Midnight impressions

[Wombat]

I only read the first edition of the book (and, from my answers below, you can probably see why).

At first I was quite hopeful, as the game as advertised as gritty and having far fewer magical items -- I liked that image.

I started reading and went, "Okay, essentially Sauron got the One Ring. So, game over -- the characters have already lost and the best they can hope for is death, and a death no one will remember because the Big Bad is utterly in charge." So, with that in hand, I pretty much gave up on the setting.

But it was the way magic items were handled that really puzzled and annoyed me. Now I forget the exact terminology used, as I sold the book off long ago, but there were different tracks that the heroes followed where essentially they gained the same power as magical items, but didn't need to carry them. Moreover, instead of a standard campaign where a character will gain an odd assortment of such items and has to cobble together a program out of what is found, here the characters knew exactly what powers they were going to get, precisely when, and could both plan accordingly and, more importantly, never lose the item (due to either over-use or theft).

Both of these counts sunk the setting potential for me.

 

[robertliguori]

Was also very much not a fan of the "Izrador is undefeatable."

That being said, I brainstormed a few ways of handling him.

The first, and most obvious way, is to remember that the real problem isn't Izrador, it's the world. The world is Izrador's prison, but it also stops the gods from handling Izrador properly. So, simply destroy the world, crack the prison, and let the gods build a better world after. A simple way to do this is to start converting the souls of the dead into incorporeal, hungry undead, that will sweep the land like incorporeal, intelligent grey goo, and then dissolve the now-sterilized landscape one 1d4 incorporeal touch attack at a time out of sheer undying frustration.

The second, and interestingly insidious way, is to disrupt Izrador's supply of sacrifices. Starve the beast by genociding the peasants upon which he draws his sustenance, and his influence will wane. It's said that every civilization is three meals away from collapse; what would happen if the only suitable sacrifices for high cultists of Izrador were loyalists and other cultists?

Basically, the ruleset of Midnight gives detailed ways to effect change through being evil. One thereby assumes that the point of the game is about them.

 

[Monkey Boy]

What an incredible idea robertliguori! I always saw midnight as battling against the shadow, fighting insurmountable odds and being the hero no matter the cost. If I ever get the chance to play I think I will have to adopt your method, out evil Izrador.

I half recall there being a plot line where the elves work up a disease designed to wipe out the human population. From memory the jungle elves would be capable of implementing this idea straight out the gate. Could make for an interesting mature campaign exploring some very dark topics.