This is a great, fun idea. This could be a quick sideplot for the players or turn into a running background event forever. I was a little confused at the beginning but that middle paragraph with the explanation brought everything to distinct clarity and ideas erupted.
I agree, the biggest thing lacking is the why. There are infinite reasons why it could be happening but with this you have to tell us your angle on it. This would probably be a great thread for the Flesh it Out forum where you would probably get some pretty different ideas on why. Go to Comment
Nice background, gives us everything we need. This is even great to use even if they don't go to the island to make a more 'living' world. Trade could be disrupted where the PCs are driving prices higher, rumors spinning about the missing ships and such. Even if the PCs don't get involved there is now a sense of more going on in the world beyond the PCs little circle. Go to Comment
Easily make it non-cold specific by having the guards hanging them by their arms and legs, or just plain hanging them. The cold and water thing is pretty brutal though and I can see how other ways of torture and murder may not be as effective to the get PCs in the moral dilemna state. (Can't believe I just wrote that sentence.)
Like it because it can be placed anywhere at anytime and could blossom into something big or just be a side adventure that the players go on. Go to Comment
Wonder if a somewhat neighboring village has the same sort of thing. Certainly even the godlings mingle and when others find out the power that this one does...
Do they try it for themselves demanding it of their worshippers?
Or maybe the decide that this godling needs to be stopped, and hence the heroes are given certain powers that play to the godlings weakness. There must be some kind of weakness, there always is. :)
The insane of amount of side-plots and details you just throw out there can turn into an entire night of playing. I absolutely love how they are just sort of mentioned but at the same time I can paint a vivid picture of some of the events and can see how to use and wrap them into the story on my own.
These are some of my favorite things, segments of solid ideas that leave me to fill in all the blanks.
The end is a little abrupt and I don't think it will be that easy to slay Sadester especially when he has the silver ones to help.
My thoughts on the ending would allow Sadester to die, after all, what does the black smoke care? This wouldn't be his first time doing this so I wouldn't have him take over the body. I would get the PCs to get sucked into the whole scheme as well and let them go through the same thing. The PCs, probably, will start to realize what is happening and then I would have the black smoke appear as a final battle.
I love the whole thing. Paints a great picture and actually is a perfect "why" to why doesn't anybody ever return? Why would they want to? Go to Comment
Love the entire concept! Probably sneaks out of the castle often and could very well get into trouble in the city where the players must rescue her. Now the king owes and the daughter wants to leave with you. or or or or or Go to Comment
I really love these kind of things. It helps define the world and the people that live it. It gives them life outside the generic uses of many NPCs and helps breathe life into the world.
Love the weapon, don't really like magics 1 and 2. Seems a bit extreme on 1, and I understand the reasoning on 2 but just disagree. I really like 3 and 4.
Instead of shockign them, maybe the gem dims or something when they have dishonered themselves. So that the weapons are well known and the shiniest of gems is the most noble of fighters while the darker ones are still severly noble, but not to the standards of others in the same league. Not sure I like the idea, but throwing it out there. Go to Comment
Wondered how you would justify a glass land. Very workable and very interesting. Slippery and if you fall into pretty much anything you could shatter the place and yourself in the process. I would imagine that the glass would 'heal' itself or something after being broken. I see maybe trying to camp in there and the break a tree or bush to get into a small glen to rest. When they wake in the morning they are again completely surrounded and perhaps the area is reshaped or something. Go to Comment
The 5 minute limitation. How useful would that have really been to the king. It seems that 5 minutes is pretty short of a time and not sure if that works. In 5 minutes there is very little foresite that can be gained realistically. For instance, if somebody were to try and slay a dragon, to see the future they would have to be right outside the 'cave' (assuming all dragons live in caves) and perhaps see what was going to happen, and then I think it would be very rare that a slaying could be accomplished in 5 minutes so what could they see. Himself walking in. Once there it would be foolish to watch what would happen in 5 minutes, too busy dealing with a dragon attacking you.
The limitations are immense. And to sit and stare in it for 20 minutes? It would sort of make you a fool, after all if you were going to sit and stare for that long, you would sort of know you were going to just sit there so watching yourself sit there isn't the most entertaining thing. Oh wait, going to the bathroom....oh yes, I am getting that feeling now.
Limited uses, perhaps audiences. You could see who you were going to meet. If there were sound or you got a lip reader, you could do some party tricks and tell them what they are going to ask. But I think the king would have taken this TRUE seer and made him make something a little more useful.
Maybe I am too harsh because it is an excellently detailed item....just not sure of the utility of it. I dwell on the 5 minutes, and that is trully the thing that I think needs to be changed somehow.... -witholding vote for now- Go to Comment
I really like this item. Weapons are a good default use, but more immediately pop out for me.
-Smuggling any number of items. Could have an entire box of napkins with untold amounts of stash.
-Thieves. Carry tools, poisons, etc, and put it folded in the bottom of their shoe or in their sock and it would be very hard to detect, even if searched.
-Couriers for the king of important transcripts/messages.
Great item with LOTS of possibilities.
5/5 Go to Comment
I honestly didn't even think of the bag of holding concept. I was thinking of more elegant uses then just another...style over substance is aptly put. This is, indeed, in a league of its own. Go to Comment
Definately a great idea. Check out http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=13614 for some more ideas on adding a comet to your campaign.
Putting it in orbit is an interesting twist for sure but I would probably give them magic for a few hours of the day...that changes everyday. Who knows what the comet is doing to the magical forces and how they are affected. Go to Comment
I like SE as BH's comment about 'loading' the golem to attack the current enemy. That makes such incomprehensible sense.
I wouldn't have it speak in puzzles in riddles, I would have it speak utter nonsense and people try to put meaning to it. Perhaps this things words have somehow come true and they think it is an oracle...little do they know it is just random. Go to Comment
Plots (Duty) (Single-Storyline)
Great plot idea!! Go to Comment