* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : Creating a villian of sorts Started at 06-24-04 06:45 PM by furgig Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=264567 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : furgig Date : 06-24-04 06:45 PM Thread Title : Creating a villian of sorts I'm a relatively new DM, and I'm creating a campaign where our heroes are going to be retrieving artifacts from the lair of a dead mage, who also happens to have been a werewolf. For a twist, I'd like there to be a trigger that brings the mage back to life, thus creating a new enemy for the party. That way the seemingly innocent "Quest for item" turns into something a little less mundane, and much deadlier. Plus it would provide grounds for future campaigns, as well as **** off an awful lot of dwarves in the area whose ancestors were experimented on by this mage, causing for some awkward moments with NPC's. My first thought was to have the mage entombed in an altar, and have a silver sword driven through the alter into the mage. When the party takes the sword, it's removed from the mage, and he comes back to life. However, I was talking it over with a friend, and we're pretty sure the silver item would render a pretty unrecoverable death to a werewolf, like it would disentigrate them or something. Perhaps if he was wearing a ring of regeneration? In a nutshell, I need a trigger that the party will absolutely do, that will bring this guy back to life. Anyone out there have any ideas? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : DmJoeSolarte Date : 06-24-04 09:48 PM Why not make him a powerfull Vampire COunt of some kind? That would explain his long Torpor and such. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : leoger Date : 06-24-04 10:08 PM have the power mage transfer his life into one of the breakable magic artifacts(it could be so old that it breaks when someone touches it), and when it breaks have him come back to life. Really play it up, let them know something bad is going to happen after it breaks(like a darkness spell). -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : furgig Date : 06-24-04 11:16 PM My friend brought up the idea of a vampire....maybe. I really don't want the party to realize they've done anything...I kind of want to be able to surprise them with it later. They're going to have plenty to deal with in this adventure...and there will be a few other starting points for campaigns I have planned in the future. Thanks for the help so far...keep the ideas coming. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : DmJoeSolarte Date : 06-24-04 11:26 PM Ok, how about this: The Players find some sort of stasis, vortex, where within something is trapped. A magnificent statue with a golden crown or soemthing like that is also there. In ancient times, this evil being (be it the wizard I guess) was perhaps trapped in the vortex, with the other wizard having to keep him frozen in this stasis. But the cost was he had to continue to chant the magic to keep the evil wizard trapped, and perhaps was turned to stone to continue to maintain the spell. But the players don't know th is and inadverdently upset the balance of the spell and the evil wizard is freed. Or, if you have access to it, use the CHAOS FACTOR's introduction of the vampire Shaitan as a model for this. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 6] Author : vader42xx Date : 06-25-04 02:47 AM I'd go with a variation on the clone spell myself. The nice thing when playing around with evil wizards (especially ancient ones) is you can make sure they have access to spells never before seen. And you don't even have to let them fall into the hands of the party if you don't want said spell unleashed on your world. So in this instance the evil wizard could have been ready for his death (aren't they always...lol) and taken steps to make a clone ready. However, for some reason (whatever fits your campaign best) the clone didn't fully develop. While the PCs are poking around the ancient tower (or whatever) have them spill a potion, read an ancient text, remove a specific item, etc which creates the needed situation for the long cast spell to finally complete the clone. This, of course, will take a while so the PCs will have no idea it's even happened...until you want them to. :D -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 7] Author : BeastieMan Date : 06-25-04 03:14 PM Have some kind of spirit bound to the chamber that the dead wizard is trapped in, and have it attack the PCs. The first damage done to one of the PCs can cause blood to spill to the ground of the chamber and hit the floor, near the tomb. As the drop hits, it crawls over to the tomb, being absorbed into the wizard. As more damage is done and more blood spills, enough life energy will be circling around the tomb to cause the doors to open. The PCs look over to see the tomb open and a blood red vortex swirling. Whatever powerful creature you have that is bound to this location is drawn into the vortex, and the once dead wizard is thrown out. He teleports, wanting to amass his new army in private. But he missed the artifact that the party was looking for was also thrown out of the vortex, and is bound to it. When he realizes this, he discovers he has to recover the item to become feared throughout the land again. And there you have a recurring enemy that is forced to come back, and the plot goes on -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:17 AM.