Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fithero 11-09-05, 03:58 AM	Ok guys, im not sure if this should even be going here... but i come here the most and this is where the most creative people come (oh dont deny it :P) Basically what im trying to do is develop the back story of certain enemies that i will be using in my game. But a little history on the game first- The game will take place entirely in one location, a castle. Basically this castle was built over the ruins of another castle that was destoryed in the last great war (havent thought of any names yet, but basically the old castle belonged to another kingdom, and the current castles owners destroyed the old one and built there own) Now the owner of the last castle was a king (baron, lord or whatever) who was imfamous for torturing and killing people on the slightest whim. He had numerous forms of execution and often tortured many people to death just to see if that form of torture was effective.... ie: this guy was not nice. Anyway he is gone now so its not a big deal, or so people though. The party will play a team of soldiers (gestalt... of any class combination or race) that is being sent into the castle to try and retrieve the royal family. Everybody has gone missing... and wierd creatures are running all over the place. So this is what im needing help with- developing the stories of these creatures, each of them is based on a form of torture or execution (anybody who has had the please of playig Torque in The Suffering will know where im comming from) Here we go- ill put the name first, then their description/ way they died, then finally what attacks they would use. Drowned = People who were trapped underwater/constantly dripping wet (in the sewers or something) and made to suffocate = some sort of water spray (decanter of endless water) or they stink (from the sewers) Hung = people who were hung/ broken neck with a noose on = rope acts as a spiked chain (left their hands unbound so they would reach up and cut their hands when they tried to save themselves) Beheaded = head cut off by axe/ carry around thier head and a massive axe = these guys wield a great axe 1 handed and im thinking their heads will sceam or something Hung, Drawn and Quartered = as the name implies/ stretched arms and legs, intestines hanging out, rope around neck = These guys will probably be the toughest, the long limbs make them faster than normal with a longer reach (10ft reach), the guts can grapple opponents and the rope can trip them. Iron Maiden = put in an iron maiden/ body is pale and full of holes = some sort of blood draining attack, possibly a bite attack from each hand or something, anyway, the blood pours out of their many holes immediately. Scalple (spelling?) = people who were just cut up enough to kill them/ right index finger is a long blade and body is full of cuts = these guys would be nimble and quick, just slash their opponents Jaw breaker = people with head gear on to break their jaws/ all this head gear on with their jaws dangling open = the head gear would give them a bite attack for a large amount of damage. Eaten by rats = people who had a box on their stomach and a rat ate through their stomach = these guys would just walk around spewing forth swarms of rats Buried alive = people who were buried alive/ dirty covered and ant/worm ridden = im thinking wounds cause by their attacks wouldnt heal without magic Burnt alive = people who were burnt alive at the stake/ covered in flames, arms tied to a pole behind their backs = fly around wailing and casting fire spells They are basically all i have thought of These guys are based on forms of torture/execution so what im asking of ya'll is if you know of any other forms of torture/execution that would make intestesting enemies. Also, if i could grab some help on writing some sort of background on each of these guys. Their wont be just 1 of each, they will come at the players in massive groups so i need some sort of story that i can give to the bards (ie: the ledgend that the old duke drowned people for being thieves OR that he put people who commited adultery in the iron maiden) basically im just looking for help on the story side of things for these guys. Sorry if this is in the wrong place, just bump it over to where is should be. Chier for you help in advance. Later
Akamura-san 11-09-05, 11:42 AM	why wizards didnt include these in the libris mortes or heros of horor i will neve know. great job by the way exelent ideas
Morka 11-09-05, 02:00 PM	For the ones burried alive, perhaps could you use some kind of Worm-that-walks from Epic Handbook (also in SRD), just remove the spellcasting and scale down the special attacks. These peoples could have been sorcerers suspected of practicing necromancy; since they are already dead, the BBEG didn't need to kill them again. Paradoxally, they will be the only one to not be undeads, but aberrations. For the ones burned alive, you could use a Blazing Bones (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/view_c.php?CreatureID=386), or a Cinderella from this site (http://www.thebeastmaster.cjb.net/) (I'm not sure of this site, my firewall block me.) Don't forget the two most common kind of execution: Impaling and Crucifixion. You might want to stay away from true Crucifixion for religion reasons, just have the people be hung by the hands long enough to suffocate; the nails in the hands was just decoration... Also, don't forget people who were scalped, some native american did to white men. Or people who were cooked alive: they were put in large pot full of water, with the head outside to make sure they didn't drown, and it was put on the fire for the night. Beheading people is considered to be less barbarian. At least, when the cut is neat. Here are some other ideas: poison injection, wild animals (constrictor snakes would make their victim suffocate before swallowing them, some other monster would directly swallow them whole, wolves and tigers would cause all kind of wounds).
Fithero 11-09-05, 07:17 PM	Chiers guys, i was kinda considering making them all aberrations... im not sure of the actual idea behind them. Maybe the horror of the place kinda... i dunno... created its own creatures or something like that.... brought them to life or something. Im just a bit unsure about using undead for all of them... and it kinda would be a neat to have the players *think* their undead.... use turn undead to no effect... and get axed :P Anyway, i like the idea of the whole impaling thing... im just a bit unsure on how to impliment it... perhaps they shoot massive stakes out of their guts or something, mobile artillery. Chiers again guys. Later
Taeldrin Laesrash 11-09-05, 07:27 PM	For some really nasty torture, look up the Spanish Inquisition. I can't say more.
Flaming Axe 11-09-05, 09:52 PM	Electrical torture could be a possibility, have the creatures attack with bolts of lighting, stunning, etc. Ever thought about the Drider, You could say they were hired to torture the prisoners and now found the thrill of fear to much to leave; now they wonder the hall looking for the next victim. For the Buried Alive, you could use the Swarm Shifter template from Libris Mortis, one minute fighting a warrior, next fighting a swarm of ants that were the cause of the poor soul’s death. The Drowned Undead from Monster Manual Three would be good for, well the drowned. Hope this could help. (Don’t mind the horrible grammar and spelling)
Arkonth 11-09-05, 11:04 PM	More unusal forms of torture and monster ideas. Force-fed: Obeese horrible creatures with maybe a spewing acid breath weapon, probably really high hit points and generally hard to kill. Persian boat torture: This requires some explanation. A person was placed inside a boat and another boat was placed on top, the two boats lashed to gether, leaving only the person's head hanging out of the boat. /boat\@ @=head \boat/ The person was fed and given water. Their body slowly rotted away from exposure to their own waste products. Anyway, you could play this as a sort of juggernaut with a crush attack (if the person is still inside the boats), or maybe a disease ridden corpse, with a mummy rot like attack (if outside of the boats).
Fithero 11-10-05, 08:15 AM	I like the idea of the Force-fed... could be a little nasty. An interesting thought for the big bad guy... im thinking that he has actually tried alot of the torture methods on himself (cant really know/master pain unless he has endured it himself) so like.... he will be *really* messed up... physically AND mentally. He is going to be one hell of a boss... especially since, like the pc's, he will be a gestalt character. Anyway, thanks for the ideas guys, great work. Later