One Monster: Many Encounters

[OldManAlexi]

I got an idea that I'll probably forget before I use it so I'm presenting it for any DM that might be interested.

The PCs are part of an effort to colonize a newly discovered continent. They solve a few problems and make friends with a few NPCs. Then, they're talking to an NPC and he suddenly attacks them. They have to deal with trying to keep the colony alive while fighting off the colonists who suddenly turn violent. Investigation would eventually lead them to discover that a Shadow Demon has been possessing people and then retreating when its host dies.

I figure it would be good for a horror setting. The players would turn paranoid, always considering every NPC they meet to be a threat.

[wraithstrike]

Shadow demons are not invisible so if it leaves one person to jump to another person's body they will be able to see it, unless you make it a variant of the monster, and it that case you have to think of a way to allow them to see it when it is time for them to do so.

[OldManAlexi]

They may not be invisible but they are incorporeal so they can move through the ground to disguise their actions. Though, that does still leave the problem of how does the party recognize it.

[blue_the_wolf]

... of course we could just consider the gist of what the OP was saying.

SOME kind of demon or creature is possessing, dominating, or otherwise controlling the people which creates a feeling of tension with the players as they cant just flip out and kill every one but they have to constantly be worried that the random civilian will attack them.

there is also the fall out that the other people in the colony may or may not realize that the players are killing in self defense.

Old man... it sounds good. but you have to be really careful about your players and know them well.

I would not use it with my current group of players because they would not know how to role play it. they would not attempt to NOT kill people and if the people around them got upset they would likely just become belligerent and lead to a war between them and the people of the city all while insisting that the wizard should not take any alignment hit for fire balling the mob of unhappy citizens who called him a looser and the paladin should not be penalized for looking at the clouds and allowing it to happen.