Pathfinder level 20

[Shayuri]

Hee

That gives me a crazy idea. What if my character originally worked for Malacarus, but switched sides at some point...perhaps when she realized how evil he was, or perhaps due to mistreatment or he could have been blackmailing me, or maybe I was just getting weary of taking his orders...

 

[Aldern Foxglove]

Problem is there is nothing we can do that can genuinely keep a 20th level Wizard under our thumbs if he remains evil...

So I suggest a Helm of Opposite Alignment, he was a big bad, but because we needed all the help we could get with X we put a helm of Opposite Alignment on him and forcefully kept putting it on him until he no longer detected evil.

 

[jackslate45]

Problem is there is nothing we can do that can genuinely keep a 20th level Wizard under our thumbs if he remains evil...

So I suggest a Helm of Opposite Alignment, he was a big bad, but because we needed all the help we could get with X we put a helm of Opposite Alignment on him and forcefully kept putting it on him until he no longer detected evil.

Half the fun of the character though would be that he IS evil. Opposite Alignment just makes it so he is tolerable.

Imagine, a group of adventurers coming into your home and kick the @$$ out of you. You swear to never do it again, but they dont believe you. Instead, with (Divine Intervention/Artifact Item) X, they force you to work for them, or you die. Forced into a corner not even wish can break, you agree. However, you are always waiting for X to be destroyed, so you can defeat the adventurers.

Like AF said, nothing mortal can hold a 20th level caster at bay. Deity level magic can do it, but the God needs to either be:

1: Accepting the forced servitude of a Lawful Evil Caster (Which most Good gods will not)
2: Forsee that without his help, some greater evil will win (Most likley this)

 

[Aldern Foxglove]

To be honest having an evil character just seems like it will be a distracting pain in the butt that will slow things down and hurt versimlitude to me. *shrugs*

I would think we would want as few complications as possible in a 20th level game. I just don't see an upside. If he used to be evil we don't have to worry he can still come up with evil comments,

"The man's a rank amateur, that's not how you peel a baby."
"If I were still an evil overlord I would not have my fortress guarded by Balors they have no finesse, its far more impressive to break and torture a victim than to simply tear him in half."

 

[fireinthedust]

Okay, this is where we throw in the mcguffin X. Here's some options:

1) Not changing his alignment, but some artefact or geas that cannot be broken keeps him loyal. The deity could be one of law or bargains, one which he entered in to, so that if he breaks it there will be Outsiders hunting him like crazy; even a 20th level PC would balk at that. I don't think Wishes should be thrown around to break plot devices. This McGuffin X would be a plot device.

2) One of the many soul-selling deals he made went sour, and the patron wants a peice of him. This would be the Skeletor problem: Hordak is an evil outsider (Orcus level guy), Skeletor was the warlock, deal got broken. Who can protect Skeletor? Only He-man and the Masters of the Universe! (or She-Ra)
Because that's the kind of guy He-man is, he'll do it, no matter who is begging for help; even Skeletor's life has value, and maybe he'll change for the good. This is the same as Superman defending Lex Luthor from Darkseid.

Paladins can do this, damn that non-association; it doesn't apply, as this isn't wheeling and dealing with evil, it's doing his job of following his principles, no matter the moral status of the one under his protection.

Whatever it is, Malacarus would need to not do evil things while under their protection. Well, not too bad stuff.

Obviously we need to keep the plot moving and not get bogged down. If it becomes all about player v player, we'll scale it back for sure.

This is about the entertainment factor. Evil comments are a form of comedy relief: say inappropriate things that have punch, or play the (literal) devil's advocate when discussing options. In a way, I think focus could be put on the good guys to answer the comments and suggestions.

 

[WarlockLord]

As the Malacarus player, I'd prefer option one. He would probably wait till the plot device is destroyed/or he can shatter it himself.

As for option two, it'd create an interesting dynamic.

Just to keep things in perspective, for Malacarus, the Evil Overlord List are rules to live by. He's pretty genre savvy. Dunno if that makes a difference.

As for Shayuri's background: sure, go for it. He wouldn't have mistreated you, as he values his minions pretty highly. Feel free to suffer a conscience attack or whatever.

Fireinthedust, how much more specific should I make my background? If you want I could come up with the exact evil plot the heroes foiled.

 

[Shayuri]

Values his minions highly? And he calls himself evil!

Hmph!

 

[Aldern Foxglove]

Hmmm, well if everyone else thinks its a good idea I'll shut up, lol.

How long are we looking at before we actually start play?

[sblock=How About]Thadeius is the third Scion of the Elven Royal house of Halar, he was banished from elven lands after using enchantment to try to stop his Father executing his Sister Elilinereen for adultery - her marriage having been arranged. He failed.

Joining up with the adventuring Company known as The Broken Falcons during the seige of Meleen, where he bested the Orc Shaman Veaslag as a force of elite orcs attempted to open the gates after scaling the walls while invisible.

After Meleen he stayed with the Broken Falcons traveling to the City of Thesh where they became embroiled in a series of kidnappings. Eventually they discovered the creatures called Skum were taking women to impregnate to make more of their kind, and their Aboleth master had been dominating the cities officials. They fought the Aboleth in the cities great aquifer, defeating the beast and managing to escape and rouse Thesh's armies in time to meet the Skum - who boiled forth upon discovering their masters death.

After taking some time out to study in Thesh's Great Library Thadeius was called upon by his brother who was challenging his father for the throne. Thadeius recruited most of the Broken Eagles and set out to investigate the situation. Discovering that his father had become one of the living dead, a Vampire, and had proceeded to turn the majority of the elven nobles. They tracked down the vampire who turned his father, Vortesh the Damned, and battled him upon the rooftops of the elven palace.

Thadeius destroyed his father before, snapping several of the Broken Eagles out of vortesh's thrall so they could destroy him. Despite being hailed as a hero Thadeius's banishment was still in effect, his brother refusing to lift it since it would destabalize his own rule.

After this the High Lords of Thesh summoned the Broken Eagles to stop the invasion of an alien people called the Githyanki who rode great red dragons and had desimated Thesh's armies. Together the Broken Eagles defeated the Githyanki Eldritch Knight General, Lenee the Blooddancer, and the two great dragons Skalidrak Incardamane, and Gethrashidalle the Inferno parents of the Gith's red dragon mounts.

After this Thadeius was appointed head Master of Thesh's Aurion Academy. He called upon the Broke Eagles when a Rakasha by the name of Kaldrazz stole an artifact long kept in the academy's vaults called the Sapphire Tear. Some divinations revealed that the Tear had the ability to track down an ancient beast known as the Tarrasque.

The Broken Eagles tracked the Rakasha to the elemental plane of fire and after a few clashes with the Efreeti disintegrated Kaldrazz. But the Tear was nowhere to be found, and resisted their greatest divinations.[/sblock]

 

[fireinthedust]

Thdeius: sweet! The Broken Eagles are necessarily the PCs, and the name will need to change witht he group's preference. Sounds like you were involved for a few adventures, not all of them: the seige of Meleen, the Scum/Aboleth kidnappings, the Vampire Father, and the high level Githyanki adventure.

The rest of the group needs to come up with let's say 4 adventures. They don't need to be a whole campaign, but let's say this was series: what adventures are most important for your character?

Start Time: Let me et the rogues gallery up first. I want to know what we're doing with Malacarus, and I have two classes that need to finish their final projects in the next two weeks. That is the only real time suck, as once I'm done with them I'll be able to devote my creative time to this sucker. I want to have a solid idea before the first post.

Also, I want the group to have a head quarters. This is where we're starting. I'm going to make it up, but I am open for suggestions. I'm thinking a tower or high-up location; possibly a mountain converted into a fortress by Duergar or dwarves, before it was abandoned, then liberated by the group. Alternatively, the Githyanki had a tower on a floating rock.

Or, which can also be fun: a neighborhood in the big city where you all have homes. There's a wizard's tower, an epic one, that you liberated to meet in.

Think of it as where your group meets when discussing things important to your party. If you have an idea, let me know.


Malacarus: I'd prefer option 2, for the reason that it lets me have a focused reason to keep you in the game. If your only desire is to destroy Talisman X, then you'll use your considerable resources to just get that done; then you're out of the game, as you're not in the party. On the other hand, if the main villain of the series is out to get you, so that you want to hang with the Heroes, that keeps us together at least as long as this adventure.

A possible take is that you've got a phylactery, the bad guy has it, you need help getting it back. Or there's a similar object that you want (like the Tear) and without it you're screwed. Also the PCs are the only ones who can protect you from the BBEG.

Keep in mind you're pitching an evil overlord, not a tragic anti-hero. If you want that, go for Elric. He's a rock n roll anti-hero. He deals with fiends all the time, is caught in his cycle of destruction, hates himself, the works.


Evil Overlord, on the other hand, and we're thinking Dr. Evil. That's fun, it's funny, and it works. But we need a solid reason when we're initiating the story, something more than "I just need to find this object"; the reason is you're 20th level. You're kicking butt and taking names as it is.

 

[WarlockLord]

Not sure I got my concept over right. I was thinking extremely genre savvy villain. More like a grown up Scott Evil ("Just shoot him") with elements of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Not Stupid Evil, but utterly merciless and willing to do almost anything to benefit himself. Values loyalty through means other than fear,, because once one minion goes disloyal, the rest follow. Pragmatic evil. Maybe funny, but dangerous.
Alright. As we all know OOC that Malacarus is evil, I'm not going to bother writing up some sort of masquerade thing.

How about the main villain of the series somehow taking over his evil empire and Malacarus joining the heroes to get it back?