Half-celestial Dropped in RL

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

spike81101

Jul 03, 2006 9:57:37
One of my PCs is a half-celestial fighter who had the misfortune of getting sent to Ravenloft. Here is the kicker, hes 16th level. What would the darkpowers or the darklords do to him? He must shine like one of the brightest beacons dropped into Ravenloft.

He is essentially dropped from the campaign that I'm running, but I'd like the player to see what happens to his PC regardless. The other characters in my campaign will probably attempt to see where he has gone and possibly try and rescue him. The PC sacraficed himself to bring down the BBEG and brought them both to Ravenloft. The BBEG is a 20th level necromancer, who now obviously hates the PC.

Let me know if anyone has any ideas on this!
#2

rotipher

Jul 03, 2006 10:38:16
If the BBEG has become a darklord, then the half-celestial PC might well get drafted by the Dark Powers -- involuntarily and via manipulation, not by an actual "Hey, you, wanna job?" arrangement -- as a recurring nemesis-figure for the villain. The character'd be placed in a position where he has to keep battling the new darklord, keeping the BBEG's power in check, lest the villain's plots devastate many innocent inhabitants of the villain's new-found domain. In effect, the Dark Powers would be using the half-celestial to frustrate and harass their latest pet darklord, much as they let Kateri Shadowborn's spirit pester Ebonbane, etc.

This would mitigate the problem of the PC being too high-level for your average Ravenloft game, since the DPs can design the new darklord's domain and powers specifically to create a stalemate against this specific enemy. It'd also give a "rescue mission" a much deeper theme than "kick in the cell door and bust out the prisoner": not only must the other PCs get into Ravenloft, find the half-celestial, and get out (practically impossible anyway), but they must also help the half-celestial neutralize the new darklord's threat (else, he won't feel he can leave), and break the cycle of strife which the Dark Powers have contrived between the ex-PC and the villain. Play up the latter strongly enough, and the other PCs may well start worrying that they might get stuck with the half-celestial's role as the villain's new nemesis!
#3

spike81101

Jul 04, 2006 1:33:33
I like those ideas! The rest of the group is taking a year or so off from adventuring to build castles and towers and temples and such, so I'll have the PC make a new character, yet keep his old one dangling out there. I know there are a few PCs that will not want to go to Ravenloft, so at the end of what I have for the end of this section I'll have them at least figure out where they need to go and how to get there. Anyone else got ideas?
#4

zombiegleemax

Jul 05, 2006 4:51:52
...
Don't Half-Celestials get a Reality Wrinkle as soon as they enter the Demiplane?
Furthermore, shouldn't the half-celestial start to develop a twisting effect in its reality wrinkle?

That would lead to an interesting development... ;)
#5

spike81101

Jul 05, 2006 13:14:57
...
Don't Half-Celestials get a Reality Wrinkle as soon as they enter the Demiplane?
Furthermore, shouldn't the half-celestial start to develop a twisting effect in its reality wrinkle?

That would lead to an interesting development... ;)

Wow, I almost missed that! This should be very fun to RP out with the PC. The PC is not very familiar with Ravenloft, so it should be great fun. I'm comtemplating on what to have him do while separated from the party.

Any ideas on the reality wrinkle and twisting effect? The only similar effect that I can recall is the carniville.
#6

zombiegleemax

Jul 05, 2006 13:39:57
The twisting should be tied to the character's background...
Indeed, the twisting should look something like the effect that creates the freaks of the Carnival.

For some inspiration, look at the article in Quoth the Raven #7, called "A Hound-faced angel" and subsequent "Blessed Protector".
It is really interesting. ;)

EDIT: Obvoiusly, you can get the past issue of QtR at www.fraternityofshadows.com
#7

rotipher

Jul 06, 2006 11:41:08
FWIW, I'm not convinced that every celestial's reality wrinkle should have a "Twisting" effect. Isolde's wrinkle does that, but Isolde is a Chaotic celestial who'd always felt that the world ought to work that way; a celestial with a different alignment and philosophy ought to have a different wrinkle-effect, that's expressive of their particular beliefs. This would also make those few celestials who enter Ravenloft a lot more interesting, as the ambient effects of each such outsider's presence would be varied and unpredictable: always a plus, for Ravenloft creatures.

Also, a half-celestial's wrinkle probably shouldn't be as potent as a full-blooded one's, as the PC's part-humanoid heritage -- and hence, his moral fallibility -- would make his nature a bit less of an irritant to the fabric of the demiplane. (Yes, Malocchio has a fiendish wrinkle on par with a full-blooded fiend's ... but what do you expect from Ravenloft's equivalent of the Antichrist?) Perhaps the PC's wrinkle could have a cloaking effect, that makes it more difficult for his darklord adversary to pinpoint his location; otherwise, the wrinkle would just be a big bullseye for the villain to aim at, if you're using the "darklord's nemesis" idea.
#8

zombiegleemax

Jul 15, 2006 22:19:16
For some inspiration, look at the article in Quoth the Raven #7, called "A Hound-faced angel" and subsequent "Blessed Protector"

As the author of said article, I would like to say "Thanks for the plug, Jakob!"

Any ideas on the reality wrinkle and twisting effect? The only similar effect that I can recall is the carniville.

As a fan of the Ravenloft setting, I would tend to agree with Rotipher. Even though a half-celestial would still have a reality wrinkle, I would probably diminish both its size and power. If you wish to play upon the "Darklord's Nemesis" consept, then I would give the wrinkle some sort of benign protective abilities (i.e., the reality wrinkle works as a permanent protection from evil spell within the wrinkle's radius).

In return, you could balance the benefits of the reality wrinkle by allowing some sort of "Twisting Effect" to occur. Isolde protects her Carnival troupe, but the members physically change to display their inner selves. Perhaps, your half-celestial protects his charges as well, but his reality wrinkle slowly purges all the evil out of the people within it. Unfortunately, most mortals aren't embodiments of goodness, and this purging causes a slow deteriation of their physical forms. A person that spends too much time traveling with the half-celestial may need to make daily fortitude saves to avoid being physically and/or spiritually disintigrated as the "impurities" are purged from them.

Again, I would base the benefits/drawbacks from the character's personality and background, but the above examples should help give you some additional ideas.

Jason "Javier" True
Fraternity of Shadows
#9

zombiegleemax

Aug 04, 2006 14:47:15
Furthermore, shouldn't the half-celestial start to develop a twisting effect in its reality wrinkle?

I have to disagree with the idea of the half-celestial developing a twisting effect. If you look at the Paladin in the Players RL it is pretty clear that only creatures native to Ravenloft are effected in this way. An outlander is exempt. The only way that I can see this (N)PC becoming twisted is if they start down the path toward becoming a darklord themself. Which of course I'm sure the Dark Powers will tempt them in that general direction. A half-celestial darklord ! I would let him keep running this character, just to see if he can avoid the temptation. :P
#10

darkor

Aug 04, 2006 16:26:30
It affect outsiders too! Isolde is the best exemple ^^ She is not from Ravenloft, still, she devlopped something like that.
#11

zombiegleemax

Aug 04, 2006 21:09:29
It affect outsiders too! Isolde is the best exemple ^^ She is not from Ravenloft, still, she devlopped something like that.

Please understand that I am not trying to disagree (some people assume that if you question them that you don't agree). But where is your source (what book and page number) I would like to read up on this. If I'm wrong (and I'm not saying that I'm not) then I need to expand my knowledge base.

Gee it sounds like I've run into a lot of touchy gamers in the past doesn't it (understatement).
#12

darkor

Aug 05, 2006 3:26:27
Sorry. Didn't want to be rude or anything. The rule I am telling about is brought in 2nd ED matterial, but still, logically, the rule should still apply. The book I am talking about is Carnival, as for the page... I think it is in the last one. I'll check this out an other time (I should be sleeping by now ^^'). But in the end, the answer is yours to make. The DM got full power over everything in is game.
#13

zombiegleemax

Sep 03, 2006 14:22:55
One of my PCs is a half-celestial fighter who had the misfortune of getting sent to Ravenloft. Here is the kicker, hes 16th level. What would the darkpowers or the darklords do to him?

Having been a couple months since the original post, I was curious as to what has come about in your campaign. How have you handled the situation with the half-celestial fighter so far?