toucanbuzz
No rule is inviolate
Two things to accomplish with this post.
(1) Share an idea for any DL enthusiasts and
(2) seek out ideas to convert spell slots to abilities for divine characters who don't get their powers to start the game but should be able to do something.
DLE1, Dragons of Despair, is an AD&D adventure hailed as great by some and derided as a pure railroad by others. The original "start" was to assume book characters and play out your favorite novel, wherein you meet your pals outside town after 5 years of searching for the Old Gods because no real clerics exist, find out evil empire bad guys who are invading soon are looking desperately for a "blue crystal staff," and thru zero efforts of your own, are handed it and through more zero efforts, told where to take it to start saving the world.
So, I read a few blogs about DMs who wished they'd done something different, and started thinking, let's open this up. The adventure has this awesome big hex map, and it doesn't get used at all because you're told exactly where to go.
Session 0: Since the evil empire already has the Force, er clerical power, PCs venture to one of their big cities in search of the Old Gods and catch a big show of power. It's all roleplay at this point and a chance to see and interact with some future NPCs and villains. Maybe they enlist, get recruited for their knowledge of the area the evil empire is about to invade, flee home after their ship is commandeered, get enslaved after trying to start a revolt. Possibilities are varied, but they all lead to the knowledge evil empire wants to find this staff, and it's somewhere on the PCs home peninsula. They don't want to spook the bearer and are sending in agents rather than big armies to start. Maybe they promise not to burn your village if you're the lucky one who finds it, quite a dilemma. So, hexploration.
During this time, in this setting, no good guys get divine powers until either (1) they get their hands on the staff themselves, which becomes a conduit to their god and opens their powers, or (2) it's put back where it belongs and opens it up for all PCs.
So, sounds like it'll stink to play a Paladin, Ranger, Cleric, or Bard (they're divine in this setting for my game). You're gimped from day 1. Anyone who wants to be a cleric has to make sacrifices. Isn't that how it should be?
I like the idea, however, of allowing spell slots to be sacrificed for combat maneuvers (level up 5E does it for paladins), just not sure how to translate it to any other class till they devote themselves to spells. So, that's my brainstorm, replacement powers to make Divine classes manageable to play until they get their mojo, which may not be till levels 2 or 3 if the PCs really fart around the map.
Also although "no evil characters" is in play, what do I do, or should I do, if the PCs opt for "let's turn the staff over to the bad guys and save our village." It's basically game over man at that point. Evil eliminates knowledge of the good gods and no other divine magic returns to the world. Or is there another way?
(1) Share an idea for any DL enthusiasts and
(2) seek out ideas to convert spell slots to abilities for divine characters who don't get their powers to start the game but should be able to do something.
DLE1, Dragons of Despair, is an AD&D adventure hailed as great by some and derided as a pure railroad by others. The original "start" was to assume book characters and play out your favorite novel, wherein you meet your pals outside town after 5 years of searching for the Old Gods because no real clerics exist, find out evil empire bad guys who are invading soon are looking desperately for a "blue crystal staff," and thru zero efforts of your own, are handed it and through more zero efforts, told where to take it to start saving the world.
So, I read a few blogs about DMs who wished they'd done something different, and started thinking, let's open this up. The adventure has this awesome big hex map, and it doesn't get used at all because you're told exactly where to go.
Session 0: Since the evil empire already has the Force, er clerical power, PCs venture to one of their big cities in search of the Old Gods and catch a big show of power. It's all roleplay at this point and a chance to see and interact with some future NPCs and villains. Maybe they enlist, get recruited for their knowledge of the area the evil empire is about to invade, flee home after their ship is commandeered, get enslaved after trying to start a revolt. Possibilities are varied, but they all lead to the knowledge evil empire wants to find this staff, and it's somewhere on the PCs home peninsula. They don't want to spook the bearer and are sending in agents rather than big armies to start. Maybe they promise not to burn your village if you're the lucky one who finds it, quite a dilemma. So, hexploration.
During this time, in this setting, no good guys get divine powers until either (1) they get their hands on the staff themselves, which becomes a conduit to their god and opens their powers, or (2) it's put back where it belongs and opens it up for all PCs.
So, sounds like it'll stink to play a Paladin, Ranger, Cleric, or Bard (they're divine in this setting for my game). You're gimped from day 1. Anyone who wants to be a cleric has to make sacrifices. Isn't that how it should be?
I like the idea, however, of allowing spell slots to be sacrificed for combat maneuvers (level up 5E does it for paladins), just not sure how to translate it to any other class till they devote themselves to spells. So, that's my brainstorm, replacement powers to make Divine classes manageable to play until they get their mojo, which may not be till levels 2 or 3 if the PCs really fart around the map.
Also although "no evil characters" is in play, what do I do, or should I do, if the PCs opt for "let's turn the staff over to the bad guys and save our village." It's basically game over man at that point. Evil eliminates knowledge of the good gods and no other divine magic returns to the world. Or is there another way?
