Alternate take on Taint [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternate take on Taint [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
OmiKapSi
02-10-05, 02:02 PM Inspired by the Taint in oriental adventures, and vaguely reminiscent of the taint outlined in UA, here's my campaign specific version.

Fluffy bits:
A being of near deity status has created a method to convert individiuals to worship it against their will. Known as Ceraphion, it is a relative newcomer to the setting.
This method is the Taint. Similar to a disease, and closely linked to psionics, it is a bane to those who aren't loyal to Ceraphion, and a boon to those that are.
Ceraphion is the deity who has brought the power of psionics to the setting, but with psionics it brought its taint.

Acquiring Taint
Any creature who uses psionic power (not all psionicists pay allegience to Ceraphion) can increase the effectiveness of their powers by acquiring taint. In addition, any creature targeted by psionic powers may acquire taint to mitigate or ignore the psionic energy.
Also, any creature with taint can use that taint to acheive moments of great power. Doing so causes ones taint to increase.
Finally, those who are exposed to psionics regularly have a chance to acquire taint involuntarily.

Taints effects
Those that are afflicted by taint find that it affects their ability to operate on a day to day basis. It is never directly life threatening, but it can prevent one from performing ones trade. On any given day, Ceraphion determines a set of activities. Any who are under the influence of taint receive intense agony while performing these activities. On one day it may be recalling knowledge learned, on another it may be performing ones craft, on another it may be telling a lie. One can stave off the effects of ones taint by allowing it to increase.
Any creature with taint is also invested with a psionic power. If this power is ever used voluntarily, the taint of the creature increases. This power is manifested against the creatures will if the creature ever engages in a forbidden activity. The creature may determine the target, but if they don't, it manifests against the nearest legitimate subject.

Removing Taint
Taint generally increases rapidly after it is initially acquired. The higher it is, the more stable it becomes, and the greater its effects. Taint can be reduced to a very minimal level, but it's extremely difficult to keep it down. If it is reduced to the minimum, very powerful magics can remove the last vestige.

If a creature with taint dies, the body rises in one to four hours as a zombie fo the appropriate size. In addition to the normal zombie template, it is treated as a psionic creature with a single psionic power useable at will. This psionic power is the same as the power that the creature had when it died. The zombie has a single purpose, to get to the shadowlands. Once there it is typically absorbed into Ceraphions army of undead.

Finally, any creature who is afflicted by taint who succombs to it and swears allegience to Ceraphion is never penalized again. However, doing so means that at any point Ceraphion can (and probably will) exert its will over its new subject, likely forcing it to spread the taint further.

Ceraphion is closely allied with the drow and duergar, although they are violently opposed to each other, and each is under the impression that Ceraphion favors them. As a result, both drow and duergar have become strongly psionic races (psionic powers replacing the drow standard array of magic abilities).

Note that those who use psionic powers can go their entire lives without acquiring taint, but they have a chance to inadvertantly inflict it on others.
There is only one way to acquire taint involuntarily, which is to be subjected to hostile psionic energy. Even then, the chance of acquiring it is small.

Crunchy bits will follow if they seem warranted.

My goals: Taint is loathed, and considered equivalent to leprosy in midieval times. Psionics are disliked intenesely, depending on region and use, and many have a superstitious fear of them. However, knowledgeable people can use them without penalty.

Any comments or suggestions?
OmiKapSi
02-25-05, 04:19 PM 37 readers struck dumb by my brilliance. I figure that's recommendation in of itself that the system is perfect. :p
OmiKapSi
03-15-05, 09:19 PM Ok, that was sarcasm. I'm looking for feedback. I'm not trying to establish some sort of views : replies record here.
Hello?
:bump:
Ricky
03-16-05, 09:19 AM Since you've been very polite to me in the past (even though we disagreed on some topic), I'll throw my hat in.

From your description, taint doesn't quite "feel" like leprosy to me. It feels more like the Dark Side of the Force. Psions can tap into the taint, but they become more associated with Evil Stuff (tm). This would be especially effective if taint carried with it some physical mark, such as a change in skin or eye color, or maybe an alteration of the voice. In other words, nothing that has any game mechanics associated with it, and could be hidden with some difficulty, but reveals the character as tainted.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
OmiKapSi 02-10-05, 02:02 PM	Inspired by the Taint in oriental adventures, and vaguely reminiscent of the taint outlined in UA, here's my campaign specific version. Fluffy bits: A being of near deity status has created a method to convert individiuals to worship it against their will. Known as Ceraphion, it is a relative newcomer to the setting. This method is the Taint. Similar to a disease, and closely linked to psionics, it is a bane to those who aren't loyal to Ceraphion, and a boon to those that are. Ceraphion is the deity who has brought the power of psionics to the setting, but with psionics it brought its taint. Acquiring Taint Any creature who uses psionic power (not all psionicists pay allegience to Ceraphion) can increase the effectiveness of their powers by acquiring taint. In addition, any creature targeted by psionic powers may acquire taint to mitigate or ignore the psionic energy. Also, any creature with taint can use that taint to acheive moments of great power. Doing so causes ones taint to increase. Finally, those who are exposed to psionics regularly have a chance to acquire taint involuntarily. Taints effects Those that are afflicted by taint find that it affects their ability to operate on a day to day basis. It is never directly life threatening, but it can prevent one from performing ones trade. On any given day, Ceraphion determines a set of activities. Any who are under the influence of taint receive intense agony while performing these activities. On one day it may be recalling knowledge learned, on another it may be performing ones craft, on another it may be telling a lie. One can stave off the effects of ones taint by allowing it to increase. Any creature with taint is also invested with a psionic power. If this power is ever used voluntarily, the taint of the creature increases. This power is manifested against the creatures will if the creature ever engages in a forbidden activity. The creature may determine the target, but if they don't, it manifests against the nearest legitimate subject. Removing Taint Taint generally increases rapidly after it is initially acquired. The higher it is, the more stable it becomes, and the greater its effects. Taint can be reduced to a very minimal level, but it's extremely difficult to keep it down. If it is reduced to the minimum, very powerful magics can remove the last vestige. If a creature with taint dies, the body rises in one to four hours as a zombie fo the appropriate size. In addition to the normal zombie template, it is treated as a psionic creature with a single psionic power useable at will. This psionic power is the same as the power that the creature had when it died. The zombie has a single purpose, to get to the shadowlands. Once there it is typically absorbed into Ceraphions army of undead. Finally, any creature who is afflicted by taint who succombs to it and swears allegience to Ceraphion is never penalized again. However, doing so means that at any point Ceraphion can (and probably will) exert its will over its new subject, likely forcing it to spread the taint further. Ceraphion is closely allied with the drow and duergar, although they are violently opposed to each other, and each is under the impression that Ceraphion favors them. As a result, both drow and duergar have become strongly psionic races (psionic powers replacing the drow standard array of magic abilities). Note that those who use psionic powers can go their entire lives without acquiring taint, but they have a chance to inadvertantly inflict it on others. There is only one way to acquire taint involuntarily, which is to be subjected to hostile psionic energy. Even then, the chance of acquiring it is small. Crunchy bits will follow if they seem warranted. My goals: Taint is loathed, and considered equivalent to leprosy in midieval times. Psionics are disliked intenesely, depending on region and use, and many have a superstitious fear of them. However, knowledgeable people can use them without penalty. Any comments or suggestions?
OmiKapSi 02-25-05, 04:19 PM	37 readers struck dumb by my brilliance. I figure that's recommendation in of itself that the system is perfect. :p
OmiKapSi 03-15-05, 09:19 PM	Ok, that was sarcasm. I'm looking for feedback. I'm not trying to establish some sort of views : replies record here. Hello? :bump:
Ricky 03-16-05, 09:19 AM	Since you've been very polite to me in the past (even though we disagreed on some topic), I'll throw my hat in. From your description, taint doesn't quite "feel" like leprosy to me. It feels more like the Dark Side of the Force. Psions can tap into the taint, but they become more associated with Evil Stuff (tm). This would be especially effective if taint carried with it some physical mark, such as a change in skin or eye color, or maybe an alteration of the voice. In other words, nothing that has any game mechanics associated with it, and could be hidden with some difficulty, but reveals the character as tainted.