/tg/ - Traditional Games » Thread #14774724

[21 / 1 / ?]

368KiB, 650x920, unknown.jpg

3.5 meets Inception

Wraithstrike Sun 01 May 2011 20:38:00 No.14774724 View View Reply Original Report

Here's the plan:
The PC's are trying to kill the Necromancer. When they finally meet him, he's going to drag them into his mind, trying to corrupt them to his side. He'll be hiding inside the mind of one of the neutral characters, and they'll have to go deeper through the levels of the subconscious to find him.

So, what kind of dreams would a necromancer have that could corrupt their souls? What can I put in his history that at least makes him a tad sympathetic.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 20:44:00 No.14774750 Report

Quoted By: >>14774766 >>14774801 >>14774815

>>14774724

First level:

A plague-ridden village. The key to the first level is a child who has to be found and protected. However, the dead people spontaneously reanimate as zombies and ghostly undead.

The second level is a horrible battlefield; Here, the Necromancer is older, and has taken on his iconic look. He's heard to state that if he can't preserve people's lives, he can at least give their deaths meaning. The key here, however, is not the Necromancer, but the enemy warlord; This was the first time he actually used necromancy, by animating the dead to win the battle. When the PCs kill the warlord, his armor opens, like a sacrophagus, into yet another level.

The next level is an archaeology dig; The Necromancer is an older man, and he's friendly in this one- He openly states that this is where he was happiest. The enemy is a Greater Mummy or Deathknight within the tomb he's excavating- He made a deal with this thing in return for his mastery of the dark arts.

The last level is Limbo, and it's a straight-up fight.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 20:47:00 No.14774766 Report

Quoted By:

>>14774750

That is fucking awesome.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 20:50:00 No.14774780 Report

Quoted By:

>>14774724

Throw them Harrowings from Wraith: The Oblivion.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 20:52:00 No.14774787 Report

Quoted By:

for bonus points, have the "material" the necromancer uses be real - ie., he's using his own memories to inject dreams of despair and depravity into the neutral character's dreamscape (thus affecting the PCs?); but the material for those injections come from the necromancer's own experiences.

If your PCs are clever or if they get off-track, have them find memories that the Necromancer doesn't know about or intended to be hidden; memories of good things or traumatic experiences that he does not want exposed.

Wraithstrike

Wraithstrike Sun 01 May 2011 20:54:00 No.14774801 Report

Quoted By: >>14774834

>>14774750

Pure Unmitigated Win! I'll take it!

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 20:58:00 No.14774815 Report

Quoted By:

>>14774750
I'm so stealing this and OP's idea.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:03:00 No.14774834 Report

Quoted By: >>14774846 >>14774855

>>14774801

Same guy here, expanding on the 'levels':

1.) The players manifest in a plague-ridden village. They're in a corpse-cart, filled with the dead. Those creepy medevial doctors, in beaked masks and long robes, are dragging the dead onto it. When the PCs get off, they attack; Each time one is killed, they fold up around the weapon, to reveal that there's nothing inside the robes.

Somewhere, distantly, a child is crying. When the village's bell tolls, dolefully, the plague-ridden dead arise, and do their level best to kill the players. The kid's house is ringed by the doctors trying to get in. After the PC's fight them off, the child finally opens the door; But that only leads to the second layer of the dreamworld, a blasted battlefield.

2.) In the second layer of the dreamworld, the PCs are buried beneath a pile of corpses. It's not clear which side is winning- The PCs might be changed slightly, in armor that is so battled it's not clear who they're fighting for.

The only two figures are the Necromancer, who is kneeling, and the armored Warlord advancing towards him. He makes his little speech about making sure their deaths have meaning, and the dead get back up, and attack each other and the players. (They attack the Warlord, too, but don't bother to register damage for him- It just keeps him occupied until the PC's get close.)

The gore-soaked Warlord cuts down the Necromancer- Who folds up around the blade without a sound- and attacks the PCs, seeing that they're dressed like his enemy. When he's killed, his armor cracks open, and the darkness within drags the players into the next level.

3.) and 4.) are fairly obvious.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:06:00 No.14774846 Report

Quoted By:

>>14774834

Can't go wrong with a good angry mob.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:08:00 No.14774855 Report

Quoted By: >>14774866

>>14774834

The only problem I have is that the last level shouldn't have all the distractions, just the place where they can fight the bad guy. Maybe a crumbling obsidian temple suspended in the well of Oblivion?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:10:00 No.14774866 Report

Quoted By: >>14774896

>>14774855
I myself was picturing something like that. The last level should be straight-up fight, PCs and BBEG alone. Possibly in a crazy environment and involving cool stuff.
Also, there should be ways for the PCs to actually fall into corruption. Different choices to be made when changing level.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:11:00 No.14774870 Report

Quoted By:

http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/index.php/archives/2058

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:16:00 No.14774896 Report

Quoted By: >>14774916 >>14774936

>>14774866

How would you chart corruption, though? I know 3.5 has a system for that, but is it relevant here? It seems more straightforward if they're fighting their way to him, instead of each scene being an extended mini-adventure.(My players tend to get confused, and blunder around if there's no immediate conflict.)

sage

sage Sun 01 May 2011 21:19:00 No.14774909 Report

Quoted By: >>14774930

Make the necromancer seem more and more human and make him give them an "explanation" of why he did it - make it seem like killing the innocents for his massive zombie army is righteous and not his fault. If they actually start believing his shit, they get corrupted.

Examples: he explains to them that he only wants to use the necro super soul whatever power to protect the world against evil and that is why killing that innocent kid and eating her heart is a good deed.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:20:00 No.14774915 Report

Quoted By:

Thats more psychonauts than inception

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:20:00 No.14774916 Report

Quoted By:

>>14774896
Well, I only thought about corruption because OP stated that
> he's going to drag them into his mind, trying to corrupt them to his side
It is by no means necessary, but I found it interesting. Making choices is important for many players while others just want to fight their way. It doesn't have to be a difficult choice every time, mind you.

Wraithstrike

Wraithstrike Sun 01 May 2011 21:21:00 No.14774922 Report

Quoted By: >>14774942

I figure as they learn more about him, the mostly neutral party will have to make will saves of increasing difficulty, on a three strikes policy.
Strike One: You start to understand the necromancer
Strike Two:Your mind is more open to the ranting of the necromancer.
Strike Three: You have fallen to the madness.

The only one unaffected by this will be the Lawful Good Paladin, who will have to make will saves anyway to serve as the anchor to her comrades. As the strain builds up of having to keep her comrades from going down the dark road, she'll also be losing her mind.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:22:00 No.14774930 Report

Quoted By: >>14775161

>>14774909
Woops, forgot to change the name

Or: The players see the necromancer, young, fleeing from a house - inside the house they see several uniformed soldiers torturing and raping the inhabitants, seemingly the necromancers family. They are all laughing and asking if the PCs want a go at the 9yr old "whore sister". The Necromancer screams and suddenly the house goes up in dark flames. Out comes the soldiers, still laughing that "their commander protects them" and "as long as he lives, you cant do shit to us boy". Have the necromancer swear to right the wrongs in the world and say that he did the only merciful thing he could do by sparing his family from further pain and torture.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:23:00 No.14774936 Report

Quoted By:

>>14774896
>My players tend to get confused
>blunder around if there's no immediate conflict

Sorry, sir, but you seem to have described lab rats or something

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 21:25:00 No.14774942 Report

Quoted By:

>>14774922
Dont ever waste what is a great rp situation on technicalities and saves. They are just so unimmersive and it really sucks. Instead, try and make the necromancer make the PCs sympathise with him. If they, despite all the insane shit he has been pulling off, actually succumb and starts pitying him enough to argue that he is really just a good guy, they fall.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 01 May 2011 22:03:00 No.14775161 Report

Quoted By:

>>14774930
My DM did that once. Shit was pretty disturbing and everyone was horrified - it worked great forming that sense of evil and ruthless villains who need to be killed asap. If you want to make the players actually sympathetic towards the necromancer, this would be a great way to do it.

Capcode	All Only User Posts Only Verified Posts Only Moderator Posts Only Manager Posts Only Admin Posts Only Developer Posts Only Founder Posts
Show Posts	All Only With Images Only Without Images Only Spoiler Images Only Non-Spoiler Images
Deleted Posts	All Only Deleted Posts Only Non-Deleted Posts
Ghost Posts	All Only Ghost Posts Only Non-Ghost Posts
Post Type	All Only Sticky Threads Only Opening Posts Only Reply Posts
Results	All Grouped By Threads
Order	Latest Posts First Oldest Posts First

On these archives

Your latest searches

3.5 meets Inception