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and... if you'll pardon the expression...I will not.
That's fair.
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Performance enhancing drugs and greasy pigs. .
Son, I say son, you must be dopin' for a-gropin'....
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It *was* a pretty ham-fisted approach...
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Wait! You said this was suntan lotion! And why is that roided up half-orc climbing into the pen? I don't like the looks of this at all...
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Fantasy NPC: Grandmother Disappointment
Bah, the pigs aren't half as wild, agile, or fast as they used to be!
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A far cry from my granny who insisted on giving me and my sister money every visit LOL
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A far cry from my granny who insisted on giving me and my sister money every visit LOL
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Fantasy NPC: Grandmother Disappointment
Bah, the pigs aren't half as wild, agile, or fast as they used to be!
Oh god! The pressure!
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Fantasy NPC: Grandmother Disappointment
Bah, the pigs aren't half as wild, agile, or fast as they used to be!
GRAMMA???
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Fantasy NPC: Grandmother Disappointment
Bah, the pigs aren't half as wild, agile, or fast as they used to be!
Pfft. Back in my day, grandmothers were REALLY disapproving!
To kill bad smells at your lair, laboratory, sacrificial pit of your temple, or your lavatory, as needed. Maybe even all of those.
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Not gonna lie. I've showed up to a few pick-up TTRPG games where we could've used one of these IRL...
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A(n un)fairy lady that will torment those who arrange forced marriages.
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A(n un)fairy lady that will torment those who arrange forced marriages.
I look forward to your new monsters every Sunday with almost as much anticipation as my birthday or Christmas LOL. Fantastic beastie!
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Why such petty first world problems as having my computer unexpectedly die on my eyes is so stressful?
Ham and eggs for supper? Why yes, thank you! *buries face in plate*
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I have another one shot for my son's friends coming up in late July and I've been tinkering with it. I've decided the BBEG will be a Vishkanya Arcanist. I'm basing the whole thing around a meme which I'm sure most of you have seen, which, while funny, is also the most horrible thing that could happen in a game. It's a twist that'll break their minds. I can't wait.
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To add to the above post, I think that I had to stop GMing my decades-long campaign because I no longer had any inspiration or even a reason to invest my time and energy in creating an adventure. My players had become complacent and so had I. When I did try to challenge them I would either fail to do it or they wouldn't enjoy the adventure. I gave up trying to get them to try a new RPG or even a board game once in a while because I got tired of the rousing rounds of apathy that met every suggestion. I just went into a sort of auto-pilot with my adventure designing and play and the players didn't do anything to offer me a reason not to do that.
It's been a year ago that I ended my campaign and hung up my dice. But a one shot every three or four months for my son's friends gives me time to recharge my batteries and time to build a challenging and fun adventure in the intervening time. I'm having a great time building the BBEG, putting the storyline together, and doing everything I can to make sure the surprise near the end of the adventure will catch them completely off-guard and hopefully even shake them to their cores (something I used to be pretty well-known for by my players). I had lost any reason to put my heart and soul into each adventure. Doing these sporadic one-shots has made GMing fun again. I can hardly wait until the end of next month to throw this at my son and his friends. It will be glorious.
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I have another one shot for my son's friends coming up in late July and I've been tinkering with it. I've decided the BBEG will be a Vishkanya Arcanist. I'm basing the whole thing around a meme which I'm sure most of you have seen, which, while funny, is also the most horrible thing that could happen in a game. It's a twist that'll break their minds. I can't wait.
I'm drawing a blank >.>
I have another one shot for my son's friends coming up in late July and I've been tinkering with it. I've decided the BBEG will be a Vishkanya Arcanist. I'm basing the whole thing around a meme which I'm sure most of you have seen, which, while funny, is also the most horrible thing that could happen in a game. It's a twist that'll break their minds. I can't wait.I'm drawing a blank >.>
Being unable to post the meme, I'll try to describe it:
Panel 1: A person is sitting at his computer with a horrified look on his face. The caption reads " The party stabs the BBEG in his sleep only to watch him transform."
Panel 2: Same guy but with a devil standing next to him with the same horrified look on his face. The caption reads "Into the child they were sent to protect."
Panel 3: Same guy, the devil, and now an angel looking at the monitor with horrified looks on the faces of all three. The caption reads "She was polymorphed to look like the BBEG as a distraction."
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I don't remember much of it, but still, the theme music hit the chord.I feel like there was a missed opportunity here...Fantasy NPC: Sky Wolf. Winged wolves that live in clouds.Very cool!
Still one of the best.
I have another one shot for my son's friends coming up in late July and I've been tinkering with it. I've decided the BBEG will be a Vishkanya Arcanist. I'm basing the whole thing around a meme which I'm sure most of you have seen, which, while funny, is also the most horrible thing that could happen in a game. It's a twist that'll break their minds. I can't wait.I'm drawing a blank >.>Being unable to post the meme, I'll try to describe it:
Panel 1: A person is sitting at his computer with a horrified look on his
face. The caption reads " The party stabs the BBEG in his sleep only to
watch him transform."Panel 2: Same guy but with a devil standing next to him with the same
horrified look on his face. The caption reads "Into the child they were
sent to protect."Panel 3: Same guy, the devil, and now an angel looking at the monitor
with horrified looks on the faces of all three. The caption reads "She
was polymorphed to look like the BBEG as a distraction."
You have inspired me to action!!!
It's great to hear that you're finding joy in creating these one-shots
for your son's friends! It sounds like you have a fantastic plan in
place, and the twist you're planning with the Vishkanya Arcanist as the
BBEG sounds intriguing.
My brain noodles:
ACT 1
o Setting the Scene = A small town plagued by strange, unexplained
events. Rumors of a mysterious figure behind it all.
o Hook = The town's mayor seeks the help of adventurers to investigate
the disturbances and put an end to the chaos.
o Exploration = The players explore the town, interacting with NPCs who
provide clues about the source of the disturbances.
o Encounters = Minor encounters with local wildlife or low-level minions
sent by the BBEG to test the players.
o Clues = Players find traces of poison, strange arcane symbols, and
perhaps a few survivors of the BBEG's experiments who can offer cryptic
warnings.
ACT 2
o Deeper Mystery = The players discover an old, abandoned estate on the
outskirts of the town that seems connected to the disturbances.
o Mini-Boss = Inside the estate, the players encounter a mini-boss, a
loyal follower of the Vishkanya Arcanist, who provides more insight into
the BBEG's plans.
o Discovery = Players uncover the BBEG’s connection to a forbidden form
of arcane magic and poison, hinting at their ultimate goal.
ACT 3
o Final Location = The players track the BBEG to their hidden lair – a place
filled with traps, puzzles, and dangerous creatures.
o BBEG Encounter = The Vishkanya Arcanist reveals themselves, showcasing
their mastery over both magic and poison. The battle should be intense,
with the BBEG using cunning tactics and the environment to their advantage.
THE TWIST!
o The Meme Twist = The twist you mentioned should be something shocking
and unexpected. For instance, if the meme involves something humorous
yet horrifying like the infamous "rocks fall, everyone dies" trope, you
could incorporate an element where the players think they are about to
face certain doom, only for it to be a cleverly designed illusion or trap.
o Mind-Breaking Revelation = Perhaps the Vishkanya Arcanist had a hidden
motive that completely recontextualizes the players’ understanding of
the adventure. Maybe the BBEG was trying to avert an even greater
disaster, and defeating them has now unleashed a new threat.
ACT 4 (Conclusion)
o Resolution = The players must deal with the aftermath of their battle,
including any lingering effects of the BBEG’s actions on the town.
o Reflection: = Allow the players to reflect on the twist and its
implications, providing a sense of closure or setting the stage for future adventures.
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You have inspired me to action!!!
It's great to hear that you're finding joy in creating these one-shots
for your son's friends! It sounds like you have a fantastic plan in
place, and the twist you're planning with the Vishkanya Arcanist as the
BBEG sounds intriguing.
Thank you for the suggestions! We both have some of the same ideas. I've copy/pasted your post into a .doc file so I can refer to it more easily.
Because one of his friends (the one who asks for games when he comes home LOL) only gets to come back every two to three months, I'm going to offer the players a chance that will keep this from being a terrible ending for them. I plan to have either a Scroll of Resurrection and perhaps a diamond of the correct amount for the spell to bring the child back to life (I know these guys. My son will be traumatized LOL. You know what it's like to live next door to a 30 year old with gamer trauma? LOL). I'll give them a chance but they'll have to find it.
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I have another one shot for my son's friends coming up in late July and I've been tinkering with it. I've decided the BBEG will be a Vishkanya Arcanist. I'm basing the whole thing around a meme which I'm sure most of you have seen, which, while funny, is also the most horrible thing that could happen in a game. It's a twist that'll break their minds. I can't wait.I'm drawing a blank >.>Being unable to post the meme, I'll try to describe it:
Panel 1: A person is sitting at his computer with a horrified look on his face. The caption reads " The party stabs the BBEG in his sleep only to watch him transform."
Panel 2: Same guy but with a devil standing next to him with the same horrified look on his face. The caption reads "Into the child they were sent to protect."
Panel 3: Same guy, the devil, and now an angel looking at the monitor with horrified looks on the faces of all three. The caption reads "She was polymorphed to look like the BBEG as a distraction."
I haven't seen this specific version but I'm familiar with the "increasing number of D: faces" meme.
Oof.
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Fantasy NPC: The Lingering Secretary
A ghostly secretary who died in the line of duty.
Fantasy NPC: The Lingering Secretary
A ghostly secretary who died in the line of duty.
Sunday morning and I get to open another present from Drejk!
What does one do with a Lingering Secretary?
Could he haunt this keep scenario I just made? link to document thingy
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Nice little scenario, Tensor. :-)
IMO the Secretary is too strong for the scenario as written, but might be a later encounter to which the scenario might lead (cf the comment about lingering magical energies).
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I have agree that the Secretary would be too powerful for this scenario as a foe, though he might show up as an NPC, maybe providing information, or as a quest giver, offering some necessary information (a hidden document, per chance? proof of nobility/land ownership) for finding something else in the castle, or maybe correcting a factual error in a letter that was tormenting him for the last three hundred years — note he can move around letters, and destroy/erase text, but he is incapable of actually writing anymore.
I made some time travel rules. There are three flavors and I'm wondering which one is more effective to use at the table?
I made some time travel rules. There are three flavors and I'm wondering which one is more effective to use at the table?
I've always been a huge fan of Scenario #3, although #2 is a very close second.
Here's a possible #4:
Do you watch "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds"? In Season Two, Episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow", the character La'an Noonian-Singh, a distant relative of Khan, gets thrown back to the early 21st century (around our time) and has to stop a Romulan time travel mission to kill the young Khan. In the series premier episode, it's also mentioned WWIII happened in the early 21st century, though in Star Trek canon that happened in 1996.
At the end of the episode, a Federation time traveler from the future speaks to La'an, and explains that the rise of Khan Noonian-Singh to power is a "temporal hard point" and that efforts to stop it by going into the past just alters the timelines and then it resurfaces later. In essence, no matter what they change or what might ever happen, Khan's rise to power is inevitable.
Just tossing this out there.
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I made some time travel rules. There are three flavors and I'm wondering which one is more effective to use at the table?
I've always been a huge fan of Scenario #3, although #2 is a very close second.
Here's a possible #4:
Do you watch "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds"? In Season Two, Episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow", ...
I will now.
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I used Scenario #1 to endlessly trap PCs in the Strange Aeons adventure path.
My players have never forgiven me.
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I used Scenario #1 to endlessly trap PCs in the Strange Aeons adventure path.
** spoiler omitted **
My players have never forgiven me.
That is actually great.
I once ran a time-loop scenario. It was always a TPK that reset to the 1st Room, and each time through the loop they would gather one or maybe two clues, to advance the plot. I kept the discipline on, and we ran through the first several rooms over 10 times. The grind was on, it was delicious, and the payoff was worth it of course. Now everyone jokes about it, but always ending with 'never again'.
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It was one of my favorite GM memories. I had spent literally over a year seeding it and my players just thought it was me being dramatic for effect... until suddenly all the weird cryptic NPC comments all clicked. *cackle*
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Overheard last night at the gaming table:
"So you turn into a blue six-armed giant, fear-shit your britches, dive into the ocean, and swim as fast as you can away from combat."
"That about sums it up, yes."
IIRC Larry Niven wrote a story about a guy who learned somehow that he was destined to be shot dead by his wife. He tried many different things to avoid this, time traveling to set them up. In the end, he walked out on his balcony and was drilled between the eyes by a .45 caliber meteorite. Time does not like to be foiled. :-)
IIRC Larry Niven wrote a story about a guy who learned somehow that he was destined to be shot dead by his wife. He tried many different things to avoid this, time traveling to set them up. In the end, he walked out on his balcony and was drilled between the eyes by a .45 caliber meteorite. Time does not like to be foiled. :-)
"All the Myriad Ways" by Larry Niven. It is a Luciferian story.
During my high school English course, we studied a unit centered on the theme that despite attempts to control one's fate, death remains inescapable. Although I no longer recall the specific titles of the stories, this unit left an indelible impression on me.
It seemed that the authors' exploration of this motif (e.g Niven) was profoundly influenced by the fears emerging from the Skinnerian behaviorist period in psychology. During this era, human behavior was often reduced to mechanistic processes, akin to those of a machine.
Confronted with this reductionist and dehumanizing view, individuals in these narratives frequently rebelled against the deterministic confines imposed upon them, striving to assert their autonomy and agency.
However, these efforts were invariably futile, culminating in their eventual demise. This approach is reminiscent of the Luciferian archetype, symbolizing a rebellion against an immutable order
It raises the concern that such narratives might have been used to indoctrinate young minds into a fatalistic outlook, engendering a fear of life itself.
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It raises the concern that such narratives might have been used to indoctrinate young minds into a fatalistic outlook, engendering a fear of life itself.
Meh. Fatalism. What are you gonna do?
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‘“I am not a number, I’m a free man!”
Ha! Ha! Ha!
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That's where I like to use a little GM trick I call 'lying'.
Whatever the players do? Yes, that is what they were fated to do. The Fates (or whoever) already knew it in advance and therefore I as GM must have known it too.
One doesn't have to know what will happen in order to create the illusion that it was intentional and inevitable. It's all about information flow. Now yes, if a GM decides a timeline in advance of the players' actions and forces them to comply, that's (generally) not going to be much fun. But since none of us *know* the future, it's both (subjectively) undetermined and (potentially) completely determined.
This is why oracles throughout history have been so gosh-darned vague. The ones who get cocky and get too specific nearly always end up on the business end of an angry and disappointed overlord's stabbin' stick.
EDIT: I'm also a big fan of The Xanatos Gambit.
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‘“I am not a number, I’m a free man!”
Ha! Ha! Ha!
...in the distance, Iron Maiden...
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...in the distance, Iron Maiden...‘“I am not a number, I’m a free man!”
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Who is number one?
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Still Bryan Adams with 'Everything I do...', I expect.
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Have the Rolling Stones killed. DO AS I SAY!
This is why oracles throughout history have been so gosh-darned vague. The ones who get cocky and get too specific nearly always end up on the business end of an angry and disappointed overlord's stabbin' stick.
That's pretty much what happened to Hugh Pinero (cf. "Lifeline" by Robert Heinlein), though it wasn't an overlord it was an angry mob that killed him. Come to think on it, an angry mob killed Valentine Michael Smith, too. Mobs are dangerous.
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FAT TONY: Mob? What is that? I certainly know of no such thing around this establishment of legitimate businessmen.