Book of Vile darkness and Ravenloft - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Book of Vile darkness and Ravenloft

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Jun 08, 2004 5:34:50 Last night the characters got shifted to Ravenloft (wild cheers from the audience0, but with a few problem. The party is uniformally evil and have done more than enough to deserve being shifted there, but their character choices are somewhat distrubing.

One has taken a level in Warrior of Darkness, and the other has taken the feat Tyrant, the other character is oohing and ahhing.

Anyway. I am tempted to say every level taken in from a character class from the Book of Vile Darkness is an automatic power check failure, but that is pretty deadly. 5 levels and you're out. You are using evil, specifically and deliberately, and knowingly. However, I have decided with Warrior of Darkness it is both defilement and desecration (12% base chance) and Evil and Demonic (which I play is a x2 multiplier) for a 24% chance per level of The dark powers noticing you.

Does this seem fair?

As for tyrant, lacking humanoids, I am applying it to anything monstrous (backwards men, Red Widows, etc), but in order to build a reputation he'll have to loot and sack a few areas. So i see that character getting darklorded real quickly.

Anyway, that is a separate game to the Pirate one....

Your thoughts.
#2
MidwayHaven
Jun 08, 2004 6:06:13 There were only two concepts from BoVD I included in my RL campaigns so far:

1- the whole "DRUGS" section, used by one of my half-Vistani rogues;

2-purple rain, in Nova Vaasa.

:D
#3
zombiegleemax
Jun 08, 2004 8:11:35
Originally posted by MidwayHaven
There were only two concepts from BoVD I included in my RL campaigns so far:

1- the whole "DRUGS" section, used by one of my half-Vistani rogues;

2-purple rain, in Nova Vaasa.

:D

How cool, Guess which are the only sections I have used so far in RL the whole of Drugs section
and Purple rain in Nava Vaasa
Quite a conisidence that

LicheHazel
#4
zombiegleemax
Jun 08, 2004 9:52:47 Dont go to far with power check only use them whent the player really does something evil. I dont think having alevel in a prestige class is enought...

but well if they run around burning orphan and raping women sure make themf ail some power check..
#5
zombiegleemax
Jun 08, 2004 9:59:50 powers checks are just there to enhance the game.

If you take note a lot of the time it says that npcs don't make powers checks when doing all kinds of things.

If you are running an evil game...which is perfectly cool when handled appropriately lower the powers checks.

Evil game doesn't have to equal npcs.

The way the books are written it is assumed that the characters are going to be at least moderatly goodly aligned, or at least neutral so doing all kinds of evil things makes them npcs. And going from good to evil is a cool rp experience

of course if you start out evil that is a whole other ball game.

Levels in prestige classes certainly don't warrent powers checks.

Powers checks are there for truely cinematic moments. Just being evil and getting more powerful isn't cause for it.

If you want to punish your players for being evil just scrap the campaign and start a 'good' one.

If you want to run an evil campaign keep the powers checks to when they're truely deserved. There is nothing wrong with reminding players that being evil means that you are following the road to corruption.

But ruining the game over it doesn't help matters either.
#6
zombiegleemax
Jun 08, 2004 16:22:59 I would agree with mephistopheless and Troile that a powers check per prestige class level probably isn't warrented. Admittedly, the person taking these levels must be rather evil, but are you requiring the character to perform any specific acts or rituals to gain the next level? Gaining experince isn't necessarily evil, but a person implanting a disease into a sacrificial host in order to gain their next level as a Cancer Mage should warrant a check...

If you don't require such acts of depravity, then I would suggest that you don't penalize them for gaining levels. Merely keep tabs of all the evil things they do as they are gaining their experience points. If the PCs are truly that vile to be eligible for the prestige classes, then it shouldn't take too long for them to start failing checks just from their day-to-day activities.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jun 08, 2004 5:34:50	Last night the characters got shifted to Ravenloft (wild cheers from the audience0, but with a few problem. The party is uniformally evil and have done more than enough to deserve being shifted there, but their character choices are somewhat distrubing. One has taken a level in Warrior of Darkness, and the other has taken the feat Tyrant, the other character is oohing and ahhing. Anyway. I am tempted to say every level taken in from a character class from the Book of Vile Darkness is an automatic power check failure, but that is pretty deadly. 5 levels and you're out. You are using evil, specifically and deliberately, and knowingly. However, I have decided with Warrior of Darkness it is both defilement and desecration (12% base chance) and Evil and Demonic (which I play is a x2 multiplier) for a 24% chance per level of The dark powers noticing you. Does this seem fair? As for tyrant, lacking humanoids, I am applying it to anything monstrous (backwards men, Red Widows, etc), but in order to build a reputation he'll have to loot and sack a few areas. So i see that character getting darklorded real quickly. Anyway, that is a separate game to the Pirate one.... Your thoughts.
#2 MidwayHaven Jun 08, 2004 6:06:13	There were only two concepts from BoVD I included in my RL campaigns so far: 1- the whole "DRUGS" section, used by one of my half-Vistani rogues; 2-purple rain, in Nova Vaasa. :D
#3 zombiegleemax Jun 08, 2004 8:11:35	Originally posted by MidwayHaven There were only two concepts from BoVD I included in my RL campaigns so far: 1- the whole "DRUGS" section, used by one of my half-Vistani rogues; 2-purple rain, in Nova Vaasa. :D How cool, Guess which are the only sections I have used so far in RL the whole of Drugs section and Purple rain in Nava Vaasa Quite a conisidence that LicheHazel
#4 zombiegleemax Jun 08, 2004 9:52:47	Dont go to far with power check only use them whent the player really does something evil. I dont think having alevel in a prestige class is enought... but well if they run around burning orphan and raping women sure make themf ail some power check..
#5 zombiegleemax Jun 08, 2004 9:59:50	powers checks are just there to enhance the game. If you take note a lot of the time it says that npcs don't make powers checks when doing all kinds of things. If you are running an evil game...which is perfectly cool when handled appropriately lower the powers checks. Evil game doesn't have to equal npcs. The way the books are written it is assumed that the characters are going to be at least moderatly goodly aligned, or at least neutral so doing all kinds of evil things makes them npcs. And going from good to evil is a cool rp experience of course if you start out evil that is a whole other ball game. Levels in prestige classes certainly don't warrent powers checks. Powers checks are there for truely cinematic moments. Just being evil and getting more powerful isn't cause for it. If you want to punish your players for being evil just scrap the campaign and start a 'good' one. If you want to run an evil campaign keep the powers checks to when they're truely deserved. There is nothing wrong with reminding players that being evil means that you are following the road to corruption. But ruining the game over it doesn't help matters either.
#6 zombiegleemax Jun 08, 2004 16:22:59	I would agree with mephistopheless and Troile that a powers check per prestige class level probably isn't warrented. Admittedly, the person taking these levels must be rather evil, but are you requiring the character to perform any specific acts or rituals to gain the next level? Gaining experince isn't necessarily evil, but a person implanting a disease into a sacrificial host in order to gain their next level as a Cancer Mage should warrant a check... If you don't require such acts of depravity, then I would suggest that you don't penalize them for gaining levels. Merely keep tabs of all the evil things they do as they are gaining their experience points. If the PCs are truly that vile to be eligible for the prestige classes, then it shouldn't take too long for them to start failing checks just from their day-to-day activities.