Changes to the Mark of the Black Rider


Reign of Winter

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

I am changing how the mark works. Instead of the Mark of the Black Rider, it is the mark of Baba Yaga. I used the character's backstories to insert an event where they were saved or helped by Baba Yaga (in disguise of course). During this event she marked each one. It remained dormant until the beginning of the campaign.

Once the PCs start meeting in Heldren, it starts to manifest. As the PCs meet, they had a prickly feeling on the back of their heads and followed by "snapping sound."

First, each PCs gets a modified "Know Direction." Basically, it gives each PC the ability to know the direction of each others once per day.

Once they meet the Black Rider, the +2 to an ability and Geas go into effect along with a arcane mark.

Later, I was going to let them teleport back to the Hut once per week as a group.


That's a nice idea, I like it... It's something you can keep developing as the story goes on too, so you could take out some of the listed treasure and give them additional rewards through the mark instead.

When I ran it I stuck with the Mark of the Black Rider, but it was in the form of a vision showing the horrors of what Elvanna could bring (which was different and tailored for each of them). At the end the Rider offered them a ring formed of ice that sank into their skin to grant them the bonus. I didn't like the idea of a geas so I thought this would show that it was a thank you and optional, rather than forced.

Dark Archive

I had a couple players die mid-Shackled Hut, so the new ones got the chance to claim the Mark from the White and Red Rider corpses; which will allow me to end the game (after all 6 APs) with them being taken by Baba Yaga as her new Heralds, with a Grey Rider as well. They did, after all, agree to help free an Evil Legendary Witch.

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