I like this place! The emotional tie-in works really well, as do the shifting ruins. I wonder, if the creation of a sorrow involved extreme joy, would it be found in a lair of joy? In term of the bigger picture, I really like your sorrow serie! good stuff! Go to Comment
Excellent! Will definitely use. The twist on the demon writing in the Library's books is ace! He basically writes straight into their subconscious. Very cool and creepy. Go to Comment
This post makes it even more terrifying. If a man is compelled to murder through some baser instinct or powerful magics, it is a way for him to be de-humanised by the rest of us. We can polarise our perception and make a distinction between them and us.
If these being chose their fate, however, they become worst than the vilest beasts. They choose evil, knowing all the facts and implications. Instead of external corruption, they choose to corrupt themselves. It brings the vampires and their deeds far closer to humanity than previously. There is no them and us, but we, and their evil is ours too.
They are, I will agree, neither tragic, nor sensual, nor bestial.
In effect, you would find a Vampire, or the realisation of you own fate as a blood sucking fiend (the ones you describe) more horrific than, say, Hitler, or the realisation that a man can be willingly corrupted beyond measure (only use him as a very well know example, there are countless others).
Am I correct?
It might also be a perspective thing. Horror from the realisation of your own fate as an undead is different from the horror felt when you realise what manfred's dhampiri are from an unaffected POV (ie: their next meal). Since you have played Vampire, I suspect that you may be more familiar with the internal sensation and realisation rather than the other horror?
(On a sidenote, I have no idea what a 'standard' Liche is, having never played d&d. Liches (the idea) seem vile beyond measure, compared to your description of a vampire, which makes the bloodsucker feel more like an unwilling victim one might pity.) Go to Comment
On a sidenote, I completely agree that nobody sets out to be evil. evil is not the end, it is the means. It is by making conscious 'evil' choices that I refer to evil. Go to Comment
Xenon Elemental
This distant cousin of the Krypton elemental is just as harmless, and can sometimes occur naturally in caverns rich in both magic and xenon. These elementals are peaceful and docile, and will sometimes occur naturally in caverns rich in both magic and xenon. Mages often summon them to neutralise other elementals, since being 'noble' they refuse to mingle with the other elements, so can form a shroud around the opposing elemental and stop it from reacting.
If struck with a lightning spell, however, they will give of a violent flash of bright white light, quite enough to permanently damages someone's vision if they were in close proximity to it. But beyond the light, nothing much will happen.
However, if this elemental is struck by a frost spell, lo and behold, for the terrible Quick-Xenon (Xenon trioxide) elemental will be created. This furious beast is the bane of elemental mages. Incorporeal, it will ignore physical attacks. However, if it makes contact with water, it will imediately turn the water to a highly acidic mix, easily capable of dissolving flesh, as quickly as a lump of sugar melts away in boiling water. If in a moist evironemnt, Quick-Xenon's touch will cause severe acid burns. This is why to attack, Quick-Xenons force themselves into the victim's repiratory tract and dissolve them from the inside, burning the lungs to uselessness resulting in quick demise. Some might think that this is quite enough for such an elemental, but no. Quick-Xenons can ignite flammable substances with a simple touch, and rust metals as fast as oxygen. Indeed, Quick-Xenons are so reactive that they will sometimes explode in contact with almost anything, from oil to wood. If it encounters a phosphorous elemental, the reaction is commonly known as MOAE or Mother Of All Explosions. Go to Comment
The Krypton elemental is barely noticable at first. A thing of wisp and of no shadow, if its place of rest is undisturbed, it is completely colourless, odourless, andd makes no sound. If ever disturbed, it will energise to create shapeless shimmer. Being completely unreactive and formless, its only attack is to smother the PCs and deprive them of oxygen. This isn't very hard to combat, since one can pass through the elemental at will, so simply wakling away will prevent the problem. (if some Krypton has been inhaled, The PCs get a high pitched voice in the same way as inhaling helium)
This elemental becomes incredibly dangerous when reacted with two different things:
1. Firstly, attacking this elemental with a frost spell would be the last thing that an adventurer would do. Once attacked, the elemental would form small crystallised shards of Krypton, at -157 degrees C, these shards will cause incredible frostburn should they make contact with skin. These shards would slowly dance around the elemental until it decided to attack, and send them towards the unlucky adventure's exposed skin.
2. If attacked with lead weapons or in contact with lead, the magical energies animating the elemental lower the nuclear reaction energy, and the two elements would fuse, and immediately decay from instability, leading to the legendary (and very ephemerous) Ununoctium elemental, as well as radiating vile energies (neutron radiation) on the adventurers, causing burns and consumption of the skin and internal organs. Often, this is a slow and painful death, difficultly curable by magic or lore.
If hit by lightning, the elemental glows a bright orange/red, hinting at the exotic energies within. This does not affect it. Go to Comment
It would be interesting to see how the uranium fission products would behave, eg radon, etc... or even the uranium and silicon elemnent, creating 'uranium' or 'vaseline' glass... Go to Comment
Good one CP. Very vile, but it has a nice pace, even if rather combat oriented. the reward is cool though, and would be smashing for the PCs. (I know my characters would looove their own keep) Go to Comment
Sweet idea! I like the skeletons with clues in their head, I like the boss fight with the complication of resurrection, and I must say *with a big evil GM's grin on my face* that I like the twist at the end.
My favourite bit is the riddles. I have a soft spot for riddles. The name is ace too.
Oh, and by the way, welcome to the citadel! Hope that you have a pleasant journey! Go to Comment
The scenario itself is very cliched, I must agree. However, the stone idea on its own is like a kernel: an entire tree of ideas has sprouted into my head from it.
The post itself has a brilliant 'cheesy' feel to it. (in the same way that James bond is cheesy... its a good thing). It reminded me straight away of 'the man with the golden gun', and rather than cliche, a better word for it would be classic. The fact that the Party is after a missing !HAND! is quirky and funny.
As an adventure, it is light on the intricacies of more meaningful dungeoneering, but it works to make the PCs face a variety of challenges.
This post is part of the "We met up in a bar and decided to go adventuring" RPGs. Whether this is your taste or not, I think it is an excellent example of the genre. Go to Comment
Updated: Updated for the weight problem. Should have worked it out.... it now comes to 6.35KG per magazine. (the weight of the weapon was revised too) as for portability, don't forget that the people who use these are about seven and a half feet tall and have been genetically modified for increased muscle bulk. Thanks a lot, though! Their weight was far too much before Go to Comment
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