Campaign Boss [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign Boss [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Dracknem2
07-25-03, 09:55 PM Hello, I need some ideas on a main baddie for my current campaign. It is going to be some ancient evil that has lain trapped for a very long time and can manipulate undead. I was thinking a Lich of some sort, but I could use some other ideas.
seandpconners@aol.com
07-25-03, 10:04 PM Undead excellent anyway

Lich good vampire might be better.

Have him or her as the boss of a large empire or organisation.

conected with many guilds fingers in many pies.

Give him a name that is both memorable and fun to say perhaps even funny.Like your bad guy is the big cheese right so call him edam cappo devinci.

Cappo is a reference to god farther.

Build a structure that youu understand how he or she gets her information a web if you like were he is at the centre just work out the strands.

Sounds good so far then maybe make them a drow lich or vampire hope you can see the connections.

This will give you the start i hope your looking for.

Goodluck and have fun.
Xalxika
07-25-03, 10:34 PM Most people tend to think that ancient evils have to be an elf, lich, demi-deity, or deity that have either been forgotten about or unheard of for a few centuries, but I like to add a little twist to this that makes it available for all races.

I'm actually in the midst of having a group of nine humanoids (calling themselves the Cabal of the Nine Gatelings). They lived centuries ago, tried to summond demons, blah blah blah, and when the Gods were born they believed they were responsible for it. Nobody believed them so they killed themselves in front of those people, vowing to return after they have learned all about the hells and the secrets of death and dying.

Long story short, the nine return in their original bodies as children, growing into adults, and then re-unite to conquer the world. Try something like that. It gets you beyond the age limit that, say Humans, have.

Hope this helps. Good health, and jolly good luck.
Dracknem2
07-25-03, 11:04 PM Maybe..........but keep the ideas rolling. :P
Adriayna
07-25-03, 11:30 PM Dracolich is even a better "ancient" evil if you are looking at baddies.

What if this "ancient evil" was simply an item? An item that caused problems when it was unlocked? I sorta like the idea of the PC's themselves causing the world's problems that they now have to fix, lol.
Ideki
07-25-03, 11:46 PM If you have the Epic Level Handbook, any of the abominations would be lovely choices for an ancient evil. Apart from that, try a Colossal half-dragon tyrannosaur. Seriously, I'm going to do that one of these days: after all, why bring in a god when you can bring in Godzilla?:devil:
Dragonchild
07-26-03, 12:01 AM It is going to be some ancient evil that has lain trapped for a very long time and can manipulate undead.

Orcus??
unclejoey
07-26-03, 12:13 AM Maybe your "ancient evil" could be a death cult of some kind. They were defeated--but not destroyed--centuries ago, and have been biding their time, existing on the outskirts of society for long years. And now they have finally gained enough power to re-emerge and exact vengeance on those who took them down.
Ideki
07-26-03, 12:24 AM One more thing that I just thought of: perhaps you could have the ancient evil be some evil god or whatnot, but have it eventually turn out that said evil god had actually been ressurected years ago, and was disguised as the beloved mentor of the PCs so as to manipulate them into tracking down the one item/spell/whatever that keeps him from destroying the multiverse. That would certainly make for a wonderful dramatic climax to the campaign.
Dracknem2
07-26-03, 10:09 AM Ok, let me give you guys some more information. I think I want him to be a sort of manipulator. One who has power over other people that is hard to resist. I'd like to avoid the Epic Level Handbook because I don't have it right now and my PC's are currently lvl 3. They are just about to accidentally free this evil, though they don't know it.

Hrmm, perhaps something like Hel from mythology. Unresistable on one side, yet pure disgust and evil on the other. Except with only the unresistable part showing. Maybe someone who long ago perfected a new form of Undead. Hrmm, I'll need to think on this a little more.

edit: They won't be fighting this evil at lvl 3, that is what they currently are.
Xalxika
07-26-03, 01:33 PM Ah, so you want an evil that will be accidently discovered. I hope it doesn't sound cliche or unimaginative, but do what Tolkien did in LoTR: The Fellowship of the Ring. They could accidently trigger a portal to the demon world and wake up "Shadow" who lay dormant there. The PC's can either know of him now or when he escapes the deep dark caves of his imprisonment. It's up to you, though if uou have a different setting then you can always change things up a bit.

Or you could do like someone else said and have an item be the Ancient Evil. If you want any ideas from me on that, email me at lucia_in_the_sky_with_demons@yahoo.com because I have a book with some good Evil Artifacts that have Inteeligence and all. These items will make some large inbalances for the PC's at some point, but it's not like they are going to try and keep an item that may force them to kill their friends, or even themselves for one of the items (which happens to be my favorite artifact.)

Anyone can feel free to email me, I don't get many emails so I would be able to get to them rather quickly.

Edit: Title the emails Evil Artifacts
Mordenkainen's Rubber Duck of DOOM
07-26-03, 03:16 PM Vampire Lord (formerly Vampire) Wizard 17 comes to mind. CR 22, if I'm correct, plus minions.
krichaiushii
07-26-03, 10:36 PM What about a sentient, evil book - similar to the Necronomicon, a Book of Infinite Spells, the Book of Vile Darkness, the Codex of the Planes, and the Book of Eldritch Might all rolled into one.

Powerful magic-using sorts seek it for the knowledge (and therefore power) it contains. Reading the book and casting the spells therein slowly poisons the reader's mind towards all others, causing paranoid delusions resulting in further casting of darker spells and rituals found in the book.

This culminates in one hellish ritual where thousands are sacrificed at one time, providing the reader with unimaginable power. What the book fails to mention (and actively prevents the reader from realizing or accepting) is that mortal bodies are not meant to hold that much power, so the reader inevitably dies irrevocably - devouring his soul perhaps ala the demilich. The book then falls dormant and waits for the next sucker...

Just a thought...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dracknem2 07-25-03, 09:55 PM	Hello, I need some ideas on a main baddie for my current campaign. It is going to be some ancient evil that has lain trapped for a very long time and can manipulate undead. I was thinking a Lich of some sort, but I could use some other ideas.
seandpconners@aol.com 07-25-03, 10:04 PM	Undead excellent anyway Lich good vampire might be better. Have him or her as the boss of a large empire or organisation. conected with many guilds fingers in many pies. Give him a name that is both memorable and fun to say perhaps even funny.Like your bad guy is the big cheese right so call him edam cappo devinci. Cappo is a reference to god farther. Build a structure that youu understand how he or she gets her information a web if you like were he is at the centre just work out the strands. Sounds good so far then maybe make them a drow lich or vampire hope you can see the connections. This will give you the start i hope your looking for. Goodluck and have fun.
Xalxika 07-25-03, 10:34 PM	Most people tend to think that ancient evils have to be an elf, lich, demi-deity, or deity that have either been forgotten about or unheard of for a few centuries, but I like to add a little twist to this that makes it available for all races. I'm actually in the midst of having a group of nine humanoids (calling themselves the Cabal of the Nine Gatelings). They lived centuries ago, tried to summond demons, blah blah blah, and when the Gods were born they believed they were responsible for it. Nobody believed them so they killed themselves in front of those people, vowing to return after they have learned all about the hells and the secrets of death and dying. Long story short, the nine return in their original bodies as children, growing into adults, and then re-unite to conquer the world. Try something like that. It gets you beyond the age limit that, say Humans, have. Hope this helps. Good health, and jolly good luck.
Dracknem2 07-25-03, 11:04 PM	Maybe..........but keep the ideas rolling. :P
Adriayna 07-25-03, 11:30 PM	Dracolich is even a better "ancient" evil if you are looking at baddies. What if this "ancient evil" was simply an item? An item that caused problems when it was unlocked? I sorta like the idea of the PC's themselves causing the world's problems that they now have to fix, lol.
Ideki 07-25-03, 11:46 PM	If you have the Epic Level Handbook, any of the abominations would be lovely choices for an ancient evil. Apart from that, try a Colossal half-dragon tyrannosaur. Seriously, I'm going to do that one of these days: after all, why bring in a god when you can bring in Godzilla?:devil:
Dragonchild 07-26-03, 12:01 AM	It is going to be some ancient evil that has lain trapped for a very long time and can manipulate undead. Orcus??
unclejoey 07-26-03, 12:13 AM	Maybe your "ancient evil" could be a death cult of some kind. They were defeated--but not destroyed--centuries ago, and have been biding their time, existing on the outskirts of society for long years. And now they have finally gained enough power to re-emerge and exact vengeance on those who took them down.
Ideki 07-26-03, 12:24 AM	One more thing that I just thought of: perhaps you could have the ancient evil be some evil god or whatnot, but have it eventually turn out that said evil god had actually been ressurected years ago, and was disguised as the beloved mentor of the PCs so as to manipulate them into tracking down the one item/spell/whatever that keeps him from destroying the multiverse. That would certainly make for a wonderful dramatic climax to the campaign.
Dracknem2 07-26-03, 10:09 AM	Ok, let me give you guys some more information. I think I want him to be a sort of manipulator. One who has power over other people that is hard to resist. I'd like to avoid the Epic Level Handbook because I don't have it right now and my PC's are currently lvl 3. They are just about to accidentally free this evil, though they don't know it. Hrmm, perhaps something like Hel from mythology. Unresistable on one side, yet pure disgust and evil on the other. Except with only the unresistable part showing. Maybe someone who long ago perfected a new form of Undead. Hrmm, I'll need to think on this a little more. edit: They won't be fighting this evil at lvl 3, that is what they currently are.
Xalxika 07-26-03, 01:33 PM	Ah, so you want an evil that will be accidently discovered. I hope it doesn't sound cliche or unimaginative, but do what Tolkien did in LoTR: The Fellowship of the Ring. They could accidently trigger a portal to the demon world and wake up "Shadow" who lay dormant there. The PC's can either know of him now or when he escapes the deep dark caves of his imprisonment. It's up to you, though if uou have a different setting then you can always change things up a bit. Or you could do like someone else said and have an item be the Ancient Evil. If you want any ideas from me on that, email me at lucia_in_the_sky_with_demons@yahoo.com because I have a book with some good Evil Artifacts that have Inteeligence and all. These items will make some large inbalances for the PC's at some point, but it's not like they are going to try and keep an item that may force them to kill their friends, or even themselves for one of the items (which happens to be my favorite artifact.) Anyone can feel free to email me, I don't get many emails so I would be able to get to them rather quickly. Edit: Title the emails Evil Artifacts
Mordenkainen's Rubber Duck of DOOM 07-26-03, 03:16 PM	Vampire Lord (formerly Vampire) Wizard 17 comes to mind. CR 22, if I'm correct, plus minions.
krichaiushii 07-26-03, 10:36 PM	What about a sentient, evil book - similar to the Necronomicon, a Book of Infinite Spells, the Book of Vile Darkness, the Codex of the Planes, and the Book of Eldritch Might all rolled into one. Powerful magic-using sorts seek it for the knowledge (and therefore power) it contains. Reading the book and casting the spells therein slowly poisons the reader's mind towards all others, causing paranoid delusions resulting in further casting of darker spells and rituals found in the book. This culminates in one hellish ritual where thousands are sacrificed at one time, providing the reader with unimaginable power. What the book fails to mention (and actively prevents the reader from realizing or accepting) is that mortal bodies are not meant to hold that much power, so the reader inevitably dies irrevocably - devouring his soul perhaps ala the demilich. The book then falls dormant and waits for the next sucker... Just a thought...