How would you gain power (D&D 3.5)

[Sarquion]

I just wanna know how you would become a king or some other form of dictator or would you go down the democracy route and get elected it in?

The easy way inwhich most people would do it is to marry the princess and either wait for the king to die or assassinate him. (Which is my current plan in the campaign I'm in)

So thought, ideas, plans and schemes! Make them interesting!

[Zaydos]

I'd be the great hero, slay the monsters threatening the kingdom, lead the armies in war and either be appointed the next king for my unfailing devotion to the kingdom, or rewarded with the hand of the princess for the same reason.

Otherwise I'd become the king's trusted adviser and chief magician and slowly accustom him to following my commands using magic to improve my persuasiveness, until I was the power behind the throne or make a cursed ring that makes the wearer be charmed by me, use Nystuul's Undetectable Aura and get the king to wear it.

[Logalmier]

I would turn myself into an invincible Beholder Mage Incantrix and create a Magocracy similar to Tippyverse. The best way to gain political power is to have real power.

[The-Mage-King]

Ready a Quickened Locate City Nuke. Inform the kking of the fact. Inform him that I am now calling the shots.


Or the whole marry-princess-then-assassinate-king thing works too. Especially with Disintegrate and Gust of Wind.

[druid91]

Eh, just taking over the kingdom isn't much, I would conquer the multiverse.

I would assemble a cult of aberration worshiping followers using this as an incentive gather several mind-flayers as lieutenants under me. I would then slowly foster bad relations between arcane and divine magic users culminating in all out war, I would assassinate any who showed signs of having the potential to become a threat leaving the world with a relatively low magic baseline.

Then I would exterminate the arcane users, followed by embroiling the 'verse in a second war between law and chaos, shortly followed by good vs evil, splitting the multiverse into as many factions as their are alignments spreading intolerance of neutrality by causing an "If you aren't with us your against us," siege mentality in each side. I would achieve this by scry and die along with a few other methods, from my magically shielded base in the far realms. The mind flayers and my cult in the meanwhile would be producing an emerald legion as fast as possible on a demiplane created with psionics.

When the time was ripe we would charge in on the side of lawful evil, a massive host of nigh indestructible trolls bursting into Ysgard and storming the plane, killing all and dumping the bodies through to the elemental plane of fire. Ysgard would then be annexed by hell becoming my new domain as an Archduke. I would then use my army to overcome and destroy the weakened forces of the rest of the multiverse, and as the devils were in the fighting as well strong arm them into accepting my position as new king of hell and thus the multiverse after all opposition is destroyed.

The mind flayers would have long since been bound to me in such a way that they must obey, likely liberal application of monstrous thrall.

Then I would sit down on my throne look out upon the suffering, bloodshed and destruction I caused with my meddling and start laughing maniacally.....

he.. ha ha ha.. HA. HA. HAHA.. AHAHAHA.. HA.. HA!!!

*Camera slowly moves backwards while I laugh to show my awesome tower made of lava and black rock, with my throne sitting on top as mutant trolls fly by and the Ysgardian landscape for miles around is blackened and scorched, with parts still burning sending flames and smoke to cover huge swaths of the sky*
Just kidding.

[Shadowleaf]

Mind Rape comes to mind.

[WarKitty]

Get a +50 to my diplomacy check. Make everyone I talk to fanatic.

[Coidzor]

Get a +50 to my diplomacy check. Make everyone I talk to fanatic.

Ah, yes, the old make the gods themselves worship you gambit.

[FelixG]

Political power is easy.

Planned chaos is what you want, you have your party (or followers if you have leadership) go and make lots of trouble in towns, thorps, ect to get the population all annoyed and in uprising over some fabricated issues (also useful with leadership)

What you do then is solve these issues for the people, let them see you as a hero and their savior when really you are just the mastermind behind a clever PR campaign. Convince them that their current nobles/government doesn't have their best interests in mind and that you are there to take care of them.

This is especially easy when things travel more via word of mouth and stories as opposed to hard facts like in today's world.

Another option is Hydraulic Despotism

Gain control of a particular resource that everyone needs, be it a drug you introduce with fatal drawbacks if it is stopped, a poison in the food or water supply and you control the only anti toxin that needs to be taken regularly or control the food or water supply yourself.

Once you control this one vital element everyone needs to survive you can easily protect it and make everyone follow your lead ala "do as i say or you dont get resource X and if you dont get resource X you die."

[WarKitty]

Ah, yes, the old make the gods themselves worship you gambit.

Best of all it's completely legitimate for a good character!

[Halae]

Eh, just taking over the kingdom isn't much, I would conquer the multiverse.

I would assemble a cult of aberration worshiping followers using this as an incentive gather several mind-flayers as lieutenants under me. I would then slowly foster bad relations between arcane and divine magic users culminating in all out war, I would assassinate any who showed signs of having the potential to become a threat leaving the world with a relatively low magic baseline.

Then I would exterminate the arcane users, followed by embroiling the 'verse in a second war between law and chaos, shortly followed by good vs evil, splitting the multiverse into as many factions as their are alignments spreading intolerance of neutrality by causing an "If you aren't with us your against us," siege mentality in each side. I would achieve this by scry and die along with a few other methods, from my magically shielded base in the far realms. The mind flayers and my cult in the meanwhile would be producing an emerald legion as fast as possible on a demiplane created with psionics.

When the time was ripe we would charge in on the side of lawful evil, a massive host of nigh indestructible trolls bursting into Ysgard and storming the plane, killing all and dumping the bodies through to the elemental plane of fire. Ysgard would then be annexed by hell becoming my new domain as an Archduke. I would then use my army to overcome and destroy the weakened forces of the rest of the multiverse, and as the devils were in the fighting as well strong arm them into accepting my position as new king of hell and thus the multiverse after all opposition is destroyed.

The mind flayers would have long since been bound to me in such a way that they must obey, likely liberal application of monstrous thrall.

Then I would sit down on my throne look out upon the suffering, bloodshed and destruction I caused with my meddling and start laughing maniacally.....

he.. ha ha ha.. HA. HA. HAHA.. AHAHAHA.. HA.. HA!!!

*Camera slowly moves backwards while I laugh to show my awesome tower made of lava and black rock, with my throne sitting on top as mutant trolls fly by and the Ysgardian landscape for miles around is blackened and scorched, with parts still burning sending flames and smoke to cover huge swaths of the sky*
Just kidding.

...WOW. That's very elaborate and very good (evil, rather, I suppose). I like it.

[Ormur]

By the Baron Wulfenbach route and just conquering everything myself by the might of my powers and army, not because I want to but because I have to in order to save the world. This has occurred to me from time to time in a campaign I'm currently playing.

[druid91]

...WOW. That's very elaborate and very good (evil, rather, I suppose). I like it.

Plotting multiversal conquest became a hobby of mine, that's my favorite plan.

[ranagrande]

You could always just get a Candle of Invocation...

[Savannah]

I'd be a druid. Then I'd politely inform the king that I don't really care what he does, but if he annoys me there will be a spellcasting bear, riding a bear, surrounded by summoned bears making "visits" to the farms that supply the kingdom. I forsee a sudden change in mining/farming techniques and animal-welfare laws in that kingdom.

.....I'm not really into power.

[Soren Hero]

my plan for taking over the material plane involves four things:

Spoiler

Show

1. find some way to boost the effective power of the spell, simulacrum...conceivably, i'd want 80-90% power...maybe create my own simulacrum spell that allows 85% power, and a permanent telepathic link to my creature, and no xp cost (or make it accept ambrosia, which ill explain later) ...i would then proceed to create an invincible army of every type of powerful creature i could find/summon/gate/planar bind...some that come to mind are balors, solars, pit fiends, titans, maybe the tarrasque, if i could find it, etc...i would then bring them into my new demiplane

2. use genesis to create my own demiplane to use as a stronghold, and prevent all entrance/scrying/etc to the plane except by me and my simulacrums...and i'm talking about paranoid batman wizard style protections...if i'm going to take over the material plane (and eventually the multiverse), i am going to need a secure base of operations...i can use some of the simulacrums i will make to start building my fortress, making laboratories for crafting, experimenting, research...devote some of them to searching/capturing other creatures to make copies of...maybe start making the crazy things i've seen in forums [like a borg cube, or invincible airships]

3. build hospitals in areas that i want to take over...they would utilize a symbol of pain, nipple clamps of exquisite pain, and distill joy to create ambrosia which can be used for crafting...have the hospital be "free", only requiring patients to spend time there (find someway to manipulate time, like manifest zone, 1 day=1 year), and then have a cleric heal them. i have just become indispensable to society. [copied idea from plzbreakmycampaign] I can then use the ambrosia to create more items, which i can then use to fuel my war machine (or the war machine of other factions). also, i can start stockpiling this ambrosia in my demiplane, and eventually ill have enough to use as currency with other planar powers...i could start trading with the upper planes, in exchange for artifacts, magic, rituals, etc...basicially, im stockpiling resources for my eventually takeover

4. in the areas where i have built hospitals, i have access. access to the ruling powers of those areas. i can then leverage that access in order to gain more resources (like ruling the country itself). if a ruler refuses to play ball, i have a whole demiplane full of powerful simulacrums ready to put the hurting on the country. also, i can have other countries that i have access to wage wars against that country in order to make them more compliant. the goal is to be behind the scenes for as long as possible, because if i'm out in the open, people will start getting rid of my hospitals, and my access. the material plane is easy pickings at this point, eventually, i'd consolidate the material plane kingdoms that i control into a massive empire (still having hospitals churning out ambrosia, still having resources stockpiled, still creating a massive simulacrum army or powerful monsters) and take over the rest of the material plane, either by force or through more manipulation. once the material plane is under my control, i'd start beefing up planar defenses in order to prevent the outer planes from gaining a foothold, thereby protecting my empire's base. I will be safely tucked away in my demiplane, while my subordinates carry out my orders on the material plane

[Wings of Peace]

I'd be the wandering spell-caster. Why centralize myself for enemy spell-casters? I could be just as effective and far more mobile than any army I could lead as a king or an emperor. A lot less paperwork involved with being a wanderer too I bet.

Being a Dweomerkeeper who hunts down other magic users whose level of power makes them capable of being a threat to weave stability could always be fun.

[Killer Angel]

Just kidding.

A pity. It would be worth watching it...

[druid91]

A pity. It would be worth watching it...

Yeah, so far as I know cameras don't exist in d&d.

[dsmiles]

I bought a kingdom, once. I played a Charisma-based Rogue build, and had my own merchant kingdom by the end of the campaign.

[Killer Angel]

Yeah, so far as I know cameras don't exist in d&d.

Although I suppose that Prying Eyes can simulate the device...

[Alleran]

I wouldn't become the king. Why should I be the person to sit on the throne (and open myself up to attack) when I can be the hidden power behind it, manipulating events to ensure where all the power is? I'll be a 20th level full caster, after all, with all that implies. Only one level away from winning the multiverse.

And if the king disagrees with me?

Mind Rape.

He isn't the one who'll have the INT score that rivals a god, so he can sit down, shut up, and do what I tell him to do.

[Dresil]

I heard one way to get some decent power is to be a cleric and spread the teachings of Snow Days. You aim your marketing to children and once you get enough followers (Who doesn't like snow days) you become a divine rank 0 demigod. Boom, tell the king to suck it and move in.

[Cogidubnus]

I heard one way to get some decent power is to be a cleric and spread the teachings of Snow Days. You aim your marketing to children and once you get enough followers (Who doesn't like snow days) you become a divine rank 0 demigod. Boom, tell the king to suck it and move in.

I like this plan. Incidentally, where are the rules for divine rank etc?

My character in a campaign I'm in is a pit fiend, and we're all been teleported to the modern day. I have a lot of SLAs, so I'm toying with the idea of charming, and eventually dominating, world leaders to get me whatever I want. Course, I might just nuke the face of the planet and make it into a wasteland suitable for devils, abberations and monsters generally - no more of those filthy humanoids

[Duke of URL]

Kingdoms are blase.

Thrallherd + genesis to create my own demiplane and cult dedicated to worshiping me so I can become a deity. Now, that's ambition.

[Tyndmyr]

I'll create my own world, via genesis. I will populate it using epic spells. In short, I will be the benevolent creator of everything. In it, I will also provide for my creations in all sorts of fashions, tippyverse-style, using traps. Now, desires may be endless, but at least satisfying all routine needs should be easy.

Somewhere along the path to this much power, I'll have no doubt gotten some enemies. I will occasionally allow minions of theirs into my world before defeating them. I will ensure my people are aware of the danger they present. Likewise, I will set up permanent portals to other, unpleasant places, with large notices printed about the dangers of the outside world.

Therefore, all those who are curious, brave, or adventurous will either die off in short order, or return home filled with tales of horror, and grateful for the comforts of home. I shall rule this world, and everyone shall desire me to do so.

With a large number of devoted followers, none of which need be subject to magical compulsion(and in fact, can be immune to it), I can accomplish all sorts of things. I need not fear my followers gaining in power, but rather, can use that power to extend my grasp.

With time, this plane will grow to be practically infinite, and other planes may have to be depopulated(though I leave such decisions to the more ambitious of my underlings. No need to risk being associated with such decisions.). Do not take over others....destroy them utterly, and create anew. Only in this fashion can you ensure that the very possibility of replacing you is unthinkable.

[Logalmier]

{Scrubbed}

[druid91]

Only in this fashion can you ensure that the very possibility of replacing you is unthinkable.

Or... You could have an invincible army capable of bringing down gods bound to your will.

[Aotrs Commander]

Personally, I find orbital bombardment - or the threat thereof - is the best option...

{Scrubbed}

Did I miss something? That's the second time today someone's said something like that...

[druid91]

Personally, I find orbital bombardment - or the threat thereof - is the best option...




Did I miss something? That's the second time today someone's said something like that...

It seems he is banned.