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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Talaysen" data-source="post: 373971" data-attributes="member: 340">Oh! Ok. Ravenloft...Ravenloft...Well, I think the failed alchemist concept would work really well there. Suppose this one fellow had been studying alchemy for decades, knowing full well that there was something more to it, something that would allow him to move beyond the rest of humanity, but nevertheless, he can't seem to get past the physical aspects. He's a master alchemist, he can whip up virtually any item you can think of, he's an expert in matters of the occult, but he can't make the mental leap required to move closer to perfection.One night, he's working in his laboratory, growing ever more frustrated, when his eyes happen to fall upon a deck of Tarot cards. Ah! There, then, is his answer; if he cannot obtain transcendence for himself, he will steal it from others. He devises a set of tattoo needles and inks that should allow him to siphon the essence of others into himself - or so he believes. Then he begins his murders, imprinting the appropriate card upon each victim in turn, and perhaps giving himself a miniature version of the same tattoo using ink mixed with the victim's blood. It is up to the PCs to discover what's going on before the alchemist finishes the last tattoo and either achieves some twisted form of "perfection" (perhaps he is embraced by the Dark Powers) or simply gains nothing, thus causing his mind to shatter once and for all.This would probably also work for a medium magic non-Ravenloft game; just remove the RL-specific elements. Incidentally, Ravenloft actually has a substitute for the Tarot in the form of Tarokka cards, but I'd need to dig out my material on that subject in order to offer any advice there. If you're interested in the Tarokka, the set that covers it (Forbidden Lore) is reportedly now on SV Games, and even includes scans of the original deck.</blockquote>

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