Spoiler: Spelling bee encounter question

[Berinor]

Hey everybody,

Spoiler:

I recently read through the module and thought I would ask your opinions on something with Splatter Man's spelling out Vesorianna's name. If they wipe it off, does he fill it back with a new letter or does it start at letter one? I assume it's that visit one is V. Visit two is E if it hasn't been cleaned and VE if it has, etc. In other words, wiping it off does nothing to slow him down.

If he ends up doing it in another place (council member homes, etc.) does he start over there? This would make sense if it's a matter of building power at some site of significance, anchoring him somewhat. I could also see filling it to the appropriate number of letters there, though.

Finally, if they lock up Gibs causing Splatter Man to give up on him and find a new dupe, does that guy start over at V or does he keep going where Gibs left off?

Thanks.

[TheeGravedigger]

My thoughts:

My current intent is that the letters are written with blood and magic, and even if you clean the blood, the magic will remain. Characters using detect magic will see that the letter is still there.

I also figure he'll quickly apply some blood to replace the missing letters, as the magic would already be in place.

For moving to a new site, I think he'd have to start building the name spell there. However, since he's already partially completed the spell, this second name would be written faster. I'm thinking he's able to write up to half as many letters as exist at the other location until he's reached the point where they match, after which he'd be working at one letter each time again.

If he claims a new host, he starts up again right where he left off, according to the AP.

[Ice Titan]

Spoiler:

When Splatter Man was putting everything together for his victims, he didn't spell their name in total. He would spell it one letter at a time and, presumably, enact a violent and grisly "accidental" death when they found the last letter.

So, he might put V on the statue, E on something else, S on something else, but he's got VES and even if they're erased the power doesn't go away.

[Toadkiller Dog]

Why the spoiler tags? This is a sub-forum for DMs anyway.

[King of Vrock]

Toadkiller Dog wrote:

Why the spoiler tags? This is a sub-forum for DMs anyway.

No it really isn't... while one might like it to be players come through here all time so spolier tags should be used extensively!

--Vrock & Key

[TheeGravedigger]

Spoiler:

That was when he was alive. He's dead now, so it's a bit more complicated. As the players can regain their lost Wis from destroying the letters when confronting him, I think it's fair to let them recover some time by preventing him from spelling out the name.

[Berinor]

TheeGravedigger wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Spoiler:

This is pretty much in line with what I was thinking on the different sites. I had other thoughts on new pawns (it doesn't seem to give enough benefit to dealing with Gibs) but I now realize that aspect is right there. Also, the longer time to get each letter is not insignificant. It would appear, based on my not seeing that initially, that literacy is not my strong point.

Thanks, everybody. I think I will be following TheeGravedigger's advice (which is in agreement with what I had been thinking corrected for reading comprehension) unless I hear something from on high.

[Revan]

The letters inevitably will be wiped away--even if the PCs don't think to do so, the last thing the townsfolk are going to do is leave even one bloody letter smeared on some public location for 30 days. If you force The Splatter Man to start over when the letters are wiped away, he will never finish Vesorianna's name; he'll just keep writing 'V' every 3 nights or so. Implementing such a mechanism robs him of his menace, makes him completely ineffectual, and takes the adventure off its timer without any effort on the PCs part.

Destroying the letters in his haunt in the Nevermore brings back Wisdom because the point of that haunt isn't to drain their Wisdom, but to trick them into bringing a roof down on their heads.

[AmosTrask32]

My thoughts on this dilemma, and a way to add a bit more creepiness/urgency:

spoiler:

When the letters get wiped away, the dupe (Gibs or whomever) has to rewrite them (plus 1 more letter) the next night in blood as Splatter Man grows in power. This means the dupe needs more blood. If he only needs to write 1 letter, he kills a rat. If he needs to write 2-3 letters, maybe a cat or small dog. 4-5 letters? Sheep or goat. 6-7 letters, he kills a horse or a cow, maybe if it gets to 8-9 letters, he kills a whole local family for the blood. This method I feel will help accelerate the plot for slow PCs, and help to spur the heroes to immediate action when the timer is running out.

[Solrenevermead]

AmosTrask32 wrote:

My thoughts on this dilemma, and a way to add a bit more creepiness/urgency:

** spoiler omitted **

the only thing that worries me about that idea is the trust point loss. its a great idea and in truth I will probably use it. I just wonder if the trust point system and some of the other ideas of this volume weren't last minute... again great idea though. definitely helps with the horror feel.