Hello, I'm running a campaign right now in which one of the NPCs is a member of the town guard who is pretty shady and has motives the players don't know about yet. There are mysterious things happening that are putting the town in danger, and although she is totally innocent he plans on hanging a local spell caster for it, Salem Witch Trials style, and the PCs will have to try and save her.
I decided this character should be an Inquisitor and I was reading over the Brand spell and fell in love with it. I'd really like for him to mark one of the PCs with it in his dying moments. He's unable to defeat the PC, but he wants to make the player's life harder from here on out. I want the mark to be something that repels normal people. Something that makes him look dangerous, something that makes him look like a criminal, or look like he's done something horrible that society shuns.
I think the coolest option would be to have some sort of symbol, not a word, burnt into his forearm. I just can't seem to justify how this would be logical though. Why would there be a symbol for a wanted man? And if other characters see that he is wanted, they'd think "How did this man get this mark if he hasn't been caught yet?"
I could just come up with a symbol that the authorities brand released criminals with to warn other civilians that the person has committed crimes in the past, kind of like an instant background check, but that doesn't seem extreme enough (for the whole, makes people wanna stay away thing) and seems kind of evil and harsh for the authorities at large to do, as opposed to this one twisted inquisitor.
What are your ideas on this? Any real-life symbols that would do the trick? Or any words (with six characters or less) that will make people keep away from this person?
What setting does this game take place in? Have you considered having the inquisitor brand the symbol of an evil deity into the character's arm, or perhaps the symbol of an evil organization, if you have any of those handy?
Since the brand will be in the language spoken in the game just use any word you want and say the actual word is less than six characters. Also a lot of languages use symbols for words. Most Asian languages are this way. Make up a word for the language being used in the game and give the players the "Translation"
What setting does this game take place in? Have you considered having the inquisitor brand the symbol of an evil deity into the character's arm, or perhaps the symbol of an evil organization, if you have any of those handy?
No particular setting, just my own little world but I've included some Golarion specific deities and such already. One of the party members is a Paladin in the service of Iomedae and there is a Kuthite cult in my campaign, so I'm totally open to the deity suggestion. Any specific deity you'd recommend? Other than Zon-Kuthon, since the Kuthites are one of the party's main adversaries... or would that be a good thing?
Since the brand will be in the language spoken in the game just use any word you want and say the actual word is less than six characters. Also a lot of languages use symbols for words. Most Asian languages are this way. Make up a word for the language being used in the game and give the players the "Translation"
Yeah I've been toying with that idea but I can't pick a term I think will work well enough.
No particular setting, just my own little world but I've included some Golarion specific deities and such already. One of the party members is a Paladin in the service of Iomedae and there is a Kuthite cult in my campaign, so I'm totally open to the deity suggestion. Any specific deity you'd recommend? Other than Zon-Kuthon, since the Kuthites are one of the party's main adversaries... or would that be a good thing?
It depends how well known these Kuthonites are in the setting. Sure, the party knows about this cult they're fighting against, but does the average person on the street? Would such average person recognize the symbol if they saw it? If the answer is yes, then it could make a suitable brand.
Or, changing gears, perhaps it could be the crest of a noble house that committed treason or some equivalent awful crime and was banished?
It depends how well known these Kuthonites are in the setting. Sure, the party knows about this cult they're fighting against, but does the average person on the street?Perhaps it could be the crest of a noble house that committed treason or some equivalent awful crime and was banished?
The Kuthites are relatively unknown to the common man... so far.
I'll consider the crest of a noble house thing, but I'd have to think about that a bit more.
Just give him a scarlet letter :P
Just give him a scarlet letter :P
The letter M for murderer perhaps?
There are many examples of branding slaves and criminals to aid in recognizing them should they escape. Remember the scene from Pirates of the Carribian?
M for murderer is good. But for example, chinese characters can spell out the exact crime in a single symbol. Arsonist might be a good one.
There are many examples of branding slaves and criminals to aid in recognizing them should they escape. Remember the scene from Pirates of the Carribian?
M for murderer is good. But for example, chinese characters can spell out the exact crime in a single symbol. Arsonist might be a good one.
No I don't remember a scene where anyone receives a brand but I remember captain jack having a tattoo on his wrist I believe. Been awhile since I've seen any of those films.
As for the M for murderer thing it was just all that came to mind when the scarlet letter was brought up aside from the obvious A for adultery and lame stuff like C for Criminal.
Arsonist will be taken into consideration as well, although I'm leaning most towards standardized criminal brands. I could come up with a symbol for each crime, including arson. The player could encounter other people with criminal brands to make the world seem more fleshed out, and even people with collections of brands. I'm sure some circles would even wear them as badges of honor among their criminal peers, although maybe not as having one means they were actually caught and convicted...
|
I'd really like for him to mark one of the PCs with it in his dying moments.
So...you're going 'to stiff' one PC because you think it's cool? Put yourself in the player's shoes first - maybe give the NPC an item so he can brand the whole group....branding only one PC seems a bit harsh TBH
I've had experience of this sort of thing as a player...and as a GM I use the 'whole group or not at all' guideline
In addition to his sparrow tattoo, Jack had P for Pirate branded on the same arm.
Another one would be a brand for Insanity. Not a crime per se, but still a historical branding offence.
In Pirates 3 you see the guy from EITCo playing with a brand that is a stylized letter P (I believe it had an x through the bottom of the "stem"). Jack had that brand on his forearm, just above the wrist and below the tattoo of a sparrow.
The idea of a Kanji-type symbol indicating the exact crime you want it to be is a good one... unless you want it to be vague for story purposes.
i.e:
Guard 1: What's that mark?
Guard 2: It means "Killer".
Guard 1: Killer? What did he murder someone? Was it accidental?
Guard 2: I'm not taking any chances....
If the character is a dwarf or elf you can make it a dwarven rune or elven symbol.
SMBC also has some suggestions: http://www.smbc-theater.com/?id=257