mattdm
First Post
Plots that force them to make challenging moral decisions are one thing; secret house rules that do so are another.
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I am a mean DM and I Love it! Bwahaha!
- Thread starter greyscale1
- Start date
Plots that force them to make challenging moral decisions are one thing; secret house rules that do so are another.
greyscale1
First Post
Protagonist:
I left out some details, there is quite a bit more to this, I just wanted to get the gist across. Let me sum up their deal with: Dey a Cult! (again, the story is more complex, but thats why they would do it, technically, for free) I am hoping that the PCs come to the same conclusion you did: "Wait, what do these guys stand to gain from this? Why are they doing this!?" Etc.
mattdm:
Secret house rules? awesomeface.jpg
Seriously, I am not sure what you could be refering too, this is more of a plot than a house rule, seeing as how these crystals are an entirely homebrewed item.
Perhaps you are refering to them being used in the ressurection ritual? Well average joe citizen (PCs included) doesn't really know of ANY sort of ressurection ritual in the first place. My players, in fact, might believe that there is NO way to ressurect anyone in this campaign. No matter what, I dont really feel like I am being a super jerk to the players with this (maybe the characters, but not the players).
Anyway, I feel like using actual soul-power up in the ressurection makes more sense than 'Throw money on his body till he wakes up' or whatnot. I have always tolerated ressurection spells as a game-aid sort of thing. Necessary to keep action flowing, but kindof silly fluffwise. This way I feel like I have given ressurection some REAL meaning and reason to exist.
Anyway, lets hear some other peoples ratbastard plotations.
Also, the tags for this thread are: Bwahaha!, and Love.
ha!
I left out some details, there is quite a bit more to this, I just wanted to get the gist across. Let me sum up their deal with: Dey a Cult! (again, the story is more complex, but thats why they would do it, technically, for free) I am hoping that the PCs come to the same conclusion you did: "Wait, what do these guys stand to gain from this? Why are they doing this!?" Etc.
mattdm:
Secret house rules? awesomeface.jpg
Seriously, I am not sure what you could be refering too, this is more of a plot than a house rule, seeing as how these crystals are an entirely homebrewed item.
Perhaps you are refering to them being used in the ressurection ritual? Well average joe citizen (PCs included) doesn't really know of ANY sort of ressurection ritual in the first place. My players, in fact, might believe that there is NO way to ressurect anyone in this campaign. No matter what, I dont really feel like I am being a super jerk to the players with this (maybe the characters, but not the players).
Anyway, I feel like using actual soul-power up in the ressurection makes more sense than 'Throw money on his body till he wakes up' or whatnot. I have always tolerated ressurection spells as a game-aid sort of thing. Necessary to keep action flowing, but kindof silly fluffwise. This way I feel like I have given ressurection some REAL meaning and reason to exist.
Anyway, lets hear some other peoples ratbastard plotations.
Also, the tags for this thread are: Bwahaha!, and Love.
ha!
mattdm
First Post
If the players already have been lead to assume that the standard resurrection ritual will be limited and are happy with that kind of game, I don't have any issue with this. And if it's limited to resurrection and won't limit other high level rituals and powers, even more so.
It just raised warning flags for me because I played a wizard in a game which suddenly turned into hey, you're actually all in Dark Sun, and all of your magic is Destroying The Life Essence of the World What a Fun Moral Quandary for You! If I'd known what I was getting into that might have been a fun avenue to explore, but as it was, the "wide-eyed" moment was more like "hey, you mean all of my ideas for my own character's development are wasted? thannnks."
greyscale1
First Post
Ah, I understand how it might be a touchy subject then, that WOULD suck.
However, no, the REQUIRED use of crystals is limited to things that are a BIG DEAL for the party in the first place. They can also be used to make alot of things better or more convinent, but destroying souls for convienience is one of those OBVIOUSLY THIS IS EVIL sort of acts. Sacrificing some souls to bring back a world saving hero? A much tougher decision.
Honestly with the rediculous amount of ass my players have been kicking it seems unlikely they will need to use the spell at all.
One of my players recently asked (not sarcastically) if I would step up the challenge a bit after I threw 10 their level standard mobs at them in one encounter! Damn their strategy and good rolls!
However, no, the REQUIRED use of crystals is limited to things that are a BIG DEAL for the party in the first place. They can also be used to make alot of things better or more convinent, but destroying souls for convienience is one of those OBVIOUSLY THIS IS EVIL sort of acts. Sacrificing some souls to bring back a world saving hero? A much tougher decision.
Honestly with the rediculous amount of ass my players have been kicking it seems unlikely they will need to use the spell at all.
One of my players recently asked (not sarcastically) if I would step up the challenge a bit after I threw 10 their level standard mobs at them in one encounter! Damn their strategy and good rolls!
Rel
Liquid Awesome
In terms of the RBDM moments of which I'm most proud, there are a couple that stand out that took place in rapid succession in one particular campaign. These are well documented in my Faded Glory Story Hour if you care to read it.
The PC's had been plotting for quite some time to get to and inside this mysterious city in a large crater from which armies of Bane worshiping Orcs had emerged. They knew that the place was also guarded by Ogres and at least one Beholder in addition to some Banelar (basically snake wizards if you're not familiar with them).
They had meticulously planned this mission with whatever information they could get but they had been unable to scry upon anything inside the crater for some strange reason. Nonetheless, they knew that they would meet tough resistance when they got there and would need to make a speedy exit at some point. Thus the party Wizard had prepared a Teleport and they even had a "code word" for when he would get them out of there: Albatross.
So they get inside and they are battling Ogres in plate mail and doing pretty well and finally grind their way forward into this large chamber when suddenly a hole is disintegrated in the roof and in flys the Beholder. The Wizard yells "Albatross!" and the party converges on him. A moment later, just as the Beholder is about to bring his full attacks to bear upon them, they teleport out.
Into Hell.
The reason they couldn't scry upon the city was that it was the site where a god had been "killed" (Bane) and that caused a "weak spot" in reality right there that was linked to where Bane's Tomb in Hell was constructed. The PC's got a good look at the horde of demons who were gradually tearing apart this tomb and knew that that couldn't be good. The party immediately implored the Wizard, "Send us back!" He said, "I can't! I only prepared ONE Teleport spell today!" They needed a comfy place to spend the night. In Hell.
(This brings us to the second RBDM moment...)
They found a very helpful Erinyes who was happy to let them share her cave for a very small price: A kiss. After I described her as the "unholy love child of Monica Bellucci and Salma Hayek" the Rogue immediately said, "I'll do it!" The Cleric of St. Cuthbert said something akin to "I've got a bad feeling about this." as he layered on whatever magical protections he could think of to keep the Rogue from selling his soul to her.
And it worked! He rolled really well and all she got was a kiss. She invited them into her lair where she settled them down in the antechamber and then seductively told them, "If the floor isn't comfortable...my bed is right through this doorway." The Rogue looked around the group and basically said, "I'm going to go and...uh...pump her for information."
The Cleric objected to what an absolutely terrible idea that was whereupon the Rogue gave the group his best Han Solo impression saying, "Relax! It's me!" Then he merrily joined the seductress and sold her his soul. For cheap.
He was later able to pay off his debt to her in small installments at horrible interest rates. But he did it with a smile on his face.
The PC's had been plotting for quite some time to get to and inside this mysterious city in a large crater from which armies of Bane worshiping Orcs had emerged. They knew that the place was also guarded by Ogres and at least one Beholder in addition to some Banelar (basically snake wizards if you're not familiar with them).
They had meticulously planned this mission with whatever information they could get but they had been unable to scry upon anything inside the crater for some strange reason. Nonetheless, they knew that they would meet tough resistance when they got there and would need to make a speedy exit at some point. Thus the party Wizard had prepared a Teleport and they even had a "code word" for when he would get them out of there: Albatross.
So they get inside and they are battling Ogres in plate mail and doing pretty well and finally grind their way forward into this large chamber when suddenly a hole is disintegrated in the roof and in flys the Beholder. The Wizard yells "Albatross!" and the party converges on him. A moment later, just as the Beholder is about to bring his full attacks to bear upon them, they teleport out.
Into Hell.
The reason they couldn't scry upon the city was that it was the site where a god had been "killed" (Bane) and that caused a "weak spot" in reality right there that was linked to where Bane's Tomb in Hell was constructed. The PC's got a good look at the horde of demons who were gradually tearing apart this tomb and knew that that couldn't be good. The party immediately implored the Wizard, "Send us back!" He said, "I can't! I only prepared ONE Teleport spell today!" They needed a comfy place to spend the night. In Hell.
(This brings us to the second RBDM moment...)
They found a very helpful Erinyes who was happy to let them share her cave for a very small price: A kiss. After I described her as the "unholy love child of Monica Bellucci and Salma Hayek" the Rogue immediately said, "I'll do it!" The Cleric of St. Cuthbert said something akin to "I've got a bad feeling about this." as he layered on whatever magical protections he could think of to keep the Rogue from selling his soul to her.
And it worked! He rolled really well and all she got was a kiss. She invited them into her lair where she settled them down in the antechamber and then seductively told them, "If the floor isn't comfortable...my bed is right through this doorway." The Rogue looked around the group and basically said, "I'm going to go and...uh...pump her for information."
The Cleric objected to what an absolutely terrible idea that was whereupon the Rogue gave the group his best Han Solo impression saying, "Relax! It's me!" Then he merrily joined the seductress and sold her his soul. For cheap.
He was later able to pay off his debt to her in small installments at horrible interest rates. But he did it with a smile on his face.
