White Plume Mountain side quest/character help

[Foxydono]

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding the adventure White Plume Mountain. I haven't played the module myself, so there are no spoilers in the question, but there might be in some of the answers given. So if you do not want spoilers, don't read any further!

In two weeks a new adventure will start and the group is playing White Plume Mountain. The group likes roll playing and puzzles and it is less combat focused. They are all fairly new and just finished Lost Mines of Phandelver. In the upcoming campaign I will neither join as a player or as a DM, since I cannot join every session. The DM suggested it might be fun adding me as a side character to give them moral dilemma's. So more of an NPC type of character, which can help them or fight them, depending on the choices they make. Like a necromancer doing shady stuff and giving them some hard choices for gold/rewards etc.

They could ignore me also, so it all depends on what they want. In the Lost Mines campaign the group leaned a bit towards the evil side, so I want to tempt them. Come to the dark side! :D

Anyway, as i said, I haven't played the module, so I am looking for idea's for characters that could fulfill a roll a described above and that fits in the theme of the campaign. Maybe linked to a (semi evil) god/faction in the campaign? The current DM is flexible and I am a fairly experiences player/DM so any ideas are welcome! I am really looking forward to play a scheming and shady character, so surprise me! Also, what level should I aim to make my character to make it a deadly fight if they do decide to attack me or maybe I should play a monster of some sort?

I am looking forward to all the suggestions you guys have and thanks in advance for all the ideas.

Kind regards,

Mark

[Unoriginal]

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding the adventure White Plume Mountain. I haven't played the module myself, so there are no spoilers in the question, but there might be in some of the answers given. So if you do not want spoilers, don't read any further!

In two weeks a new adventure will start and the group is playing White Plume Mountain. The group likes roll playing and puzzles and it is less combat focused. They are all fairly new and just finished Lost Mines of Phandelver. In the upcoming campaign I will neither join as a player or as a DM, since I cannot join every session. The DM suggested it might be fun adding me as a side character to give them moral dilemma's. So more of an NPC type of character, which can help them or fight them, depending on the choices they make. Like a necromancer doing shady stuff and giving them some hard choices for gold/rewards etc.

They could ignore me also, so it all depends on what they want. In the Lost Mines campaign the group leaned a bit towards the evil side, so I want to tempt them. Come to the dark side! :D

Anyway, as i said, I haven't played the module, so I am looking for idea's for characters that could fulfill a roll a described above and that fits in the theme of the campaign. Maybe linked to a (semi evil) god/faction in the campaign? The current DM is flexible and I am a fairly experiences player/DM so any ideas are welcome! I am really looking forward to play a scheming and shady character, so surprise me! Also, what level should I aim to make my character to make it a deadly fight if they do decide to attack me or maybe I should play a monster of some sort?

I am looking forward to all the suggestions you guys have and thanks in advance for all the ideas.

Kind regards,

Mark

How do you feel about sapient magic weapons?

[Foxydono]

How do you feel about sapient magic weapons?
I am fine with sentient weapons and it is a cool idea. You can definitly make a cool story behind it. I do have some concerns, since i won't there every session (though the DM could cover for me). Also, I rather be independent from a specific PC and a weapon is usually tied to specific class or person. Is there an Artifact or sentient weapon that is tied to White Plume Mountain that is already in the campaign or did you have something else in mind?

[Segev]

Blackrazor is one of three sentient weapons that are the primary rewards of the dungeon. Each lies along one of three obvious paths that are almost separate mini-dungeons. Blackrazor is a sword and, while not evil, it requires feeding on life force every day. Tempting the party to go for it, first, and to use it would be one way to tempt them to the dark side.

There is also a very well-hidden passageway to a part of the dungeon that is entirelyjundetailed and is where the victims of Keraptis's 'dungeon monster Recruitment Program' find out why they should regret being recruited. In my own game, I made it constantly reference "Orientation" and imply through corporate buzzwords and jargon that it was a brainwashing exercise.

Also, if a necromancer, offer them tips and advice about upcoming challenges after each fight. Your pay? The corpses of the fallen. Make sure to give better intel for more intact, better-quality corpses, or for their allies' corpses.

[Unoriginal]

I am fine with sentient weapons and it is a cool idea. You can definitly make a cool story behind it. I do have some concerns, since i won't there every session (though the DM could cover for me). Also, I rather be independent from a specific PC and a weapon is usually tied to specific class or person. Is there an Artifact or sentient weapon that is tied to White Plume Mountain that is already in the campaign or did you have something else in mind?

Blackrazor, as Segev said, is who I had in mind.


If you'd prefer a more humanoid NPC, I suggest an old hermit with psionic powers.

Necromancers can be fun, but it goes wild when the crazy old man starts moving stuff with the power of his mind.

[Blatant Beast]

White Plume Mountain is relatively short. I can not imagine the module lasting more than 2-3 sessions without some substantial expansion by the DM.

I have never been impressed by the module, it reads like an audition, and that is exactly what it is.

One idea is you could play the spirit of the dungeon's creator, whom is awakened from death by the removal of the magic items from their receptacles.

You could even possess animals and humanoids to adventure in person with the group, when needed, without always being a blue glowing guy.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Aren't there some crazy criminal NPCs on the loose in a room with water flowing through it.

[Pex]

In the module is a leader of a gang ready to ambush the party. He's a wanted man. Have him be wanted for crimes in a PC's home city and/or be the bad guy responsible for some harm against the PC in backstory.

To be macabre: It's possible for the party to gain the help of a flesh golem. Have the head belong to someone well known in a PC's hometown. Don't make it a family member or former flame, but it could be someone he knows from backstory. Have all the heads be of people the party knows from backstory so as not to single out which one is the friendly one as you need to solve a math logic riddle to get its aid.

[tomandtish]

The novelization played with the party itself made of people with opposed goals, and split into 3 groups almost immediately. Two religious groups each owned one of the weapons, but were planning on taking ALL the weapons for their church. It's made worse by the fact that the "paladin" is actually an Erinyes who used illusions to start open conflict between the two religions in the first place.

Any possibilities there?