Industrygothica's "Those Left Behind" [OOC]

[Shayuri]

Oh, beh. I just find transformation effects to be ridiculously hard to undo compared to the CRs one typically encounters them.

Aboleths, chaos beasts...I'll have to run through the MM.

The house rule would be to define lower level countermeasures and/or making the transformations less character-destroying.

Aboleths aren't QUITE as bad, since you just have to keep the PC wet, but a chaos beast is basically a save-or-die, only worse. Even high Cha / high Wis characters are just buying time. If it was possible to recover from the attack...perhaps succeeding on a given number of saves or something...

I'll dink on it.

 

[Leif]

I'll drink on it.

Please share any revelations that come to you in your altered state of (semi-?)consciousness! Or, for that matter, any other ideas that you have about how to handle this stuation in other games. (Besides just not using' chaos beasts!)

 

[Shayuri]

Please share any revelations that come to you in your altered state of (semi-?)consciousness! Or, for that matter, any other ideas that you have about how to handle this stuation in other games. (Besides just not using' chaos beasts!)

You changed my post in your quote. Dirty pool, old man.

So far my feeling is that the aboleth transformation should be removeable with a Remove Curse, not just a Heal. Otherwise I think it's okay as written.

Chaos Beasts are okay as written with one crucial modification. The final transformation of character to chaos beast -can- be undone. I'm thinking perhaps a Heal or something...the goal is to put it in reach for a PC to use at CR 5-6, most likely via scroll or NPC spellcaster, but still expensive and valuable enough that PC's don't load up on spells and go rampaging through Limbo curing all the chaos beasts they find.

- Edit - This is probably better done with a Remove Curse or similar, and a stipulation that a chaos beast that isn't cured in a fairly long period of time is lost forever. Perhaps measured in days...to give parties a window of opportunity to cure someone, but also letting them know that most chaos beast encounters can't be ended with a cure spell.

Alternatively, perhaps expand the spells that can 'stabilize' a character to make them more accessible and more likely to be available. Protection from Chaos might ward off the changes for its duration, for example.

Finally, and least appealingly, the final change could simply be fatal. The character hits 0 Wis and completely loses cohesion, dwindling to a dead mass of goo. This counts as dying, but not as a 'death effect,' and the character can therefore be raised. The goo counts as his body and can be collected by diligent work with various spells, waterskins, or a mop and bucket..

Thoughts?

 

[industrygothica]

This is where the 4e disease track comes in handy. Granted, this isn't a disease, but it follows a similar path.

I"ll admit I have mixed feelings about changing anything now, since we've already lost one character to a chaos beast; changing the rules after the fact seems a bit unfair. But I'm open to it if everyone else is. Though I'm leaning toward something a bit less complicated, like three successful saves in a row and you're good.


-IG

 

[Friadoc]

First off, Jemal, I'm sorry to see you go, but I totally understand and wish you all the best in life and hope things workout, soon.

As for the chaos beast stuff, as the offended/slain party, I'm okay with whatever you decide to do, IG. So, as far as being considerate of me and Friadoc's death, it's all good and your hands are untied, so you can decide how you, the DM, wish to do them.

While I'm always cool with player death, as I feel it makes for more compelling action, suspense, and good gaming if things occur, per fate, I also see a lot of the points being made about the level of potential unbalance with respect to chaos beasts.

So, either way, it's all good. By the way, I really liked the send off moment for Jemal's character, if I noticed that correctly.

 

[Scott DeWar]

You changed my post in your quote. Dirty pool, old man.

So far my feeling is that ... ]edited for space[ ... hits 0 Wis and completely loses cohesion, dwindling to a dead mass of goo. This counts as dying, but not as a 'death effect,' and the character can therefore be raised. The goo counts as his body and can be collected by diligent work with various spells, waterskins, or a mop and bucket..

Thoughts?

First: a send off toast to Jamal *Glug* (cough cough!...sorry, ran out of Dewar's. had to revert to the cheaper stuff )

second: I am going to dink ,er drink or what ever ... on it too, but i like what was posted by IG ... three successful saves and you are good. maybe even what was posted in the last paragraph: Dead Mss of goo to be raised. Perhaps because it is reduced to the base elements of existance, then maybe a re-incarnation instead? maybe the goo happens when the three consecutive successful saves are not attained? (bring out your dead! ...oooo make that a mop and bucket...)

 

[Leif]

You changed my post in your quote. Dirty pool, old man.

.....

Thoughts?

Heh, sorry about that. I guess I'm a compulsive spelling correcter, or something like that. Anyway, did I change your intended gist, or did I at least get your meaning correct? I was trying to remain true to the original poster's intent.

About the chaos beastie stuff, all of your ideas sound good to me, and potentially workable. I think, for now, I'm just going to go with my original plan and avoid chaos beasts (as a DM) like the plague they are!

AND I'M NOT THAT DANGED OLD, EITHER!
(well, maybe I am)

 

[Shayuri]

Oh yeah, you totally changed it.

"Dink on it," means mess around with...tinker with...imagine a guy in a workshop tapping something with a hammer and making little dinking noises. That's what I meant.

Admittedly, that might not be contextually obvious.

As for chaos ideas, I didn't mean to suggest or imply that I was asking for any house rules or rules changes in this game. That does seem unfair to Friadoc.

I was musing strictly for my own purposes, should I run a game.

 

[Friadoc]

As for chaos ideas, I didn't mean to suggest or imply that I was asking for any house rules or rules changes in this game. That does seem unfair to Friadoc.

I was musing strictly for my own purposes, should I run a game.

Ahh, no worries about that, my release for IG applies to all of you all, too.

Whether or not it's unfair is aside the point, as I feel games and house rules are living dialog, that change as time and experience shows us one way or the other, so it's all good with me.

Regardless of it, I'm still a dead sexy ManGod of Awesomeness, so I've got that going for me, so I shall rule extreme.

I'm even sober, muhahaha!

 

[industrygothica]

So, either way, it's all good. By the way, I really liked the send off moment for Jemal's character, if I noticed that correctly.

Indeed, you did. Glad you liked it.

As for chaos ideas, I didn't mean to suggest or imply that I was asking for any house rules or rules changes in this game. That does seem unfair to Friadoc.

I was musing strictly for my own purposes, should I run a game.

And I'd certainly hope for an invite, should you. I've told you before that I'm a big fan of your writing style and descriptive finesse; I'd think any game you ran would be a work of art.

Regardless of it, I'm still a dead sexy ManGod of Awesomeness, so I've got that going for me, so I shall rule extreme.

I'm even sober, muhahaha!

::groan::