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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 19:12:47
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Well, you all know my Final Gate whining is related to my problems in my own game with being ahead of timeline.
So, let's have a look at this. I need Sarya alive in order for my game to function, but it can't be a cheesy ressurrection, amulet of dramatic death, or clone tric.
Undead is also right out, this has bene done too many times also.
So, here's my thought. I have no idea what the base creature type for this is.
Surviving Fey'ri gather Sarya's remains, and petition fiends to fix her. Unfortunately, they don't get what they bargained for. Instead, they get Sarya Dlardregeth, the pool of fiendish essence. She can manifest a physical form out of fiendish pool slime, but it only lasts a few minutes at best.
This amuses Malkazid, is traditional fantasy without seeming stupid, and allows me to conclude the game with a unique and disturbing encounter.
The second to last encounter will be one Deathdrinker Demon (Or two if the PCs have crested level 20 by then), that emerges from the Sarya pool. He will be surrounded by Half-Fiend Balhannoths, which the Fey'ri have been selling to the PC's enemies. Sarya can make other types of half-fiends in her gelatinous state, I'll add a few of those in for spice and extra pain. (Half-Fiend Advanced Rhemoraz, Half Fiend whatever, as long as it is nasty enough and has enough hit points to keep them busy while Sarya reconstitutes.)
So Sarya's new form (As disgusting as this sounds) will be Half-Fiend Arcane Ooze Sorcerer 18, which is CR 27, with the spawn temporary Half Fiend Elf power...
"Look at me! Look at your mother! If you had been here, I would not be like this..." (Burbled)
Can this work? SHOULD it?
Mod Edit: Renamed to include Final Gate and Spoiler references; moved to the appropriate forum. 
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 20 Jul 2006 19:26:51
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 19:41:45
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Pft. It's a good back story, and not cheesy - I like it.
What are you worried about specifically? The mechanics?
The final creation (CR 27) seems a bit high. What do you think the levels of your PCs will be by that point? |
Planescape Fanatic
"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD |
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Foxhelm
Senior Scribe
Canada
592 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 20:15:56
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This reminds me of Hadeshorn in the Shannara novels a bit. A place where the dead hold power and grant it to those who serve their purposes.
Another idea would to seal her intellect in a magical item or an artifact (Some demons may know how to create those). Like a twisted version of a High Elven Lore Gem which also contains demonic energies. Like the Mhaorkiira or the selukiira Nightstar.
Just some thoughts. |
Ed Greenwood! The Solution... and Cause of all the Realms Problems! |
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Kalin Agrivar
Senior Scribe
Canada
956 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 20:42:22
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Another famous "return" of a villain is to have Sarya resurrected by one of Malkazid's rivals for their own ends
Some other Devil/Demon/Daemon lord or God may have observed she was a useful tool for Malkazid in his schemes and she almost succeeded if not for Malkazid's incompetence. So the new patron would bring back Sarya (probably in their image and with a stronger leash Malkazid had for her) to continue her work.
An interesting choice would be Moander/Lolth...give her some rotting/vegetable template...the irony would be that she was really serving The drow goddess...or that Queen of the Succumbi (I don't have the new demon book yet) or maybe Ghaunador (sp?) and keep the "oozy" idea you have going
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Kalin Xorell El'Agrivar
- High Mage of the Arcane Assembly
- Lore Keeper of the Vault of Ancestors
- 3rd Son of the Lord of the Stand |
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Snotlord
Senior Scribe
Norway
476 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 22:19:26
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I like it. I both could and should work.
That said, you are changing "canon" Realms by bringing her back. Since you're already changing the established realm, why not change the ending of the Final Gate? Its a smaller change, if you worry about that sort of thing. |
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Wandering_mage
Senior Scribe
688 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 22:50:10
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The possibilities. -rubs hands together evilly- I might suggest that she may have actually become even more of a demon. Like she is still Fey'ri but maybe even more ummm tanar'ri-like? You know, just give her a little piece of heaven in the Abyss.  Seriously though I would suggest making her more permanent but in the lower planes. She gets summoned by a flind and booyah final battle but.....she doesn't die. She just goes back to the Abyss to swear vengeance on the players. This might add even more to your gaming later on providing a coniving enemy that the party doesn't know about. They seek the wisdom of a priest or something. I don't know, just work it a bit and you could do a lot. She could be made Lloth-like even.
You posed a very good scenario though.  Just thought I would add some options.  |
Illum
The Wandering Mage |
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Neriandal Freit
Senior Scribe
USA
396 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 23:03:34
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Malcanthet, Queen of the Succubi is who you are seeking Kalin, I should know because that book of demons is very important to me for my gig ;)
ANywho, to play on Mage a bit, perhaps you can just send back her Demon form to the abyss? She'll become more evil, and you'll have to work a bit of magic, but this demonform would retain all memory of its Fey'ri life..could also help you explain the higher CR if you decide to keep it at the levle it is, her powers, etc.etc. |
"Eating people is wrong...unless it's on the first date." - Ed Greenwood, GenCon Indy 2006 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 01:33:09
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Why not just ignore that trilogy altogether?
Anyway, I like the idea you came up with, msatran...just don't make Sarya say really stupid, cheesy things like "I'll have your blood for my wine!"...like she did in Final Gate. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 01:39:43
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| Or, "And now I'll suspend you over a tank of water filled with sharks, with a rope that's being slowly burned away by a candle! Bwahahahaha!!" |
Planescape Fanatic
"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 01:54:04
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| Or any sentence involving the words "You fool!" |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Foxhelm
Senior Scribe
Canada
592 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 01:56:03
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Here's a thought...
If you can get Sarya, create one! Hear me out...
Fey'ri are basically Tieflings, powerful ones but Tieflings all the same. The Wizard board has suggested that one could have a Tiefling evolve into a Half-Fiend using special techniques (like the rebuilds from PHII). You could create a sun-elf Half-fiend that was transformed from a Fey'ri.
Or have Sarya's spirit escape the Waymeet and posses a Fey'ri and evolve her into a half-fiend. Or even a sun elf. She becomes a greater threat if she can hop from body to body.
Just some thoughts. |
Ed Greenwood! The Solution... and Cause of all the Realms Problems! |
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 03:28:13
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quote:
Originally posted by Foxhelm
Here's a thought...
If you can get Sarya, create one! Hear me out...
Fey'ri are basically Tieflings, powerful ones but Tieflings all the same. The Wizard board has suggested that one could have a Tiefling evolve into a Half-Fiend using special techniques (like the rebuilds from PHII). You could create a sun-elf Half-fiend that was transformed from a Fey'ri.
Or have Sarya's spirit escape the Waymeet and posses a Fey'ri and evolve her into a half-fiend. Or even a sun elf. She becomes a greater threat if she can hop from body to body.
Just some thoughts.
Sarya was a Half-Fiend Gold Elf. |
News of the Weird
D20 System Reference Document
D20 Modern System Reference Document
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 03:35:50
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| Hmm you could always say she turned into a being like Tyranthraxus (From Ruins of Adventure) ie she no longer has a body of her own but she can possess others (Give her levels of the Fiend of Possession prc)if you wanted to make her really nasty make that ny Sun Elf she posseess gains the Half fiend Template which is kept even after Sarya leaves the body (ie sort of a possessing version of the Nar Fiendbond spell from LEOF) |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 11:41:42
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You know, I forgot Tyranthraxus even existed. Okay. So this CAN work. I'm not too keen on the body jumping, because I actually WOULD like the PC's to be able to kill her, albeit in a really gross way.
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warlockco
Master of Realmslore
USA
1695 Posts |
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Crust
Learned Scribe
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 18:06:19
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Have fey'ri, Malkizid, or whoever reform her into an incarnate demonflesh golem... perhaps she is just a puppet of sorts, culling the ranks of her army with her very "resurrection," while some other being pulls the strings (Malkizid, another fey'ri, one of your own NPC foes, etc.).
Perhaps Malkizid himself could assume the guise of Sarya, unsuring that the direct intervention of an arch-fiend would ensure Malkizid's dominion over [insert stretch of Faerun here].
Maybe her spirit or soul was merged with the consciousness of that portal pocket plane. |
"That's right, hurl back views that force ye to think by name-calling - 'tis the grand old tradition, let it not down! Anything to keep from having to think, or - Mystra forfend - change thy own views!"
Narnra glowered at her father. "Just how am I to learn how to think? By being taught by you?"
"Some folk in the Realms would give their lives for the chance to learn at my feet," Elminster said mildly. "Several already have."
~from Elminster's Daughter, Ed Greenwood |
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Foxhelm
Senior Scribe
Canada
592 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 19:36:21
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It would seem to me that Sarya, if she were to return, would see the power of a Demon Prince or even... Godhood! It would be interesting to run a campaign to stop her from gaining the power she hungers for.
And if she does gain godhood, well you have a who new league of troubles to bring upon your PC. Or if she misses, it might leave the door open for a Fey'ri to gain Divinity or Fiendish promotions.
Or you could do both, but in different campaines...
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Ed Greenwood! The Solution... and Cause of all the Realms Problems! |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jul 2006 : 21:08:20
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Godhood?
Pffft..
Demon Prince? That typically requires.. Controlling a sizable portion of the Abyss. :) |
Planescape Fanatic
"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD |
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msatran
Learned Scribe
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jul 2006 : 04:16:13
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I run a very character-driven game. It is HIGHLY unlikely that I even have time to force the PC's to look for a special weapon, as they're already 17th level, and other PC's have to have their spotlight too.
By the way, after testing, Half-Fiend Balhannoths rock. |
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Post- Final Gate issue (Spoiler!)
