Crown of Dust - Writing myself out of a corner - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Crown of Dust - Writing myself out of a corner

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
tonybot
Sep 29, 2011 12:04:43 I'm running a level 4 Dark Sun adventure and looking for advice on possibly escaping a corner I've written myself into:

Current situation: players are tracking a defiler known as the Wastewalker (borrowed from D&D encounters). Two of the players drank from a defiled oasis and are fatally poisoned, the story so far has suggested that defeating the Wastewalker is the only way to cure their current condition. The Wastewalker is travelling with a piece of the crown of dust toward a temple (presumably to conduct some ritual to unlock it's power), my plan is for him to retreat within the temple forcing the players to negotiate a variety of traps, defeat him, and claim the crown of dust to cure their illness, of course introducing some new problems by now having an artifact that other people want etc.

So the big question: does it all make sense that the crown of dust could be used to undo the condition I have afflicted the pcs with? I realize I probably should have read up more on defiling/defiling artifacts/crown of dust, but on the other hand I figure I can tweak the dark sun mythology as needed for my specific campaign.
#2
khorne37
Sep 29, 2011 12:32:20 Your the DM you can do what you want...
#3
Raddu76
Sep 29, 2011 13:14:28 How has the story so far suggested that defeating the Wastewalker is the only way to cure their current condition? FYI in the D&D encounters Wastewalker hated defilers.

If the Crown actually poisoned the oasis then it's possible that it could undo it, but what woud be the price? Perhaps if the poisoning is undone then the characters are put on a geas (quest they must accomplish) that will work in favor of the crown?
#4
jovis70
Sep 30, 2011 16:39:15 my first thought is
if the osais was poisoned by defiling it would take perserving magic to cure it
perhaps forcing your players to locate a veiled alliance cell
or
the temple was once dedicated to some old god-like being perhaps there is a vestage they can find that will "help them if they make a pact with it"

see also the adventure Beneath the Dust (dungeon 187) for additional ideas

I would also be interested to know the effects of the poison
how much time do they have...ect

Joe
#5
DontEatRawHagis
Oct 03, 2011 20:00:27 In a campaign that I ran, the players were transporting an obsidian orb that could contain defiling magic. The idea was that the orb could neither create nor destroy, also I put a limitation of the power of the defiling its allowed to take in.

Personally I would stay away from the Crown as the Cure, only because nothing good ever comes from defiling magic.

Possible Healers:

Preserver

Druid

Halfling

Elemental Priest

Trickster Sorcerer

Hermits

Veiled Alliance

Shaman

Wise Old Monk

#6
jrwoodchuck
Oct 06, 2011 18:49:35 I just ran an adventure where the players were diseased. The only way to cure the disease was to drink the dew from a tree of life. Players loved it and I got to inject some unique Dark Sun flora into the campaign.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tonybot Sep 29, 2011 12:04:43	I'm running a level 4 Dark Sun adventure and looking for advice on possibly escaping a corner I've written myself into: Current situation: players are tracking a defiler known as the Wastewalker (borrowed from D&D encounters). Two of the players drank from a defiled oasis and are fatally poisoned, the story so far has suggested that defeating the Wastewalker is the only way to cure their current condition. The Wastewalker is travelling with a piece of the crown of dust toward a temple (presumably to conduct some ritual to unlock it's power), my plan is for him to retreat within the temple forcing the players to negotiate a variety of traps, defeat him, and claim the crown of dust to cure their illness, of course introducing some new problems by now having an artifact that other people want etc. So the big question: does it all make sense that the crown of dust could be used to undo the condition I have afflicted the pcs with? I realize I probably should have read up more on defiling/defiling artifacts/crown of dust, but on the other hand I figure I can tweak the dark sun mythology as needed for my specific campaign.
#2 khorne37 Sep 29, 2011 12:32:20	Your the DM you can do what you want...
#3 Raddu76 Sep 29, 2011 13:14:28	How has the story so far suggested that defeating the Wastewalker is the only way to cure their current condition? FYI in the D&D encounters Wastewalker hated defilers. If the Crown actually poisoned the oasis then it's possible that it could undo it, but what woud be the price? Perhaps if the poisoning is undone then the characters are put on a geas (quest they must accomplish) that will work in favor of the crown?
#4 jovis70 Sep 30, 2011 16:39:15	my first thought is if the osais was poisoned by defiling it would take perserving magic to cure it perhaps forcing your players to locate a veiled alliance cell or the temple was once dedicated to some old god-like being perhaps there is a vestage they can find that will "help them if they make a pact with it" see also the adventure Beneath the Dust (dungeon 187) for additional ideas I would also be interested to know the effects of the poison how much time do they have...ect Joe
#5 DontEatRawHagis Oct 03, 2011 20:00:27	In a campaign that I ran, the players were transporting an obsidian orb that could contain defiling magic. The idea was that the orb could neither create nor destroy, also I put a limitation of the power of the defiling its allowed to take in. Personally I would stay away from the Crown as the Cure, only because nothing good ever comes from defiling magic. Possible Healers: Preserver Druid Halfling Elemental Priest Trickster Sorcerer Hermits Veiled Alliance Shaman Wise Old Monk
#6 jrwoodchuck Oct 06, 2011 18:49:35	I just ran an adventure where the players were diseased. The only way to cure the disease was to drink the dew from a tree of life. Players loved it and I got to inject some unique Dark Sun flora into the campaign.