Dragon Shaman joins Mafia: HELP! (thieves' guild related)

[Storyteller01]

Sounds like the thieves guild can use ignorance to it's advangtage. Spread the word that the guild is backed by a dragon, with the shaman either playing the dragon or its representative. It won't fool an intelligent opponent, but it could keep the masses in line. Play your cards right and nobles may fall in line, just in case.

There's a babylon 5 episode (season 2 I believe) that may help in this regard. The local small time crime boss had an alien that ate neural enery, leaving the victim a vegetable. The crime boss dressed it up in a suit, and had the poor & destitute believing he had Kosh working with him. Worked well, sinse none of them knew anyhting about the Vorlons.

 

[I'm A Banana]

All I can think of is that dragons have hoardes. And thieves steal hoardes.

Perhaps this shaman wants to make use of the guild himself...to either get a hoarde, or to hurt an enemy's....

 

[pawsplay]

"What I want you to do is get 'em where it hurts. Right in the hoard, y'know? Green dragon or not, nobody moves in on our territory. I have a special message for you to leave him. This is a great opportunity for you. Do this right, and you'll be in a position to enjoy our considerable generosity."

 

[Rystil Arden]

I've found that, similar to the OP, incorporating Dragon Shamans as a serious class can be a bit of a hassle in most settings. However, in my own homebrew setting, I've been able to use the Dragon Shaman for a good bit of comic relief, at least In a civilised and high-tech/high-magic setting, consider a Dragon Shaman NPC or group of NPCs who are raving loonies that somehow seem to have magic powers. The Dragon Shaman NPC followed the group around and constantly told them how much better the dragons were than they. "The dragons did X long before you" or "The dragons could have done Y much better than that." (both said in a loud and obnoxious voice) His other favourite catch-phrase was "I can't heal you yet--but if we beat you up below half, I can heal you infinitely! You can't heal him infinitely, can you cleric? That's because the dragons made better healing long before you!"

The group got a good laugh out of him but decided to abandon him at the first chance they got

 

[Wraith Form]

Great story! Although my particular campaign is slightly more serious (although it usually degenerates into unabashed sexual innuendos as the night drags on), I can see your point...using a dragon shaman to set up a contrast between human / mortal arcane magic and the dragons' "superior" arcane magic to show how powerful draconic magic is.

Ahh, that gives me an idea!! If you're familiar with the Iron Kingdoms, the goddess Cyriss is the deity of mathematics, engineering a technology--I shoehorned her into my world. Dragons would be absolutely 100% opposed to her, I'd think. That would make a great set of opponents--the Cult of Cyriss, wielding steamjacks and tech against their enemies, the Dragons!

Thank you, everyone! Please feel free to keep adding if you wish....

 

[jim pinto]

I like this idea.

Extortion-related mini-adventures could be fun... and there's an AEG adventure called the Gauntlet that's specifically targetted at thieves who are going through "pledge week."

Heck. If they are low-level, have the PC visit a series of business picking up protection money... when something happens.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Great story! Although my particular campaign is slightly more serious (although it usually degenerates into unabashed sexual innuendos as the night drags on), I can see your point...using a dragon shaman to set up a contrast between human / mortal arcane magic and the dragons' "superior" arcane magic to show how powerful draconic magic is.

Ahh, that gives me an idea!! If you're familiar with the Iron Kingdoms, the goddess Cyriss is the deity of mathematics, engineering a technology--I shoehorned her into my world. Dragons would be absolutely 100% opposed to her, I'd think. That would make a great set of opponents--the Cult of Cyriss, wielding steamjacks and tech against their enemies, the Dragons!

Thank you, everyone! Please feel free to keep adding if you wish....

That could definitely be an interesting contrast, and it would be a good place to throw them in. The party had a good chuckle when the Dragon Shaman mentioned something they knew to be true due to some extensive archaeology they did in another campaign in the same world "Long ago, the dragons rent the world in ice and fire, and it could happen again." He said this after one of the PCs tried to use diplomacy to befriend him, and he offered "The dragons will spare me and those who know that they are the supreme creations of all the multiverse, of course, and I like you, so join us." Of course, the PCs refused

You might also think of mixing in some Dragonfire Adepts--Dragon Shamans + Dragonfire Adepts as the members of a crazy dragon cult are both very dangerous groups of opponents in a large-scale war or other such conflict because both of them have complementary abilities that can be used at-will all day long.

 

[Wraith Form]

I like this idea.

Extortion-related mini-adventures could be fun... and there's an AEG adventure called the Gauntlet that's specifically targetted at thieves who are going through "pledge week."

Got it. Used it.