GHammy26
Explorer
Hello Fellow RP-ers
I am a DMing CoS currently and have run into a bit of a brain fart moment and require your ideas.
I dislike the whole if you are revived then you come back with a random 'madness'...
I loved the idea of the Amber Temple and how it's full of Old Dark Deities that can grant boons etc. and I have been using this for when one of the party dies and has been regenerated such as having certain 'Old Ones' reach out for certain players when they died whilst at a low level to bring them back.
I set the scene that no gods are answering the players, practically crippling the Paladin of Ioun (with only Lathander present in Strahd's realm). He was getting miffed that his smites and healing weren't working saying that he might go into a magic class. Eventually he died from a shambling mound in the Death House.
Here is the Paladin choice for example was between Lathander and one of the old ones (Tenebrous):
[This is for you and you alone to know]
You find yourself in a dim, amber coloured room. You are surrounded by twenty black wisps of shadow, three of which are larger and darker than the others. Each one calls in demonic voices for you to touch them, some desperately screaming for your attention and others (especially the larger ones) commanding you to come towards them. [Do a perception check and state the result when asked]
--------------------------------------------Cut Here---------------------------------------------------------
[Fail]
One of the large shadows silences the others and states in a deep guttural voice “Bequeath your soul to me and I will grant you gifts of power and longevity. With these you will become greater than any other before you and will eventually have legions of minions to command. Before you pass from your mortal coil, you will become my greatest warrior of Darkness and gain all the knowledge that you desire. Do you take this offer or have your soul lost in the mists of this realm forever?”
--------------------------------------------Cut Here---------------------------------------------------------
[Success]
Behind the shadows, you notice a small beam of light. You sense it is happy that you have noticed it and talks to you clearly through the chaos of the shadowed voices. “Your first test has been passed by finding me in this place; unfortunately this is only one of many tests... Your lord and saviour Ioun has no say in this land, I hear him answering your prayers but the darkness of this realm blocks him out. Only the few worshippers of mine here grant me some sway over the land. Join me, help my servants and bring the Light back to this land. I promise, once the darkness has been defeated you will be reunited with your beloved Deity. Do you accept?”
It is at this point that one of the large shadows silences the others and states in a deep guttural voice “Bequeath your soul to me and I will grant you gifts of power and longevity. With these you will become greater than any other before you and will eventually have legions of minions to command. Before you pass from your mortal coil, you will become my greatest warrior of Darkness and gain all the knowledge that you desire. Do you take this offer or have your soul lost in the mists of this realm forever?”
Who do you choose? State “1” for the path of Light or “2” for the path of Dark when asked
--------------------------------------------Cut Here---------------------------------------------------------
[Light]
The voice states “Look for me in the churches here, give this land back its faith and as my strength grows so too will yours!”
[Your next hit has all of the smite spells you have tried but were unable to cast before this moment. The next level you gain is in the Paladin class.]
--------------------------------------------Cut Here---------------------------------------------------------
[Dark]
The deep voice cheers with a maniacal roar, leaving ringing in your ears. It commands “Destroy the churches, convert faith to fear and as my power grows, so will yours! For your ultimate gift find me in the crypt of gold!!”
[You feel part of you change, deep inside, but you aren’t sure what has happened. The next level you gain is in the Warlock class (the great old one pact).]
Now, I enjoy putting my players in life and death situations, as it builds up tension and stops them from being super heroes/gods among men, unfortunately this means that they die from time to time. In the book it says no soul can leave strahd's realm so are trapped. I am trying to put together a roll list of random things that can happen when the players die such as turning into a spirit and have to follow the party around with the ability of possessing creatures or some other thing shamelessly ripped off from the 'dice, camera, action podcast'. (listen to it if you haven't as I really enjoyed the series)
Do you have any ideas? As I'm having an aforementioned brainfart...
Thanks
G
I am a DMing CoS currently and have run into a bit of a brain fart moment and require your ideas.
I dislike the whole if you are revived then you come back with a random 'madness'...
I loved the idea of the Amber Temple and how it's full of Old Dark Deities that can grant boons etc. and I have been using this for when one of the party dies and has been regenerated such as having certain 'Old Ones' reach out for certain players when they died whilst at a low level to bring them back.
I set the scene that no gods are answering the players, practically crippling the Paladin of Ioun (with only Lathander present in Strahd's realm). He was getting miffed that his smites and healing weren't working saying that he might go into a magic class. Eventually he died from a shambling mound in the Death House.
Here is the Paladin choice for example was between Lathander and one of the old ones (Tenebrous):
[This is for you and you alone to know]
You find yourself in a dim, amber coloured room. You are surrounded by twenty black wisps of shadow, three of which are larger and darker than the others. Each one calls in demonic voices for you to touch them, some desperately screaming for your attention and others (especially the larger ones) commanding you to come towards them. [Do a perception check and state the result when asked]
--------------------------------------------Cut Here---------------------------------------------------------
[Fail]
One of the large shadows silences the others and states in a deep guttural voice “Bequeath your soul to me and I will grant you gifts of power and longevity. With these you will become greater than any other before you and will eventually have legions of minions to command. Before you pass from your mortal coil, you will become my greatest warrior of Darkness and gain all the knowledge that you desire. Do you take this offer or have your soul lost in the mists of this realm forever?”
--------------------------------------------Cut Here---------------------------------------------------------
[Success]
Behind the shadows, you notice a small beam of light. You sense it is happy that you have noticed it and talks to you clearly through the chaos of the shadowed voices. “Your first test has been passed by finding me in this place; unfortunately this is only one of many tests... Your lord and saviour Ioun has no say in this land, I hear him answering your prayers but the darkness of this realm blocks him out. Only the few worshippers of mine here grant me some sway over the land. Join me, help my servants and bring the Light back to this land. I promise, once the darkness has been defeated you will be reunited with your beloved Deity. Do you accept?”
It is at this point that one of the large shadows silences the others and states in a deep guttural voice “Bequeath your soul to me and I will grant you gifts of power and longevity. With these you will become greater than any other before you and will eventually have legions of minions to command. Before you pass from your mortal coil, you will become my greatest warrior of Darkness and gain all the knowledge that you desire. Do you take this offer or have your soul lost in the mists of this realm forever?”
Who do you choose? State “1” for the path of Light or “2” for the path of Dark when asked
--------------------------------------------Cut Here---------------------------------------------------------
[Light]
The voice states “Look for me in the churches here, give this land back its faith and as my strength grows so too will yours!”
[Your next hit has all of the smite spells you have tried but were unable to cast before this moment. The next level you gain is in the Paladin class.]
--------------------------------------------Cut Here---------------------------------------------------------
[Dark]
The deep voice cheers with a maniacal roar, leaving ringing in your ears. It commands “Destroy the churches, convert faith to fear and as my power grows, so will yours! For your ultimate gift find me in the crypt of gold!!”
[You feel part of you change, deep inside, but you aren’t sure what has happened. The next level you gain is in the Warlock class (the great old one pact).]
Now, I enjoy putting my players in life and death situations, as it builds up tension and stops them from being super heroes/gods among men, unfortunately this means that they die from time to time. In the book it says no soul can leave strahd's realm so are trapped. I am trying to put together a roll list of random things that can happen when the players die such as turning into a spirit and have to follow the party around with the ability of possessing creatures or some other thing shamelessly ripped off from the 'dice, camera, action podcast'. (listen to it if you haven't as I really enjoyed the series)
Do you have any ideas? As I'm having an aforementioned brainfart...
Thanks
G