D&D 5E Enhancing Vecna: Eve of Ruin *SPOILERS*

[Paul Farquhar]

What gods and mortals care about are, by their very nature, different. Vecna as a god is much more of threat to mortals than a dead or banished Vecna. Vecna as a god is only a marginal threat for most gods.

Vecna has been a god for years without being as much of a threat to mortals as Auril. There are so many evil gods around, the only being likely to feel threatened is the incumbent god of secrets.

 

[dave2008]

Vecna is already a god, he doesn’t need to do that again. Been there, done that, bought the tee shirt. And why should the players care about one more god when there are already dozens? So yes, it absolutely matters.

And because he has been a god and moved beyond he can play twelve dimensional chess with reality. His plans seem vague because they are beyond human comprehension.

If you are having problems with this adventure it’s not because your stakes are too high, it’s because they are not high enough.

It is OK if people have problems with the stakes of the adventure, you do realize this correct? You come off as very dismissive of other peoples desires and opinions. I image it is the format, but just wanted to check.

 

[dave2008]

Vecna has been a god for years without being as much of a threat to mortals as Auril. There are so many evil gods around, the only being likely to feel threatened is the incumbent god of secrets.

That is your opinion. To be clear, we don't run our games in published settings (or lore) so I am looking at this from a different perspective than you I think. I am looking at how to use it more broadly, not within the contect of the worlds of WotC and their goals for this adventure.

Vecna has absolutely been more of threat in our game than Auril (which doesn't even exist in our game).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That makes some sense, except Vecna wasn't around at the dawn of time. Many gods were. Vecna is an ascended mortal and came to be well after the dawn of time. He has to learn many of the "secrets" that the old gods just know.

Read the stuff about the obelisks, especially the bit in The Shattered Obelisk. Originally he wasn’t around at the dawn of time, until he rewrote reality so that he was. Really, thinking too small for this guy.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It is OK if people have problems with the stakes of the adventure, you do realize this correct? You come off as very dismissive of other peoples desires and opinions. I image it is the format, but just wanted to check.

It doesn’t work as a narrative unless you go big.

The whole thing is based on turning the dial up to eleven. If you take out all of that you are left with nothing.

 

[dave2008]

Read the stuff about the obelisks, especially the bit in The Shattered Obelisk. Originally he wasn’t around at the dawn of time, until he rewrote reality do that he was. Really, thinking too small for this guy.

But he hasn't done that, those are lies spread by his cult. He doesn't have that ability (nor did the spellweavers) in our game. And that is not what the Obelisks are for.

To be clear - I don't have the SO, but I have read some about it.

 

[dave2008]

It doesn’t work as a narrative unless you go big.

I disagree. I will probably refrain from reading / responding to your posts for a bit. It is not good for me and just a waste of my time, and I would rather be productive today!

 

[dave2008]

Ok, I am planning to add a little bit of adventure ideas with each statblock I update. Here is a draft of Vecna. This is the general format I am going to take. Any suggestions? Any ideas for Iggwilv, Kas, Lolth, Lord Soth, Miska, or Strahd?

 

[Distracted DM]

Ok, I am planning to add a little bit of adventure ideas with each statblock I update. Here is a draft of Vecna. This is the general format I am going to take. Any suggestions? Any ideas for Iggwilv, Kas, Lolth, Lord Soth, Miska, or Strahd?

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Oh wow. You mentioned that you were making it for yourself for use- I'd suggest some sort of countdown clock. If the players know that destroying these things will make Vecna more vulnerable (great idea btw), then they won't go after him until they've destroyed every one... they can potentially take their sweet time doing so, with the exception of him sending goons their way for destroying his Deity items.

Sort of like Red Hand of Doom, where there are a number of objectives that the party can go after to weaken the horde before it reaches Brindol. Except in Red Hand of Doom, the players are given WAY too much time. They've wrapped up pretty much all the objectives and still have 2/4 weeks left, and that's with all extra wrenches that I've thrown into the works!

 

[dave2008]

Oh wow. You mentioned that you were making it for yourself for use- I'd suggest some sort of countdown clock. If the players know that destroying these things will make Vecna more vulnerable (great idea btw), then they won't go after him until they've destroyed every one... they can potentially take their sweet time doing so, with the exception of him sending goons their way for destroying his Deity items.

Thank you for the input.

I look at these through the eyes of my own campaign, but I think someone else might find them useful too. I see these as just possibilities, a DM doesn't need to include all or any of them. Just options. Also, think there is already a built in clock: you need to weaken Vecna before he completes the ritual. When that is I would leave up to the DM because different groups proceed a different paces.