oldnemrod
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 92
Preferred Game Systems: WOD (old and new), 4E DnD, Shadowrun, 5E DND,
Currently Playing: Star Wars Saga Edition( I'M A MANDALORIAN!)
Currently Running: 5E Hoard of the Dragon Queen
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Post by oldnemrod on May 27, 2012 15:59:41 GMT -8
First, a little back story...
I've started work on the sequel to a game I ran for my group a couple of months ago. At the very end my PCs came across an artificer who had figured how to make anti-magic bombs. He was planning to use them against the government that was using magitech to oppress the people. The money hungry wizard of the party ended up with four. At the end of the story, me and the wizard's player collaborated and determined that he would have sold them and the schematics to the highest bidder.
Now, at the beginning of the game, everyone has used these bombs to the point magic is very scarce and disappearing quickly. I had the sinister idea of introducing a unicorn that is slowly losing its magic and so begins attacking the other magical beasts of the forest and draining the magic from them. When the PCs come across it, the unicorn will be in combat with two owlbears. Naturally they will take the side of the unicorn in the fight and I'll have him follow them for a short while as an extra cleric. But when they next get into combat, I will have him attack the spellcaster of the group. Should the characters kill him, he will be a recurring villain as a Nightmare when magic finally returns.
I figure that would be a great first session to get everyone curious about what else the lack of magic is doing to the land.
Two questions: Any suggestions on what else I could do? What are some stories you all have where someone took an assumed idea and flipped it?
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Post by daeglan on May 27, 2012 21:36:27 GMT -8
A dragon shape shifted as a human or elf could hire them to dispose of this mage and the plans. Could be a good dragon or an evil one.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2012 2:26:36 GMT -8
Gods being really pissed about the fact that their power could be stolen from their followers by mortals, even a "good" one that the players worship or respect could forget his morals and do everything in his power to stop his magic from dissapearing from the world. Holy wars, inquisitions and all sorts of despicable things can come from his desperation. It would be a double twist to see a lawful good god not only command his followers to do things so radically opposed by his own doctrine but also his church leading inquisitions FOR magic users instead of the common trope where they would hunt them down.
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oldnemrod
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 92
Preferred Game Systems: WOD (old and new), 4E DnD, Shadowrun, 5E DND,
Currently Playing: Star Wars Saga Edition( I'M A MANDALORIAN!)
Currently Running: 5E Hoard of the Dragon Queen
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Post by oldnemrod on May 29, 2012 13:28:34 GMT -8
My friends came up with some other ideas.
Kobolds are dumb because of an ancient curse on all kobolds. As magic is leaving the world, the curse is lifting. Kobolds getting stronger, Rise of the Planet of the Apes style.
A beholder in search of a body for its head to sit on. Maybe looking for a party to decapitate a cyclops.
My old roommate played an elf barbarian that had rage similar to the protagonist in Drive.
WHat else you guys got?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2012 22:42:53 GMT -8
So is the unicorn insane or just evil?
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oldnemrod
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 92
Preferred Game Systems: WOD (old and new), 4E DnD, Shadowrun, 5E DND,
Currently Playing: Star Wars Saga Edition( I'M A MANDALORIAN!)
Currently Running: 5E Hoard of the Dragon Queen
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Post by oldnemrod on Jun 10, 2012 9:36:31 GMT -8
Just desperate to keep a hold on magic. Weakening magic limits the power it has. I'm just trying to use seemingly innocent subjects and having them act like any other creature does when its way of life is in jeopardy.
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daniel
Journeyman Douchebag
Posts: 217
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Post by daniel on Jun 10, 2012 17:21:24 GMT -8
It dos accure to me that there is a possibility that the PCs might just not take the unicorns side, there is also a chance that one of the PCs might use Detect evil or something askin to that, perhaps just have a high Sense Motive?
it might go just as you have planed, but i find that most DM plans fail at the basic assumption the PCs will do somthing
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2012 14:00:05 GMT -8
Yeah, I am beginning to question the methods of this unicorn. It's like suddenly finding yourself impoverished. Is it your nature to just start stealing or do you reach out for help? If you are insinuating that this unicorn would gank a mage that just helped it fend off a couple of owlbears, then I would say that is an evil unicorn for sure, which is fine but I just wanted to clarify that. I would say that this is NOT how any other creature would act when its way of life is in jeopardy.
I just wanted you to be prepared when, inevitably, the PCs confront the unicorn with a, "What the F are you doing?". Your explanation of, "I am just doing what I have to" may not be satisfactory.
Waning magic campaigns always trigger a few things in me. What did magic used to be the solution for? I am guessing the lines of sickly folks are going to be growing longer and rowdier at the local temples. With the priests not being able to keep up with the overwhelming demand, what is the result? Mobs of lepers storming the city perhaps?
As in any situation where a light is fading, those that need light will flock to the remaining sources. Perhaps there will be nexus points of fading magic that will suddenly become like oases in a desert. Powerful creatures/mages will flock to them to maintain their power, perhaps subjugatign the local flora and fauna to their will.
What if one of these beacons of fading power is in the middle of the city? In the middle of the ocean? In the middle of an ancient, cursed temple of a long-dead god?
The possibilities are endless... let us know how the intro game goes!
Thickhead
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Post by ayslyn on Jun 11, 2012 14:12:33 GMT -8
Yeah, I am beginning to question the methods of this unicorn. It's like suddenly finding yourself impoverished. Is it your nature to just start stealing or do you reach out for help? If you are insinuating that this unicorn would gank a mage that just helped it fend off a couple of owlbears, then I would say that is an evil unicorn for sure, which is fine but I just wanted to clarify that. I would say that this is NOT how any other creature would act when its way of life is in jeopardy. Real history is rife with otherwise good people doing horrible things once they got desperate enough.
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