Help with machine [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help with machine [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
gurullamen
06-11-06, 05:10 PM A while back I was DMing a one shot which turned into a campaign. In the campaign, I had the PCs attempt to "retrieve" an unknown (even to me at the time) wondrous item from a known lich. Everything went great, even though the party ended up siding with the lich and running away from their original employer with the item. Towards the end of the session, I got a little overly creative and, because one of the party members had died, I revealed the machine had the power to limitedly produce good-aligned undead and that the lich was a good lich whose soul was infused with a paladin who'd helped "redeem" him. After all of this, the party wanted me to continue on and, because I had just fallen in love with the Eberron setting, agreed to do it. So, the question is this: How do I reconcile this artifact with Eberron? Since I have continued the campaign, I have learned about no less than four groups who would want this thing and have no problem overpowering the PCs to get it (Blood of Vol and Vol herself, Emerald Claw, Valenar, most probably the dragons, etc. etc.) Is there anyway to keep this artifact in the game and keep Eberron Eberron-ny? If so, is there any concievable way I could slowly weave everyone's desires into a very large and explosive finale? Any and all help with this would be appreciated.
Sereno
06-12-06, 08:34 AM OK ... first off, your Eldritch Machine is already perfectly Eberron-y. So, no need to worry, there.

The machine just creates good aligned undead, right?

Why would dragons want it? Even the Chamber dragons aren't going to get involved in something this "benign" unless it affects the Prophesy in some way.

The Valenar wouldn't give two hoots for it ... they're not about the undead, at all. Maybe Aerenal elves would care ... but they'd first have to learn about it and that's not likely.

Vol/BoV/EC are the most likely to be interested in this device as it would help them spread their cause, "undeath for all," and it would even give them an edge with groups like the CotSF ("see, they're not even Evil!!").

But, you don't have to have them send in their heaviest hitters to get this device. They'll work through their networks of minions and send different teams of thieves and assassins to recover the item. Vol herself would NOT show up just to retrieve an item ... too much risk of exposing the truth of her existance!

You could get the PCs caught in the middle of it by having a group of CotSF paladins trying to recover the device so that it stays in the hands of someone good. At the same time various factions of the EC are going after the device to bring it somewhere safe and start churning out good undead.

The PCs can side with the CotSF, try to keep the item for themselves, or side with the EC (depending on how they feel). Throw in a couple of teams from Kaarnath (looking to boost their ranks with good undead, too) and you'll have plenty of plot hooks swirling around. :)
gurullamen
06-12-06, 05:54 PM I was afraid I'd misspoken/-typed there. I meant the Aerenal, not the Valenar.

Anyway, I find it hard to believe such a machine would not affect The Prophecy in anyway- at least from some dragons' points of view. Eberron is so thoroughly entrenched in dealing with Undead related things that something like this is bound to perk their interests.

Thanks for your help- it never occurred to me that the PCs would ever actually want to side with one of these factions. I just assumed they would go in "guns blazing" and completely forgot about diplomacy. Then again, it is a time of mistrust...I'll mull diplomacy over a bit first.
Kreistor1
06-12-06, 10:27 PM The Prophecy is yours to write, so it may affect it or may not at your option.

You need the machine to work for the PC's once. So, let's say it has a charge. It gets expended and now it needs to be recharged. Despite the positive end result, recharging the device could require heinous acts. Now, some of the enemies you speak of would be perfectly willing to do so, but the good guys would not see teh end justifying the means. This gives the PC's aid. If they want to get rid of it, the Silver Flame is the perfect candidate. They've got a nation of good guys and resources interested in not seeing something like that get out there.

So, they use it, restore their PC, and just have to pick the right ally to protect it, since they may not be able to. Just because others want it, that doesn't mean that the PC's have to keep it. Besides a device like that is not soemthing you want the party to retain long term anyway.
Errant
06-13-06, 01:36 AM I think it would depend on how much had been revealed so far.

Do the PCs know that/how the lich was infused with the paladin's soul? Is the lich really good, or does he just appear that way? Have the PCs used the artifact/engine yet? What kind of good-aligned undead does it produce?

If you want to be consistent with whats already happened in your campaign, some more description of what has happened and what the PCs "know" vs what they "think" might help.

If the good-aligned undead are just animated by positive energy (like the Aerenal undying) perhaps the engine was originally made (or found) by them centuries ago, a product of (or inspiration for) their first research into undying magics. Maybe it was a failed device they thought they had destroyed because it was prone to unfortunate/unpredictable side effects.

If its portable and dangerous enough, perhaps the PCs will need to destroy it themselves. That could lead them to some remote/interesting location, a minifest zone perhaps, and a confrontation with the zone's inhabitants and/or other parties who want to save the device for their own purposes.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
gurullamen 06-11-06, 05:10 PM	A while back I was DMing a one shot which turned into a campaign. In the campaign, I had the PCs attempt to "retrieve" an unknown (even to me at the time) wondrous item from a known lich. Everything went great, even though the party ended up siding with the lich and running away from their original employer with the item. Towards the end of the session, I got a little overly creative and, because one of the party members had died, I revealed the machine had the power to limitedly produce good-aligned undead and that the lich was a good lich whose soul was infused with a paladin who'd helped "redeem" him. After all of this, the party wanted me to continue on and, because I had just fallen in love with the Eberron setting, agreed to do it. So, the question is this: How do I reconcile this artifact with Eberron? Since I have continued the campaign, I have learned about no less than four groups who would want this thing and have no problem overpowering the PCs to get it (Blood of Vol and Vol herself, Emerald Claw, Valenar, most probably the dragons, etc. etc.) Is there anyway to keep this artifact in the game and keep Eberron Eberron-ny? If so, is there any concievable way I could slowly weave everyone's desires into a very large and explosive finale? Any and all help with this would be appreciated.
Sereno 06-12-06, 08:34 AM	OK ... first off, your Eldritch Machine is already perfectly Eberron-y. So, no need to worry, there. The machine just creates good aligned undead, right? Why would dragons want it? Even the Chamber dragons aren't going to get involved in something this "benign" unless it affects the Prophesy in some way. The Valenar wouldn't give two hoots for it ... they're not about the undead, at all. Maybe Aerenal elves would care ... but they'd first have to learn about it and that's not likely. Vol/BoV/EC are the most likely to be interested in this device as it would help them spread their cause, "undeath for all," and it would even give them an edge with groups like the CotSF ("see, they're not even Evil!!"). But, you don't have to have them send in their heaviest hitters to get this device. They'll work through their networks of minions and send different teams of thieves and assassins to recover the item. Vol herself would NOT show up just to retrieve an item ... too much risk of exposing the truth of her existance! You could get the PCs caught in the middle of it by having a group of CotSF paladins trying to recover the device so that it stays in the hands of someone good. At the same time various factions of the EC are going after the device to bring it somewhere safe and start churning out good undead. The PCs can side with the CotSF, try to keep the item for themselves, or side with the EC (depending on how they feel). Throw in a couple of teams from Kaarnath (looking to boost their ranks with good undead, too) and you'll have plenty of plot hooks swirling around. :)
gurullamen 06-12-06, 05:54 PM	I was afraid I'd misspoken/-typed there. I meant the Aerenal, not the Valenar. Anyway, I find it hard to believe such a machine would not affect The Prophecy in anyway- at least from some dragons' points of view. Eberron is so thoroughly entrenched in dealing with Undead related things that something like this is bound to perk their interests. Thanks for your help- it never occurred to me that the PCs would ever actually want to side with one of these factions. I just assumed they would go in "guns blazing" and completely forgot about diplomacy. Then again, it is a time of mistrust...I'll mull diplomacy over a bit first.
Kreistor1 06-12-06, 10:27 PM	The Prophecy is yours to write, so it may affect it or may not at your option. You need the machine to work for the PC's once. So, let's say it has a charge. It gets expended and now it needs to be recharged. Despite the positive end result, recharging the device could require heinous acts. Now, some of the enemies you speak of would be perfectly willing to do so, but the good guys would not see teh end justifying the means. This gives the PC's aid. If they want to get rid of it, the Silver Flame is the perfect candidate. They've got a nation of good guys and resources interested in not seeing something like that get out there. So, they use it, restore their PC, and just have to pick the right ally to protect it, since they may not be able to. Just because others want it, that doesn't mean that the PC's have to keep it. Besides a device like that is not soemthing you want the party to retain long term anyway.
Errant 06-13-06, 01:36 AM	I think it would depend on how much had been revealed so far. Do the PCs know that/how the lich was infused with the paladin's soul? Is the lich really good, or does he just appear that way? Have the PCs used the artifact/engine yet? What kind of good-aligned undead does it produce? If you want to be consistent with whats already happened in your campaign, some more description of what has happened and what the PCs "know" vs what they "think" might help. If the good-aligned undead are just animated by positive energy (like the Aerenal undying) perhaps the engine was originally made (or found) by them centuries ago, a product of (or inspiration for) their first research into undying magics. Maybe it was a failed device they thought they had destroyed because it was prone to unfortunate/unpredictable side effects. If its portable and dangerous enough, perhaps the PCs will need to destroy it themselves. That could lead them to some remote/interesting location, a minifest zone perhaps, and a confrontation with the zone's inhabitants and/or other parties who want to save the device for their own purposes.