I need ideas for a City of Evil Spirits...Please help me!

[Albert_Fish]

I have an inklingof an adventure idea. The players are off to find an artifact to help them defeat a demonic intelligent Iron Golem. The world is a low magic post-apocalyptic type of thing (Grim and Gritty Rules).
Wellthe adventure kernel revolves around a Parlainth type lost city ( sort of like Zinj from Crighton's "Congo" or The City of the Elder One's in Lovecrafts "At the Mountians of Madness"). this city is inhabited by Spirits...very evil hateful spirits. There is very little combat so most of these spirits will always be incoporeal. The primary threats to players will be traps, illusions and madness.

i am simulating madness by doubling WIS scores and then having this impromptu SAN score reduced by the difference between Will Saves and Will DCs.

In any case what movies can anyone suggest for trap ideas, ghost ideas and other things?

I am basing the primary ghost on the character 'Samara' from "The Ring" and an additional intelligent Zombie"guide" on the general idea of the old "House" and "House II" movies (tongue in cheek ridiculous yet creepy unded) .

Any ideas?

 

[Hand of Evil]

I would also use dreams, spirits sending visions to the character of the past.

You could also have them try and take over the body of the characters/npcs.

 

[William Ronald]

Possibly the characters could see ghostly reenactments of life in the city, and possibly the events that lead to its fall.

For example, they might witness a desperate charge to repel attackers fron the city gates and see it reenacted over and over again. (Essentially, this is kind of like seeing a past event on television. In the case of the ghosts, they may well be oblivious ot the PCs. For them, it is always that last desperate moment.)

Similarly, in the case of an evil city, horrible rituals could be reenacted by ghostly participants.

 

[s/LaSH]

Ever read Wheel of Time? Know what Mashadar is? If you do, then throw it into the city - not necessarily everywhere, but maybe pooled in low-down areas. Suddenly, failing your Balance check crossing that beam becomes a lot more dangerous...

An unusual one from Lexx (which is technically sf, but hey) is the idea of the Child From Beyond The Centuries, where some guy who knew he was going to die set up a large sequence of traps and things to obtain the ideal mother for his child if she ever happened to come along, and then use, ahem, preserved biological samples to get her pregnant. It doesn't help that the traps eventually selected one Stanley Tweedle as the ideal mother, but that's an optional twist that could be horrifying any way you want to twist it. In Lexx the 'daddy' showed up only as a holographic recording, but in a spirit city he really could be wandering around as a twisted, insane ghost operating his own horrible machines - or just watching and gibbering.

 

[Pielorinho]

Here's an idea I've wanted to do for a long time. Unfortunately, my players all know about it.

First, choose your mark. This needs to be a good roleplayer and a good sport. She's the only one who won't be in on the trick.

Now, meet with all your other players, and explain things to them.

The fun begins after the PCs have rested. They get up and get moving around, get on the road. The mark may notice that everyone is being kind of quiet, but that's it.

Soon, the mark notices something strange about the terrain: it looks awfully familiar to her. If she mentions it, the other players should just smile enigmatically and not answer her.

And there -- could that be? yes, it looks like her childhood home! And there's her mother, standing outside it! One of the other players should at this point take the initiative and start heading toward the house.

The mother will recognize the mark as a child, will tell her that lunch is on the table. Again, if the mark doesn't take the bait, another player should, heading in for food.

Once everyone is inside, they'll notice blood on the floors, streaked horribly on the walls, spattered on the ceiling. The mother pays no attention as she prepares lunch. The other players should begin licking their lips; one of them might draw a finger through the blood on the floor and taste it.

Lunch should be children stew, or something equally gruesome. The other players should dig in happily. Mother is obviously terrified.

And it's suddenly dark out, and the stew is gone, and the other players are looking around hungrily. One of the other players attacks the Mother, biting her with suddenly-elongated teeth.

Combat, hopefully, will ensue. But you as the DM have given the other players superior stats, such that they'll win, and as they pin the mark and begin to tear her limb from limb

-- she wakes in a cold sweat, with one of the other players calling over their shoulder, "Sleepyhead, it's time to get up, we need to get on the road!"

****************

Basically, some evil spirit is implanting a nightmare in the mark, trying to freak her out and make her mistrust her companions. As the DM, you're going to recruit all the other players to play the nightmare versions of their PCs. You want them to be as subtly creepy as possible; you want them to help you build a mounting atmosphere of dread and horror, until it unleashes in the final attack. And you really, really don't want the mark to know it's a dream until the last moment.

Although the players play nightmare versions of their PCs, they're only characters in a nightmare. Their "real" PCs will have no knowledge at all of the nightmare.

For some added fun, the evil spirit might, later that day, create an illusion of the mark's childhood home, just to see what happens .

Daniel

 

[Piratecat]

Daniel? Marry me.

 

[Pielorinho]

Daniel? Marry me.

You ain't getting nothing till I see a ring, Mister!

(And you better hurry, 'cuz as of 4:30 pm Saturday, I'll no longer be on the market. Deep breaths, deep breaths....)
Daniel

 

[Cedric]

A city of evil spirits eh?

Well...I'd start with Tequila, some Rum maybe, then later go for the mixed drinks...

 

[Albert_Fish]

Greatideas guys, thanks bunches....but i have no clue as to anything about the Wheel of Time.

 

[s/LaSH]

Right, I'll explain what Mashadar is then. Possible spoilers ahead, although it's just setting description.

Once upon a time, there was a great and powerful city. And when the Dark One made war upon the world, this city decided to be just as ruthless in fighting back. They became corrupt and evil, and eventually (I forget precisely how) their city fell and everyone in it died.

Now known as Shadar Logoth, the city is still tainted with evil. When the mist comes out in Shadar Logoth, you run, because if it envelops you the last thing any witness will report is your screams. They'll never find your body. This mist-entity is known as Mashadar.

(I think that's right. I don't have the earlier books to check it in, though.)