Hello! I have a party that is decently high level, and they are about to have to deal with the apocalypse. I am using the idea of breaking the Seals to release the Horsemen. I had an idea for an artifact that creates a "false prophet". The idea is that it gives the user a Hugh bonus to knowledge planes and religion along with the ability to interoperate and predict signs of the end of days. It also appears to give them information on a network of magical places that can harness the power of deceased gods in order to stop the apocalypse and lowers their miss chance to teleport close to these sites. However it is not giving them information of this network, but instead tricking them into breaking the Seals.
Any suggestions on how this might work better... Or how it would be destroyed, or how the PCs could figure out what is actually going on? My original thoughts were an NPC would have the item to start with.
I spelt high wrong, sorry I meant high bonus!
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First of all, I think that is an excellent adventure hook! I love the idea of the PCs inadvertently hastening the apocalypse by trying to prevent it.
If it was me running the adventure, I would do it this way:
The artifact should grant some very tangible bonuses to make it attractive to the players. Maybe make it something like a circlet/crown/diadem? It should have multiple functions to protect the "Prophet" from outside influence: big will save bonuses or immunity to charms/enchantments/compulsions. Maybe also a nice deflection bonus to AC? Give it a couple of daily powers that are flashy. Perhaps a 1/day globe of invulnerability? Maybe even give it some kind of flashy offensive power: Banishment perhaps (to get rid of outsiders trying to stop the prophet) or a Symbol spell? The artifact should be neutral in alignment, I think. I also like the idea of adding a huge bonus to Knowledge Planes - perhaps it can also cast augury or similar divination spells, however the results it gives will always slant answers to hasten the apocalypse by encouraging the bearer to break the seals. Maybe also have it grant a bonus to spellcraft or something, to make it more attractive to a caster.
Equipping the artifact grants the wearer visions of the "impending doom" that must be stopped by breaking the seals. Perhaps these visions are slightly debilitating when they occur? Maybe they occur at regular intervals? Perhaps the more often times the wearer experiences the visions, there is some subtle effect upon them that makes it hard to break the crown's influence? Perhaps it plants a suggestion in the wearer's mind every time a vision happens, and their save against it gets worse with each successive vision? (Keep those roles secret from the player, though!)
Next I would create a shadowy organization that knows exactly what this artifact is, knows that it is going to unleash the apocalypse, and is out to stop it by any means necessary. They can be the antagonists for the players in the first part of the adventure. They should be very scary guys, totally ruthless and without mercy (the fate of the world is at stake!), and their leader should be a total jerk to make the party less sympathetic to them. This dark cabal will assume that anyone who's come into contact with the artifact is contaminated/duped, and they will try to retrieve it by force. Perhaps this organization is truly evil as well? This could be a Demonic vs. Devilish thing, where the Devil-backed group is trying to stop the Demon-Endorsed apocalypse.
The party can com into contact with this item when it's previous owner/dupe dies in their arms, ranting about being pursued by agents of the apocalypse. Maybe even have the pursuers show up and attack. The poor fellow's dying words will beg them to help: "Open the seals! Release the old gods to stop the evil before the world is destroyed by it! etc etc"
And eventually of course the PCs will figure out what's going on, but try to get them to open a few seals first. Then once they DO figure it out, the Anti-apocalypse organization can finally make peace with them and offer to help them destroy the crown...
...But NO!! Once of the agents handling the crown (probably the jerk leader, who the PCs hated anyway) gets corrupted by it and ends up running off to finish the work that the PCs started. Now they hunted become the hunters!
Okay, I am totally stealing this idea from you for my next campaign. :)
I love the story! And I'm glad I could give you a story idea! Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. How would you suggest the crown be destroyed? Maybe breaking it is conveniently the last seal? Or the crown has one obscure weakness, like a certian colour dragon's blood, or the blood of a deceased god? (That will be hard to find). Maybe it can only be destroyed in Abadon? During an eclipse? Or maybe there is one spot in the world it can be destroyed by the forge that created it?
This is hilarious! My party is using the commune and augury abilities that the amulet allows....which always gives an answer that benefits the amulet in starting the apocalypse.... And it is very funny because they don't know how it works yet, and it's amusing to see their interpretations.... I feel like a mean person
Hahaha... Thanks, so no tapping my fingers together in front of my face either I take it then? Because that just looks silly without the laugh.