| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 29 Mar 2018 : 13:38:32
Ok, this is going to be somewhat a long walk to a simple question, so bear with me. So, yesterday I went to pick up my megamillions lottery ticket and dream. Naturally, my dreams turned to "what would I do if I won all that cash?". They went to having a paid cast with costumes to roleplay out some realms games every other month with me and my best friends... and of course hiring my favorite designers to DM. Anyway, having just rewatched several episodes of game of thrones on Tuesday, part of my thoughts turned to having someone dress up as Sylune with the silver hair. That got me to wondering if any of the seven sisters actually have tattoos. So, then it occurred to me... I wonder if Sylune has Elminster's wizard mark as a tramp stamp? Yep, I went there. That got me to thinking, what might be some other rather inventive uses for wizard's marks? |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Icelander |
Posted - 30 Mar 2018 : 13:49:51
One PC in my campaign, Abadas 'The Mad' 'I Just Get These Headaches' Hussein, captured a lamia in the undercity of Unthalass with a Wand of Paralyzation (applied as he was kissing the lamia and his roaming hand encountered well-muscled leonine haunches instead of firm, taut feminine buttocks).
The lamia and her jackalwere thugs had been intimidating and terrorizing the staff of a hole-in-the-wall tavern, the The Twin Talons, which is actually the home of a wererat clan. The headman of the clan and most of the warriors were out at a meeting of wererat headmen, presenting the diplomatic overtures of another PC (in disguise as a senior agent of the Cult of the Dragon, it was a whole thing).
In any case, Abadas was sleeping engaged in some seriously exotic exercises with an exotic dancer he believes he 'rescued' from the Crimson Delight festhall (also in the undercity), in a room the wererats had provided for his use. These wererats had become his friends and Abadas was disinclined that anyone should threaten them or cause a disturbance in their tavern. So when he heard breaking bottles and splintering furniture, he came downstairs, clad only in an open silk robe.
Abadas firmly believes that every race and culture is filled with potential friends and allies. No matter how dark the reputation of some monstrous species, Abadas will declare it all a misunderstanding and approach each new individual without prejudice, at least until they attack or otherwise mistreat him. He only paralyzed the lamia when she reacted to his discovery by trying to attack him. Until then, he'd genuinely been trying to calm things down, through some heavy petting (I guess we could call it 'physical diplomacy' or 'sexual savoir-faire').
Having captured the lamia, Abadas had to decide what to do with her. As he has a lamassu ally, Qurupagg, trapping the lamia in a pantry with a magic circle against evil was easy. For extra insurance, Abadas and Yadidat, the exotic dancer (who was pretty agitated about the whole thing, claiming that anyone showing disrespect to the servants of the Wise Lady was courting a fate worse than death), tied the lamia up before the paralyzation wore off.
Interrogation yielded mostly threats of dire consequences for having interfered with a valued subject of the Queen of Tortures. Eventually, Abadas decided to send this Queen a message, not to allow her intemperate and ignorant subjects to go around causing property damage and threatening his furry friends. So... he used a spell to dye all the fur of the lamia bright pink and marked her haunch with his Wizard's Mark, telling her to remember that this tavern was under his protection. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 30 Mar 2018 : 13:14:35
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
My players had a tendency to show favour on special NPCs by giving them a token (like a coin or some other simple item) enchanted with their wizard mark. Any NPC bearing such a marked token would be considered a "friend" who could present it to PC allies/guards/etc to gain preference or access to the PC. These tokens could be returned to the PC anytime in the future for "favours" or "services" meant to repay gratitude/debt.
The players thought this very clever, wizard marks basically last forever and cannot be counterfeited. They grew more chary of dispensing such tokens at higher levels, finding sporadic interruptions by random NPCs (or the random agents/proxies of these NPCs, or the thieves/swindlers/kidnappers/enemies who procured these tokens from these random NPCs) to be too frequent and too tiresome. They also found themselves in the position of almost being obligated to offer these tokens in things like contracts and diplomatic/economic/military alliances after their fame and repute preceded them - to not do so when prompted was suspicious and even insulting.
See, I started a topic thinking about Sylune's butt... and I get a good idea from someone from it. That's a really, really good idea there. Also, having wizard's stamping contracts with their wizard marks absolutely makes sense as well. I could also see there possibly being something akin to this developed for non-spellcasters who work in legal situations... basically a "stamp" that works like a wizard mark in many ways. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 30 Mar 2018 : 03:26:40
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
My players had a tendency to show favour on special NPCs by giving them a token (like a coin or some other simple item) enchanted with their wizard mark. Any NPC bearing such a marked token would be considered a "friend" who could present it to PC allies/guards/etc to gain preference or access to the PC. These tokens could be returned to the PC anytime in the future for "favours" or "services" meant to repay gratitude/debt.
The players thought this very clever, wizard marks basically last forever and cannot be counterfeited. They grew more chary of dispensing such tokens at higher levels, finding sporadic interruptions by random NPCs (or the random agents/proxies of these NPCs, or the thieves/swindlers/kidnappers/enemies who procured these tokens from these random NPCs) to be too frequent and too tiresome. They also found themselves in the position of almost being obligated to offer these tokens in things like contracts and diplomatic/economic/military alliances after their fame and repute preceded them - to not do so when prompted was suspicious and even insulting.
That's a good approach, all the way across. I like it.  |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 30 Mar 2018 : 03:18:55
My players had a tendency to show favour on special NPCs by giving them a token (like a coin or some other simple item) enchanted with their wizard mark. Any NPC bearing such a marked token would be considered a "friend" who could present it to PC allies/guards/etc to gain preference or access to the PC. These tokens could be returned to the PC anytime in the future for "favours" or "services" meant to repay gratitude/debt.
The players thought this very clever, wizard marks basically last forever and cannot be counterfeited. They grew more chary of dispensing such tokens at higher levels, finding sporadic interruptions by random NPCs (or the random agents/proxies of these NPCs, or the thieves/swindlers/kidnappers/enemies who procured these tokens from these random NPCs) to be too frequent and too tiresome. They also found themselves in the position of almost being obligated to offer these tokens in things like contracts and diplomatic/economic/military alliances after their fame and repute preceded them - to not do so when prompted was suspicious and even insulting. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 30 Mar 2018 : 01:50:03
Oh, I'd also build an uber-cool gaming store so I can hangout in it and just play games all the time and be surrounded with crap I love. It would have all sorts of games, not just RPG-related, and also have several large gaming areas, and even cosplay waitresses and a snackbar (and a comic rack!) Because, I want to enjoy all the stuff I loved as a child, all around me, all the time.
Also a bookstore (connected to the gaming store, but a separate section).
It would be called 'Colosseum Games' (and yeah, I'm sure I'd have to buy the rights off people), and look like a miniature version of the Colosseum in Rome from the outside. The gaming area would be a 'pit' in the center, and the store-portion would be up and around that, so that as you walk around the circle, you could look down at people actually playing the games (this also keeps the retail area away from the gaming area, which avoids a LOT of theft - I worked at a gamestore years ago when I was just 16). I'd constantly have people demo'ing all the latest stuff to get more people into the hobby, and TONS of terrain to use in the miniatures gaming.
And I'd have a raised dais with my throne, 'cause "its good to be the King." 
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
If I was a gazillionnaire, I'd buy the RPG FR rights from Hasbro - they can keep the novels, movies, computer games etc. - hand it over to Ed and say "go for it!".
-- George Krashos
Ahhhhh... THE DREAM.  |
| George Krashos |
Posted - 30 Mar 2018 : 01:24:44
If I was a gazillionnaire, I'd buy the RPG FR rights from Hasbro - they can keep the novels, movies, computer games etc. - hand it over to Ed and say "go for it!".
-- George Krashos |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 29 Mar 2018 : 23:35:20
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I am going out to buy my tickets in a little while. Sorry, Sleyvas, but that money is MINE. Bwah ha ha ha!
Just so you know Markustay, if I won, even though we've never met in person, I'd fly you in bimonthly to join in the game to see what it'd be like to have some really dedicated realms fanatics together.
Of course, I'd also build a place just for holding these gaming sessions too, complete with rooms for all my visiting gamers, DM's, and supporting cast (including the video/audio person responsible for mood music & handling video info and the electronic map, the bartender, and the serving girls who bring around snacks). This place would of course be a small castle |
| Markustay |
Posted - 29 Mar 2018 : 20:05:42
I am going out to buy my tickets in a little while. Sorry, Sleyvas, but that money is MINE. Bwah ha ha ha!
I'd start a toyline, but connected to a simple set of RPG rules (which would develop into a much more complex set of rules over time, like what Gygax and company did with Chainmail and then OD&D). Basically, I want miniatures to be more like toy soldiers, and you should be able to buy big bags of them on-the-cheap (which we can't do anymore because toys have all gone 'boutique'). So basically, I'd sell kids 'toy soldiers' (medieval/fantasy) by the bag, and let them know there was a free, downloadable set of rules for them (all using regular 6-sided dice), and as they got older they'd want to play the game rather than just using them as toys (which is also still fine, BTW), and then as they got even older (addiction!) I'd have a 'deluxe rules' available for purchase. My own world, my own game, and my own line of miniatures. I was actually hoping to do something along those lines when I worked for EGG, but alas, it was not meant to be. 'Too many chiefs and not enough indians', as the saying goes.
I really HATE that kids don't play with toys anymore. Damn cellphones and internet!
As to the actual topic LOL: The only way I have ever used a Wizard Mark in-game was a ring on the finger of a dead wizard with his sigil on it, and that was the 'key' needed to open his secret storage area ('the treasure'). Like in any good, tropey movie, the thing would 'light up' (the sigil would glow) when it got very near to the secret door it was to open (the 'slot' was a matching {mirrored} sigil-indent in a wall carving). |
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