Lucan Dead, now what? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Lucan Dead, now what? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
James Cosper
01-08-05, 06:43 PM Whispers of the Vampire's Blade spoilers ahead:

Nathan Hanes, do not read further.

Okay, I am the DM and need some advice. The party destroyed Lucan and are now stuck transporting the Soulblade back to Sharn without a safe way to carry it.

Though the mission was to capture Lucan and the 'Blade the paladin of the Silver Flame hit him with a combined lay on hands/smite evil/Silver Smite. I thought this was Positive Energy damage and Sacred damage and would destroy as if by a turn attempt rather than turning it to gas. Was that right? In hindsight I think it was probably a mistake.

So, as soon as he is destroyed the Evoker picks up the sword and loses the Ego match. The rogue/Dragonmark Heir of Orien disarmed him and took the sword, also failing his save, but had used his Dimension Leap and Dimension Door powers for the day. The Soulblade Confused most of the party while the Evoker tried to kill the rogue to get it back (we were all picturing the One Ring's lust here).

After it was all resolved they were left with the Paladin bleeding out and everyone refusing to heal him since the Evoker bluffed that he was possessed too, the Evoker at 1 hp, and the rogue unconscious with the sword at -7. As soon as he wakes up he is going to Dimension Door out of there if he still has the sword.

Can the sword's domination only affect characters possessing it? Once they lose the sword are they free or are they still dominated for 24 hours or they get another save? Can the sword dominate more than one person at a time? Since it could control a vampire while in Glove of Storing it seems normal "immune to mind-affecting effects" powers like Protection from Evil wouldn't work.
WilliamPall
01-09-05, 10:03 AM Well, I dunno if it'll help . . . but I'll tell you how it went down with my group.

After Lucan died (Searing Light from the Warforged Cleric), No one wanted to touch the sword because of the cryptic words that Lucan said before the final battle "You think you can control it?!" But they knew that they needed to get the sword back to Sharn.

So the Monk grabs and puts on the glove of storing, picks up the sword, and wins the Ego contest. So even though the sword lost it's possession attempt and the monk is safe for 24 hours, the sword is still intelligent and so it asks "Who are you to pick me up?" The monk, now very scared activates the glove, rips it off and tosses it into the hewards haverstack they got in SotLW.

I ruled that since 1) the sword is in stasis in the glove, and 2) the glove is in an extra dimensional space of the haversack, the party is safe from it's influence until they get back to Sharn.

The only problem I'm having is they decided not to go back to sharn immediately. But instead decided to chase down the Warforged that attacked the Lightning Rail and kidnapped one of their NPC companions.
DolArrah
01-09-05, 11:26 AM Well . . . I would say for you to transport it back, let the Evoker try to make the Ego save 1/day. Then the paladin and the rogue can take it from him if he fails. Also, what level are you? And doesn't the healing ability count as a standard action, which would be hard for a paladin to accomplish at the (hopefully) low level. Or, why don't you just have the evoker scribe a summon monser spell into his spellbook, since he is a wizard, right?, and then have the creature carry it. Now, if he can't cast conjuration spells, have him levitate the blade. Or you could just mug the Evoker if he fails the save and carry him the whole way :evillaugh lol!!

Peace,
Dol Arrah
Golbez57
01-09-05, 12:12 PM There's been criticism before about the seeming discrepancy in Lucan's immunity to mind-affecting powers as a vampire, and the Soul Blade's influence over him. I'm probably in the minority in this, but to me, D & D is a storytelling experience first and a system of gaming rules second. Whatever would be most enjoyable to you and your players... go with it.

If all of you are okay with internal conflict, then it could be fun to have a series of epic struggles with the pull the sword has on all of them.

If that'll just bog things down, then wait for one of them to resist the power of the Soul Blade, and stop its influence over all of them then until they return to Sharn--or, of course, some suitably dramatic moment.
James Cosper
01-09-05, 12:26 PM Thanks for your replies.

I thought that the Ego of intelligent items bypassed the Lucan's immunity since the DMG doesn't say that it is a mind influencing effect. Likewise, "possesson" of the item seems to include being in stasis.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
James Cosper 01-08-05, 06:43 PM	Whispers of the Vampire's Blade spoilers ahead: Nathan Hanes, do not read further. Okay, I am the DM and need some advice. The party destroyed Lucan and are now stuck transporting the Soulblade back to Sharn without a safe way to carry it. Though the mission was to capture Lucan and the 'Blade the paladin of the Silver Flame hit him with a combined lay on hands/smite evil/Silver Smite. I thought this was Positive Energy damage and Sacred damage and would destroy as if by a turn attempt rather than turning it to gas. Was that right? In hindsight I think it was probably a mistake. So, as soon as he is destroyed the Evoker picks up the sword and loses the Ego match. The rogue/Dragonmark Heir of Orien disarmed him and took the sword, also failing his save, but had used his Dimension Leap and Dimension Door powers for the day. The Soulblade Confused most of the party while the Evoker tried to kill the rogue to get it back (we were all picturing the One Ring's lust here). After it was all resolved they were left with the Paladin bleeding out and everyone refusing to heal him since the Evoker bluffed that he was possessed too, the Evoker at 1 hp, and the rogue unconscious with the sword at -7. As soon as he wakes up he is going to Dimension Door out of there if he still has the sword. Can the sword's domination only affect characters possessing it? Once they lose the sword are they free or are they still dominated for 24 hours or they get another save? Can the sword dominate more than one person at a time? Since it could control a vampire while in Glove of Storing it seems normal "immune to mind-affecting effects" powers like Protection from Evil wouldn't work.
WilliamPall 01-09-05, 10:03 AM	Well, I dunno if it'll help . . . but I'll tell you how it went down with my group. After Lucan died (Searing Light from the Warforged Cleric), No one wanted to touch the sword because of the cryptic words that Lucan said before the final battle "You think you can control it?!" But they knew that they needed to get the sword back to Sharn. So the Monk grabs and puts on the glove of storing, picks up the sword, and wins the Ego contest. So even though the sword lost it's possession attempt and the monk is safe for 24 hours, the sword is still intelligent and so it asks "Who are you to pick me up?" The monk, now very scared activates the glove, rips it off and tosses it into the hewards haverstack they got in SotLW. I ruled that since 1) the sword is in stasis in the glove, and 2) the glove is in an extra dimensional space of the haversack, the party is safe from it's influence until they get back to Sharn. The only problem I'm having is they decided not to go back to sharn immediately. But instead decided to chase down the Warforged that attacked the Lightning Rail and kidnapped one of their NPC companions.
DolArrah 01-09-05, 11:26 AM	Well . . . I would say for you to transport it back, let the Evoker try to make the Ego save 1/day. Then the paladin and the rogue can take it from him if he fails. Also, what level are you? And doesn't the healing ability count as a standard action, which would be hard for a paladin to accomplish at the (hopefully) low level. Or, why don't you just have the evoker scribe a summon monser spell into his spellbook, since he is a wizard, right?, and then have the creature carry it. Now, if he can't cast conjuration spells, have him levitate the blade. Or you could just mug the Evoker if he fails the save and carry him the whole way :evillaugh lol!! Peace, Dol Arrah
Golbez57 01-09-05, 12:12 PM	There's been criticism before about the seeming discrepancy in Lucan's immunity to mind-affecting powers as a vampire, and the Soul Blade's influence over him. I'm probably in the minority in this, but to me, D & D is a storytelling experience first and a system of gaming rules second. Whatever would be most enjoyable to you and your players... go with it. If all of you are okay with internal conflict, then it could be fun to have a series of epic struggles with the pull the sword has on all of them. If that'll just bog things down, then wait for one of them to resist the power of the Soul Blade, and stop its influence over all of them then until they return to Sharn--or, of course, some suitably dramatic moment.
James Cosper 01-09-05, 12:26 PM	Thanks for your replies. I thought that the Ego of intelligent items bypassed the Lucan's immunity since the DMG doesn't say that it is a mind influencing effect. Likewise, "possesson" of the item seems to include being in stasis.