Post by RunDMG on Jun 18, 2018 15:09:26 GMT
Hey all! Been listening to the show at work for a while and made it through about half the backlog. I'm a fairly new DM (less than a year) working on a setting while playing in it. I started big, which I realize was madness, but I've started going at it from the other end, and it has been nice having some vague things lined out as I work my way back up. Anyway, I'm having some doubts, some cool ideas that I worry I may be missing a huge flaw in, and just wanted to share/get some general feedback, so I'm open to anything you feel like sharing. Sorry about the wall of text. I greatly appreciate anyone taking the time to read it all. Thanks, and have a good one!
I guess a bit of background on what has happened in game so far is in order. Firstly, lots of roleplaying. More than I was expecting for sure, and what I suspected would take a week or two has been going over a month. But hey, they aren't slaughtering NPC's, or mugging old ladies (yet), so I'm good. Each of the party members had heard that a nearby kingdom had lost their King and were in need of adventurers to come and settle down the monsters and bandits taking advantage of his passing. After finding (curiously) cheap passage on a ship headed that way, they departed and the game began on the boat. Unknown to the players, there was a shapeshifter on board, posing as a wealthy lady. One night, as the crew and party slept, the shapeshifter killed and replaced the helmsman, steering the boat off course and into a waiting ambush of bandits and a storm sorcerer. In repelling the attack, the party took a pair prisoner and learned that they had been after a mysterious sealed tube in the possession of the captain, and were based in a reclaimed island fort. The next dawn, they assaulted the fort and fought with the bandits' Illusionist boss. After soundly beating, stripping and hogtying "Malkovec the Deceiver", they found on his person a rather nice dagger with your typical 'to my Love' inscription and a very small black gem plainly attached to a simple leather cord which radiated an aura of extreme value. The charismatic sorceress noticed it pressing on her desire while she held it and decided to get confirmation. By handing it to the cripplingly UN-charismatic ranger (has a 4). He has now been wearing it for about two days, while the sorceress works on deciphering the second half of a journal she found in the Illusionist's study.
If, for some reason, you are the player behind Galindann, Kvothe, Raiann or Droje, and are still reading this, turn back now on penalty of character grief.
The stone is a Shard of Chaos, a sort of boiling stone in reality. Their existence was first recorded during the Mage Wars millennia ago. They could well have existed before that, but places they are tend to end up thrown to alternate Planes, or glassed by Dragonfire, so it's hard to say. The Plane that Velune resides on seems to have been created by the Mad God for purposes unknown, likely even to him. When Deities of more sensible dispositions found the place, they were as one, awe stricken. It seemed to create souls and cycle them almost endlessly through itself, distilling the soul each death and reincarnating it into creatures according to its essence. Since this seemed a handy way to build powerful followers, and they were certain their enemies would use it for this, they all did the sensible thing and started monkeying about with something they didn't fully understand. Deities took to teaching races or factions aligned with their desires, but soon came to realize that each generation, the tended flock became softer and the wolves became fierce to the point that they no longer obeyed their masters. Atop this powder keg, presence of an immense gem, black as void, was said to have unlocked terrible power and knowledge. Power to have one's will done, and the knowledge that it wasn't really your will. The Mage Wars broke out, with Mages taught by Gods lashing out against one another and their tutors. The King who has just passed fought a cult in his youth that was founded by someone wearing one of the Shards. He believed it destroyed, but a tiny particle rode home with his lieutenant that slowly grew and twisted the man's mind. He became the Spymaster, and later killed the King. He currently sits as Regent and intends to hold an election among the Nobles as soon as possible to have himself crowned, so that he may attend a gathering of International heads of State and 'dust' them all.
The Journal belongs to "Malkovec the Deceiver", the illusionist now held prisoner by the party who whispers into the ear of anyone who will listen, particularly the ranger. It begins with humdrum entries seemingly made by someone running a small estate or village. After a dozen or so pages in which are mentioned a visit by an emissary to the Baron, a lovers' quarrel with his wife and local trade disputes, the writing begins taking on a much more anxious tone and the handwriting becomes more hurried, despite many of the previously mentioned disputes coming out in the writer's favor, until finally the writer says "I'd had no idea how right Logan was to warn me. The gem is barely enough to attach to a cord, yet is more valuable than all the coffers in the house. I awoke last night to find Adrianna studying me as I feigned sleep. She swears she is concerned only for my well being, but I can see the desire burning brightly behind her eyes. I must be more cautious.". The remainder of the journal is in some jagged and cramped language that the sorceress is working on deciphering.
This week, the party arrives in Stillwater, a small fishing city/stop over for merchants on their way to the major port city. In it, they will be tasked with finding Rain, a tabaxi who is the captain's contact for delivering the tube they have had to protect. I'm not sure how finding her should go, totally open to suggestion there. I was thinking perhaps she's "on an errand" and is being ambushed/kidnapped/imprisoned when they find her. Regardless of how they meet, she (or the Mayor if the worst happens) will determine the purity of their intent, and introduce them to Tsai, the Theamancer. He's another one I am particularly interested in input on. Till they open the tube, literally anything can be in there. I thought it would be neat if the powerful wizard NPC was specialized in brewing magical teas. I think this will do nicely for someone that has access to powerful juju, but will not directly solve their problems for the party. "Ye-yes, you see.....The mind, i-it must be absolutely at peace in order to make a decent cup of tea, hm? All that horrid killing a-aand and melees and maelstroms disturb the mind, not to even mention the broken teapots!! Nono, Theamancers are Pacifist, child." Plus, the buffs he provides can't easily be abused. Cup of tea is no good once it has time to cool. And even if it were, the magic fades about as fast.
Supposing anyone has actually made it through that, I would love to answer any questions you have (especially ones I haven't thought of answers to), and appreciate any feedback. Thanks again for the read and have a good one!
I guess a bit of background on what has happened in game so far is in order. Firstly, lots of roleplaying. More than I was expecting for sure, and what I suspected would take a week or two has been going over a month. But hey, they aren't slaughtering NPC's, or mugging old ladies (yet), so I'm good. Each of the party members had heard that a nearby kingdom had lost their King and were in need of adventurers to come and settle down the monsters and bandits taking advantage of his passing. After finding (curiously) cheap passage on a ship headed that way, they departed and the game began on the boat. Unknown to the players, there was a shapeshifter on board, posing as a wealthy lady. One night, as the crew and party slept, the shapeshifter killed and replaced the helmsman, steering the boat off course and into a waiting ambush of bandits and a storm sorcerer. In repelling the attack, the party took a pair prisoner and learned that they had been after a mysterious sealed tube in the possession of the captain, and were based in a reclaimed island fort. The next dawn, they assaulted the fort and fought with the bandits' Illusionist boss. After soundly beating, stripping and hogtying "Malkovec the Deceiver", they found on his person a rather nice dagger with your typical 'to my Love' inscription and a very small black gem plainly attached to a simple leather cord which radiated an aura of extreme value. The charismatic sorceress noticed it pressing on her desire while she held it and decided to get confirmation. By handing it to the cripplingly UN-charismatic ranger (has a 4). He has now been wearing it for about two days, while the sorceress works on deciphering the second half of a journal she found in the Illusionist's study.
If, for some reason, you are the player behind Galindann, Kvothe, Raiann or Droje, and are still reading this, turn back now on penalty of character grief.
The stone is a Shard of Chaos, a sort of boiling stone in reality. Their existence was first recorded during the Mage Wars millennia ago. They could well have existed before that, but places they are tend to end up thrown to alternate Planes, or glassed by Dragonfire, so it's hard to say. The Plane that Velune resides on seems to have been created by the Mad God for purposes unknown, likely even to him. When Deities of more sensible dispositions found the place, they were as one, awe stricken. It seemed to create souls and cycle them almost endlessly through itself, distilling the soul each death and reincarnating it into creatures according to its essence. Since this seemed a handy way to build powerful followers, and they were certain their enemies would use it for this, they all did the sensible thing and started monkeying about with something they didn't fully understand. Deities took to teaching races or factions aligned with their desires, but soon came to realize that each generation, the tended flock became softer and the wolves became fierce to the point that they no longer obeyed their masters. Atop this powder keg, presence of an immense gem, black as void, was said to have unlocked terrible power and knowledge. Power to have one's will done, and the knowledge that it wasn't really your will. The Mage Wars broke out, with Mages taught by Gods lashing out against one another and their tutors. The King who has just passed fought a cult in his youth that was founded by someone wearing one of the Shards. He believed it destroyed, but a tiny particle rode home with his lieutenant that slowly grew and twisted the man's mind. He became the Spymaster, and later killed the King. He currently sits as Regent and intends to hold an election among the Nobles as soon as possible to have himself crowned, so that he may attend a gathering of International heads of State and 'dust' them all.
The Journal belongs to "Malkovec the Deceiver", the illusionist now held prisoner by the party who whispers into the ear of anyone who will listen, particularly the ranger. It begins with humdrum entries seemingly made by someone running a small estate or village. After a dozen or so pages in which are mentioned a visit by an emissary to the Baron, a lovers' quarrel with his wife and local trade disputes, the writing begins taking on a much more anxious tone and the handwriting becomes more hurried, despite many of the previously mentioned disputes coming out in the writer's favor, until finally the writer says "I'd had no idea how right Logan was to warn me. The gem is barely enough to attach to a cord, yet is more valuable than all the coffers in the house. I awoke last night to find Adrianna studying me as I feigned sleep. She swears she is concerned only for my well being, but I can see the desire burning brightly behind her eyes. I must be more cautious.". The remainder of the journal is in some jagged and cramped language that the sorceress is working on deciphering.
This week, the party arrives in Stillwater, a small fishing city/stop over for merchants on their way to the major port city. In it, they will be tasked with finding Rain, a tabaxi who is the captain's contact for delivering the tube they have had to protect. I'm not sure how finding her should go, totally open to suggestion there. I was thinking perhaps she's "on an errand" and is being ambushed/kidnapped/imprisoned when they find her. Regardless of how they meet, she (or the Mayor if the worst happens) will determine the purity of their intent, and introduce them to Tsai, the Theamancer. He's another one I am particularly interested in input on. Till they open the tube, literally anything can be in there. I thought it would be neat if the powerful wizard NPC was specialized in brewing magical teas. I think this will do nicely for someone that has access to powerful juju, but will not directly solve their problems for the party. "Ye-yes, you see.....The mind, i-it must be absolutely at peace in order to make a decent cup of tea, hm? All that horrid killing a-aand and melees and maelstroms disturb the mind, not to even mention the broken teapots!! Nono, Theamancers are Pacifist, child." Plus, the buffs he provides can't easily be abused. Cup of tea is no good once it has time to cool. And even if it were, the magic fades about as fast.
Supposing anyone has actually made it through that, I would love to answer any questions you have (especially ones I haven't thought of answers to), and appreciate any feedback. Thanks again for the read and have a good one!