Adventures for a Solo Binder [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adventures for a Solo Binder [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Cyber_Dragon
07-28-07, 07:36 PM Okay first of all I want to make it clear that I'm not looking for advice on solo campagining, my player and I have played many solo games and have always had fun. That being said.

We are about to begin a new campagin, and my player has chosen to play a tiefling binder. Now I'm trying to think of some interesting adventures for this binder to go on. e will be living in a kingdom where binder's are hunted by the church, so he will have to hide his abilities.

He has already expressed intrest in Aym and Ronov as the first vestigs he will focus on.
Talisman
07-29-07, 12:44 AM A number of ideas spring to mind...

Since binders are hunted, he should spend a certain amount of time eluding the authorities, hiding his abilities, and hearing tales about "those evil binders." For maximum effect, have a binder put to the torch and let him watch.

This could lead to either terrorist-style strikes against the anti-binder authorities, or (better, IMHO), an underground binder resistance. The PC could ally with fellow binders, looking for ways to prove their value to society or just acquire the might to make society leave them alone. Sort of a binder's underground railroad.

Make a BBEG binder-hunter, maybe a cleric or paladin with witch slayer levels. He should suspect the PC of being a binder, but not know for sure. Make him a Cotten Mather-type character, hunting down and mercilessly slaying binders. Pop him up now and then, building towards the big showdown.

As counterpart to this, have a binder BBEG; one who really is everything the authorities claim binders are. He consorts with fiends for personal gain, murders farmers because he likes to, and passes bad checks. Consider mking him a binder/arcane caster, and give him anima mage levels. Perhaps he could be related to the PC somehow...if not an actual relative, then a student of the same teacher, business associate of a friend, etc.

Perhaps binding is having some strange effect on the world's magic, and the PC has to find out why and either stop or encourage it. Perhaps wizards think it is, but it's really something else.

Aym's influence could drive the character towards any number of ancient, lost treasures--particularly dwarvan treasures.

Likewise, Ronove's influence could push the PC towards monks and monkish stuff. Maybe a monastary is taught by someone who claims to be a descendant of Ronove's students. Maybe someone claims to be Ronove reincarnated--what are they up to? Maybe the PC gains an inadvertant reputation as a master martial artist, and begins attracting students. What to do--tell them he's a binder ("A binder! Evil!"), play along ("And then you assume the...umm...Ferocious Shrew stance."), or try to get out of it somehow ("Karlan? No, no; my name is Barlan. The guy you want lives...far, far away.")

Good luck!
Cyber_Dragon
07-29-07, 06:57 AM Many thanks Talisman, those are good ideas I can build on. I like the idea of both a With Slayer BBEG and a Binder BBEG. I had already planned to give him a brother who was also a binder but gets burned at the stake early on. Now I'm thinking he might escape his fate and return later to take revenge on the kingdom that tried to murder him. :smirk:

As for the With Slayer BBEG, I'm thinking paladin since my player loaths paladins and would have a great time with one as an enemy.

Any more ideas out there? :help: :help: :help:
Orbb_was_railed_by_God
07-29-07, 07:09 AM You could make the government (nobility) fairly unpopular amongst the people (lower classes), and so when the paladin and his retinue march on into town hunting the PC, people automatically sympathise with the player and give him aid. Not any kind of specific resistance, just a general attitude of "those rich bastards".

This could allow your player to garner a sort of Robin Hood reputation within the world.
Khadmus
07-29-07, 07:51 AM Odd, the first thing I thought of when I read the second post was "join the enemy". Meh.
Cyber_Dragon
07-29-07, 08:46 AM Orbb_was_railed_by_God: The government is acctualy controled by the church, and the church is a Lawful Good one that everyone loves. So that idea wouldn't really work. Also my player isn't the kind of person who would enjoy a robinhood character, he's more likely to go the route of the mercenary or declare war on the church. At best he will end up an anti-hero. Trust me, I know him well :cool:
Sildatorak
07-29-07, 12:02 PM As for the With Slayer BBEG, I'm thinking paladin since my player loaths paladins and would have a great time with one as an enemy.
Shadowbane inquisitor seems like a good PrC option for this BBEG (BBGG?) too.
thugmeister
07-29-07, 06:11 PM Wizards guilds would be another good opponent. Dispel magic is useless vs binder SU abilities, and it isn't amenable to hierarchical controls. Wizard organizations would have no desire to see that kind of power spread. Your church might have some prominent lawful good wizards to help hunt binders.

You haven't stated if this tiefling is going to be evil or good, so that makes other things hard to speculate about. Certain evil religions could easily make common cause with the oppressed binders. If your lawful good religion is intolerant of other faiths, you could easily make a case for non lawful religions (perhaps chaotic good) uniting (even with binders) against a common oppressor.

Your binder might find himself saved from big religion hunters by small religion freedom fighters.

There are also degrees of exploitation and oppression. A mercenary company might find great utility in keeping Binder servants. Malphas for scouting perhaps. Or to bind Buer to heal their troops. No worries about offending or allying with some big religion for such services. Just have someone stand over them while they do their morning binding and you can be sure they won't bind up any surprises (until high enough in level for Rapid Pact making). While they would protect their Binders from being burnt at the stake, they would be exploiting that vulnerability to keep them under control.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Cyber_Dragon 07-28-07, 07:36 PM	Okay first of all I want to make it clear that I'm not looking for advice on solo campagining, my player and I have played many solo games and have always had fun. That being said. We are about to begin a new campagin, and my player has chosen to play a tiefling binder. Now I'm trying to think of some interesting adventures for this binder to go on. e will be living in a kingdom where binder's are hunted by the church, so he will have to hide his abilities. He has already expressed intrest in Aym and Ronov as the first vestigs he will focus on.
Talisman 07-29-07, 12:44 AM	A number of ideas spring to mind... Since binders are hunted, he should spend a certain amount of time eluding the authorities, hiding his abilities, and hearing tales about "those evil binders." For maximum effect, have a binder put to the torch and let him watch. This could lead to either terrorist-style strikes against the anti-binder authorities, or (better, IMHO), an underground binder resistance. The PC could ally with fellow binders, looking for ways to prove their value to society or just acquire the might to make society leave them alone. Sort of a binder's underground railroad. Make a BBEG binder-hunter, maybe a cleric or paladin with witch slayer levels. He should suspect the PC of being a binder, but not know for sure. Make him a Cotten Mather-type character, hunting down and mercilessly slaying binders. Pop him up now and then, building towards the big showdown. As counterpart to this, have a binder BBEG; one who really is everything the authorities claim binders are. He consorts with fiends for personal gain, murders farmers because he likes to, and passes bad checks. Consider mking him a binder/arcane caster, and give him anima mage levels. Perhaps he could be related to the PC somehow...if not an actual relative, then a student of the same teacher, business associate of a friend, etc. Perhaps binding is having some strange effect on the world's magic, and the PC has to find out why and either stop or encourage it. Perhaps wizards think it is, but it's really something else. Aym's influence could drive the character towards any number of ancient, lost treasures--particularly dwarvan treasures. Likewise, Ronove's influence could push the PC towards monks and monkish stuff. Maybe a monastary is taught by someone who claims to be a descendant of Ronove's students. Maybe someone claims to be Ronove reincarnated--what are they up to? Maybe the PC gains an inadvertant reputation as a master martial artist, and begins attracting students. What to do--tell them he's a binder ("A binder! Evil!"), play along ("And then you assume the...umm...Ferocious Shrew stance."), or try to get out of it somehow ("Karlan? No, no; my name is Barlan. The guy you want lives...far, far away.") Good luck!
Cyber_Dragon 07-29-07, 06:57 AM	Many thanks Talisman, those are good ideas I can build on. I like the idea of both a With Slayer BBEG and a Binder BBEG. I had already planned to give him a brother who was also a binder but gets burned at the stake early on. Now I'm thinking he might escape his fate and return later to take revenge on the kingdom that tried to murder him. :smirk: As for the With Slayer BBEG, I'm thinking paladin since my player loaths paladins and would have a great time with one as an enemy. Any more ideas out there? :help: :help: :help:
Orbb_was_railed_by_God 07-29-07, 07:09 AM	You could make the government (nobility) fairly unpopular amongst the people (lower classes), and so when the paladin and his retinue march on into town hunting the PC, people automatically sympathise with the player and give him aid. Not any kind of specific resistance, just a general attitude of "those rich bastards". This could allow your player to garner a sort of Robin Hood reputation within the world.
Khadmus 07-29-07, 07:51 AM	Odd, the first thing I thought of when I read the second post was "join the enemy". Meh.
Cyber_Dragon 07-29-07, 08:46 AM	Orbb_was_railed_by_God: The government is acctualy controled by the church, and the church is a Lawful Good one that everyone loves. So that idea wouldn't really work. Also my player isn't the kind of person who would enjoy a robinhood character, he's more likely to go the route of the mercenary or declare war on the church. At best he will end up an anti-hero. Trust me, I know him well :cool:
Sildatorak 07-29-07, 12:02 PM	As for the With Slayer BBEG, I'm thinking paladin since my player loaths paladins and would have a great time with one as an enemy. Shadowbane inquisitor seems like a good PrC option for this BBEG (BBGG?) too.
thugmeister 07-29-07, 06:11 PM	Wizards guilds would be another good opponent. Dispel magic is useless vs binder SU abilities, and it isn't amenable to hierarchical controls. Wizard organizations would have no desire to see that kind of power spread. Your church might have some prominent lawful good wizards to help hunt binders. You haven't stated if this tiefling is going to be evil or good, so that makes other things hard to speculate about. Certain evil religions could easily make common cause with the oppressed binders. If your lawful good religion is intolerant of other faiths, you could easily make a case for non lawful religions (perhaps chaotic good) uniting (even with binders) against a common oppressor. Your binder might find himself saved from big religion hunters by small religion freedom fighters. There are also degrees of exploitation and oppression. A mercenary company might find great utility in keeping Binder servants. Malphas for scouting perhaps. Or to bind Buer to heal their troops. No worries about offending or allying with some big religion for such services. Just have someone stand over them while they do their morning binding and you can be sure they won't bind up any surprises (until high enough in level for Rapid Pact making). While they would protect their Binders from being burnt at the stake, they would be exploiting that vulnerability to keep them under control.