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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6221819" data-attributes="member: 4937">I recognize that, and I'm going to have a hard time helping you.  I do "dark and gritty" really well.   I do "light and silly" so badly, even my game of Paranoia ended up being dark, scary, and serious.   Sometimes a GM just has to know his limitations.Anyway, Seymour is a 7th level wizard.  He lives on the outskirts of a mid-size town (pop. 5000) in a rural farming area in a dilapidated tower.  The victims include the 3 local hedge wizards (5th-7th level each), the town sage (7th level wizard), a priest of a god of magic (possibly an evil one, and 4th level cleric), and the owner of a book shop (4th level expert).   Initially, only Seymour and two of the other hedge wizards have come forward as victims.  One of the local hedge wizards has an intense rivalry with another one, whom he believes to be a secret necromancer, and is convinced that the culprit is his rival - who is destroying spellbooks in order to gain a monopoly in the town and drive his business rivals out of business.  He and the two other victims have a agreed to pool their resources (because replacing the books have left them impoverished), if the PC's will catch the rival.  They have some evidence that it's villainous necromancer.  First, he hasn't been victimized.  Secondly, he's been acting suspiciously lately.  And third, some item that may have belonged to the necromancer was discovered at the scene of the latest crime - this last bit was planted by Seymour.If the PC's break into the Necromancer's shop, they discover the Necromancer has been murdered, and his undead creations are now running amuck!  They also discover some goat dung and some scraps of chewed paper.  This should continue, with the other suspects being eliminated as they are victimized in various ways by Seymour.  Eventually, the PC's should get direct evidence of Seymour's involvement either by staking out one of the potential suspects/victims (don't make it too obvious who these are, make them gather information) and catching him in the act or piecing together clues from the scenes of the crime and/or visiting Seymour.  The after math of crime scenes can involve fights with Imps, Dretches, Mephits, and rabid dire goats that have remained behind and are wrecking havoc (the first of the Goat Things new offspring), as well as what is left of each establishments magical defenses. Seymour has also charmed the local constable, and is secretly encouraging him to not get involved ("Don't meddle in the affairs of wizards is my motto!").   But he may try to use this resource to frame suspicion on the PC's if he can.Currently the Goat Thing is busy creating it's own cult of followers to supply its needs, including its desire to breed fiendish dire evil goats and thereby conquer the world!   The center of the cult is an inbred extended family of goatherds that are Seymour's nearest neighbors whom have been promised fatter goats, more milk, and goatly magical power.  One who always wears a wide-brimmed hat, and big boots, has been secretly reincarnated as a satyr.  Not all members of the family are happy with this state of affairs, and some might reveal information if they can be carefully separated from their family and their safety assured.   The family has also recruited a few other members from the surrounding farms, giving them a total force of about 12 ruffians.  The cult also includes a sadistic barber from the nearby town (rog5), a local witch currently serving as high priestess (favorite arcane class 5), and her crazy illegitimate son who serves as the cults enforcer (bar5).  As the PC's close in on the truth, the cult will move to thwart them.  The cult is shaky though, and some of the ruffians can be persuaded out of it's service, as they are motivated by fear of the goat only.  The cult is currently trying to procure a virginal sacrifice, which if offered up on the upcoming new moon, will assure the Goat Things ascendance to greater power.Eventually, the Goat Thing will be tracked down - queue climatic boss fight.</blockquote>

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