-Eric Gorman
One example is the 'Rift Spanner' on pg 117 of Gaz 2.
Originally posted by Coan
There are also powerful artifacts that pop up from time to time, that allow this.
One example is the 'Rift Spanner' on pg 117 of Gaz 2.
Or the "Scroll of Return" from the RLDMG. Probably what John was alluding to.
As a DM, you're entitled to make entering and leaving Ravenloft as hard or as easy as you like...
In honor of Azalin: "DM's prerogative".
Originally posted by Platinumwarlock
Or the "Scroll of Return" from the RLDMG. Probably what John was alluding to.
There's also an entire section on getting in and out of Ravenloft at the beginning of the book.
Originally posted by Coan
One example is the 'Rift Spanner' on pg 117 of Gaz 2.
Rift Spanner, that's what I meant... Forget the whole "apparatus" comment earlier, the shock of the move got me confuse on my gizmos.
Originally posted by John W. Mangrum
There's also an entire section on getting in and out of Ravenloft at the beginning of the book.
Touche. I'm without all my RL books over here, so I can't reference them anywhere near as much as I'd like.
Seriously, I think the Rift Spanner is one of the coolest artifacts in all RL. I never had any use for it, since I've only run native campaigns, but ever since I read a reference to it in Domains of Dread, I've been intrigued. Rift Spanner. Just the name is cool...
I have let players slip through ancients portals found in border-areas in the southern core, because the geography has changed a pretty penny over time, the plane could have certain power spots near the borders.
As a player I have, among other things, helped Lord Soth collection a magical dice created by a old unknown deity.
A piece in Dargaard, A piece in Borca, one in Borovia, one in our pocket and where the other three were I don't remember.
It was originally a summoning device from some unknown plane that ended up in dragonlance where we found one of the pieces.
When the mists took us it transported the rest of the dice also.
It allowed us to return to Ansalon, and Lord Soth took a temporary vacation in Estwilde until the mists claimed him again.
Originally posted by malken
If you want out, the Rift Spanner is the most wicked way to go, IMHO. Just get yourself about 100 mortal souls, and you're set to go.:D I'm sure Styrix will lend it to ya.
Seriously, I think the Rift Spanner is one of the coolest artifacts in all RL. I never had any use for it, since I've only run native campaigns, but ever since I read a reference to it in Domains of Dread, I've been intrigued. Rift Spanner. Just the name is cool...
Originally posted by The MadStepDad
So there he is in the cottage, gaseous forming around and looking for any clues or hints. I used my light dimmers and started whispering in a low, raspy voice. Suffice to say, Cemetery Home Outkast the player was starting to feel the scene. I built up the tension by describing the various herbs and home remedies, but giving them a subtle evil twist. I made it obvious to him that whoever was here knew the players were coming, and hid accordingly. He checked around the second room (the only other) and found much of the same clutter and debris. Then, I had him discover the trap door.
Whispering so they had to strain to hear my voice (as music plays in the background) I described the professors descent into the cellar. He floats down the wooden steps, so as to not make a creak. The aroma of must and corrosion is ever present. I wanted him to discover the underground chamber Styrix has constructed for her studies. And find it he did…
He slid beneath the heavy oaken door, and the sight that greeted him made the player gasp [i][Insert picture of the infamous Rift Spanner!][/i] It was far from completion, yet the glowing orb in the center hummed and throbbed with bottled energy. The huge device was apparently magical in construction, and immediately intrigued the wizardly professor.
BOOM!
I shook the gaming table and screamed in the kids face!
The wrinkled old hag has appeared before you with a vicious snarl! He was busted!
Originally posted by Voiceman
Yeah, I like the riftspanner too. But I have always felt that the best way to escape ravenloft is the way the gm invents.
Originally posted by The MadStepDad
We’re in Martira Bay now and y’all know who the spider in the center of web is. King Azalin himself, Darklord of Darkon. He was closely monitoring the progress of the recently-deceased Professor Myles Witherspoon, whose research detailed the existence of Provisional Conjunctions. A theory that Azalin was dying to explore further. He had the professor murked, so his prized research wouldn’t fall into anybody else’s hands (namely Kurvyn Asterlei and his Fraternity of the Shadows branch and Professor Witherspoon’s apprentice, the annoying little gnat named Ellis Valdemear [aka Cemetery Home Outkast]). Azalin had all the information he needed.
The final straw he needs to break the camels back is a blast strong enough to rip the fabric of reality and propel the conjunction onward. A blast from the destruction of a potent magical item. So where is he gonna get a magical item to destroy? Certainly not from his own Black Vault! Despite Darkon’s strange memory-altering nature, King Azalin has a long recollection. He perused his mental archives for an enemy to exploit. That’s why he chose the hag Styrix, who had wronged him so many years before. She was using an artifact of her own creation known as the Unfingered Hand to wreak havoc on the slums of Martira Bay. Wreaking havoc on Azalin’s people (not that he cared, but it made for good P.R.). So he put the word out to his Martira Bay Kargat agent Tavelia that she must acquire this item “by any means necessary” (of course, he ALSO has a back-up plan in effect. Just to be safe).
So we move further down the food chain now, as Tavelia has received word from her master of a very important mission. Tavelia has her own gang of lackies and thralls, all cleverly disguised as clergymen at her Temple of the Overseer. Her branch of the kargatane includes PC Lavernous Vernichtung (aka the Q-Monstah), a priest who was rumored to have been romantically linked to the vampiress. When she needs a goal accomplished, she calls on him. Little did she know, this time Lavernous was the one subtly pulling strings. Using his relationship with the High Priestess as a crutch, he eased his way onto the selection committee. So with Tavelia’s task accomplished (delegating the duty to her consigliere) we move onto the next ring in the web.
PC Lavernous Vernichtung (aka the Q-Monstah). This former death-camp operator fell victim to Darkon’s memory-altering effects many years ago. He was swept up in an affair with the wicked vampiress Tavelia, and condemned to undead servitude soon thereafter. But he never forgot his true mission: Escape from the Demi-Plane of Dread (he just has no idea WHY). Through his studies, he has learned of an arcane, esoteric (and disturbed) method of escape. One that combines negative-life forces, full moons, magick rituals and scholar’s blood. But little does even Lavernous know, Azalin is fully aware of this alternate method (this is his contingency plan). So in order to steal the Unfingered Hand for himself, AND have enough pawns at his disposal, Lavernous had to pretend he was riding with Tavelia all the way to the bitter end (but as most bad-guy relationships go, he plans on betraying her in the end). This brings us to our unwitting pawns in today’s Game: the Player Characters...
Originally posted by Voiceman
Yeah, I like the riftspanner too. But I have always felt that the best way to escape ravenloft is the way the gm invents.
Hmm, quoting oneslef, that a new one.
I just wanted to. emphazise that this should NOT at all be easy.
Only possible, I think it's works better when you have experienced players who knows about the published escaperoutes. (if you can call it that,)
It says that putting someone into it to be absorbed calls for a powers check for each person, so how can ANYONE including Stiryx ever get the thing fully powered without decending into Darklord-dom?
The only way I could think of would be to cart the thing from village to village and stick it in a barn or some such. Wait for a nosey person to find it and might sit in it and get absorbed. Since Stiryx didn't coerse someone to sit in it she may not need to make a powers check, although I'm inclined to think she would.
This thing always seemed like an unusable item.
Maybe she could bring someone back who she was going to eat. And tell them exactly what's going to happen to them in both cases. Some may gladly get in the chair of their own free will in lue of being eatten. Otherwise, I just don't see how this thing could ever be filled with the 100 souls it needs.
Though if you want a way, in the Nightmare Lands box it mentions that you may escape the plane when you are exiting a dreamscape you have entered physically and defeated.
Greydawn
Originally posted by daffy72
I never understood this thing.
It says that putting someone into it to be absorbed calls for a powers check for each person, so how can ANYONE including Stiryx ever get the thing fully powered without decending into Darklord-dom?
Styrix isn't subject to powers checks.
Originally posted by Greydawn
Well, there is an old poll that crops up again every now and then for DM's about whether they would ever let a PC escape the mists, alot of people are in the no category.
Though if you want a way, in the Nightmare Lands box it mentions that you may escape the plane when you are exiting a dreamscape you have entered physically and defeated.
Greydawn
Two questions:
What is the reason these DMs don't want their players escaping?
Also, I'm not sure I know exactly what a dreamscape is, but I think its in the plane of dreams. And if it is, how would you get to it? Because as far as I know, the only other plane you can access from Ravenloft is the Ethereal.
Originally posted by John W. Mangrum
Styrix isn't subject to powers checks.
Thanks. It makes sense knowing that bit of info now.
Maybe she will have to play a bigger role in the fan made Martira Bay chapter of the Ravenloft video game 'Involution' now in production.
Mu haw haw
Originally posted by The_Dude
Also, I'm not sure I know exactly what a dreamscape is, but I think its in the plane of dreams. And if it is, how would you get to it? Because as far as I know, the only other plane you can access from Ravenloft is the Ethereal.
Its related to a domain called the nightmare lands (that hasn't been detailed yet in third edition). It has nothing to do with the plane of dreams, which is a variant plane, so even if the plane of dreams was accesible from ravenloft it probably would not be mentioned since its non-standard.
Good Luck!Originally posted by frandelgearslip
Its related to a domain called the nightmare lands (that hasn't been detailed yet in third edition). It has nothing to do with the plane of dreams, which is a variant plane, so even if the plane of dreams was accesible from ravenloft it probably would not be mentioned since its non-standard.
However, it was standard before. The plane of dreams was, origainally, in-between the Near Ethereal and the Deep Ethereal. Dreams are formed in there and, if interested, taken from there to the Nightmare Lands by the Court.
Ravenloft can be likened to an all consuming organism. It's appetites can be divided into two categories: The damned and the dead. Anyone else just hasn't been completely digested yet. Now, suppose there was a person of good character who managed to confound every situation meant to twist or to destroy him/her. Would this person not be completely indigestable to the realm? Now most organisms PURGE themselves of that which isindigestable. As such we might expect such a character to be 'vomited up' by Ravenloft because he/she just couldn't be 'stomached'. This, in my opinion, would be the only TRUE way out of Ravenloft. Any other way would leave the character open to reabsorbtion by the mists, which would be useful to any DM.
Ravenloft can be likened to an all consuming organism. It's appetites can be divided into two categories: The damned and the dead. Anyone else just hasn't been completely digested yet. Now, suppose there was a person of good character who managed to confound every situation meant to twist or to destroy him/her. Would this person not be completely indigestable to the realm? Now most organisms PURGE themselves of that which isindigestable. As such we might expect such a character to be 'vomited up' by Ravenloft because he/she just couldn't be 'stomached'. This, in my opinion, would be the only TRUE way out of Ravenloft. Any other way would leave the character open to reabsorbtion by the mists, which would be useful to any DM.