NotActuallyTim
First Post
Storm of Vengeance PHB pg 279. Actually far less damaging, it only lasts for 10 rounds, only has an AoE of 360 radius in comparison. Big, scary, for a spell, not actually on the Air Orbs level.
D&D 5E (2014) Feathergale Spire: The players want revenge!
- Thread starter pukunui
- Start date
pukunui
Legend
Yeah, you made some good points about the amount of damage it can do above. I was thinking of just giving the air priest the call lightning spell, so he can take advantage of the stormy conditions.
Am I right in thinking that once the orb explodes, there's nothing you can really do to stop the effect? Or would dispel magic work?
Am I right in thinking that once the orb explodes, there's nothing you can really do to stop the effect? Or would dispel magic work?
Regarding air cult retaliation, something I have used might work well here. Firstly, IMC there is 'sympathetic magic' like voodoo dolls. You do something to one item that is linked to another, and the effect travels. E.g. Snap a human leg bone while casting a spell, the target's leg breaks (or at least they get hit by the Harm spell). Snuff out a light in your hand, darkness descends on the target area etc.
1) There have been a lot of thefts in the village of late. People suspect household spirits, as the stuff being stolen is not of any great consequence. The PCs find this out because they see villagers leaving out saucers of milk, or little charms and snacks for the spirits, to placate them.
2) More recently, there have been a few people go missing. One was an older person with dementia, one was a young scallywag that nobody liked and one was a lovesick sad girl. So nobody was putting it down to anything too mysterious. Wandering off, who cares and suicide, respectively.
3) The villagers and PCs hear thump sound, they go outside to see a squished person near the well, they look like they have fallen from a very great height. They are too messed up to recognise, but a Medicine roll might help reveal it matches the description of a young local never-do-well. The corpse is clearly a warning from the air cult, even put a note on the guy if need be.
- As an option, the cult can drop in an idol. They want every towns folk to prostrate themselves before it and sacrifice half of their worldly wealth in penance, or the town is doomed. If even one person refuses and lives, they all die. They are to sacrifice anybody that refuses.
4) Later on, they hear another thump, looking outdoors they don't see anything. Later on, inside a first story room of a second story building, they find another fall victim. Clearly splatted on the spot. No sign that the body has been moved and no forced entry.
5) More victims follow. Each suddenly floating in the air, only about a foot, then falling for ages, then splatting.
- If you used the optional demands, this is where the mob forms and tries to demand the PCs worship the idol, or die. They have proven they cannot protect the villagers from this. Besides, isn't it really the PCs that have angered the gods?
6) Investigation shows that the people are either related to the missing persons by blood, or have had very personal effects stolen recently.
7) Queue PCs hunting down Air cultists in the town, finding some of the stolen personal effects and some locks of hair etc.
8) This leads them to a nearby clifftop where the cult has a makeshift altar where it drops its sacrifices and sympathetic voodoo dolls.
That's what I ran anyway, and I think it fits the less direct confrontation of the Air cult well.
1) There have been a lot of thefts in the village of late. People suspect household spirits, as the stuff being stolen is not of any great consequence. The PCs find this out because they see villagers leaving out saucers of milk, or little charms and snacks for the spirits, to placate them.
2) More recently, there have been a few people go missing. One was an older person with dementia, one was a young scallywag that nobody liked and one was a lovesick sad girl. So nobody was putting it down to anything too mysterious. Wandering off, who cares and suicide, respectively.
3) The villagers and PCs hear thump sound, they go outside to see a squished person near the well, they look like they have fallen from a very great height. They are too messed up to recognise, but a Medicine roll might help reveal it matches the description of a young local never-do-well. The corpse is clearly a warning from the air cult, even put a note on the guy if need be.
- As an option, the cult can drop in an idol. They want every towns folk to prostrate themselves before it and sacrifice half of their worldly wealth in penance, or the town is doomed. If even one person refuses and lives, they all die. They are to sacrifice anybody that refuses.
4) Later on, they hear another thump, looking outdoors they don't see anything. Later on, inside a first story room of a second story building, they find another fall victim. Clearly splatted on the spot. No sign that the body has been moved and no forced entry.
5) More victims follow. Each suddenly floating in the air, only about a foot, then falling for ages, then splatting.
- If you used the optional demands, this is where the mob forms and tries to demand the PCs worship the idol, or die. They have proven they cannot protect the villagers from this. Besides, isn't it really the PCs that have angered the gods?
6) Investigation shows that the people are either related to the missing persons by blood, or have had very personal effects stolen recently.
7) Queue PCs hunting down Air cultists in the town, finding some of the stolen personal effects and some locks of hair etc.
8) This leads them to a nearby clifftop where the cult has a makeshift altar where it drops its sacrifices and sympathetic voodoo dolls.
That's what I ran anyway, and I think it fits the less direct confrontation of the Air cult well.
pukunui
Legend
While some of what you did won't work for my campaign, you've made an excellent point. I'd forgotten that the air cult prefers to avoid direct confrontation. The "Cult Retaliation" scenario seems to ignore that aspect. I guess the idea is that the cult has been riled up enough by then.
Hmm. Lots to think about. For now, I think I'll go with letting the PCs attempt to get revenge, only to find that Merosska has gone off to seek aid from his cult superiors. Then I'll leave any cult retaliation for another time.
As an aside, I might also have the PCs dream about their captured comrade being tortured or something.
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NotActuallyTim
First Post
As far as I know, dispel magic isn't mentioned by the item text.
Also, that seems a little anticlimactic for a crazy magic bomb.
Also, that seems a little anticlimactic for a crazy magic bomb.
NotActuallyTim
First Post
Technically, they have plenty of time. They just need to find a place out of the wind. Gotta remember them tornado drills.
Tyranthraxus
Explorer
THe group Im playing in has 'cleansed' the Keep, Monastery and Spire. We were actually leading refugees from the Monastery to Womford when we found out it was now Lake Womford. Big assed lake where the town used to be. Its caused most of us to want to target the Water cult first (now that we have found out its leader and how to access its most sacred areas). our delve into the Earth Cult Temple didnt go so well.
pukunui
Legend
True. I'm sure many of the more important structures in town have cellars. Still, it seems like, once the orb detonates, there's nothing you can do to stop it from destroying the town, even if you can save most (if not all) of the town's inhabitants. I'm not sure I'm ready to destroy their home base just yet ...
pukunui
Legend
Just had a wicked idea! The air cultists could send the former PC's head back to the others in a box, trapped with a glyph of warding. When the PCs open the box, the glyph triggers a cloudkill spell, and a noxious cloud starts pouring out of the former PC's mouth.
Or I could be even nastier and have the glyph trigger a storm sphere that will wreck whatever room/building they're in at the time (presuming they don't take it outside to open it).
Seems in keeping with the air cult's preference for indirect retaliation.
EDIT: I could do that before the PCs head back to the Spire, and then, if they survive their revenge quest, then maybe the cult could send an invisible stalker after them. If that fails, then Merosska can show up with some skyweavers and attack the PCs in the streets or out in the countryside.
Or I could be even nastier and have the glyph trigger a storm sphere that will wreck whatever room/building they're in at the time (presuming they don't take it outside to open it).
Seems in keeping with the air cult's preference for indirect retaliation.
EDIT: I could do that before the PCs head back to the Spire, and then, if they survive their revenge quest, then maybe the cult could send an invisible stalker after them. If that fails, then Merosska can show up with some skyweavers and attack the PCs in the streets or out in the countryside.
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