-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Magic Gem
- Thread starter TheUber
- Start date
Fieari
Explorer
No rules? Err... how is that even possible? Even diceless and freeform games have rules...
Shameless Plug: Basic ruleset I wrote up for freeform roleplaying games
Shameless Plug: Basic ruleset I wrote up for freeform roleplaying games
John Q. Mayhem
Explorer
Perhaps an item for use against a rival, or foe? What kind of allies/enemies did this wizard have? Was he a good guy or a bad guy?
alright hmm.. The wizard actually started out as sort of a barbaric warrior. His name is Janon Thinnage, and he is the uncle to one of the characters in our party, Kei Thinnage. When Kei was about 10 years old, her father died under mysterious circumstances, and she secretly suspected her uncle. After her father died, he moved into the house and pretty much took over. Four years later, her mom died while traveling with him, and he returned home with her axe. Each time a member of the family died, the gem around the necklace he wore seemed to get a little bigger, and he gained the ability to cast magic more powerfully each time. Finally, when Kei was sixteen he made an attempt on her life, and she ran for it. My character met him once before we killed him, and he appeared as a tall human with a bigass axe strapped to his back, he seemd like a cheerful barbaric warrior and ate all of our food. When we actually fought him he was able to cast spells almost instantly instead of taking a few seconds like most casters, and he was able to fight effectively with both his axe and spells at the same time. During the entire encounter he taunted us, and he even mocked us while missing both his legs and watching the paladin raise his sword for the killing blow.
So there's some background info on the guy.
So there's some background info on the guy.
Altalazar
First Post
This reminds me of a story I heard about an old campaign from a friend (I wasn't in it).
The campaign involved finding this magic gem of unspecified properties. For some reason they ended up finding this statute of a halfling and thought the thing to do was to put the gem in the statue's outstretched hand.
So they do this. The statute promptly comes to life, and the hobbit immediately pockets the gem. The hobbit then vehemently denies ever having a gem. In fact, he denies ever having been a statute.
I think the hobbit then left, though he showed up to harrass the group in many ways throughout the campaign. I'll have to refresh my memory on that the next time I talk to my friend (who now lives rather far away).
Oh, and they never got the gem back.
The campaign involved finding this magic gem of unspecified properties. For some reason they ended up finding this statute of a halfling and thought the thing to do was to put the gem in the statue's outstretched hand.
So they do this. The statute promptly comes to life, and the hobbit immediately pockets the gem. The hobbit then vehemently denies ever having a gem. In fact, he denies ever having been a statute.
I think the hobbit then left, though he showed up to harrass the group in many ways throughout the campaign. I'll have to refresh my memory on that the next time I talk to my friend (who now lives rather far away).
Oh, and they never got the gem back.
Mordane76
First Post
Your backstory almost gives the gem its powers already.
It sounds like its tied to the life-force of this particular family -- like a receptacle or physical representation of their collective energy. Not knowing how your magic "system" works, I would paint the gem as such...
It's an entity unto itself, that has some reason to hate this particular family. As it kills this family through the generations, it uses their spiritual energy to empower its envoy (in this case, the character's uncle), allowing its chosen access to enhanced magical prowess. It functions as a character unto itself, though -- that's why the spells seem to function separate from the uncle's actual martial ability. However, it is incredibly intelligent and subversive. Perhaps, this gem could also kill others and use them for power -- separate it like such: the power level of the gem is governed by the number of people of the character's family the gem has destroyed, but it must kill other beings (possibly by devouring their life-force) to use their energy as fuel to power its abilities.
Hence, you have an evil, intelligent gem with a hatred of the character and her family, that subverts beings to its will to track down and murder the descendents of this family so that it can garner great power. It can use powerful magical spells separate from its wielder, augment the martial abilities of its possessor with formidable magic. However, it must consume the souls of intelligent beings to power its magic.
It sounds like its tied to the life-force of this particular family -- like a receptacle or physical representation of their collective energy. Not knowing how your magic "system" works, I would paint the gem as such...
It's an entity unto itself, that has some reason to hate this particular family. As it kills this family through the generations, it uses their spiritual energy to empower its envoy (in this case, the character's uncle), allowing its chosen access to enhanced magical prowess. It functions as a character unto itself, though -- that's why the spells seem to function separate from the uncle's actual martial ability. However, it is incredibly intelligent and subversive. Perhaps, this gem could also kill others and use them for power -- separate it like such: the power level of the gem is governed by the number of people of the character's family the gem has destroyed, but it must kill other beings (possibly by devouring their life-force) to use their energy as fuel to power its abilities.
Hence, you have an evil, intelligent gem with a hatred of the character and her family, that subverts beings to its will to track down and murder the descendents of this family so that it can garner great power. It can use powerful magical spells separate from its wielder, augment the martial abilities of its possessor with formidable magic. However, it must consume the souls of intelligent beings to power its magic.
Turanil
First Post
It holds a demon!
I suggest the gem telepathically speaks to the current owner. It gives advice on dark lore, gives suggestion on what to do in delicate situations, how to best attack foes, etc. The only problem, is that when the PCs do as the gem suggested, they always eventually realize that in addition to helping them, it created some evil side effect that could not be foreseen when doing as suggested.
Then, when eventually the gem will be destroyed, the demon inside will be freed. The demon will act in the best of its interests, thus fleeing if PCs are too tough for him. However, they will later heard of his evil doings.
I suggest the gem telepathically speaks to the current owner. It gives advice on dark lore, gives suggestion on what to do in delicate situations, how to best attack foes, etc. The only problem, is that when the PCs do as the gem suggested, they always eventually realize that in addition to helping them, it created some evil side effect that could not be foreseen when doing as suggested.
Then, when eventually the gem will be destroyed, the demon inside will be freed. The demon will act in the best of its interests, thus fleeing if PCs are too tough for him. However, they will later heard of his evil doings.
Similar Threads
