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<blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 4253649" data-attributes="member: 386"><p>Skamos scowls and takes Tira's knife from her. He draws a thin line across his arm. Dark blood wells up and wets the dagger.</p><p></p><p>He casts his arms wide over his head and makes a sign with his free hand. Raising his head back, he shouts:</p><p></p><p><span style="color: darkred"><By the Legate Akmenos and his matriarch Nemeria, we come to step beyond the Veil! Honour the Pact of Meloch the Render, and let us pass!></span></p><p></p><p>Tendrils of darkness reach out from the doorway and lick the dagger clean. The devil lets out a groaning sigh, and speaks:</p><p></p><p><span style="color: dimgray"><Ahh, long have I waited for this day.</span></p><p><span style="color: dimgray"></span></p><p><span style="color: dimgray">Take care of my wards; they were dangerous fiends in my time, when men still knew the secrets of binding, and the name of Meloch was more than just a curse. Ware that they are not unleashed on this unready world. They rest uneasily. I can feel one of them beginning to stir even now. </span></p><p><span style="color: dimgray"></span></p><p><span style="color: dimgray">But this is no longer my concern; my toil done, my crime paid for, I am free once again.></span></p><p></p><p>You feel the earth groan and the darkness swirls. It gathers into a vaugely human shape and over you, up the stair and out of the crypt. The doorway is cleared, and somewhere beyond you can spot a faint light.</p><p></p><p>[sblock=Success!]<span style="color: sienna">Tally is 8 successes, 2 failures, and success!</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">This means that you are going to face down Shalmanisar for the stabby-stabby action. Because it wasn't a totally clean win, the actual fight should be slightly different.</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">This is what I'm thinking:</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">I was thinking that Shalmanisar should be a solo creature, because the encounter should be fun to play on its own - that is, the skill challenge shouldn't make this encounter easier or harder, because we want it to keep its dramatic importance as the climax. </span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">The NPCs with you we should just write out - give them some other lackies to take care of while you deal with the main threat. That way the encounter is all up to you.</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">I'm not sure what those 2 failures should mean, then. So we can negotiate it. </span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">My first thought is that there's some kind of hazard/trap set up by Shal that will give him some kind of minor tactical advantage because of his position.</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">Another option is to say that he's just not surprised, as I would have if you had got 8 successes/0 failures.</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">Another option would be to have Tal, who was touched by the shadows, leap into combat against you; but that might make the Shal encounter too difficult.</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">Another option would be to say that the 2 failures means that the NPCs can't aid you.</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">Another, plot-twisty option, would be to say that Borden is actually Shal, and he used you to open the way to the tombs - but that doesn't really fit with everything else that's happened.</span></p><p><span style="color: sienna"></span></p><p><span style="color: sienna">I guess the question is: should the 2 failures have some kind of mechanical impact on the upcoming encounter or not?</span>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>[sblock=World stuff]I tend to pick up a lot from what I'm reading at the moment, so I've probably picked up some of Howard's flavour. I also really like the points-of-light fluff and the idea of a society struggling against the darkness. Just keeping with that theme allows me to add some neat colour to the standard stuff.[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LostSoul, post: 4253649, member: 386"] Skamos scowls and takes Tira's knife from her. He draws a thin line across his arm. Dark blood wells up and wets the dagger. He casts his arms wide over his head and makes a sign with his free hand. Raising his head back, he shouts: [color=darkred]<By the Legate Akmenos and his matriarch Nemeria, we come to step beyond the Veil! Honour the Pact of Meloch the Render, and let us pass!>[/color] Tendrils of darkness reach out from the doorway and lick the dagger clean. The devil lets out a groaning sigh, and speaks: [color=dimgray]<Ahh, long have I waited for this day. Take care of my wards; they were dangerous fiends in my time, when men still knew the secrets of binding, and the name of Meloch was more than just a curse. Ware that they are not unleashed on this unready world. They rest uneasily. I can feel one of them beginning to stir even now. But this is no longer my concern; my toil done, my crime paid for, I am free once again.>[/color] You feel the earth groan and the darkness swirls. It gathers into a vaugely human shape and over you, up the stair and out of the crypt. The doorway is cleared, and somewhere beyond you can spot a faint light. [sblock=Success!][color=sienna]Tally is 8 successes, 2 failures, and success! This means that you are going to face down Shalmanisar for the stabby-stabby action. Because it wasn't a totally clean win, the actual fight should be slightly different. This is what I'm thinking: I was thinking that Shalmanisar should be a solo creature, because the encounter should be fun to play on its own - that is, the skill challenge shouldn't make this encounter easier or harder, because we want it to keep its dramatic importance as the climax. The NPCs with you we should just write out - give them some other lackies to take care of while you deal with the main threat. That way the encounter is all up to you. I'm not sure what those 2 failures should mean, then. So we can negotiate it. My first thought is that there's some kind of hazard/trap set up by Shal that will give him some kind of minor tactical advantage because of his position. Another option is to say that he's just not surprised, as I would have if you had got 8 successes/0 failures. Another option would be to have Tal, who was touched by the shadows, leap into combat against you; but that might make the Shal encounter too difficult. Another option would be to say that the 2 failures means that the NPCs can't aid you. Another, plot-twisty option, would be to say that Borden is actually Shal, and he used you to open the way to the tombs - but that doesn't really fit with everything else that's happened. I guess the question is: should the 2 failures have some kind of mechanical impact on the upcoming encounter or not?[/color][/sblock] [sblock=World stuff]I tend to pick up a lot from what I'm reading at the moment, so I've probably picked up some of Howard's flavour. I also really like the points-of-light fluff and the idea of a society struggling against the darkness. Just keeping with that theme allows me to add some neat colour to the standard stuff.[/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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