| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Galuf the Dwarf |
Posted - 14 Jun 2010 : 06:01:47
After viewing a famous two-part episode of the 1980s Transformers cartoon dealing with a certain spore that caused violent madness, I came up with this idea.
The idea of this campaign is that Cyric unleashes a madness-inducing plague, starting in the area of Cormyr, in an attempt to overthrow the machinations of the gods that imprisoned him on his home plane for the murder of Mystra. He crafts the disease by unleashing a figment of the madness resting in his mind, and placing it on a tiny vermin from the Supreme Throne who manages to land in Prime around Cormyr.
The disease slowly but surely starts infesting the wild population. Local folk start account of wildlife acting rather violently towards each other, and appeared to be glowing purple as they did so. Local worshippers of deities such as Talona and Malar are brought into question, but they provide no answers and claim they or their patron deities are not responible.
However, soon enough, a child gets attacked by one of those very same strange-acting animals, and suddenly begins appearing similar in malady to the animals themselves. Soon enough, Cormyr is ridden with addled humanoid and beast alike that run like mad and seek to fight, maim, kill or destroy anyone in their path, or at least try to infect them with the madness that drives them. Magical protection seems to at least mitigate the spread by preventing the more powerful figures from being infected, leaving them holed up in their habitations, but who knows how long such efforts may last?
The adventurers will sooner or later find out clues about the origins of the disease, while trying to avoid the spread of the madness and avoid becoming infected themselves. Still, even when they find the source, there is the dilemma of finding the cure. This involves the use of a major arcane or divine ritual which - in the end - permanent drains those involved of some higher-level spellcasting and ritual abilities. The ritual involved calls upon the gods to intervene and therefore sever the madness blight via the
Cyric's Madness Level 30 Disease
Spread by touch, this disease causes violent madness and overall depravity in the sufferer.
Attack: +27 vs. Fortitude for worshippers of Cyric. Non-worshippers get no save.
Endurance: For worshippers of Cyric: Improve DC 37, maintain 34, worsen DC 30 or lower. Non-worhippers do not improve without divine or arcane intervention.
Initial Effect: The target is treated as under a confusion effect.
Moving the Disease Track: The target attacks friend or foe alike, including non-combatants or objects, at random.
Final State: The target can only engage in melee combat.
This campaign is intended for epic-tier adventurers.
Well, this is what I could come up with on the fly. It could use some work, but I just thought I'd try to come up with a rather do-or-die type of campaign arc for some people to play with. |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Galuf the Dwarf |
Posted - 14 Jun 2010 : 16:06:36
quote:
Originally posted by Snowblood
think of the diseases that frequently wrack Calimshan, the Shaking Plague of Scardale & The Silent Death of Imaskar.....just to name a few more infamous realmsian plagues...
I haven't heard of those diseases, honestly. However, at the same time, I was looking for something more disastrous and history- or cosmology-driven. Like I said, though, it's more inspired by a piece of animation history I'm a big fan of than anything. |
| Galuf the Dwarf |
Posted - 14 Jun 2010 : 16:00:28
quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias
Does that disease beats immunity of paladins and some classes? Can it not be cured with cure disease?
DEFINITELY can't be cured by normal means. It's supposed to be incurable except by epic means, essentially a miracle, rather like in the Transformers 2-part episode I mentioned.
I would think Paladins would immune to the disease, though I'm not sure if that's how it works in 4th Edition, which this campaign arc is intended for. It could possibly be translated into 3.5, but I mostly wanted this to work following the Spellplague and Cyric's punishment.
Edit: At the same time, I just realized that perhaps I should lay some potential motivations for parties of different alignments.
Lawful Good or Good-aligned parties: End the plague and save as many innocents as possible.
Neutral: Restore the balance to the land and divinity. Probably also may just be looking for adventure and/or fame.
Evil or Chaotic Evil: May be looking to end the plague for an agenda such as supplanting a personal or divine agenda, such as boosting fealty to their deity throughout the lands, or eradicating potential competition or would-be opponents to said agenda. |
| Snowblood |
Posted - 14 Jun 2010 : 12:31:51
think of the diseases that frequently wrack Calimshan, the Shaking Plague of Scardale & The Silent Death of Imaskar.....just to name a few more infamous realmsian plagues... |
| Tyranthraxus |
Posted - 14 Jun 2010 : 12:30:27
Looks good to me. It reminds me of NWN1 and zombie movies!  |
| Sill Alias |
Posted - 14 Jun 2010 : 07:40:21
Does that disease beats immunity of paladins and some classes? Can it not be cured with cure disease? |
|
|
