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D&D and the Cthulhu mythos: Adventure ideas?
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<blockquote data-quote="Ipissimus" data-source="post: 3515813" data-attributes="member: 41514"><p>Adventure ideas. Ok, let's start with a Lovecraft classic plot device.</p><p></p><p>1. The Asylum: Deep in the mountains (or other stock remote locations that nobody goes to) is a monestary dedicated to a god/ess of healing. It houses the kingdom's criminally insane, ordinary serial murderers of course rather than monsters and those dedicated to dark gods like the advanturers usually deal with. One of these inmates, however, has unfortunately attracted the notice of dark powers, scribbling nonsense on the walls that he believes are real magical formulae. They have granted him/her a modicum of power, somehow psychically connecting him to the other inmates. It isn't long before the inmates, forming a hive mind, overpower their guardians and, somehow, turn them to their way of thinking.</p><p></p><p>The 'Dark Gift' could come in many forms or be given in many different ways. The gift could be a magical gemstone that must be gazed into in order to 'infect' the madness, or perhaps it's a gaze attack from one of the infected. Maybe the inmate's insanity allowed him to contact the secret knowledge of the Far Realms and, once completed, granted him this special ability. I'd suggest using the rules for hiveminds from the BOVD to give the PCs a real challenge and probably the Mob rules from DMGII. Or, the agent of this special ability could be a Fiend of Corruption granting the inmate's twisted wish to 'stop being lonely'.</p><p></p><p>The adventure should play on the adventurer's sense of self for the horror. If one of their number does fall victim to the madness, the hive mind has gained a powerful vessal for it's depraved ideals. The madmen don't offer the character death, they're out to bring them over to their way of thinking.</p><p></p><p>The players could get involved when, say, the abbey calls for help. Or they could be sent to the monestary when contact is lost. Or the madmen could arrive at the closest village and begin converting the local populace.</p><p></p><p></p><p>2. The Cursed Item: These days, it seems like cursed items don't get much play. Nobody halfway sensible even touches an item until it's been checked out by the friendly neighbourhood mage. But what about an item that doesn't need to be touched to cause utter havoc?</p><p></p><p>Assassins can kill alot of people in cold blood over one lifetime and the assassin Gorag managed to kill possibly more than a million people over the course of his undead lifespan. This is probably a Bard's exaggeration, since Gorag himself couldn't place an exact number on the number of people he'd killed with it, the point is that it was enough for the blade to take on a malignant life of it's own.</p><p></p><p>The Blade of Gorag loves pointless murder and worse, loves pinning the crime on innocents. In this quest, it has the abilities and intelligence of Gorag combined with the ability to move of its own accord and alter its appearance. It's current owner, a minor noble, has unwittingly inherited it from a former uncle who 'apparently committed suicide'. Determined to sell his uncle's lands and belongings, the noble has concluded his business and returned to the palace of the reigning monarch... with the Blade of Gorag.</p><p></p><p>People in the palace have begun dropping like flies, murder, manslaughter and assault are rife, men and women fear leaving their quarters though hiding doesn't seem to help. Worse, with each murder there seems to be someone to blame, someone that always hangs for the crime.</p><p></p><p>But the Blade does have a motive. Once it manages to anoint itself in the blood of a thousand innocents, Gorag will return from beyond the grave. Even now, his specter can be occasionally seen roaming the halls of the palace.</p><p></p><p>The King needs to make his palace safe again, he even fears his own guardsmen are in on what he sees as a conspiracy to dethrone him. What he needs are adventurers...</p><p></p><p>The Blade's love of murder doesn't preclude its having a</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ipissimus, post: 3515813, member: 41514"] Adventure ideas. Ok, let's start with a Lovecraft classic plot device. 1. The Asylum: Deep in the mountains (or other stock remote locations that nobody goes to) is a monestary dedicated to a god/ess of healing. It houses the kingdom's criminally insane, ordinary serial murderers of course rather than monsters and those dedicated to dark gods like the advanturers usually deal with. One of these inmates, however, has unfortunately attracted the notice of dark powers, scribbling nonsense on the walls that he believes are real magical formulae. They have granted him/her a modicum of power, somehow psychically connecting him to the other inmates. It isn't long before the inmates, forming a hive mind, overpower their guardians and, somehow, turn them to their way of thinking. The 'Dark Gift' could come in many forms or be given in many different ways. The gift could be a magical gemstone that must be gazed into in order to 'infect' the madness, or perhaps it's a gaze attack from one of the infected. Maybe the inmate's insanity allowed him to contact the secret knowledge of the Far Realms and, once completed, granted him this special ability. I'd suggest using the rules for hiveminds from the BOVD to give the PCs a real challenge and probably the Mob rules from DMGII. Or, the agent of this special ability could be a Fiend of Corruption granting the inmate's twisted wish to 'stop being lonely'. The adventure should play on the adventurer's sense of self for the horror. If one of their number does fall victim to the madness, the hive mind has gained a powerful vessal for it's depraved ideals. The madmen don't offer the character death, they're out to bring them over to their way of thinking. The players could get involved when, say, the abbey calls for help. Or they could be sent to the monestary when contact is lost. Or the madmen could arrive at the closest village and begin converting the local populace. 2. The Cursed Item: These days, it seems like cursed items don't get much play. Nobody halfway sensible even touches an item until it's been checked out by the friendly neighbourhood mage. But what about an item that doesn't need to be touched to cause utter havoc? Assassins can kill alot of people in cold blood over one lifetime and the assassin Gorag managed to kill possibly more than a million people over the course of his undead lifespan. This is probably a Bard's exaggeration, since Gorag himself couldn't place an exact number on the number of people he'd killed with it, the point is that it was enough for the blade to take on a malignant life of it's own. The Blade of Gorag loves pointless murder and worse, loves pinning the crime on innocents. In this quest, it has the abilities and intelligence of Gorag combined with the ability to move of its own accord and alter its appearance. It's current owner, a minor noble, has unwittingly inherited it from a former uncle who 'apparently committed suicide'. Determined to sell his uncle's lands and belongings, the noble has concluded his business and returned to the palace of the reigning monarch... with the Blade of Gorag. People in the palace have begun dropping like flies, murder, manslaughter and assault are rife, men and women fear leaving their quarters though hiding doesn't seem to help. Worse, with each murder there seems to be someone to blame, someone that always hangs for the crime. But the Blade does have a motive. Once it manages to anoint itself in the blood of a thousand innocents, Gorag will return from beyond the grave. Even now, his specter can be occasionally seen roaming the halls of the palace. The King needs to make his palace safe again, he even fears his own guardsmen are in on what he sees as a conspiracy to dethrone him. What he needs are adventurers... The Blade's love of murder doesn't preclude its having a [/QUOTE]
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