theUnbeliever
First Post
I am currently DMing a Nocturnum campaign in the d20 CoC system. I want to create a persistent condition that the PCs have, based on failed saving throws, but I am having a little trouble coming up with the timing/ mechanical aspect of it.
The essential idea is that there is a permanent condition gained from failing a certain saving throw consistently. The players won't know the condition they have unless they get diagnosed, and is a way for me to work in a little bit of tension/ horror consistently throughout the campaign. so here are the conditions I have:
Fort: the first player to fail 3 fortitude saving throws is bitten by an other-worldly bug. for awhile the bite only itches, but as the PC continues to absently scratch it, it grows. Soon the bite becomes enlarged and emanates a general malaise through the PC, causing weariness and nausea. The PC begins to feel like the bite is bubbling or moving internally. Finally the bite erupts and thousands of baby insects crawl all over the PC, biting and feeding on his flesh.
Reflex: The first player to fail 3 reflex saving throws wrenches his spine causing spasms and eventually seizures. the PC develops a tic early on, hinting at nervous system damage. As the condition progresses, the PC begins to have crippling flashes of paralysis in certain body parts: hands seizing up or legs going numb. Finally the PC is wracked with pain and incapacitated
Will: after failing 3 will saving throws, the PC develops paranoid schizophrenia. The symptoms start small, first hearing his name called, or hearing innocuous sounds. but the symptoms persist and eventually the PC begins to see things in the corner of his vision, or hallucinate entirely. Finally the PC's visions take on a new power and actually begin to affect the PC physically.
The idea here is not to cripple the players too fast, or entirely, but to provide a very real symptom of their degenerating sanity.
So I thought it would be easiest in a tier system, a certain number of fails to progress to the next stage of the malady. Each fail in the tier will bring about a symptom and some of them will happen persistently. I will give them the condition via process of elimination, so that they each have a specific save that is their condition.
tier one: 3 fails
tier two: 5 more fails
tier three: 7 more fails
final tier: 10 fails. on the 10th fail, the final condition occurs.
Do you think this is enough time to stretch for a full campaign? I want this to happen slowly over time, but not so slowly that the final stage never happens.
I hope this isn't too confusing, so any thoughts questions or insights would be greatly appreciated. also if you have any ideas for alternate conditions. those would be great too
Thanks
The essential idea is that there is a permanent condition gained from failing a certain saving throw consistently. The players won't know the condition they have unless they get diagnosed, and is a way for me to work in a little bit of tension/ horror consistently throughout the campaign. so here are the conditions I have:
Fort: the first player to fail 3 fortitude saving throws is bitten by an other-worldly bug. for awhile the bite only itches, but as the PC continues to absently scratch it, it grows. Soon the bite becomes enlarged and emanates a general malaise through the PC, causing weariness and nausea. The PC begins to feel like the bite is bubbling or moving internally. Finally the bite erupts and thousands of baby insects crawl all over the PC, biting and feeding on his flesh.
Reflex: The first player to fail 3 reflex saving throws wrenches his spine causing spasms and eventually seizures. the PC develops a tic early on, hinting at nervous system damage. As the condition progresses, the PC begins to have crippling flashes of paralysis in certain body parts: hands seizing up or legs going numb. Finally the PC is wracked with pain and incapacitated
Will: after failing 3 will saving throws, the PC develops paranoid schizophrenia. The symptoms start small, first hearing his name called, or hearing innocuous sounds. but the symptoms persist and eventually the PC begins to see things in the corner of his vision, or hallucinate entirely. Finally the PC's visions take on a new power and actually begin to affect the PC physically.
The idea here is not to cripple the players too fast, or entirely, but to provide a very real symptom of their degenerating sanity.
So I thought it would be easiest in a tier system, a certain number of fails to progress to the next stage of the malady. Each fail in the tier will bring about a symptom and some of them will happen persistently. I will give them the condition via process of elimination, so that they each have a specific save that is their condition.
tier one: 3 fails
tier two: 5 more fails
tier three: 7 more fails
final tier: 10 fails. on the 10th fail, the final condition occurs.
Do you think this is enough time to stretch for a full campaign? I want this to happen slowly over time, but not so slowly that the final stage never happens.
I hope this isn't too confusing, so any thoughts questions or insights would be greatly appreciated. also if you have any ideas for alternate conditions. those would be great too
Thanks
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