There's little sense in retaliating against the PCs for not taking a plot device / hook / cookie. The artifact was proven dangerous and they didn't take it for themselves. They destroyed it so it can't tear holes in the fabric of reality and breach the cosmic barriers between the Material and Elemental Planes. Frankly, the universe should be going out of its way to thank the PCs for removing a thorn in the side of reality.
D&D 5E What should the backlash be? Your ideas wanted
- Thread starter Gilladian
- Start date
Baumi
Adventurer
It obviously creates a rift between the worlds, and sucks the PCs into an elemental plane where they need to find their way back. Duh.
Thats what I would do.
Artefacts are usually extremely hard to destroy, so while it shattered easily it just reforms a few seconds later, but while regaining the shattered pieces it creates a vortex that sucks in everything and everyone in the room and traps them in an miniture elemental plane. The Acolytes then tell them that the only way out is to destroy the other side of the Artefact in the center of this plane .. but what they don't know is that here it is not a feeble crystal but a powerful elemental, Genee or something like that.
I would not drag that out too much, so a Session or two should be enough to get to the climax of that, which should make the destruction of the Artefact much more memorable without really punishing the players (let them get cool tresures like magic infused Crystals or stuff like that).
Since you called it an artifact, I'm surprised you allowed it to be easily destroyed. Since it's done, I'd suggest you consider it less an artifact, and more of a powerful magic item.
The obvious answer is affects of the weather. Even if it wasn't needed to stabilize the area, the release of that magical energy should play havoc. Better still to have sharp edges of weather change, such as snow in one area with a heat wave next to it, so that it is obviously from powerful magic. Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Hail, Floods, and other disasters will threatened the populace and ruin the local crops. The death toll will rise rather quickly, and the blame will be placed squarely on the PCs (especially if the apprentice wizards have anything to say about it). This will turn the populace against them, and encourage them to find a solution if they're heroic.
The obvious answer is affects of the weather. Even if it wasn't needed to stabilize the area, the release of that magical energy should play havoc. Better still to have sharp edges of weather change, such as snow in one area with a heat wave next to it, so that it is obviously from powerful magic. Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Hail, Floods, and other disasters will threatened the populace and ruin the local crops. The death toll will rise rather quickly, and the blame will be placed squarely on the PCs (especially if the apprentice wizards have anything to say about it). This will turn the populace against them, and encourage them to find a solution if they're heroic.
Gilladian
Adventurer
Thanks, everyone! I did realize after I said it shattered, that I was too easy with that solution. I like the idea of reconstructing it. I think, since they left all the pieces behind, that the young wizard will try to repair it, and only partly succeed. Random weather and wild storms will ensue, and I will give them a chance to investigate. If they do, an extra planar quest for proper repair info will ensue, but if they do not, then Erroc will do it himself, and will become a powerful storm wizard with a dislike of crude adventurers. Not too railroads, but could lead to fun, and potentially leaves me with a good NPC for the future.
The three pieces of the artifact explode out and land in three separate areas-- a tomb in the jungle, the middle of an artic ice flow, and underwater next to some giant columns that house underwater worms. The group needs to now split into thirds to track down the three pieces of the Weather Dominator before Destro and the members of Cobra reassemble them.
Er... wait. I think I'm getting my stories mixed up...
Er... wait. I think I'm getting my stories mixed up...
Herobizkit
Adventurer
Also, if said Earth Elemental reforms, you might as well have it animate the Keep as its body, because Colossuses, Colosses, Colossesi... big animated rock golems make great enemies. ^_^
Then, once the PC's come back to reinstall their fixed Maguffin, they may have... issues... putting it back where it goes.
Then, once the PC's come back to reinstall their fixed Maguffin, they may have... issues... putting it back where it goes.
pming
Legend
Hiya!
Why does "repercussions" always have to be bad? ...
What if it was drawing in all the storms from the area...I guess that is already established. But now, blue skies, pleasant temperatures and warm, soothing breezes all around! Yay! The people in the area are *delighted* to have such a horrible device gone. Now they can live a normal life, without having to worry about "that crazy wizard up in Storm Keep playing with forces he can't control!". They thank the PC's for saving them from his madness and give them a heroes a feast and celebration in honor of their deed.
Of course, you could always mix in some bad stuff too... after all the partying and spotlight time is over... (this is an adventure game, after all...) ...so...
The apprentice is totally stunned by this. He always thought than he was doing the right thing...that this artifact 'helped protect the area'; that's what he was always told by his Master. But now... he had doubts about what he has done. He starts the long, slow process of trying the "heal the injustices and injuries" that he and his Master had inadvertently inflicted upon all the surrounding townships. To help in this endevour, he asks the PC's if they would carry out a task or two for him. Seems one of the things they (the master and the apprentice) did was keep an old and ornery griffin (or whatever beast you think is appropriate for their level) in check... with the help of air elementals and lightning quasielementals. Or maybe the apprentice needs the PC's to go down to the lowest dungeon level of the Dungeon of Horrendous Death; now that the master is gone the creatures there will be more willing to venture forth to harass and kill anything nearby.
In short, I wouldn't just "go for the bad". The PC's made a choice. A choice that wasn't "part of the expected script". By instantly slapping them with a wet newspaper as if they did something "wrong", encourage them with some "good-vibes". This will (A) make the players feel good about their choice, (B) encourage them to make their own choices, not just what they "think the adventure wants", and (C) set up everything for the next shoe to drop. In my example above, it also serves to give the players an emotional stake in what happens to the townsfolk. I mean, if you have some d-bag come up to you in the store and tell you to get the F outta the way when you are searching for that other $5 you need to pay for your stuff....you don't really want to "be nice" to him. However, if someone steps up and hands you $5 so you can finish paying for your stuff... you do want to "be nice" to him. Same thing with RPG's. By having everyone thank, help and generally praise the PC's (and thusly the players), you get the players emotionally invested in the NPC's and towns well-being. They will be more willing, and more "enthusiastic", about trying to protect it from whatever bad crap that's gonna hit the fan now that the storm-sucking-artifact and the Master of Storm Keep are no more.
^_^
Paul L. Ming
Why does "repercussions" always have to be bad? ...
What if it was drawing in all the storms from the area...I guess that is already established. But now, blue skies, pleasant temperatures and warm, soothing breezes all around! Yay! The people in the area are *delighted* to have such a horrible device gone. Now they can live a normal life, without having to worry about "that crazy wizard up in Storm Keep playing with forces he can't control!". They thank the PC's for saving them from his madness and give them a heroes a feast and celebration in honor of their deed.
Of course, you could always mix in some bad stuff too... after all the partying and spotlight time is over... (this is an adventure game, after all...) ...so...
The apprentice is totally stunned by this. He always thought than he was doing the right thing...that this artifact 'helped protect the area'; that's what he was always told by his Master. But now... he had doubts about what he has done. He starts the long, slow process of trying the "heal the injustices and injuries" that he and his Master had inadvertently inflicted upon all the surrounding townships. To help in this endevour, he asks the PC's if they would carry out a task or two for him. Seems one of the things they (the master and the apprentice) did was keep an old and ornery griffin (or whatever beast you think is appropriate for their level) in check... with the help of air elementals and lightning quasielementals. Or maybe the apprentice needs the PC's to go down to the lowest dungeon level of the Dungeon of Horrendous Death; now that the master is gone the creatures there will be more willing to venture forth to harass and kill anything nearby.
In short, I wouldn't just "go for the bad". The PC's made a choice. A choice that wasn't "part of the expected script". By instantly slapping them with a wet newspaper as if they did something "wrong", encourage them with some "good-vibes". This will (A) make the players feel good about their choice, (B) encourage them to make their own choices, not just what they "think the adventure wants", and (C) set up everything for the next shoe to drop. In my example above, it also serves to give the players an emotional stake in what happens to the townsfolk. I mean, if you have some d-bag come up to you in the store and tell you to get the F outta the way when you are searching for that other $5 you need to pay for your stuff....you don't really want to "be nice" to him. However, if someone steps up and hands you $5 so you can finish paying for your stuff... you do want to "be nice" to him. Same thing with RPG's. By having everyone thank, help and generally praise the PC's (and thusly the players), you get the players emotionally invested in the NPC's and towns well-being. They will be more willing, and more "enthusiastic", about trying to protect it from whatever bad crap that's gonna hit the fan now that the storm-sucking-artifact and the Master of Storm Keep are no more.
^_^
Paul L. Ming
I would echo [MENTION=45197]pming[/MENTION] above. Don't automatically make the PCs action world-ending or even bad. Go for more moderate consequences.
For example, in drawing the storms to the keep, maybe the artifact was keeping some of the surrounding area arid. Now that the artifact is gone, the outlying area gets more storms. But since there is more rain, the crops and harvest is better. Maybe there is some unexpected flooding as well, and the PCs have to rescue some villagers.
The thing is that the PCs took an action you disagreed with. Don't automatically punish them for that. Doing that is a subtle way of trying to control them. But don't automatically reward them either. Mixed consequences that logically flow from the action are best. Let the PCs decide whether their action was worth it in the end.
For example, in drawing the storms to the keep, maybe the artifact was keeping some of the surrounding area arid. Now that the artifact is gone, the outlying area gets more storms. But since there is more rain, the crops and harvest is better. Maybe there is some unexpected flooding as well, and the PCs have to rescue some villagers.
The thing is that the PCs took an action you disagreed with. Don't automatically punish them for that. Doing that is a subtle way of trying to control them. But don't automatically reward them either. Mixed consequences that logically flow from the action are best. Let the PCs decide whether their action was worth it in the end.
The Grassy Gnoll
Explorer
Love the idea of the perma-storm around their heads, though you'd then have to figure out the penalty for trench foot and pneumonia...
You could add some RP colour, however.
Depending how many PCs were involved (and 4 is ideal, as you'll see), they could find that...
One has a permanent yet unfelt breeze blowing their hair...
One finds his hair/beard grows in as moss...
One is permanently damp-haired even in blazing sunshine...
And one is permanently hot to the touch, steaming in any rain.
... And so on. Quite cool little quirks that add to their awesome, but also mark them out as They Who Destroyed The Storm Keep Gate and bring them to the attention of various Cultists/elementals/whatevers.
You could add some RP colour, however.
Depending how many PCs were involved (and 4 is ideal, as you'll see), they could find that...
One has a permanent yet unfelt breeze blowing their hair...
One finds his hair/beard grows in as moss...
One is permanently damp-haired even in blazing sunshine...
And one is permanently hot to the touch, steaming in any rain.
... And so on. Quite cool little quirks that add to their awesome, but also mark them out as They Who Destroyed The Storm Keep Gate and bring them to the attention of various Cultists/elementals/whatevers.
Gilladian
Adventurer
I think people have the wrong idea here. I wasn't LOOKING for ways to PUNISH my players. I could VERY EASILY just drop the whole thread and have Storm Keep just remain "that place we wrecked" and have no good OR bad repercussions. But that's boring. I think the idea of having some idyllic weather following the smashing is good! I am thinking, however, that adventure doesn't happen in a void. Nothing bad happening means nothing to fix, no reason to adventure. The PCs own a castle a day's travel from Storm Keep - the reason they went there originally was to "meet the neighbors". I just don't want the neighbors to disappear into the woodwork and never show up again...
So maybe a really nice autumn, but THEN bad winter storms over a much larger area than was typical in the past. And then the druid in the party can start noticing some long-term changes in the weather, maybe starts feeling the earth tremors, has dreams that something is shifting. See, another tidbit that y'all don't know about is that the PCs recently sealed something up in their basement; they chose to leave it there rather than deal with it. This is becoming a trend of theirs in this campaign. So I feel a need to let ONE or TWO of their "leftovers" come back to haunt them. In fact, due to a couple of other things, this may BECOME the campaign where EVERYTHING they left in an earlier adventure comes back to bite them; I so rarely do that, they might find it hilarious (I've been playing with most of these players for between 5 and 39 years; only one is new this campaign).
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