Here's the situation. I've got a tiefling sorcerer named Kynaris who's backstory consists of him having an incestuous relationship with his sister who was later mentally dominated/charmed by a noble in Magnimar for his devious experiments. The noble's name is Lord Xeno and he's experimenting by trying to breed sorcerer's. Kynaris' lover is some kind of talented sorcereress, with a dark prophecy surrounding her, and has been a part of this for some time against her will. At some point Kynaris snuck into House Xeno intent on breaking his love free, but as they were escaping they were caught and Xeno reinstituted his charm spell on her and forced her to stab him in the back. Now he falsely believes she is in love with Xeno, thus he fled to Sandpoint and is now heartbroken and lives out of a bottle. Naturally, I'm trying to write in all of my player's backstories and mesh them with the adventure.
I'm thinking that I can take out the Seven's Sawmill and replace it with this noble's estate. Lord Xeno's stats are somewhat irrelevant since he just needs Charm Person or something similar and a decent charisma score to concide with backstory. What I'm looking for is ideas for neat little rooms to put into the estate and maybe a few ideas on how to work in the whole Skinsaw Cult into this. I really like the innate danger of the Sawmill with its gears and saws and would like to include a "danger room" as it were. Maybe sometype of mechanical coglike steampunk tinkering room where the cultists can push/be pushed into the works.
Right now I'm thinking Lord Xeno is probably Justice Ironbriar's favored pupil and I'm not planning on replacing the Shadow Clock tower because its got alot of neat imagery. For some reason I'm thinking Sweeny Todd. Anyways, just looking for people to bounce some ideas around. Naturally Xeno can't be too high level and I don't mind him being a little tough, I just need some kind of compulsion that could force Kynaris' lover to stab him in the back against her will.
As the story goes, after he was stabbed Xeno's men (probably the cultists) did bad things to him and threw him in the sewer and left him for dead.
Just off of the top of my head. On the upper floors the house is completely normal. Underneath it is a madman's paradise. If mage's are involved, look up the Hall of the Rainbow Mage, an adventure with wilderness levels under his house and other stupid but fun stuff. Or you can go the Hostel movie way, just rooms everywhere devoted to torture and other nasty horror movie stuff. That would be something the cultist would like. The point being that once you get them away from the normal section you have free reign to do whatever you want with dungeon. Your players will love it.
By the way I agree that the sawmill is unnecessary, it could be just about anywhere. This could work really well. Tell us how it goes when you're finished.
Why not just make Lord Xeno a magistrate (as well as a noble) and completely replace Justice Ironbriar with Xeno for all purposes.
That gives me some wierd ideas to use for the cultists, because they seemed a little dull just in a fight. Maybe have them in a torture chamber with their hand on the switch with some innocent Magnimarian in a beartrap or something similar. That might work for 1 room or possibly 2, maybe have the cultists tell them they can save 1 and only 1. Of course they could always win initiative or have a rogue sneak in and gank one of the cultists.
Creepy torture rooms sound like the way to go for this adventure. I'm not a big fan of the Saw or Hostel movies, but it might be what this calls for.
Upper Floors, somewhat normal with a few tight lipped well paid servants, possibly even charmed.
Grounds, a gated estate in a better part of town where the town guard might pose a threat.
Basement, hideous torture complex set up for the excruciating "thrill of murder" that the Skinsaw men are all about. Maybe a few extravagant rooms or rooms where "arcane prisoners" might be kept. I'd be interested to hear what some good prisoners might be, I'm going to stick to humanoids or maybe have somekind of "pet" experiment like a phase spider for Lord Xeno.
As far as replacing Ironbriar, I'm a big fan of more NPC's. Previous to this instance Ironbriar would be a welcome sight to the PC's as a whole, but the sorcerer Kynaris would probably throw every spell he has at him if I threw in Lord Xeno instead.
Maybe having some wierd experiment with Elemental's powering gears in one room, something like the machine in 13 ghosts and having another big fight happen in that room.
Oh and Kynaris' and his lover need to be put in some really dire situation, like maybe instead of having the live or die situation happen with a Magnimarian citizen, maybe having Xeno with a killswitch during the fight with Ironbriar. Something big and climactic maybe with some kind of scaffolding something similar to the Mr. Universe thing in Firefly.
I make alot of movie references, lol.
Oh and Kynaris' and his lover need to be put in some really dire situation, like maybe instead of having the live or die situation happen with a Magnimarian citizen, maybe having Xeno with a killswitch during the fight with Ironbriar. Something big and climactic maybe with some kind of scaffolding something similar to the Mr. Universe thing in Firefly.
I make alot of movie references, lol.
Maybe too late but if not here's a thought. This Xeno fellow may just be a mouthpiece. A douche' who is into torture and Sadism and genetics and all that and he isn't the one really controlling it all. He's in the same boat as Ironbriar in that he was just a stepping stone for the "beautiful" houseservant who is really pulling strings... you know a shapeshifted Xaneesha. She is the one charming everyone, so why not make her the one who's truly responsible for it all as she was just using Xeno to build upon her forces via her experiments and whatnot? Just my thoughts.
We are still several games away, the group is intent on exploring every inch of Thistletop and the Skinsaw Man hasn't struck yet. Sounds like a good idea. I definitely want to give Kynaris a reason for continuing the adventure.
The basic story right now is that while he has been in the bottle his incredible good looks have earned him the attention of an escort from the Pixie's kitten named Emerald. Over the last few months she has been caring for him and they've had what passes as a relationship. I'm dropping clues that House Xeno is going to be coming up at some point in the future. Kynaris has started reforming some of his ways since he got Emerald pregnant, but she is on the Skinsaw Man's list.
Not sure if this is obviously too cheesy, but making Lord Xeno a vampire? That level of control with a warped mind enough to have some kind of torture chamber under his estate.
He could have similar goals as Xanesha, but you can then have a nice setup where both Xeno and Xanesha think that they're in charge of the other, and trying to get the upper hand.
We are still several games away, the group is intent on exploring every inch of Thistletop and the Skinsaw Man hasn't struck yet. Sounds like a good idea. I definitely want to give Kynaris a reason for continuing the adventure.
The basic story right now is that while he has been in the bottle his incredible good looks have earned him the attention of an escort from the Pixie's kitten named Emerald. Over the last few months she has been caring for him and they've had what passes as a relationship. I'm dropping clues that House Xeno is going to be coming up at some point in the future. Kynaris has started reforming some of his ways since he got Emerald pregnant, but she is on the Skinsaw Man's list.
Are you planning on her getting killed or is he going to get to save her? Just curious. Also are you going to foreshadow this somehow like maybe an actual list at the misgivings that has names marked out?
I'm planning on having her go missing right as the second adventure starts rolling. I've debated having her show up as a ghoul, but given the character typically deals in extreme's I'd like something that fits with his backstory that doesn't ruin his chances of reuniting with his lover. I also don't want to go too far, this player can handle horror, but I'm not sure how far the rest of the group would be willing to take it.
I don't think I'm going to foreshadow it, he might end up playing his character into depression rather than rage, gotta make it decidedly not any fault of his.
I've debated her just going missing, being found in a ditch somewhere, or being found in an alley next to his house. I know its pretty cruel, but I think it works really well and will hit home with the terror of the Skinsaw Man.