly, befor the PCs eyes, the shadowstuff that the plane is made of swirls and begins to reform, until it looks the same as it did before. This will instill a sense of immediate danger into the minds of the PCs, because nothing is scarier to a character than permanant and total annihilation. According to the DMG, such Spheres are native and naturally occuring on the plane. If PCs try to investigate one too closely, it slowly starts to change direction toward them. Don't make it so quick that its a major risk to them, but its still pretty chilling to have complete destruction following you, slowly, relentlessly, and unstoppably.

Mr. Friendly
2007-12-19, 08:58 AM
Does anyone remember Tenebrous Worms from, I wanna say it was the MMII in 1st edition?

Those things were awesome. I seem to remember them being the larval foorm of, I think they were Gloomwings, a monster in the same book. Both were Plane of Shadow natives.

I loved Tenebrous Worms because:


They were poisonous. And by Poisonous I mean they had acidic poison that more or less autokilled you.
They had spines on the front, kind of like a lion mane. They worked similar to the way Howler quills do in 3rd.


They were awesome. :smallbiggrin:

Prometheus
2007-12-19, 01:19 PM
I make light the only source of refuge, something like the movie Pitch Dark. You are pretty much guaranteed to be anhiliated if you travel anywhere without light, and even then, some shadows are strong enough to approach you in the light. Your character have to be careful not to be separated by a light source by so much as a pole, and they have to weigh having multiple light sources for security against having a single light source that will last longer.

If you go with this, place a single light in the center of the table (a latern?), and turnout all other lights including closing the curtains. If you have a room without windows or really effective curtains it will get darker than you ever thought.

Leliel
2007-12-19, 03:17 PM
"Unkown" is the quality darkness represents, and I agree with the suggestion to make it somewhat creepy.

However, I say that you should make it somewhat beautiful as well-Truth was once unkown after all, and art comes from the darkness of the artist's mind.