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Alaria
Acolyte
6 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 00:12:45
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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
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 00:40:03
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There the Touch of Benevolence feat in CoR
Your idea seems very similar to Tears for Twilight Hollow an FR module in Dungeon 90 you might want to check it out |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
Edited by - Dargoth on 08 Aug 2006 00:40:29 |
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Alaria
Acolyte
6 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 01:25:39
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| Any idea where i can find the module to down load? |
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 01:37:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Alaria
Any idea where i can find the module to down load?
Dont know if you can download it but Paizo publishin are selling the issue
www.paizo.com |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 09:30:46
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Nice idea, there are some things you might want to consider. The healing, if it actually is healing, if it is done through potions, herbal remedies, has to be done by an alchemist or clerical caster since wizards/arcane casters do not have the spells, either the wizard is a superb alchemist or she has a few class levels and the brew potions feat to create cure potions.
Maybe the wizard could be turned into a cleric of Cyric or Bane, or even a thrall to a demon. This way you'd have a direct connection to demonic/evil powers.
As for the townspeople "buying" the curse etc, maybe there is actually a curse at work. This way the sacrifices would not merely be some random evil act but something that is present. The evil that surrounds the area could also mask the wizard's/cleric's/thrall's own evilness.
Maybe this curse is actually a conditional thingy... if the sacrifice is not made the crops/lifestock/whatever grows ill. Maybe it is a specific family instead of the entire community. Something like "sacrifice your firstborn child or suffer the consquences", or it could encompass the entire community: "The first child born in every year has to be sacrificed lest the crops and lifestock will suffer."
Also, I'd turn the city into a village, if only for the reason to contain the threat so to speak and make it less public. If it were a city you'd be bound to have far more traffic which would the curse far more widely known, or if they killed every traveler someone is bound to investigate. A village, especially if it lies off the main trade routes, is far less suspicious. Also, if you wanna make the entire affair far more "spooky" turn the PCs' mission into something that is initiated by an almost feral child that was the firstborn when the curse was initiated, and he and his family fled, he survived the manhunt that ensued afterwards, since the curse took hold.
Maybe that helps |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Iliphar1
Learned Scribe
Austria
133 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 12:06:02
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Mace's Ideas are absolutely fabulous!!!
I'd also change the mage into a priest or a demon worshipper.
What about giving the whole adventure a darker tune.
Maybe the curse was initiated, because the villagers have killed a gypsy or Vistani's Child. (they exist in my FR campaign as well, not only Ravenloft). Therefore the tribe has cursed the village and so they have to kill their own children. (at least firstborn child every year)
[-> makes the villagers not very nice people at all]
This could have happened 20 years ago, so most people involved in the crime still live, but nobody talks about it at all - least of all to strangers. The PC could notice, that there is something unspoken, but will have a dificult time in finding it
The priest uses this curse to find sacrifices to enhance his own powers. Maybe he tries to build a special magic item, and needs souls for it. Remember: He wouldn't commit murders just for the fun of it!
In my campaign, it is possible to gain power from fiends through sacrifices. the more dearer the sacrifices, the stronger the powers. (Of course, once you bind yourself to fiendish magic, you always pay a very very dear price, but that's another chapter!)
the first born baby, that escaped (Mace' idea!) could be the reason, why the curse actually broke out! (The baby wasn't killed, therefore the curse broke out!) The villagers see it: If the person is dead, the curse will cease (or at least become inactive) The village is engaged in a ferocios manhunt. (how and why did he espape, who helped the baby?)
Find a way how the curse would end: e.g no babys must be born in or near the village for a whole year, the Villagers must atone for the murder of the gipsy.
Another even more "meaner" idea: The escaped child is the way of salvation. If he becomes murdered, the curse will become stronger, if the villagers let him live, the curse becomes weaker and so it can be atoned. Everything will last then on the hands of the PCs (if they can save the child) |
'You see dead bones? ... I see an army!' Ezechiel 37 |
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Kaladorm
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1176 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 14:05:24
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quote:
Nondetection
Abjuration
Level: Rgr 4, Sor/Wiz 3, Trickery 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature or object touched
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)
The warded creature or object becomes difficult to detect by divination spells such as clairaudience/clairvoyance, locate object, and detect spells. Nondetection also prevents location by such magic items as crystal balls. If a divination is attempted against the warded creature or item, the caster of the divination must succeed on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against a DC of 11 + the caster level of the spellcaster who cast nondetection. If you cast nondetection on yourself or on an item currently in your possession, the DC is 15 + your caster level.
If cast on a creature, nondetection wards the creature’s gear as well as the creature itself.
Material Component: A pinch of diamond dust worth 50 gp.
There's your way of not getting caught by detect evil :) |
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Iliphar1
Learned Scribe
Austria
133 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 17:31:02
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just give the NPC an amulet of opposite alignment. The party will believe, that he is RG.
...very very helpful item for villains. *ggg*
But anyway, I'd make the curse (in it's active state) much more evil and therefore overlapping everything else -except fiends of course (who are the absolute evil that exists), but how could the party tell, that they aren't part of the curse?
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'You see dead bones? ... I see an army!' Ezechiel 37 |
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Alaria
Acolyte
6 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 20:41:31
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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? |
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Iliphar1
Learned Scribe
Austria
133 Posts |
Posted - 08 Aug 2006 : 22:59:41
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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!!
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'You see dead bones? ... I see an army!' Ezechiel 37 |
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 00:16:40
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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. |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 07:58:51
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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... |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe
181 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 08:00:18
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| 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? |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 08:33:49
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| 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... |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe
181 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 09:03:38
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| 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 |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 09:33:34
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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 |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe
181 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 09:49:50
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| 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 |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 09:54:31
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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." |
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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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 10:13:12
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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... |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe
181 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 10:13:39
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| 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 |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 10:31:11
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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. |
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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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 11:21:34
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| 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! |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 11:29:09
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Heh. Heh.
Anyway, sorry to the OP for going off topic. :) |
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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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 11:36:40
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Back to the topic:
Don't do the basketed kid scenario...
but I repeat myself...as I sometimes do...as I sometimes do... |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe
181 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 12:01:36
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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 |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 12:28:05
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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. |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Aes Tryl
Learned Scribe
181 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 12:33:52
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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 |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 12:49:06
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| Maybe said demon needs the lifeforce to power a cloaking spell so he stays hidden from (insert random group that hates him)... |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Kazzaroth
Learned Scribe
Finland
104 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 15:11:04
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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). |
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Chosen of Moradin
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1120 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 15:27:40
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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.   |
Dwarf, DM, husband, and proud of this! :P
twitter: @yuripeixoto
Facebook: yuri.peixoto |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 09 Aug 2006 : 16:03:03
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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 |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Help with an evil lvl 9 wizard
