Hello, all. I've never posted on this forum before but I wanted to say that this community is awesome. I've been reading the boards for a good while and the exchanges of ideas and information are amazing.
Anyway, I've been a player in two different attempts at RotRL, both of which ended midway through book 2. Since then, I've gone ahead and read the AP with the intention of running it myself one day, and it looks like I finally may have the opportunity to do so.
One thing I really like about the AP is the way sin features into the overall theme. But I think it would be nifty if it factored into the path a bit more than just in book 5. Nothing too pervasive, just more subtle ways that sin could effect the story or gameplay. I haven't really come up with much that I liked, so I'm wondering if anyone else has ever come up with a way to feature PC sin more prominently or if anyone has some ideas of how to go about weaving their sins into the game at different points in the story.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Try and have some of the more aware NPCs target PCs with particular sins.
Theme it off the adventures as well -- book 3 is a good one for Lust to come up, for instance, as book 4 is good for Wrath. Have some of the more aware evil guys (Nualia, Xanesha, Lucrecia, Mokmurian) comment on this with the PCs, or make suggestions.
The pit fiend in the dam would certainly be able to notice that -- perhaps offer the most sinful PC a wish fulfilling his desires? Do some temptations... play up that element as you notice the PCs being more or more sinful.
Let them find some minor (ancient, Thassilonian) bits of treasure that work when they give into certain sins. For example:
Wrath: a weapon, naturally, maybe giving extra Rage rounds
Gluttony: Something that creates food or wine
Envy: Something to copy someone else's ability, like a spellthief ring
Greed: provides ranged legerdemain like an arcane trickster
Lust: Cha bonus for seduction, or Charm the opposite sex
Sloth: Monster summoning and unseen servant
Pride: Bonus when using your best class feature/spell?
I actually had pretty much that exact idea with the pit fiend, but I never considered trying to extend it to some of the major NPCs. I'm not sure how to go about that without coming off a bit ham-fisted.
I definitely like the idea of dropping some sin-themed treasure somewhere. It wouldn't be hard to explain its existence and I could easily tailor the items to the PCs.
Thanks for the ideas. Any others would be welcome. :0)
If you track the sins of the characters, I was toying with the idea of a spell or magic item the BBEG's of each book were given access to. It would work kinda like a confusion spell, but a failed will save would cause each PC to act out their most prominent sin. Wrathful start attacking thier allies, greedy attempts to steal/disarm teammates, something like that. I haven't tried it out, just an idea I was toying with.
Depending on how, or if, you describe how the effect works on them, it could raise a lot of questions.