* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : Help me work out an idea. Started at 06-30-04 08:03 PM by furgig Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=268132 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : furgig Date : 06-30-04 08:03 PM Thread Title : Help me work out an idea. Two wizards battle, one good, one evil, in the lair of the evil wizard. The evil wizard loses and is banished to hell. (techinical question: Is there a good way to have someone banished to hell and stay there for a long time with no way out?) The great, great, great, great, great grandaughter of the victorious wizard sends the party on a quest to recover an artifact. This artifact is in the lair of the evil wizard. As they attempt to recover the artifact, the party is sent to hell. There they meet the evil wizard. (it's up in the air if they learn he's evil or not). They get themselves and the wizard out of hell and return to the grandaughter with the artifact. At that point, the evil wizard and the grandaughter take hands, laugh maniacally, and teleport out. The party is left wondering what they just unleashed into the world. Ok, there's a lot of loose or non-existent connections here. I need to connect a lot of things, but I want to know, what do you all think so far, and what kinds of improvements do you suggest? My big issues are why has the grandaughter gone toward evil? And does she know she's after an alliance with the evil wizard, or does that just come along with the artifact she's after? How does the evil wizard get banished to hell? How long can he live there? Why can't he leave? What method will bring him back - should it be tied to the artifact? Ok, let me know what you think. Thanks. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : vader42xx Date : 06-30-04 09:31 PM You can do it any way you want of course but if you're asking for help I'll throw in my ideas and observations. :) The problem with the start of your story is that a good wizard probably woudn't send someone to hell as a punishment. So if you're going to use that I'd suggest that some foul demon fom the pit comes to claim the evil wizard's soul after he is defeated by the good wizard. Punishment for his failure or payment for his power, etc (whatever you're looking for). There are dozens of variations on that theme but that's the basic. In the case of the grandaughter you might want to change that a bit to add more of a twist. Perhaps she's not really evil at all. Maybe she's just following an old map or will which tells her of an inheritance waiting for her and she has no idea that it's an artifact at all (or connected to an evil wizard). After the wizard shows up he can either spirit her away or corrupt her, etc. For a really pain in the neck twist you could tell the players all of the above up front and then it will turn out that she was evil all the time, really knew what she was doing, and just used the party to get what she needed. Again, depends on which way you want to take the adventure. ;) As for the rest of the evil wizard information here goes...If you assume it was his soul that was taken to hell then he could "live there" forever. As to how he gets back I'd make him solid in hell (not a ghost, etc) so he can interact with the players and what not. That way you could use portals to get him back or perhaps the players have had to go on a side-quest to find the right spell or magic item that will allow them to get to hell and back with the wizard. When the wizard is back on the prime plane you could just assume he lives again (without needing find a body) because he was taken to hell before his normal lifespan was over anyway or you could do any number of other things (lich, possession, etc). And he can't leave because he is powerless to do so without his spells and magic items (not to mention his possible punishment). Anyway, those are my rough ideas on what you've got so far. Feel free to use what you want and throw the rest in the trash, happy gaming! :) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : Dielzen Date : 06-30-04 09:37 PM Evil wizard owned the artifact, he was given it's location/command words/something in a bargain with a pit fiend/etc. Upon his defeat, he was pulled to hell by the fiend. The evil wizard's son seduces the good wizard's daughter, their chlid is said grand daughter of good wizard AND evil wizard, who's been coached by the evil one's son, since he killed the mom not long after the baby's birth. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : RobertFisher Date : 07-01-04 11:55 AM Maybe both wizards were evil. Maybe the evil wizard had somehow subjugated a demon. Instead of defeating the evil wizard directly, the good wizard merely managed to break the bonds so that the demon was free to deal with the evil wizard himself. Stealing an idea: Maybe the evil wizard had created a magical journal that the good wizard had taken. The granddaughter finds the journal, and it corrupts her. Perhaps the evil wizard has a mystical connection with the journal, so that he can manipulate the possessor even while he's trapped in hell. The granddaughter believes she's fallen in love with the journal's author &, though she believes him long dead, wishes to retrieve an artifact beloved by him described in the journal to feel some connection with him. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : Draminji's Heir Date : 07-01-04 12:46 PM How about considering some of these options; Concerning the Great Great Daughter: The PC's are approached by a women who claims to be the great great daughter of the 'good wizard', and are told the tale of her ancestors. She asks them to recover an artifact for her. However, In actuality this is really; a) The great great daughter of the evil wizard seeking to recover an artifact, so that she can release her ancestor from his magical prison. b) The soul of the evil wizard himself inhabiting the body of some super hot bardic co-ed gone wild, and seeking to recover an artifact from his past, so that he can regain his former power. Does she know about her evil alliance: >Shakes the Yoda ball< - "My sources say yes!" How does the evil wizard get banished to Hell: This is the easy part. Obviously he was sent to Hell during the original wizard battle. Now this Hell can be any number of things. It could be either the Nine Hells, or the Abyss, or better yet it could be a demi plane of your own design, where the evil wizard needs neither food nor sustenance, thus he can live there forever. Perhaps he is simply imprisoned in a permanent Mordenkainen Mansion designed by the good wizard to look like a chess piece tower (maybe this is the artifact?). I think the greater question is how is he going to get out. Anyway, just some thoughts to chew on... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:17 AM.