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Arcanus
Senior Scribe
485 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Feb 2013 : 02:04:34
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| Manshoon will never be completely vanquished, I kinda get the feeling that Ed is too fond of him to let that happen. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2013 : 02:32:58
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| It's a perfect in-world premise for recycling a stock NPC. I hope Manshoon doesn't get numerous enough to have his own entry on encounter tables. |
[/Ayrik] |
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JohnLynch
Learned Scribe
Australia
243 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2013 : 08:40:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
It's a perfect in-world premise for recycling a stock NPC. I hope Manshoon doesn't get numerous enough to have his own entry on encounter tables.
But you know if he was on encounter tables it'd go something like this:
DM rolls a 99 on the encounter table.
DM thinks "Alright! I get to use Manshoon! My PCs are toast!"
DM flips to the Manshoon entry and checks Manshoon's tactics.
It reads "Manshoon will attempt to hire the PCs and send them against one of his enemies. If he considers the PCs a threat he will send them on an adventure where they face impossible odds."
DM thinks "Alright... A bit unusual. But I'll roll with that. There's that big dragon the PCs can go fight. That's a CR+5, that should kill them."
[One adventure later the PCs return to Manshoon laden with treasure]
DM says in his Manshoon voice to the PCs "Excellent. Thankyou for this service my good friends. That Sceptre has been in my family for generations and now you have returned it to me."
DM thinks "Hmmm.. They just got a whole lot of XP and treasure. They're even more of a threat now. I'd better get Manshoon to throw them against an even tougher opponent. But it might look a bit suspicious if Manshoon were to just do it outright. I'll get him to Charm a local lord and have that Lord give them the plothook."
[Many adventures later]
Player 1 says "That was awesome. We're level 20 now!"
Player 2 says "I know right. And it's all thanks to that strange traveler we met on the road. If he hadn't of told us about that dragon we would never have gone to that fancy ball party and met that lord, and then we wouldn't have stayed in that inn in Suzail where a bar brawl just HAPPENED to kill that adventurer who had that book on the the Dreaded Isle of Certain Demise"
Player 3 says "And then we just happened to come across that fishing boat which had that Captain who honestly looked a bit familiar. But the Captain happened to have a treasure map to Mount Doom in the Falling Rocks Mountain Range."
Player 1 says "Oh yeah! And then we met that strange hermit on the way back who told us about this shortcut which actually took us through a portal to Ravenloft where we got even more treasure from all the adventurers those gems from past adventurers that had died in Ravenloft."
Player 4 "I know right. And all because of that random traveler we met on the road. What was his name anyway?"
DM says "AAAAAAAAAARGHHH!"
Manshoon thinks "Excellent. Everything's going according to plan." |
DM of the Realms: A blog for my Forgotten Realms adventures. |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2013 : 09:13:40
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quote:
Originally posted by JohnLynch
But you know if he was on encounter tables it'd go something like this:
DM rolls a 99 on the encounter table.
DM thinks "Alright! I get to use Manshoon!
That sounds about right to me, get the PC's to do all of Manshoon's dirty work
Have you been reading my campaign notes? 
Cheers
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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The Masked Mage
Great Reader
USA
2420 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2013 : 10:36:07
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First you have to think of WHY Manshoon would choose the dragon. He'd never send the PCs just to get killed. He'd consider the outside chance that they'd manage victory, so he'd choose a dragon that's preventing another one of his schemes. That way, no matter the outcome, he wins: either eliminate a potential future enemy or solve another problem.
Or you can go a step further and have Manshoon take over one of the PCs as he does in Els books. Part-time PC, part time puppet. |
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swifty
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
517 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2013 : 23:50:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
I think its like this* - there is a 'virus' in the spell-code.
Just like computer apps, they need to run with a specific set of parameters laid-down, and somehow the vamp-shoon 'broke the program'. Its stuck in a loop (that it can't resolve). What that means is any clones created (while there is still more then one) will cause the clone to instantly wakeup and try to kill the guy who just created it.
So it needs a 'cold reboot'. When the very last Manshoon clone dies (which may be just limited to the Prime Plane or even just Realmspace) the program has come to a close, and 'normal cloning' may once-again commence.
Obviously the vamp clone doesn't count (because he's the one that broke it in the first place), so it is still possible to leave a few lying around (so long as the original spell was unable to detect them at the time of 'the last Manshoon's death). Another assumption I would make is that any form of stasis will fulfill the requirements, since we know more then one clone has always been in stasis (since Manshoon created the spell). So if someone (including one of the clones) could get all the other clones into stasis somehow, it resets (and then those clones can be reactivated at a later date).
So long as the spell is stuck in a 'wakeup clone' loop, Manshoon can't use the spell (without immediately fighting another copy). The magic has to come to an end completely before it can be turned back on (like a comp. virus that keeps opening browser windows).
*As in - "my own solution" as to why he isn't making any more copies.
this just backs up my view of how ridicoulous the manshoon story is |
go back to sleep america.everything is under control.heres american gladiators.watch this.shuttup. BILL HICKS. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7989 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2013 : 00:22:09
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quote:
swifty
this just backs up my view of how ridicoulous the manshoon story is
Ridiculous? Naw, it's standard D&D fare.
DM: "99 ... you encounter a Manshoon."
Player: "Another one? But we already killed three Manshoons today."
...
DM: "00 ... roll on Special Encounter Table XCVII ... oooh, a pack of 2d4 Manshoons, led by a giant two-headed Manshoon. Roll initiatives!"
I'll be concerned when we see Elminster's Ecologies articles about the ecological niche of a Manshoon clone. If Manshoons become just another monster then it's only a matter of time before we see them turned into a PC race option.
Consider that a newly awakened Manshoon might have few (if any) items, no spellbook, none of his trademark magical gizmos. He might wish to arm himself before daring to approach any of his own hidden supply caches, since after all, he'd know at the very least that he's awake because something killed a Manshoon. A party of adventurers dripping in gold and magics would be a fine way to deliver some basic gear. |
[/Ayrik] |
Edited by - Ayrik on 02 Feb 2013 00:50:00 |
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althen artren
Senior Scribe
USA
780 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2013 : 19:41:27
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It would be far easier to role-play a convincing Manshoon
if some of his far reaching plans and wheels-in-wheels were ever
printed. |
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Manshoon Questions
