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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: kihon on July 28, 2010, 04:21:08 PM
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Let's say that a very "evilish" minded wizard found a ritual very much like the DarkHallow.
Lets say he plans on sacrificing 1000+ living mortals to fuel his "ascension".
Question - looking for opinions - what would the ritual actually give him?
What would the "DarkHallow" do (mechanically game wise) for the caster?
Thoughts? Any would be appreciated... as this is the route one of my main on-going bad guys is going.
He plans on sacrificing a whole group of people as they get together for a gathering.
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I don't think something like that should get stats. It should be a Plot Power, enough power to drive the plot and threaten the player characters, but with enough of a weakness that, with research and help, the characters can learn and take advantage of.
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What would the "DarkHallow" do (mechanically game wise) for the caster?
It would make him a god. A plot device in most cases.
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Let's say that a very "evilish" minded wizard found a ritual very much like the DarkHallow.
Lets say he plans on sacrificing 1000+ living mortals to fuel his "ascension".
Question - looking for opinions - what would the ritual actually give him?
What would the "DarkHallow" do (mechanically game wise) for the caster?
Thoughts? Any would be appreciated... as this is the route one of my main on-going bad guys is going.
He plans on sacrificing a whole group of people as they get together for a gathering.
a MASSIVE powerboost. Maybe count it as several major milestones and push his refresh through the roof? Maybe a new sponsored magic?
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Give him so many Lawbreaker Stunts that his Refresh plummets below 1, he suddenly has massive boosts to multiple fields of spell casting and absolutely no free will. Probably also layers a 'flush with godhood' aspect on him six or seven thousand times.
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I was going to have him sacrifice a motor cycle gathering - something like the Hells Angels gets together - and he nukes them for his ritual -- maybe having them 'drink the coolaid' type thing.
I was going to have my group then try to find him - as he's hiding after the ritual, learning about his new powers... and once they found him, try to take him out before he became a full power.
I was thinking that it might take a full month (moon cycle) for his full powers from the ritual to be in his control, so the group would have 30 days to find him and take him out, but I was thinking some of his powers would be manifesting...
Like having them find him on week 3 or something...
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If you plan on doing it that way, a good technique represent him becoming more powerful outside of giving him a lot of refresh in powers is to make his skills start going up. By the time he reaches godhood, he will likely have +6 in his lowest skills, so that can definitely make him a challenge.
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Would a Wizard who went through with this ritual - and survived - go 'mad with power'?
Do you think he would stick around a large city? Maybe claim part of it as his domain?
Other than hunting down his old enemies to destroy them, what might motivate this type of power mad wizard?
I'm think of a "white court wizard" that got his hands on an 'outsider' type tomb that listed the ritual, and he decided, why not - become a demi-god (sort of), went through with it, lost most of his humanity (he did kill 1000+ people) as part of this ritual. Do you think he'd stick around?
If my group can't take him down in 30 days, I'm thinking of making him an ongoing pain-in-their-backside kind of guy - hindering them behind the scenes becasue they tried to take him down in his first 30 days?
Any thoughts? BTW - thanks for the input thus far, I really appreciate it.
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He will have to worry about the White Council trying to destroy him before the transformation is complete. Part of his actions might be to find a good way to lay low for about a month, and part might be to design plans to deal with anyone that tries to kill him before the ascension. Other than that, going mad with power seems appropriate if he got the power from some kind of outsider type thing.
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The ancient tomb with the ritual in it came (indirectly) from an outsider - to mess with humanity, but the power he gets comes from the ritual (and the massive sacrifice).
Anyone have an idea - in a four week format - that goes from Wizard to Demi-god?
Like Week One -- these powers show up, Week Two -- this Happens, Week Three -- now this happens, Week four - more power, finally Week Five - full Demi-God (into Plot Device Status).
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The ancient tomb with the ritual in it came (indirectly) from an outsider - to mess with humanity, but the power he gets comes from the ritual (and the massive sacrifice).
Anyone have an idea - in a four week format - that goes from Wizard to Demi-god?
Like Week One -- these powers show up, Week Two -- this Happens, Week Three -- now this happens, Week four - more power, finally Week Five - full Demi-God (into Plot Device Status).
You would think there would be some immediate effects of a power boost. maybe physical changes to deal with all the new energy? Dark urges perhaps?
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Another Darkhallow question...
Can one do mini-darkhallows? If I kill you, can I inhale your soul for, say, an extra refresh point? If I kill a roomful?
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This almost begs for a "Souldrinker" power...
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Well let's just calling it "warming up" for the big one. You know...experimenting. Or just being economical.
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Or just being evil. I like it, myself. I think it would make a great villain power, or spell.
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I find most "evil" is just pragmatic.
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And another almost signature-worthy line. Today has had two.
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I can't remember the book, but a long time ago I remember reading one where an Evil Turk was besieging a city. He had a force of 1000+ Jannisaries, I think. They were Christian soldiers kidnapped or captured as children, and raised to be unquestioning soldiers. They were not converted to islam. The bad guy was going to send them in a suicide charge against the city walls. He had a ritual that required the sacrifice of 1000 Christian lives.
But yeah, your post makes me think of terrorists with satchel nukes, who are also empowering some ritual. Or a vampire nation, like the Red Court, who uses suicide bombers and has magical teams nearby to "harvest" the released energy. Or some such.
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Ascension Rituals and Darkhallows and the like are just Plot-Device powerful things. If a player actually used one, it would be almost always in the backstory off-stage. I've been meaning to make a character with the Aspect Failed Ascension Rite (Though I have no idea where to go with him after that).
In game.....PC's shouldn't be doing this anyway.
Bad guys....after the ritual give him whatever. He'd probably end up becoming a Heavyweight without real stats.
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Not a PC that's going to be doing it... actually it's a "Grey Area" NPC - who's going Very Dark after the ritual. The point is that they will have four weeks in which to find and defeat him before the whole ritual finishes or becomes solid. At which point he's a total plot device, but before which he could (in theory) be defeated. I'm going to start increasing his stats, adding stunts, and refresh every week. So if they can find him quickly it will be easier to defeat him, but if they wait around for 'help' - well it's going to be tougher.
The ritual finishes and instant increase:
Like +1 to his stats, +1 Stunt, +2 refresh (in addition to toughness)
End of week 1 through week 2
Another +1 to stats, +1 Stunt, +4 refresh (in addition to speed and recovery)
End of week 2 through week 3
Another +1 to stats, +1 Stunt, +6 refresh (the toughness and recovery each go up a category)
End of week 3 through week 4
Another +1 to stats, +1 Stunt, +8 refresh (recovery goes to Mythic with a catch)
End of week 4 = total plot device....
thoughts on the progression? Any alternate advancement would be appreciated.