Hi everyone,
Background: I'm currently DM-ing a home game that's about to start Kingmaker. The PCs are Level 6. Synthesist, Vanilla summoner, and a Sorcerer Dragon Disciple. There's also a L16 NPC wizard named Varius that I used as more of an early DM tool to make the story work. He's quickly fading into the background as the players are starting to "get" how the game works. The player's are new-ish, but having a good time. I'd like to throw in some Mythic flavor because I like mythic and never get to play it. Not the whole mythic power-suite though. Basically if/when they ascend I'll pick and choose what powers they get. Plus I think I'll have it wax and wain depending on what I need for the story. I'd like to build a world-of-darkness / "another layer of reality" kind of feel to Mythic. It's the creepy if you can see the monsters then the monsters can see you vibe.
For clarity i'm not looking advice on this, but it may help with the question. Also please avoid the "Mythic Sucks/is broken/etc." line of thought. I get that not everyone likes it, but I do.
Question: I have a half baked idea about how to ascend them, but need some advice on making the story elements gel.
Here are some of the elements:
I intend to be more cryptic with the PCs to build suspense, but I'm letting you know to help with ideas.
- Varius has recently had his hopes and dreams dashed. Complete with destruction of the powerful wizard tower they were all living in. When they start kingmaker Varius is going to be a broken man who is probably going a bit insane. (In no small part because I need the PCs to be more self reliant) Basically he needs a new goal and that goal will be avenues to new sources of power. He's a mad wizard, so it's as good of a goal as any.
- Through rumor and magic he hears of a powerful (*cough*mythic*Cough*) force within the stolen lands. This will be part of the reason the PCs end up there. In reality this is an ancient mythic druid with a permanent Mind-Blank effect on him/her (gender TBD).
This is where the idea kinda falls apart. I imagine a scene where the PCs find Varius screaming at the woods for no apparent reason (because the druid has eluded him). That can be the introduction to what Varius has been obsessed with so much that he's been neglecting the PCs. i.e. this is where the PCs do their own thing and cant find Varius. The first few adventures probably. Now ultimately i'd like the culmination of these events to be the druid is somehow gone, leaving a power vacuum of good in the stolen lands. Chaos ensues. And they have one modified mythic tier. Varius getting a tier is totally optional. Perhaps he doesn't get a tier and that drives him over the True neutral edge where he decides to consider lichdom. I dunno. Totally open to suggestions. I kinda like the idea of having the PCs see him fail. He's been this "all powerful" character so far, so having them see him as fail could be a good thing.
Maybe the druid sacrifices himself to prevent a greater evil and the PCs are just in the right place at the right time (or wrong place depending on perspective).
Maybe through extraordinary luck the group manages to capture the druid then has to decide upon a moral dilemma. For example Varius needs their help to drain his life force, but the POWER! Come to the dark side yada yada yada. Drain him being an obviously evil act (most PCs lean toward neutral) or don't drain him, make an enemy of their former mentor, and possibly a powerful druidic ally.
Ahh. I dunno. Thoughts?
Bump
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Your druid is protecting the Stolen Lands from a First World incursion of some sort; perhaps he/she is containing wild primal magic, or creatures dedicated to Oleran the Cancer. The PCs find the druid engaged in a powerful ritual that's almost a battle with the First World. Varius, half-mad, tries to engage the druid (let's say it's an elf druidess, because why not?). When it's all said and done, the incursion is halted, the druidess is dead from fighting it (and possibly Varius), but the primal magics of the battlefield soak into the ground, the water, the air...and the PCs, who hopefully helped fend off the fey. Varius gets no such boon, having taken an active role against the druid and having not defended against the incursion. Your PCs have seen now that their mentor's a bit off his nut, this powerful defender of the realm is no more, and they've survived an actual incursion of the First World. A place where the rules of the Material were tested, tried, discarded, misplaced...a mythic place. Their powers manifest and Varius cracks as he sees his proteges have gained the power he sought. He's convinced that they took it from him, like his tower, out of spite. They're now no longer allies, quite possibly enemies. Powerful enemies, to be sure. With this one avenue to power now gone, he seeks another...undeath. (Though heck, demonic transformation could work too, who knows?).
How's that?
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Your druid is protecting the Stolen Lands from a First World incursion of some sort; perhaps he/she is containing wild primal magic, or creatures dedicated to Oleran the Cancer. The PCs find the druid engaged in a powerful ritual that's almost a battle with the First World. Varius, half-mad, tries to engage the druid (let's say it's an elf druidess, because why not?). When it's all said and done, the incursion is halted, the druidess is dead from fighting it (and possibly Varius), but the primal magics of the battlefield soak into the ground, the water, the air...and the PCs, who hopefully helped fend off the fey. Varius gets no such boon, having taken an active role against the druid and having not defended against the incursion. Your PCs have seen now that their mentor's a bit off his nut, this powerful defender of the realm is no more, and they've survived an actual incursion of the First World. A place where the rules of the Material were tested, tried, discarded, misplaced...a mythic place. Their powers manifest and Varius cracks as he sees his proteges have gained the power he sought. He's convinced that they took it from him, like his tower, out of spite. They're now no longer allies, quite possibly enemies. Powerful enemies, to be sure. With this one avenue to power now gone, he seeks another...undeath. (Though heck, demonic transformation could work too, who knows?).
How's that?
I really like that. Thank you. I’ll use that.
You're welcome!