Occult Killings and Tarot Cards ...

[jezter6]

This is a spiffy cool idea. *swipe* Now it's part of my campaign.

Now, as for more ideas...the failed alchemist is a great choice for your villain, maybe gearing up toward lich-dom after the final killing.

I'm harsh, so I wouldn't let the players get him before the last one, but make him pay in the days after (like they get to the person just in time to see him fall to the bbeg), which starts a great final fight as he may have gained powers after that killing.

Of course, he could be a ringmaster or circus owner travelling with a bunch of kobold entertainers killing someone in each town.

 

[Angelsboi]

for clarification ... this does NOT involve the IT creature.

If anyone has Denizens of Darkness, would the Living Tattoos work? Each tattoo gives someone a special ability but they are evil in nature? Its a spin off so instead of leaving a seared outline, it would leave the actual art.

 

[Drew]

I just thought I'd chime in and tell Talaysen what a cool idea that is. Angelsboi came on with a rough idea and you just totally pulled something very cool out of your brain. Kudos.

 

[The Traveler]

Personally, I'd go with killings that fit the arcana, rather than having tattoos. The poses and arrangements on the cards have heavy significance, and it would give the players more to figure out if they had to examine the crime scene and figure out that so-and-so represented the Empress or whichever. It would also give some amount of mystery as to which card would be next, and who could represent that card.

Other factors that could enhance this might be significance to the dates or times these people were killed, to give a sense of urgency as to when the players have to discover who the next victim will be.

 

[Talaysen]

I just thought I'd chime in and tell Talaysen what a cool idea that is. Angelsboi came on with a rough idea and you just totally pulled something very cool out of your brain. Kudos.

Hey, thanks. Yeah, I'd write an adventure on the subject or turn the guy into an NPC or something (I'm thinking about writing a series of articles featuring unusual villains), but it wouldn't be fair to Angelsboi, who got me started with the concept of Tarot-related killings. Ah well. Something for my own campaign when I get back to D&D3, I suppose. (Right now I'm gearing up for Mage/WoD...then again, the failed alchemist could fit into that setting as well...hmmmmm...)

 

[Angelsboi]

Go ahead =) Just give me credit =)

 

[The Traveler]

The more I think about it, the more I believe it'd be better to make the killings themselves symbolic, and make the players try to discern why they're positioned like they are. A man hung by his foot would be the hanged man, another would be found with a lantern in his hand and be the hermit, and so forth.

 

[WayneLigon]

The more I think about it, the more I believe it'd be better to make the killings themselves symbolic, and make the players try to discern why they're positioned like they are. A man hung by his foot would be the hanged man, another would be found with a lantern in his hand and be the hermit, and so forth.

I'd go with this one, myself. It isn't a huge slap that says 'Tarot Cards are Involved'; this way, there can be a second mystery as to 'why are these people being killed in such odd ways?'

Some other suggestions:

The Tower: blown out of a high window, or a burning building.

The 9 (or 10?) of Swords: If I remember right, this is the 'you're screwed' card: neither of the interpretations are good ones And you have a body with nine swords in the back. How cool is that?

The Chariot: run over by one!

The Empress: The person is made to appear guilty to the local royalty, who execute him.

 

[Angelsboi]

remember, this is Major Arcana. I like this idea making the deaths symbolic to the cards and their meaning match as well.

But i need the motive still though ...

And what do people think about the Living Tattoos from Ravenlofts Dennizens of Darkness?

 

[Voadam]

I'm not sure how you are thinking of connecting the DoD living tattoos into this. They are created by the abber nomad shamans bonding spirits to the tattoee. The tattoos are life size so unless they were of an actual tarot card (I think you can do objects) they would be too big to fit. If they were of tarot cards they could work as is, but I'm not sure what powers you would get from them. I'm not sure the list of powers in DoD would be suficient to cover that many cards and give each an appropriate unique power.

However, instead of the victims having the card on them, perhaps they originally had the cards but after their death, all that is left is a seared imprint of the card (sort of a black and white impression) seared in ala the living tattoos, and the villain has gained the actual tattoos upon his body in full color. His goal is to have pawns gain the individual cards and bond to them but to then steal the bound spirits and link them to himself.