D&D 5E another worthy quest

[Sunseeker]

So now I just need to come up with some specifics. Anyone got any ideas? Maybe the guardian is a polymorphed gold dragon. I need to come up with an affliction that is worse than a missing eye but isn't something the party cleric can get rid of with lesser restoration.

A cursed wound from a magic sword. It's not enough to kill them quickly, but it can't be healed and falls under "cursed" to keep Lesser Restoration's hands off it.

Otherwise, if you're thinking some kind of ancient and powerful creature in disguise, the wound could easily be fake and thus defy all attempts to heal it because it isn't actually there.

 

[pukunui]

Do you think something like one of the charms in the DMG would be an acceptable reward, or should it be something more permanent?

 

[Sunseeker]

Do you think something like one of the charms in the DMG would be an acceptable reward, or should it be something more permanent?

Charms? I'm not familiar with those. You mean the Boons?

Honestly, I'd just make something cool up.

 

[pukunui]

The charms are on page 228 of the DMG. The intro for them even mentions gold dragons as being typical charm-givers. They're meant to function like potions or scrolls - they're "consumable" magic gifts. Do you think that would be good enough, or do you think it should be something more permanent?

 

[Bleys Icefalcon]

You can ping her a couple points of perception, but give her a couple points in persuasion...

 

[Eltab]

The skipper of the Frostskimmr has a similar problem, and his solution may prove inspiring. (You do have a copy of Tiamat, right?)

When your group gets to Waterdeep or Balders Gate or any other city big enough to support temples, the PCs might want to stop by to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. The final answer might be a glass eye with a 1-per-any-rest cantrip / 1st-level spell / Warlock invocation - such as XL Darkvision or Detect Magic - in it.

Maybe you will or won't tell the PC that there is "the other eye" that can see what his eye sees, like how sending stones work. Sometimes the connection works in reverse, though - a Divination Cleric might be finding answers to questions the PCs are stuck on, and once in a while it sort of comes to the PC in a waking dream.

Too bad Odin is not an FR god...

edit: Oops, I just looked over your OP and realized you are not describing your HotDQ group. Oh well, the principle is the same.

 

[Parmandur]

Dude. Three words:

Eye of Vecna

*mike drop*

 

[Sunseeker]

The charms are on page 228 of the DMG. The intro for them even mentions gold dragons as being typical charm-givers. They're meant to function like potions or scrolls - they're "consumable" magic gifts. Do you think that would be good enough, or do you think it should be something more permanent?

I'm a fan of permanent effects, but if you're concerned with the quest being too simple for the player to get such a big reward, some of the other responses have good ideas. A magic eye with a special vision effect....that lets some unknown force see through it (perhaps the dragon, as a way to keep the bearer on his toes), perhaps the dragon gives the player one of his eyes, Dragonheart style, causing them to become linked in some manner. It could lead into exciting future quests!

I like permanent effects and I like simplicity. The Eye of Vecna is a cool idea, but probably not something you'd get from a powerful good-aligned dragon, it's also complicated. Sentient magic items are fun though for the DM and the player.

 

[jrowland]

A couatl or unicorn "lord" could posses the ability rather than a gold dragon...a little more in line with their level. Then the "charm" or "boon" could be the ability to call in a regular couatl or unicorn to aid in one task (like an awesome summon monster). In this way, the benefit is party-wide, but still a result of the players choice.

 

[pukunui]

Dude. Three words:

Eye of Vecna

*mike drop*

I posted a picture of the hand and eye in our FB group, with the comment that if we could just get the PC to lose his left hand as well, he'd be a prime candidate for a certain pair of artifacts once belonging to a certain infamous lich ...