While pondering the running of the Labyrinth of Vecna, I was stuck on how to create the atmosphere of disorientation for my players. In addition to many of the fine suggestions here (a plasticized DM map and dry erase markers worked well to track the Kenkus coming and going), I had my players roll and record 30 rounds of Spot, Listen and Search (only those players with auto-find secret door capabilities). With all the players' checks recorded on one gridded paper, I could easily track who noticed what and when. This took care of any granted checks, I didn’t have to take time to roll them, and the players didn’t know how well or poorly they did that particular round. Players could still take an action to roll an active check. This was such a time-saver, I will likely use it again.
As an added disorientation I put in whispered taunts. These gave the players an extra thing to focus on and raised the stress level of my group nicely. The maze echoed with players’ retorts to the whispers.
For my rules lawyers, the explanation came to be that there were permanent magic mouths about the maze that reacted to non-believers. This was similar to the set up of the eyes in the outer sanctum. I did throw in a couple PC-oriented taunts—so that strains the credulity a bit, but it was fun ;^) I had such a great time coming up with and using these, I had to share.
As the PC's entered the maze, they got this gem:
“A drawn out whisper reaches into your ears and coalesces into fragments of phrases, as if someone were barely speaking just over your shoulder.”
When proceeding through, as an individual reached a specific spot I gave him a note, detailing the whispers heard.
- “Thief….bandit…may…may be …welcome here”
- “What do… you seek … in darkness…”
- “What lies…have you told… yourself…these actions…do no honor…transparent is your …false pride”
- “You do the work of Erythnul…wading through… blood…destruction…killing”
- “By your relentlessness … you overpower the weak… Hextor is pleased”
- “Your companions… do they…know what you hide…behind masks…the Maimed Lord laughs…”
- “Beware of what you ask…Seeker…you may yet…receive exactly…that.”
- “Pawn…played to an unknown purpose? Perhaps…yet, perhaps you… went willingly…”
- “Still…you think to thwart …the will of Gods…truly… of Gods?”
- “little mortal…know now …that each step…was planned…you are watched…”
- “ ‘I destroyed evil!’ You protest…the ends…justify the means…corruption spreads.”
- “You honor the Scourge of Battle…your strength…their deaths…there is order…in this world”
- “The Many…accept your …offering…the countless …corpses behind…you”
- “You walk…beside the Lord of Secrets…bringing gifts… sacrifice…the One knows… the inky pool that…swallows your souls…”
- “There is blood…on your hands…murderer”
- “Man of the mountain…will they claim…you now…or will you…be clanless…a forgotten one…”
- “Little traveler…can you feel…the weight…the failures …crushing you…glory never found…fading to nothingness”
- “Hunter…you lost…direction …the maid, the matron, the venerable ancient …do they know… of the murdering men …with whom you cavort…”
- “Valor…and courage…when did you trade…for murder? …coupe de grace first…ask questions later…”
- “Tin man…given a task…yet given no heart…tell us…how does this help…the family…”
- “Seeker of wisdom…follow your guides…to murder…to loss…under the guise…of law …as insight leaches from the world…passing through the dark recesses…of your heart”
Sweet! The first time I ran this, I couldn't think of too many uses for the damned mimicry ability. I think I might just take some of these and put them in the Kenku's mouths for my second run... I might sound as though it's your buddy making fun of you, but it's probably just a sneaky birdman hiding from the other side of a secret door. It also might taunt and otherwise cautious party into making a mistake.
I asume your players ate it up. I can see my current group hating this kind of thing.
I assume your players ate it up. I can see my current group hating this kind of thing.
Half of them had fun with it in the beginning (the other half weren't really who I wrote them for in the first place). But I do have to admit that about mid-way through the maze, the entire group was so thrown off by the guerrilla tactics of the kenku and the party’s innate inability to pick a strategy and follow it through—that I cut down drastically on the whispers. Either that or I was going to be the next one attacked in a dark corner while separated from my friends. By that time it helped create the creepy and overwhelming feel I was going for.
I do like the idea of using the mimicry ability in a similar vein--much less expensive than magic mouths! I'm betting that even the Lord of Secrets hasn't figured out how to get money to grow on trees.
He has... he's just not telling.