Don't tell the players, but in my Burning Wheel Ravenloft game, if you get vampire-bit you can end up having skill and stat levels permanently drained.
Five wights in tonight's dungeon. Totally optional encounter. But will the PC's open those coffins for the sweet loot that must be inside? Those bone golems must have been guarding something awesome right?
Just don't make the same mistake with them I did. I had a necromancer PC back in the heady days of 2E and inspired by Doctor Strange, I decided I wanted a faithful manservant for my sorcerer. But because I was also competitive I wanted two manservants.
Creating the wights wasn't a problem. Controlling them was. Very shortly thereafter, my necromancer was drained by his undead major domos, left powerless and then eaten by carrion crawlers.
Which just goes to show you: Two wights don't make a wong.
Random idea for high-lethality D&D campaigns: Character death unlocks new classes and races. Maybe useful in “special snowflake” campaigns where no one reads your carefully crafted setting material. Instead you roll it out piecemeal as PCs bite the dust. “I really want to play a saurian warlock…sure, I’ll take a drink of that mystery potion.” Someone probably thought of this before.
Hey, I'm using Jeff and Brendan's 20 questions to help me get a feel for my upcoming Perdition campaign. Never done it before. Highly recommended. http://jrients.blogspot.com/2011/04/twenty-quick-questions-for-your.html http://www.necropraxis.com/2012/02/24/20-quick-questions-rules/
Vampires used to have level drain too.
ReplyDeleteDon't tell the players, but in my Burning Wheel Ravenloft game, if you get vampire-bit you can end up having skill and stat levels permanently drained.
As a level-draining undead monstrosity (albeit with a lemony icon), I approve this message.
ReplyDeleteFive wights in tonight's dungeon. Totally optional encounter. But will the PC's open those coffins for the sweet loot that must be inside? Those bone golems must have been guarding something awesome right?
ReplyDeleteJust don't make the same mistake with them I did. I had a necromancer PC back in the heady days of 2E and inspired by Doctor Strange, I decided I wanted a faithful manservant for my sorcerer. But because I was also competitive I wanted two manservants.
ReplyDeleteCreating the wights wasn't a problem. Controlling them was. Very shortly thereafter, my necromancer was drained by his undead major domos, left powerless and then eaten by carrion crawlers.
Which just goes to show you: Two wights don't make a wong.
Curt Thompson I'm docking you 1,000 XP for that.
ReplyDeleteIt was totally worth it. :D
ReplyDeleteDid you notice that XP makes the same face you make when you hear a bad pun?
ReplyDeleteXP
Sorry, there's no such thing as a bad pun.
ReplyDeleteI'll dock you too, Alex Hakobian. You watch your ass.
ReplyDelete