Campaign with forgotten magic [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign with forgotten magic [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
fighter_mcwarrior
08-25-07, 08:51 PM Hi...I'm creating a game in the Forgotten Realms where the PCs are working for an organization called The Order of Forgotten Mysteries. Over the course of the game, they discover a civilization that was destroyed by one of its own creations (the Maruspawn Abomination from Sandstorm). This civilization developped its own brand of magic separate from arcane magic that used an energy source from an inner plane that is now no longer attached to the material plane and can only be accessed by epic magic. This plane happens to be the place where the abomination is imprisoned.

Anyway, the PCs end up learning how to properly use this ancient magic by travelling to long-forgotten libraries in Zakhara, Matzica, and a former Netherese ruin (and possibly even someplace accessable only through a spelljammer). By using this magic, however, they end up weakening the magic which imprisons the abomination. It gets loose on the material plane and the PCs have to stop it.

The PCs learn about some of this stuff early on because an NPC unwittingly teleports them to the energy plane and they run into the remaining survivor of the cataclysm. I have developped the story up to this point, and I need some help coming up with additional content to keep the players interested.

Suggestions?
DavyJones
08-26-07, 12:27 AM Provided they have access to forgotten tomes and libraries they could learn occult or forgotten spells that no one knows anymore. Those could be of your design, nad could be specifically designed to stop a specific threat.

Better yet, you could give them this, sort of ritual-ish spell/incantations. Spells of your own design with no spell level, and no limit per day. But with costs like hit-points, ability damage. Like fireball for example, but doing it you have to pay 1d6 Con damage.

That way the spells are kinda like rituals, are balanced because PC will use them carefully as they have to pay strong cost to use them, and they can learn them in those old libraries.
fighter_mcwarrior
08-26-07, 09:02 AM I was thinking about that idea of giving the spells backlash. I had one really nasty attack spell that did base 2d12 damage and could be augmented based on character level, but you take half of that as backlash and you start bleeding. Perfect for fighter types, not so much for wizards.
Delfedd
08-26-07, 10:26 AM Here is a better backlash.

Aging.

The players laugh it off at first, but then they start noticing the grey hairs. If they don't reign it in, eventually they will be far older than their true age.

Yes, this is taken from many literature sources, including Stardust.

Perhaps the forgotten energy could be truenaming?
Bloodlust_the_Bold
08-31-07, 08:28 AM Maybe you could look at other books for a really different type of magic ... your backstory would be a great way to use and introduce incarnum or even shadow magic from tome of magic. You could also make the magic like psionics and give you a limited number of power points. For an even more mysterious source you can play it like warlocks where they can use it unlimited number of times but very few spells and is tied to their heritage.

Another possibility is tying the magic to particular element, like the last avatar and making them fire-benderish, earth-benderish etc.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
fighter_mcwarrior 08-25-07, 08:51 PM	Hi...I'm creating a game in the Forgotten Realms where the PCs are working for an organization called The Order of Forgotten Mysteries. Over the course of the game, they discover a civilization that was destroyed by one of its own creations (the Maruspawn Abomination from Sandstorm). This civilization developped its own brand of magic separate from arcane magic that used an energy source from an inner plane that is now no longer attached to the material plane and can only be accessed by epic magic. This plane happens to be the place where the abomination is imprisoned. Anyway, the PCs end up learning how to properly use this ancient magic by travelling to long-forgotten libraries in Zakhara, Matzica, and a former Netherese ruin (and possibly even someplace accessable only through a spelljammer). By using this magic, however, they end up weakening the magic which imprisons the abomination. It gets loose on the material plane and the PCs have to stop it. The PCs learn about some of this stuff early on because an NPC unwittingly teleports them to the energy plane and they run into the remaining survivor of the cataclysm. I have developped the story up to this point, and I need some help coming up with additional content to keep the players interested. Suggestions?
DavyJones 08-26-07, 12:27 AM	Provided they have access to forgotten tomes and libraries they could learn occult or forgotten spells that no one knows anymore. Those could be of your design, nad could be specifically designed to stop a specific threat. Better yet, you could give them this, sort of ritual-ish spell/incantations. Spells of your own design with no spell level, and no limit per day. But with costs like hit-points, ability damage. Like fireball for example, but doing it you have to pay 1d6 Con damage. That way the spells are kinda like rituals, are balanced because PC will use them carefully as they have to pay strong cost to use them, and they can learn them in those old libraries.
fighter_mcwarrior 08-26-07, 09:02 AM	I was thinking about that idea of giving the spells backlash. I had one really nasty attack spell that did base 2d12 damage and could be augmented based on character level, but you take half of that as backlash and you start bleeding. Perfect for fighter types, not so much for wizards.
Delfedd 08-26-07, 10:26 AM	Here is a better backlash. Aging. The players laugh it off at first, but then they start noticing the grey hairs. If they don't reign it in, eventually they will be far older than their true age. Yes, this is taken from many literature sources, including Stardust. Perhaps the forgotten energy could be truenaming?
Bloodlust_the_Bold 08-31-07, 08:28 AM	Maybe you could look at other books for a really different type of magic ... your backstory would be a great way to use and introduce incarnum or even shadow magic from tome of magic. You could also make the magic like psionics and give you a limited number of power points. For an even more mysterious source you can play it like warlocks where they can use it unlimited number of times but very few spells and is tied to their heritage. Another possibility is tying the magic to particular element, like the last avatar and making them fire-benderish, earth-benderish etc.