campaign dilemma, which way to go?

[Allis]

At the moment I am running a short term adventure in which two groups of players are searching for the same magic artifact. The first group will arrive at an old temple this evening.

First, I had the idea of having this temple inhabited by a really old demented guy, who would have some information for them. I was looking for a way to have this man be really really old, perhaps by having him ressurected several times. But because you can't ressurect someone who died from old age, I need to find another way.

The easiest thing to do is have the temple abandoned and have them find an old, battered journal or such with the clue inside. But I rather like the idea of an encounter with an old man, really wise but not really "there" anymore.

I'm afraid that tinkering with the game-mechanics will screw the believability of the encounter. I don't want this to be a joke, I want them to know the hardship of this man's life, trying to cling to knowledge he has to preserve, while losing his mental abilities and being brought back to life over and over again to keep that knowledge.

Another thing is, I don't want them to get too much info, it might ruin the plot, so therefor having no-one to press for info is the easiest way to go. Then again, we never do things nice, and easy....

who can help me with this idea?

[SoD]

Well, the easiest way to live forever: reincarnate. Unlike ressurection (sp?), etc. you get a new body which is physically a young adult, which, once again, can live as long as that species can. Quick solution to living forever: once you hit venerable, get a druid to kill you and then cast reincarnate on you. When you hit venerable for the second time, rinse and repeat.

You could have your guy, along with two druids, potentially. So that one druid kills/reincarnates the other when he gets old, who does the first druid likewise, and they both work on the old guy if need be.

I hope that's useful.

[Maxymiuk]

I'd suggest the old man having a caretaker - perhaps a granddaughter, or even a grand-granddaughter who took it upon herself to take care of the old man.
She'll be the one to speak with the party first, in a brusque, eve outright hostile manner, unsure of their intent. Even if convinced, she'll still hesitate about letting them talk - quietly she'll say that he "isn't all there" anymore, not since... she'll hesitate, for a moment let her face slip so that the characters see the toil her duty has taken...

You're right that simply running into a crazy old coot is likely to beget jokes and eye-rolling. But if the players are first allowed to see the negative impact his condition is having on people around him, they should treat the situation with a greater degree of seriousness than maddened ramblings would otherwise merit.

[ColonelFuster]

It's easiest to make it serious by not having the standard crazy ramblings, but slow and solemn speech with no "hearing difficulties." Throw in the caretaker idea (which is brilliant) or a sanctuary spell.

Rogue: Sir?
Man: (Pause) ... yes, friend?
Rogue: Why are you here?
Man: Even I do not know... (Sighs and hunches shoulders, possibly toying with something important, like a key, in his hands)

But don't make the pauses too long, or the next line will invariably be

Rogue: I sneak attack and take the key.


Another way of doing things would be to make this old man a GHOST of an old man. As soon as he gives them the information they need, he smiles and fades away.

Help at all?

[cupkeyk]

Well, the easiest way to live forever: reincarnate. Unlike ressurection (sp?), etc. you get a new body which is physically a young adult, which, once again, can live as long as that species can. Quick solution to living forever: once you hit venerable, get a druid to kill you and then cast reincarnate on you. When you hit venerable for the second time, rinse and repeat.

You could have your guy, along with two druids, potentially. So that one druid kills/reincarnates the other when he gets old, who does the first druid likewise, and they both work on the old guy if need be.

I hope that's useful.

You can't reincarnate someone who has died of old age.

[Talic]

Eternal life, while continuing to grow frailer and frailer, would certainly be within the power of a Dying Curse (BoVD).... Or a Wish, if someone reached too far when making it.

If the crazy guy were an Elf, you'd get a good 800 years to make a case, with no special age-wonkiness.

[random11]

How about making him non-human?
Any race that has significantly higher lifespan than humans will do.

A possible idea: A race of humanoids that chooses when they want to die. This specific person chose to delay it until he can pass the information to someone else.

[Allis]

All the ideas are very helpfull. I might go with the ghost approach. The old guy's ghost has been waiting for "replacements" so he can finally pass on. The thing is, can a ghost have lost his mental abilities?

I did intend to have a brusque yet loving caretaker at the place, but if it's a ghost I dont think that would be realistic.

I think I'll go and have a shower. I get my best plans having a shower

[Allis]

So, here goes:

A really long time ago, no one knows, A cruel and evil king had a feud with his son. The son had gained substantial amounts of followers in high places, and seized reign. While the father could do nothing politically to seize it back, he planned an evil surprise for his offspring. He still had a small group of highly ranked priests and other magic users, and he had them device a large hunting horn (this is the item thegroups are questing for) This horn would bring the evil king back to life, and give him the reign over all undead sprouting up in the area. It would be presented to his son as a gift from the old advisors as a token of good-will, and the promise it would help defend the country in times of need. Because the old king had just fought over, and won the big island as his own kingdom from the empire on the main land, it was expected that time would come soon.

The leader of this group, Dioté, used to be the most devoted follower of the king. But as the work progressed, and the horn was made, he started having doubts. The new king ruled well, and a treaty with he empire was established. He wanted to undo his work, but the horn was devised in such way, it could not be broken (that would call forth the king as well). So he hid the horn on a remote island, in a cavern trapped and highly unaccessible. He proceeded to remove all evidence of its existence, including that of his own. That included slaying the rest of the followers who did not agree with him.

Those followers on their turn, tried to find a way to preserve the knowledge of the horn, so it would still be possible for their king to return. They slipped ambiguous info into the chronicles of the kingdom, so Dioté would not destroy it. Further more, they used some of the knowledge they had gained in designing the horn to make another artifact. It was a starshaped piece of bone, inserted into the flesh of one of them. That artifact would keep the wearer alive (if not well) untill the horn would be found. The man in the deserted temple is that Keeper. He hid there so the men of Dioté would not find him. He never thought it would be this long...

One of the stone walls will have numorous markings, he kept track of the years untill he got so weary he stopped. First, he waited for his friends to tell him it was save to return, but they never came.The place he chose to live at was inserted in the chronicles, so he did not dare leave the place. He will describe the king as brutal but just, and his son as cruel and a jerk. He will withold info about the darker uses of the horn, for fear they won't go and find it. These adventurers are his only hope for peace... I will have hem bear scars around the starshaped object in his chest, like he once wanted to cut it out but did not succeed...

Now all I need to do is decide on the deity these guys have been followig, and then find another name for it.

[Solo]

How about making him non-human?
Any race that has significantly higher lifespan than humans will do.

A possible idea: A race of humanoids that chooses when they want to die. This specific person chose to delay it until he can pass the information to someone else.

Elans perhaps?

[bosssmiley]

Include a couple of the ideas from the "Ancient Elders" article in one of the last-issue Dragon magazines. Basically the Elder subtype just meant that a character didn't die when it reached its maximum age (like Bilbo in "LOTR", or the knight in "Last Crusade").

How does a character gain the Elder subtype? That's for the GM to decide, although it's generally plot-hook worthy.

[Mewtarthio]

You can't reincarnate someone who has died of old age.

That's why you commit suicide before you die of old age (ie when you hit venerable age).

Those followers on their turn, tried to find a way to preserve the knowledge of the horn, so it would still be possible for their king to return. They slipped ambiguous info into the chronicles of the kingdom, so Dioté would not destroy it. Further more, they used some of the knowledge they had gained in designing the horn to make another artifact. It was a starshaped piece of bone, inserted into the flesh of one of them. That artifact would keep the wearer alive (if not well) untill the horn would be found. The man in the deserted temple is that Keeper. He hid there so the men of Dioté would not find him. He never thought it would be this long...

That's nice. It give the poor guy an additional incentive to ensure the horn gets found: Once the king comes back, he can finally die.

Ooh, and bonus points for including a justification for those obscure puzzle clues.

[Allis]

Thanks!

I always like a solid history for the campaign :) if anything, it makes it easier to define how the npc's will react. it is a lot of work, but it makes the world more believable.

I don't have any of the dragon issues. I'm from the netherlands, and dnd stuff here is really expensive, and often hard to come by. song and silence would be around 40 dollars... So we have home-brewed adventures, and mostly use the core books. But we don't have any less fun because of it.