I really like this idea and it could work well in a campaign I'm running where the lines of good and evil are very blurred and perspective is the point. Especially considering that they are not even simply a nuisance and they do not seem to fight back which could make moral savvy pcs think about they're actions if they are just killing them. Go to Comment
The saliva is an acid of sorts, as I put in there. The Shnickel's predators are pretty much anything that eats toads, from the everyday to monsters. The Shnickels possess no special characteristics that would make foxes, herons, snakes, etc., not want to eat them. Their predators are the normal creatures of the wood, not anything special. Go to Comment
Any unstable poor country really. Trying to figure out why the peasants would stay for one. My second main question would be what keeps these lawless crews from constantly pillaging or invading the surrounding countries. Sure seems like they would be much easier targets than staying local with all the different enemies available.
Also, the king...wow. Place would be insane to be in. No friends anywhere and unless you can defend yourself, you are dead. Crazy.
Extra points for describing the bands, people and adding some plot ideas. I can see somebody using this, or at least parts of it, in a game! Go to Comment
The thing that keeps the Raiders from raiding other countries is that the border would (probably) be fairly well defended. Why would you let such Averothian violent riff-raff into your nice, pristine country? So the neighboring places would probably set up walls and patrols and such. And as for the peasants, well, this is there home. They have buried generations in this soil. They know nothing of the outside world, so they have no idea whether or not the Averothian conditions are the norm, or even better than most. All they know is what they do. Added to the inherent danger of moving (getting past the baron, the raiders, and the border), they mostly just suffer in silence. There are some groups who have tried and succeeded, but they have no way of telling their buddies about how great this new place is. Go to Comment
I think some explanation as to how the child is so terribly effective at murder? Just not knowing it was evil is not enough, and it seems to be able to eat prestigious amounts of flesh to need to go out every night.
A simple feral kid/adult does not cut it. Its a great setup, with details (though the noteworthy locations contains most non-noteworthy locations). But the meat of the plot needs work. Go to Comment
I wasn't terribly impressed until the end - don't get me wrong, it was a solid idea, just not overly remarkable. And then I read the last paragraph and was completely creeped out. It really transforms the whole story and takes the adventure to a much higher, much darker level. Go to Comment
I took like the idea, but it seems to ramp up far too fast. I've seem some 1st level characters in 1st ed AD&D manage to do 19+ hp on one hit _without_ magic enhancement (Longsword, high strength, large target).
The progression will be a sort of accelerated Fibonacci series and unless PCs miss a lot, they are going to be fighting off a high intelligence sword very quickly, making this more a booby trap then anything subtle.
Since you have called it Soul drinker, I would think a better mechanic would be only killing strikes count towards increasing the blade's intelligence, and perhaps only +1 point accumulative per kill.
Sorry - your terminology was very similar to that typically used by AD&D - especially earlier variants - that I assumed it was your intent.
If a more general approach is intended then avoiding specific numbers and 'game' terms may be better.
Most subs here are light on actual mechanics for this reason. The germ of the idea - that the weapon becomes more intelligent and harder to control is really what is good here. Go to Comment
Lifeforms (Fauna) (Water)
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