Dragonborn Sorceror Decides to Drink Blood

[Aplus]

So I started running a campaign with a bunch of old friends (all of around age 30) and my cousin's son, who is 13. It was my idea to introduce him to D&D, because I figured it'd be good for him to take a break from the video games.

The other night when we were playing, I described how there were jars of blood stacked against the wall after they beat the encounter. The point of this was for flavor, since the bad guys were followers of Orcus. The first thing my little cousin does is say he wants to drink a jar of the blood to see if it gives him demonic powers. This was generally laughed at, and many of the other players tried to talk him out of it. A few endurance checks, healing surges, and saving throws later, he was able to stomach it. No demonic powers though.

My question is how to deal with this player. He is brand new to the game and is just exercising his ability to do whatever he wants. My initial reaction is to be upset that he is doing something I would have never thought of. But after thinking about it a bit more, I think there is a possibility for his craziness to add a lot of memorability to the campaign.

Have any of you ever dealt with a younger player with evil tendencies? How did you avoid railroading the character into playing the same good character everyone else is playing? Can a party that is overall good and lawful good survive a guy like this? How can I turn his actions into something cool?

One idea I had was to turn his ice spells into necrotic spells the middle of the dungeon we are heading into. Maybe have Orcus visit him in his dreams or something. But I'm worried about things taking a turn for the crazy and unmanageable. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[cdrcjsn]

It might've been a while, but open up the ole Dungeon Master's Guide.

The 4e version of the DMG is one of the best ever produced to help out DMs with useful advice.

Start on page 8 on Player Motivations. Your players sounds like an Instigator.

Also, check out page 32 on Problem Players just in case.

 

[Psychotic Jim]

Not much to suggest here except that I like how you adjusted your attitude from objection of how he did something unexpected to how can this be made into a noteworthy addition the campaign. Fresh players like this are sometimes a blessing because they always shake things up a little bit and approach things from new ways more experienced players would never expect. How have the other players (and their pcs) been reacting to the newcomer's activities?

 

[Rabbitbait]

Sounds like no problem to me. He's a dragornborn, they are obviously meat eaters, the blood is not of his own species. Just let it play out, if the other characters are squeemish then that makes for good in-game character development - just make sure it is kept in-game though. If it gets too bad then you might have to find a good way for the dragonborn to turn to evil in-character, make him an NPC (explaining why to the player and making it super-cool) and have a great ongoing villian for the campaign.

Out of game, sounds like a typical 13 year old boy playing D&D and letting his imagination run wild.

Oh, and things turning into the crazy and unmangeable is what D&D is all about - it's good when the players start to create the plot.

 

[Doug McCrae]

13 year olds haven't changed much. I think your ideas are good. Demon powers seem a bit extreme from just drinking some blood (that would require a major ritual and sacrifice imo) but I like the Orcus dream. Perhaps Orcus offers the dragonborn a chance to join his cult. Asks him to perform some relatively minor evil act - sacrificing an animal maybe - as his initiation. Then the dreams continue, the evil acts Orcus demands get a little worse each time. Eventually he could get the demon powers he wants. (Perhaps have Orcus offer these as his initial hook - the PC sees a vision of himself with the powers. Players love kewl powers.)

Adventure hook possibility: Orcus tells the PC to attack a cult of Demogorgon, providing the location, etc. Could be tricky if some of those cultists are high ranking members of society.

Now ofc you have to be fair to the other players. At some point the dragonborn might have to become an NPC.

It could be my ideas are unworkable in a good party and will cause too much conflict, but I kinda like em. It could work provided the player is subtle about it. Being a 13 year old that's maybe asking too much tho.

 

[Wepwawet]

The first thing I learned from my first game as a DM is: Expect players to do the unexpected.

That said, look at the Infernal Warlock. They're not supposed to be evil, do they? Yet they have demonic powers.
Why doesn't he multiclass into Warlock as mechanical way of expressing that change?

 

[roguerouge]

My question is how to deal with this player. He is brand new to the game and is just exercising his ability to do whatever he wants. My initial reaction is to be upset that he is doing something I would have never thought of.

Encourage him. He's imaginative and interacting with the world. You'll get better at ad-libbing.

 

[malraux]

I personally wouldn't encourage evil development, unless your confident he can handle the distinction between evil and chaotic psychopath.

That said, there's nothing wrong with encouraging off the wall thinking. I would have let the blood act as a potion (healing or something cool like heals + recharges your breath weapon).

 

[EP]

Having dreams of Orcus - very cool. Perhaps if Orcus is using those dreams to follow the PCs, learn things about them, track them down and dish out some old school revenge. Do the other players know about these dreams? If not, it would be nice twist to find out the source of all these Orcus followers ambushing them is the dragonborn.

As far as the dragonborn turning "evil," if the player don't mind, then let him go nuts with it. By using the Orcus dream side quest, he can slowly learn about consequences to his crazy action and start to make his own decisions on how far to push the envelope. He feels responsible for things that have happened because he drank demonic blood. Let him fall off the bike a couple of time and he'll learn not to ride on the highway. This saves you the trouble of reeling him in and making him feel like being imaginative can be a bad thing.

 

[Kingreaper]

Drinking demonic blood should boost you. At a cost.

In my campaign I made the boost: free healing (but it has to be fresh off the bone). And the downside? The bad-guys get bonuses to hit you with their domination powers, and FORCE you to do what they want.

Most of the characters weren't so keen on eating their enemies after that. Or wouldn't have been, but the flesh was kinda addictive.