Torturing a PC and leaving a lasting effect (my players stay out)

[Painfully]

A cursed magic item that forces the good druid to stay trapped in one of his animal forms; let's use bear form as an example. Then have the evil druid have the local bears attack local townsfolk. When the locals come back to hunt the dangeorous animals, the evil druid releases the good druid into the area.

Should the druid do anything to protect himself, or his bear friends, the locals will only see him as being more dangerous. Heck, they might even hire a professional ranger to exterminate the predator.

Now it can be townsfolk, hired ranger, and local law, vs. good druid in bear form, local bears, and possibly the party (if they are seen helping/defending any bears). Of course, the local bear population can go wild and attack anybody they want, so, for a real surprise you can hide the evil druid among them in bear form.

If you need to buy time, have a special summoning spell take a few days to gather a small force of bears from surrounding areas, or use spells to turn animals into bears long enough to cause trouble.

I still like my "declawing" idea though.

 

[rounser]

I'm thinking the Yellow Musk Zombie treatment. A dark druid might be interested in the process, and it's exotic enough for a druid to employ. If the other PCs save him before the INT hits zero, then he'll have some temple scars to remember it by.

 

[Kyramus]

After a night's rest, I just had a great thought. The dark druid was killed right? It comes back and haunts the druid. He invades dreams. He superimposes his face over monsters that druid fights, especially when alone.
All reaction checks with animals treat druid as dark druid.

great way to just mess with the character with no physical evidence that it is the dark druid. the druid might be hallucinating all of this.

It also allows for minor moving of objects since the dark druid ghost isn't strong enough, but he could always possess creatures or weak willed humans.

 

[Mystic_23]

• Algophobia - a morbid fear of pain (ties in with the whole tortures stuff)
• Autophobia - refers to an abnormal and persistent fear of being alone or of oneself. (same as above)
• Hematophobia - An abnormal and persistent fear of blood. (Although I think traumaphobia more appropraite for this character)
• Merinthophobia

You forgot one:

Aibohphobia - The fear of palindromes.

This is great because it IS a palindrome. (For those who don't know, a palindrome is a word or sentence that is spelled the same forwards or backwards...like "Otto" and "Flex Elf!" and "A Toyota" and "Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog!")

Now that I've wandered completely off subject...I kinda agree with you that it would be interesting to give a character some flaw due to his or her experience. However, I would be a bit worried about doing something like that unless I knew that the player was a good sport about such things (or a good enough roleplayer) to work with something about that. I've known players that I would have no problem doing something like this to, and I've known some that I wouldn't (because I hate the sound of a grown man whining).

 

[Gort]

Well, here's an update.

I love the idea of using animals (covered in BEES!) as torture devices, very druidic. I love the idea that the dark druid is keeping notes, I like that a lot. Also the haunting.

Branding is good too. I probably won't go for a template like lycanthrope or suchlike - it's a bit too much, I'd say.

It's not a vile game - vile is "he attaches clamps to your nipples and rapes you" - I'm going for more of a middle ground. Realistic torture, let's say. Someone being hung, drawn and quartered would be in, demon rape is out.

I was also going to have the character die from the pain, but be revived by the dark druid - "If you die, I can't hurt you any more. I want three days, minimum!"

To paraphrase someone's sig on this board:

"The will of a druid is like a sword, it must be fired and tempered and sharpened if it is to have strength. Pain is the finest fire and despair the best whetstone. A druid who has known these well has the power to change the world. You have the power to change the world, Celyn. Do you remember a woman called Cynwise? I do, even if you do not. She was my sister."

EDIT: Oh, and the player I'm doing this to is a girl, so no fear of hearing a grown man whine Oh, and isn't one of the DM tips in the DMG: "Don't be afraid to make them EVIL"?

 

[Celyn]

Damn, I'm glad Gort's a fairly nice DM, some of you had horrible ideas for my poor druid Removal of eyes? Brain worms? Bloody hell, he said lasting effect, not killing him He ended up going for the permenant mark on the face idea, which has pissed off my vain druid no end, so I think he got the effect he was after. There were some cool suggestions here, but I must say I'm fairly glad he didn't use too many of them..

 

[Kyramus]

hehehe sorry, we do tend to brainstorm such big bad ugly thoughts when we are sooooos tress from work. hehehehehe

 

[BSF]

Welcome to ENWorld Celyn!

Oh, and welcome to the RBDM brainstorm initiation. (Though I was advocating something rather light.)

 

[Vlos]

I would first talk with the player. As stated many players don't like it when you mess with their toons.

Come up with several possible ideas and say to the player you are going to be marked in some way. What would you think best?

By getting the players input they can role play it a lot more.

If they flat out refuse, then just give him some disease that he has to go on a quest to cure. Something short term.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

2 points

1 when it comes to physical disfigurement, spells can fix it. Sure maybe the party can't in the case of a lost limb, but spells can a scroll can be bought in town, a cleric hired whatever. Also if the dark druid is doing the evil is good routine, turn to the dark side there's a limit to how far the DD would go. You're not going to hack off the limbs of a guy you want to work for you. Cause they wont be nearly as useful without a leg. Unless of course you can fix it yourself.

2. when it comes to psych problems. That's kind of up to the player in my opinion. I'd never tell a player they gained a fear of X from an experience, because they decide how their characters react ot situaitons I don't. Now if there is a cause insantity spell that can work. But saying haw you broke under torture and you now have this problem, well its roleplaying your players character for them.