Hey guys, I'm in desperate need of a magic item to go along with a character's backstory:
It's for a 3.5 (Pathfinder) Forgotten Realms game and the character in question is a low-level ice/water-focused druid from the frozen reaches of Sossal, north of the Great Glacier. Fearing that the Ice Queen Iyraclea's conquest of the North will soon target his own tiny settlement, he ventures alone to her palace and begs her to keep his village safe. She agrees to not attack his village so long as he becomes her personal slave, and because the young druid loves his people and his land so much, he agrees. She's an evil b*tch so, for her own clandestine (and GM's) reasons, her only command is that he never returns to his beloved home, lest he void their contract and visit destruction upon his people.
Problem is, the character needs some sort of tangible insurance that the Ice Queen is good on her word. Are there any magic items that would alert a character if certain conditions were met or if a person breaks a vow?
Thanks guys!
Screw that! It makes a more interesting story (and more open to future adventures) if your good character takes it on faith and believes he will never return. Then at some future point, of course you find out she lied and now it's too late to help them. There's only room for vengeance.
Screw that! It makes a more interesting story (and more open to future adventures) if your good character takes it on faith and believes he will never return. Then at some future point, of course you find out she lied and now it's too late to help them. There's only room for vengeance.
I agree, and she sounds like such a raging raging b'tch that I doubt she would give you that assurance.
Still if you insist the only thing I can think of that might count out of current material is a crystal ball. It might be one that is specifically tuned to only show your village. Then your character can stare longingly into it every evening. Of course if I was a GM I'd make it have an extra feature where she could see everything you could do....
Other than that....it's freaking magic, make something up.
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If she is on the up-and-up, 'cause she's Lawful, or 'cause she has fae in her employ who would rip her to shreds if they found her breaking her word, or something, I imagine a set of rings --symbolic of wedding rings, because they are both making a pledge-- made of hematite, both of which would shatter if either the Ice Queen invades or the druid enters the village.
This needs to be a new magic item, and I'd base its price on the spell contingency.
Of course, the Ice Queen doesn't have to send her own forces. She could strike a deal with the great Khakhan of the Yak Folk, who are guaranteed as much territory as they can take in a month and a day, so long as they cede that village to the Ice Queen afterwards.
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You could even make it as simple as her having a known high level mage she controls do a whole lot of voodoo over a bell or something and then give ti to the PCs and tel them that it'll ring by itself if the village is destroyed or whatever. it'll never do that, so they'll think she's always keeping her word. and the mage could give it whatever aura you want so if the players check then "whoa, serious magic item. she probably wasn't lying". it's the approach I'd take anyhow.
My question is, are you - as DM - planning on running a plot where the Queen breaks her word? Or is she going to hold up her end of the bargain faithfully, as Chris said for whatever reason?
I like the contingency rings, but depending on how the contingency is worded the Queen can work her way around it. If this is part of your plan, then you'll also need to plan how you want to get word to the player otherwise - because if you're going that route, I'm assuming you're going to want the player to eventually find out and go avenge his friends and family. The simplest way would probably be to have him find out via word of mouth (street callers, travelers, soldiers, bards, letters, etc.) after the fact, but that prevents a "we have to hurry and stop her before it's too late" plot if that's what you want to do.
The main problem here isn't necessarily creating an item... that you can technically do with a wave of your hand, as Monkamuck said. The trick is what you plan to do about it, if you ever intend the NPC to be the one to break the agreement, and how they plan to do it... and then crafting the item appropriately.
I'd make it a magical simple goblet.
Every morning dew forms in it; giving a mouthful of clear liquid. Any character can drink it if they so chose.
If its sweet the village still exists.
If its bitter the village is no more.
This gives a means of knowing if the village exists but not in what state.
Also it gives you a means to slip an additional effect on the character later if you so chose (poison, addiction, potion, etc). Plus it fits thematically.
Oh wow, these are ALL really good suggestions and has given me plenty of food for thought as far as the "big picture" goes ...
Thanks guys!