| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alaria |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 00:12:45
OK, I need some help with an ideea that I have and need to see if it's feasable in the realms. In the course of my pc's travels, they are going to encounter a small town with a lvl 8-10 female wizard who has been acting as the town's only healer, using potions and a wand and such, since the mysterious death of the town's original healer/midwife 3 years prior. The wizard had married someone from the town who had traveled into a larger city for a time and then the couple moved back. She is pretty much the only magic caster of any substance in the town. She's protraying herself as a good alignment, trying to help as best she can. However, she's actually an evil con artist basically, who enjoys others' pain. She's convinced the townsfolk that thier town has been cursed by a demon (possibly Pale Night, mother of demons, but thats debatable atm) and they have to make regular sacrifices and contributions in order to appease said demon. Wizard has 2 lvl 5-7 demons working for/with her. Basically, when travelers move through the area, they often either kidnapped by some of the townsfolk or if the travelor's actually come into town, they are taken there. The townsfolk dont know that the demons are in cahoots with the wizard. They believe she is on thier side. After the travelors are killed, they are robbed of their possesions (which ends up in a secret room in the wizard's home). The way the wizard keeps the townsfolk in line is by telling them that if they dont provide enough sacrifice and goods, the higher up demon "demanding" all this will demand instead one of the town's newborns instead, to be taken and raised as an evil follower. the only way the town knows if this is the case is if when a child is born, it has some type of mark on it, which the wizard says was put their to identify it (in actuality, its just some type of birth mark. the wizard, acting as the midwife is propely all upset and takes the newborn away)
Ok, long explanation I know and my questions are pretty basic. My pc's obviously have detect evil spells and such. I need to know if there is any way around this, some type of spell or magical device that will keep anyone from being able to accurately "read" my wizard. I want my pc's for a while to think that she's on the good side too. Also, any suggestions on appropriate demons in the cr5-7 rang will be helpful too. I'm looking for humanoid, but scary looking enough to scare the townsfolk into doing as they are told and keeping thier mouths shut.
Any advice, comments, critiques will be muchly appreciated! Thanks
Alaria |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 12 Aug 2006 : 19:10:02
If it is forced worship, and the people trudge to the altar yada yada it would be an entirely different ballgame |
| Iliphar1 |
Posted - 12 Aug 2006 : 15:41:03
I have to admit, I don't like the idea of a whole demon worhipping village. This is too dark. One such person would be fine, but the others should be terrible afraid of the nether world activities, and also to afraid to talk about it. This would create much more tension
If the whole village worships demons, what would hinder the party to burn the village and slaughter all citicens? (Especially if there is no good in the village anyway to preserve! - let's face it, even the children are half fiends and the parents breed demons in the world) |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 10 Aug 2006 : 19:26:44
I like Mace's idea about half-fiends/tieflings in the village. Perhaps they are hidden somewhere else (your main villain's lair?) so that their presence is not revealed until later?
Maybe they are only a few tieflings, and the rest (or at least the most) of the villagers are Thralls to Demon, or just good-old plain demon-worshippers? Maybe they see the tieflings as "Blessings" from their god's (Demon Lord's) divine agent?
Another thought - maybe the main villain in this adventure is a priest of Gargauth, whom is served by a succubus? And the succubus ("Lady of the Wood" to the villagers) mates with village's males in the nearby woods/cave/etc.? (or even in a secret temple/shrine?) |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 10 Aug 2006 : 19:25:20
quote:
Originally posted by Alaria
I like this latest idea Mace! and much better than the one that I was originally going to use. Will have more questions for you when I get home from work and can look up some of these. Any more expounding on this would be really appreciated. I think I am going to use the hunted individual to hook in my three paladins.
Alaria
I'll answer as best I can (which usually is pretty good  ).
Mace "If Blizzard of Ozz hadn't done 'Diary of a Madman' I'd write one myself" Hammerhand |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 10 Aug 2006 : 19:19:47
quote:
Originally posted by Mace Hammerhand
I do not comprehend what is going on in world politics ... it doesn't make sense to me. Do I go insane?... on second thought, don't answer that!
I think you're not the only one... on both accounts.    |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 10 Aug 2006 : 19:18:22
quote:
Originally posted by Aes Tryl
( i seem to recall an Old One being described as a giant toad).
Don't forget a certain Greyhawk deity! (Wastri the Hopping Prophet) |
| Alaria |
Posted - 10 Aug 2006 : 18:39:21
I like this latest idea Mace! and much better than the one that I was originally going to use. Will have more questions for you when I get home from work and can look up some of these. Any more expounding on this would be really appreciated. I think I am going to use the hunted individual to hook in my three paladins.
Alaria |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 16:03:03
quote:
Originally posted by Chosen of Moradin
And now I gain a good frresh new idea to toss on my players (that are adventuring near Jalanthar, righ now). 
Thanks, Mace. You´re a devious dwarf.
The term is evil |
| Chosen of Moradin |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 15:27:40
quote:
Originally posted by Mace Hammerhand
Oooh...new idea:
How about this:
The village is terrorized by a minor demon who escaped from Hellgat Keep during the Time of Troubles. This would explain the sacrifices and could possibly explain the tiefling population among the teenagers of the village.
And now I gain a good frresh new idea to toss on my players (that are adventuring near Jalanthar, righ now).
Thanks, Mace. You´re a devious dwarf. |
| Kazzaroth |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 15:11:04
Also there is 1 or 2lvl spell called Conceal Alignment I think which directly blocked any attempts scry invidual's alignment for 24 hours (and most cases detect evil does not register that was the detection blocked or is invidual neutral/good then).
But I would advice that the wizard either haves high UMD use or single level in cleric to explain why he/she is healer. Anycase if we follow Book of Vile Darkness the wizard itself could have created the curse via Bestow Curse (or Bestow Curse Greater via scroll) as part of ritual which made the effect wide area affecting.
Also someway theifling alike murderous teenagers raised by the wizard is kind of creepy if the childrne are around 8-14 in age category (or make all of them, a handfull of children, or their leader as Unholy Scion templated human, template is from Heroes of Horror note). |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 12:49:06
Maybe said demon needs the lifeforce to power a cloaking spell so he stays hidden from (insert random group that hates him)... |
| Aes Tryl |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 12:33:52
Indeed cool concept there but the village would probably have to be pretty near the North
and then u could add the creepy mist and flickering shadows thing just to make it well more creepy, kinda like Ravenloft |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 12:28:05
Oooh...new idea:
How about this:
The village is terrorized by a minor demon who escaped from Hellgat Keep during the Time of Troubles. This would explain the sacrifices and could possibly explain the tiefling population among the teenagers of the village. |
| Aes Tryl |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 12:01:36
Haha interesting choice of words there "basketed kid"
Well in Cthulu, they do describe things and it isn't "What in Baator is going on", more like "I can't believe I'm seeing something that defies the laws of common physics but I am". They don't go insane because they don't understand things but because they are constantly confronted with the "Cyclopean masonry" and bizzare sightings. One would liken it to a very weird culture shock. Picture the movie Alien, hell they don't understand what, why or how that beast is killing them, but they're hell scared and its the fear of the unknown that gets them, (Sorry this is a Gothic Literature idea -Cthulu and Alien being classified as modern gothic-) and here we're dealing with the psyche of an advanced race, who might treat humans as much as we treat ants. . . Ack sorry for going so OT but i had to clarify. . . .Can't believe i'm revising my Lit stuff on an FR forum LOL |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 11:36:40
Back to the topic:
Don't do the basketed kid scenario...
but I repeat myself...as I sometimes do...as I sometimes do... |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 11:29:09
Heh. Heh.
Anyway, sorry to the OP for going off topic. :) |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 11:21:34
I do not comprehend what is going on in world politics ... it doesn't make sense to me. Do I go insane?... on second thought, don't answer that! |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 10:31:11
quote:
I fear you have no idea what Innsmouth is, Dan...
Nope. I was referring to a more general Lovecraftian theme tossed about these days. :)
quote:
Well the Cthulu mythos is really qutie perverse, in a sense that while they may seem mundane in a certain way, its inherent design is in fact supposed to be illogical and beyond our comprehension (squid-dragon anybody) and the descriptions are more based on our supposedly limited perceptions thus the mundane references in the first place ( i seem to recall an Old One being described as a giant toad). Btw the Old Ones arent evil or insane, just not on the same level as we exist on, so yes, unless u go into the parts which are non-lovecraftian but created to expand the Cthulu mythos
That, to me, is mundane.
But I do quantum physics, so. There you go.
It's the same reason that I am totally unimpressed by animes whose plots center around not giving you enough information to understand them and relying totally off of the "What in Baator is going on?" factor.
Not being able to comprehend something to the point that it makes you go insane is a bit boring, and a quick way of getting around actually having to describe things. |
| Aes Tryl |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 10:13:39
Well the Cthulu mythos is really qutie perverse, in a sense that while they may seem mundane in a certain way, its inherent design is in fact supposed to be illogical and beyond our comprehension (squid-dragon anybody) and the descriptions are more based on our supposedly limited perceptions thus the mundane references in the first place ( i seem to recall an Old One being described as a giant toad). Btw the Old Ones arent evil or insane, just not on the same level as we exist on, so yes, unless u go into the parts which are non-lovecraftian but created to expand the Cthulu mythos |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 10:13:12
quote:
Originally posted by GothicDan
Though I must say that even the Lovecraftian horrors shtick is becoming a bit old at this point in time.
"ZOMG EVIL SO TERRIBLE YOU CAN'T COMPREHEND IT!"
"A big evil insane squid?"
".... Shut up."
I fear you have no idea what Innsmouth is, Dan... |
| GothicDan |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 09:54:31
Though I must say that even the Lovecraftian horrors shtick is becoming a bit old at this point in time.
"ZOMG EVIL SO TERRIBLE YOU CAN'T COMPREHEND IT!"
"A big evil insane squid?"
".... Shut up." |
| Aes Tryl |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 09:49:50
haha i see, Innsmouth was one of the most normal places in the Cthulu mythos. But disregarding this, i feel the hunted individual idea is great, gives the party much more impetus than a baby in a basket :D |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 09:33:34
I was thinking more along the Innsmouth line...where the fishbeings crossbred with humans.
I didn't mean to imply Old Ones, more the feel of it |
| Aes Tryl |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 09:03:38
Chtuloid not really because honestly demons are far too mundane when compared with all the whacked creatures that have popped out of the Cthulu mythos. If this village is predominantly tiefling then it will just give off weird fiendish vibes that will send the detect evil alarmbells of every paladin in a 1km radius into ineccesant ringing. If u really want a Ctuloid touch, u might wanna consider an alienist and an infestation of sorts from the realms of Far Space |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 08:33:49
Another alternative would be to make those demonic humans all thralls to demons or something similar. Check out the Book of Vile Darkness, it might give you some ideas...as an alternative there is always the tiefling "race", maybe demons mated with humans in the village. That would make the entire affair even more creepy, would give the story a Cthuloid touch also... |
| Aes Tryl |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 08:00:18
Actually there is a humanoid demon, the kevelzu, though these might be a wee bit too powerful to deal with unless u have a party of at least lvl 13 adventurers, and what about the succubi? and well we could get around the appearance of the demons with magical disquises right? |
| Mace Hammerhand |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 07:58:51
quote:
Originally posted by Alaria
i like the idea of the town being cursed! And if i use the amulet of opposite allignment,
that should really throw the party off To challenge especially my palys, I'm going to have some unholy children show up who've been sacrificied as newborns. (heartbroken parents think the babies are bieng taken away to be raised as a demon when in actuality they are being murdered) The hook for this particular adventure is the group comes across a newborn, still alive, in a basket that has been left out in the woods. they know from their map that there is a village about a mile or so away. My guess would be they will head there with the baby.
Anyone have any good suggestions about humaniod demons, CR 5-7, that will work for this story?
The basket baby ploy is kinda...sorta...I dunno. Not so good. What is to stop the PCs to take the baby to the next Chauntea temple and move on?
I suggest to make the curse older and the surviving first potential sacrifice a hunted individual. Let him be mortally wounded when the PCs meet him, this way the paladin(s?) have far more motivation to go there and investigate... |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 00:16:40
Hmmm... I do not know anything about the Touch of Benevolence-feat that Dargoth mentioned, but I would go for that rather than a magical item or a spell. Although some "masquerading-as-good" evil npcs in my campaigns HAVE used Nondetection-spells to escape the "let's-check-all-the-
villagers-with-Detect-Evil-spells"-line of thinking that my PCs always do when confronted with a "mystery module" :)
Dargoth also suggested the Dungeon module, which indeed is very similar to your idea, and a decent adventure. Another Dungeon module worth checking out is Standing Stones of Sundown (or something like that) which features a stone circle, where an ancient demon (vrock) has been imprisoned and now freed by a curious wizard.
The curse plaguing the village might have been a Dying Curse (see Book of Vile Darkness). BoVD has also additional info about sacrifices, and their rewards. Mace made good suggestions. If you want to go for a "bogus" curse, that the wizard/cleric/demon thrall has just made up, maybe the curse is just the annual "public" appearance of the demons (at his command) and they "go away" when the sacrifice has been made?
I also concur that a wizard could not make healing potions, or even use a wand of cure xxx wounds. |
| Iliphar1 |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 22:59:41
there are no humanoid demons,
but you could try cambions. they are offsprings of humans and demons.
anyway, I would recommend, that you just let the babies die.
the villain is there to make the problem with the fiends, not the curse! I'd really make the curse work totally without fiends, but the priest made the townsfolk believe that the fiends are part of the curse. Make the story consist of 2 strings, curse and priest who uses the circumstances to create his unholy item. (the superstituos villagers will be very willing to trust the priest, even if he only lies to them!)
If the party finds the basket with a baby and a map, who left the basket there and why? This would be absolutely essential!!
|
| Alaria |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 20:41:31
i like the idea of the town being cursed! And if i use the amulet of opposite allignment,
that should really throw the party off To challenge especially my palys, I'm going to have some unholy children show up who've been sacrificied as newborns. (heartbroken parents think the babies are bieng taken away to be raised as a demon when in actuality they are being murdered) The hook for this particular adventure is the group comes across a newborn, still alive, in a basket that has been left out in the woods. they know from their map that there is a village about a mile or so away. My guess would be they will head there with the baby.
Anyone have any good suggestions about humaniod demons, CR 5-7, that will work for this story? |
