Brain in a Jar adventure. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Brain in a Jar adventure. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
HermitIX
03-10-08, 01:35 PM I am trying to write a city based adventure for a group of level 3 adventurers. We have a monk, a cleric, a psion, and a rogue.

I have a few elements I want to use.

Because I have a psion and a cleric I want to incorporate a monster called “A Brain in a Jar” its CR is 4 and it is an undead brain in a jar with a few telepathic powers from “Libris Mortis”

As for plot hook I plan to have them called to the counsel chamber to talk about the previous adventure they were on. They took down a were-rat who worshiped a filth demon and was trying to take over the city.

A few elements I have to work with are… one of the council members is the groups patron eventually I plan to kill her off but I want the party to like her before I do.

In the last adventure the group was asked to find a missing rat catcher named Algie. They took the job then forgot about it. So I was planning on working Algie in to future plots.

There is a group of demon worshiping assassins that are currently not very fond of the group.

The way I have the council planed out, there are four “high seats” each high seat gets one vote. Then there are nine “low seats” the nine low seats get a single vote as a group. There are also “speakers”. They can debate in council but don’t have a vote. Speakership is bought. When a low seat opens up a speaker is elected up by vote from the speakers, when a high seat opens up some one from the low seats is elected up.

I am looking for ideas. Any thing / everything just brainstorm.
bloodtalon
03-10-08, 06:36 PM in 2E "RAVENLOFT" setting there was a brain in a jar creature
if i remember right he ran a major criminal ring in one of the busiest ports in the game

most of the high ranking members were under his mental control
might wanna incorperate that into your game
james_gaines
03-10-08, 07:28 PM A couple of ideas:

I noticed that speakership can be bought. Maybe two or three very persuasive people have somehow gotten a speaking position. They have very dangerous ideas, maybe have one of the higher-ups (their own patron most likely) ask the PC's to investigate how they got the money to buy in? The brain in the jar could be funding extremists.

Or, have the brain in the jar be a protagonist. If you don't mind having the patron turn out evil, have the extremists be good people who are seeking to reform the corrupt *insert something here* in the town. They are funded by a brain in a jar who seeks to better the city. Have the patron be corrupt (taking bribes from the mafia, working with the assassins, whathaveyou).

Have the brain be the former leader of the assassins. He was killed and left for dead but somebody ressurected him. Have Algie find him under the city. He wants to get back into power and is making Algie do stuff for him. Maybe include the filth demon too.
taradusis
03-10-08, 10:23 PM Incorporate a Dr. Frankenstein type? Add a flesh golem. Add some grafts bought by unscrupulous crooks.
yellowdingo
03-11-08, 04:10 AM 1. Getting to know your local Government

As the PCs are called to council, the Psion begins hearing an odd whispering every time he/she looks at a certain council member.

VOICE IN HEAD: "Issheetheonee? Doessheeseesuss?"

EVENTS: The council begins to make odd changes to the city. They replace the public militia with mercenaries, begin walling off a well to do district and neglecting poorer districts. The rents are increased on poor districs until they ar kicked out and forced to live in shanty towns. By the time the PCs are ready to deal with the problem a Shanytown will have grown up outside the walls of the city.

THE PLAN: You want to make them so paranoid about the Council member in question that the PCs will kill the counciler themselves (thus doing the bidding of the Brain in the Jar themselves).
Ace_of_time
03-14-08, 12:52 PM I was trying to figure out why you would put a lab mouse in a jar.:D
yellowdingo
03-15-08, 08:36 AM I was trying to figure out why you would put a lab mouse in a jar.:D

Cause the Mazecheese Wasnt enough!

"Doctor?" Lab Assistant Phil notices Lab Mouse Six looking at him with a desire.
"Yes?" Doctor Blume continues to look down at his notebook.
"Did you let Lab Mouse Six out of its cage for a reason?" Doctor Blume jerks his head up with a look of fear on his face. The mouse is drooling from the corner of its mouth.

"Kill it!" Doctor Blume screams as the Mouse tears his latest assistant a new orifice.
Ace_of_time
03-15-08, 10:15 AM It was an old cartoon. About two lab mice that rtied to take over the world. The stupid one was call pinky and the smart one was called brain. Guess nobody else watch it.
taradusis
03-15-08, 10:25 AM I was thinking of Libris Mortis. I actually own Pinky and the Brain Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. It's a good source of wacky take over the world plots,can't have too many of those.
Argo
03-15-08, 12:18 PM What do you want to do tonight, Brain?
ChaosWolf1982
03-15-08, 12:52 PM "Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky?"

"Oi fink so Brain, but then the Gelatinous Cubes would be cherry-flavored, wouldn't they?"
anshar
03-15-08, 01:47 PM Ambitious rodents aside, I once hid a brain-in-a-jar in plain sight. It was in a room full of other, mundane pickled... samples. I gave the PCs a clue by having one of the samples (a severed hand aka a crawling claw) crawl out of it's jar and attack them. They eventually figured it out. LOL!
taradusis
03-15-08, 10:14 PM Some brainstorming.Suppose the fluid in a BIAJ(gonna contract brain in a jar) needed to be refreshed with new brain fluid occasionally? A human's brain fluid lasts one year,a half-elves lasts 4 years and an elves lasts for 10 years. This would lead to elves being murdered for their brain fluid,if the BIAJ was messy about disposing the bodies the way some serial killers are this could lead to an investigation by the Elves?Suppose a BIAJ could have additional eyes grafted onto it's brainstem? This would probably grant wrap-around vision? Now,we wouldn't want to re-invent the Beholder but suppose each eye acted as a foci for a psionic power? Suppose the brain was able to cast clerical spells like animate dead thru eyes? In the movie Young Frankenstein Igor is supposed to fetch the brain of a philanthropist but drops it and has to settle for an AB-normal brain instead. Suppose a saintly cleric was dying from old age and a necromancer decided to rescue his mind for posterity? If his god allowed him to retain his alignment and powers he could be a force for good? If he is opposing evil council members his bizarre appearence could lead to PCs being given a false impression of him?Just some thoughts,hope they help.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
HermitIX 03-10-08, 01:35 PM	I am trying to write a city based adventure for a group of level 3 adventurers. We have a monk, a cleric, a psion, and a rogue. I have a few elements I want to use. Because I have a psion and a cleric I want to incorporate a monster called “A Brain in a Jar” its CR is 4 and it is an undead brain in a jar with a few telepathic powers from “Libris Mortis” As for plot hook I plan to have them called to the counsel chamber to talk about the previous adventure they were on. They took down a were-rat who worshiped a filth demon and was trying to take over the city. A few elements I have to work with are… one of the council members is the groups patron eventually I plan to kill her off but I want the party to like her before I do. In the last adventure the group was asked to find a missing rat catcher named Algie. They took the job then forgot about it. So I was planning on working Algie in to future plots. There is a group of demon worshiping assassins that are currently not very fond of the group. The way I have the council planed out, there are four “high seats” each high seat gets one vote. Then there are nine “low seats” the nine low seats get a single vote as a group. There are also “speakers”. They can debate in council but don’t have a vote. Speakership is bought. When a low seat opens up a speaker is elected up by vote from the speakers, when a high seat opens up some one from the low seats is elected up. I am looking for ideas. Any thing / everything just brainstorm.
bloodtalon 03-10-08, 06:36 PM	in 2E "RAVENLOFT" setting there was a brain in a jar creature if i remember right he ran a major criminal ring in one of the busiest ports in the game most of the high ranking members were under his mental control might wanna incorperate that into your game
james_gaines 03-10-08, 07:28 PM	A couple of ideas: I noticed that speakership can be bought. Maybe two or three very persuasive people have somehow gotten a speaking position. They have very dangerous ideas, maybe have one of the higher-ups (their own patron most likely) ask the PC's to investigate how they got the money to buy in? The brain in the jar could be funding extremists. Or, have the brain in the jar be a protagonist. If you don't mind having the patron turn out evil, have the extremists be good people who are seeking to reform the corrupt insert something here in the town. They are funded by a brain in a jar who seeks to better the city. Have the patron be corrupt (taking bribes from the mafia, working with the assassins, whathaveyou). Have the brain be the former leader of the assassins. He was killed and left for dead but somebody ressurected him. Have Algie find him under the city. He wants to get back into power and is making Algie do stuff for him. Maybe include the filth demon too.
taradusis 03-10-08, 10:23 PM	Incorporate a Dr. Frankenstein type? Add a flesh golem. Add some grafts bought by unscrupulous crooks.
yellowdingo 03-11-08, 04:10 AM	1. Getting to know your local Government As the PCs are called to council, the Psion begins hearing an odd whispering every time he/she looks at a certain council member. VOICE IN HEAD: "Issheetheonee? Doessheeseesuss?" EVENTS: The council begins to make odd changes to the city. They replace the public militia with mercenaries, begin walling off a well to do district and neglecting poorer districts. The rents are increased on poor districs until they ar kicked out and forced to live in shanty towns. By the time the PCs are ready to deal with the problem a Shanytown will have grown up outside the walls of the city. THE PLAN: You want to make them so paranoid about the Council member in question that the PCs will kill the counciler themselves (thus doing the bidding of the Brain in the Jar themselves).
Ace_of_time 03-14-08, 12:52 PM	I was trying to figure out why you would put a lab mouse in a jar.:D
yellowdingo 03-15-08, 08:36 AM	I was trying to figure out why you would put a lab mouse in a jar.:D Cause the Mazecheese Wasnt enough! "Doctor?" Lab Assistant Phil notices Lab Mouse Six looking at him with a desire. "Yes?" Doctor Blume continues to look down at his notebook. "Did you let Lab Mouse Six out of its cage for a reason?" Doctor Blume jerks his head up with a look of fear on his face. The mouse is drooling from the corner of its mouth. "Kill it!" Doctor Blume screams as the Mouse tears his latest assistant a new orifice.
Ace_of_time 03-15-08, 10:15 AM	It was an old cartoon. About two lab mice that rtied to take over the world. The stupid one was call pinky and the smart one was called brain. Guess nobody else watch it.
taradusis 03-15-08, 10:25 AM	I was thinking of Libris Mortis. I actually own Pinky and the Brain Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. It's a good source of wacky take over the world plots,can't have too many of those.
Argo 03-15-08, 12:18 PM	What do you want to do tonight, Brain?
ChaosWolf1982 03-15-08, 12:52 PM	"Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky?" "Oi fink so Brain, but then the Gelatinous Cubes would be cherry-flavored, wouldn't they?"
anshar 03-15-08, 01:47 PM	Ambitious rodents aside, I once hid a brain-in-a-jar in plain sight. It was in a room full of other, mundane pickled... samples. I gave the PCs a clue by having one of the samples (a severed hand aka a crawling claw) crawl out of it's jar and attack them. They eventually figured it out. LOL!
taradusis 03-15-08, 10:14 PM	Some brainstorming.Suppose the fluid in a BIAJ(gonna contract brain in a jar) needed to be refreshed with new brain fluid occasionally? A human's brain fluid lasts one year,a half-elves lasts 4 years and an elves lasts for 10 years. This would lead to elves being murdered for their brain fluid,if the BIAJ was messy about disposing the bodies the way some serial killers are this could lead to an investigation by the Elves?Suppose a BIAJ could have additional eyes grafted onto it's brainstem? This would probably grant wrap-around vision? Now,we wouldn't want to re-invent the Beholder but suppose each eye acted as a foci for a psionic power? Suppose the brain was able to cast clerical spells like animate dead thru eyes? In the movie Young Frankenstein Igor is supposed to fetch the brain of a philanthropist but drops it and has to settle for an AB-normal brain instead. Suppose a saintly cleric was dying from old age and a necromancer decided to rescue his mind for posterity? If his god allowed him to retain his alignment and powers he could be a force for good? If he is opposing evil council members his bizarre appearence could lead to PCs being given a false impression of him?Just some thoughts,hope they help.