Silver Purge Historical Campaign - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Silver Purge Historical Campaign

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
candi
Dec 13, 2009 8:27:35 So I'm running a campaign set during the Silver Purge, the party is nicely divided amongst Templar and "monstrous" races (a deva, goliath, shifter and changeling) and there's a nice bit of built in tension amongst them.

I kicked off the game 1 year into the purge with an investigation of some lycan activity in a farming community north of Thaolist. However, my problem/concern lies with 4e disease mechanics.

I've ensured that remove disease (and consequently raise dead) are hard to come by (House Jorasco only, mark of healing with special tutoring for a player to pick it up), but I still feel the diseases I've come up with don't reflect very well the truly carnal nature of the affliction. I split the disease into "strains" of varying degree (so that they don't have to suffer as lycans, because statistically they would become lycans quickly if it were so easy as a bite). This is what I have:

Moon Frenzy
As per PHB1

Blood Frenzy
>Target is Cured
<>Initial Effect: While bloodied the target takes a -1 penalty to all defenses.
<>While bloodied the target gains +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls but must always attack the nearest creature.
>Final State: When the target bloodies a creature the target must always try to ensure that creature is the nearest creature at all times and thus always subject to its attacks, even if doing so provokes opportunity attacks.

Curse of the Dark Moon
>Initial Effect: None
>Final State: If bloodied during a full moon the target transforms into a werewolf and loses control of their decision making faculty. They awake in the morning with no memory of the events that transpired during the night.

Lycanthropic Curse
>Initial Effect: None
>If bloodied during a full moon the target transforms into a werewolf and loses control of their decision making faculty. They awake in the morning with no memory of the events that transpired during the night.
>Final State: The target becomes a lycanthrope, losing self control every full moon until the target masters itself.

I feel that Lycanthropic Curse needs to have more oomph to it, and it should really prey on the targets soul - not just a "woops your a lycan" but I really don't know how to drive that home. I am thinking of adding something to make it harder to remove the disease once it hits a certian stage (that is, Cure Disease won't be enough).

Any ideas?
#2
RedRider
Dec 13, 2009 15:25:29 Remember that PCs need not follow the same rules as NPCs. Which is to say while a PC with a soul destroying affliction can keep their head together enough to only endure some difficulties in combat, a loyal friend and ally could find themselves driven to evil impulses and fall increasingly into the exaggeration of the wild and evil aspects of their personality.
(A friendly scout/spy who gets infected by a were-rat becomes more selfish, decietful and debased.
A local mother infected by a were-bear becomes insanely protective to the point of extreme violence and taking her own children to secluded hiding places.)

You could go the Joss Wheadon route and build up a character the PCs know and love, then have them fall to madness and insanity and have their PC best-buddy put a silver arrow through their head.
I split the disease into "strains" of varying degree (so that they don't have to suffer as lycans, because statistically they would become lycans quickly if it were so easy as a bite).

As a suggestion, the strain that causes people to become lycanthropes in it's final stages would have a next-to-final stage which ends up killing off many before they become fully lycanthropic.

Like, say, losing their mind and becoming wild feral creatures at night in mind but not body, leading to many getting killed trying to majestictly leap rivers on all fours or getting on the wrong end of a fight with a stag.
Blood Frenzy
>Target is Cured
<>Initial Effect: While bloodied the target takes a -1 penalty to all defenses.
<>While bloodied the target gains +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls but must always attack the nearest creature.
>Final State: When the target bloodies a creature the target must always try to ensure that creature is the nearest creature at all times and thus always subject to its attacks, even if doing so provokes opportunity attacks.

To simplify the final state a little: "In combat, a character must always move towards a bloodied opponent if one is present in the encounter and may only attack bloodied opponents if any are present in the encounter."
#3
Gilo
Dec 13, 2009 20:42:01 Since Lycanthrope is in the heart of the campaign arc It could be better as the DM to just predefine who in the party is going to be diseased, when and to which degree and keeping all effects in the realm of fluff then crunch: It will save you/the players allot of bookkeeping throughout the campaign, make it easier to define encounters without having to balance it based on current/future PC disease-states.

Also in terms of the story progression (for example) if the tale is about two Templars breaking rank from a lynch mob and helping their diseased friends to find the cure. You don't want them to get to demon lair at the end scene of the campaign and have one of the PCs say "I feel better now, lets go home" (due to a good dice roll or a Belt of Endurance daily use).

Maybe you should fluff the Shifter's PC as someone in the advance state of the disease (rather then the usual lycan decedent background) as he has the shifter race as disease crunch.

#4
Alex_
Dec 14, 2009 19:49:04 In my homebrews, I wanted Lycanthropy to still be transferrable condition. I just changed the final stages of all the Lycanthropic diseases to include the possibility of the target becoming a Lycanthrope.

"Instead of suffering the final stagrs of the disease, the target becomes a Lycantrhope of the strain that inflicted the disease upon them, with the same alignment even if this is different than the target's."

Most NPCs who are afflcited by the illnesses do become Lycanthopes, but those who don't are still horribly scarred by the event. Players so afflicted can decide if they want to succumb to the final stages of the disease or become Lycantrhopes, which are essentially NPCs, which means it's time to roll a new character.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 candi Dec 13, 2009 8:27:35	So I'm running a campaign set during the Silver Purge, the party is nicely divided amongst Templar and "monstrous" races (a deva, goliath, shifter and changeling) and there's a nice bit of built in tension amongst them. I kicked off the game 1 year into the purge with an investigation of some lycan activity in a farming community north of Thaolist. However, my problem/concern lies with 4e disease mechanics. I've ensured that remove disease (and consequently raise dead) are hard to come by (House Jorasco only, mark of healing with special tutoring for a player to pick it up), but I still feel the diseases I've come up with don't reflect very well the truly carnal nature of the affliction. I split the disease into "strains" of varying degree (so that they don't have to suffer as lycans, because statistically they would become lycans quickly if it were so easy as a bite). This is what I have: Moon Frenzy As per PHB1 Blood Frenzy >Target is Cured <>Initial Effect: While bloodied the target takes a -1 penalty to all defenses. <>While bloodied the target gains +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls but must always attack the nearest creature. >Final State: When the target bloodies a creature the target must always try to ensure that creature is the nearest creature at all times and thus always subject to its attacks, even if doing so provokes opportunity attacks. Curse of the Dark Moon >Initial Effect: None >Final State: If bloodied during a full moon the target transforms into a werewolf and loses control of their decision making faculty. They awake in the morning with no memory of the events that transpired during the night. Lycanthropic Curse >Initial Effect: None >If bloodied during a full moon the target transforms into a werewolf and loses control of their decision making faculty. They awake in the morning with no memory of the events that transpired during the night. >Final State: The target becomes a lycanthrope, losing self control every full moon until the target masters itself. I feel that Lycanthropic Curse needs to have more oomph to it, and it should really prey on the targets soul - not just a "woops your a lycan" but I really don't know how to drive that home. I am thinking of adding something to make it harder to remove the disease once it hits a certian stage (that is, Cure Disease won't be enough). Any ideas?
#2 RedRider Dec 13, 2009 15:25:29	Remember that PCs need not follow the same rules as NPCs. Which is to say while a PC with a soul destroying affliction can keep their head together enough to only endure some difficulties in combat, a loyal friend and ally could find themselves driven to evil impulses and fall increasingly into the exaggeration of the wild and evil aspects of their personality. (A friendly scout/spy who gets infected by a were-rat becomes more selfish, decietful and debased. A local mother infected by a were-bear becomes insanely protective to the point of extreme violence and taking her own children to secluded hiding places.) You could go the Joss Wheadon route and build up a character the PCs know and love, then have them fall to madness and insanity and have their PC best-buddy put a silver arrow through their head. I split the disease into "strains" of varying degree (so that they don't have to suffer as lycans, because statistically they would become lycans quickly if it were so easy as a bite). As a suggestion, the strain that causes people to become lycanthropes in it's final stages would have a next-to-final stage which ends up killing off many before they become fully lycanthropic. Like, say, losing their mind and becoming wild feral creatures at night in mind but not body, leading to many getting killed trying to majestictly leap rivers on all fours or getting on the wrong end of a fight with a stag. Blood Frenzy >Target is Cured <>Initial Effect: While bloodied the target takes a -1 penalty to all defenses. <>While bloodied the target gains +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls but must always attack the nearest creature. >Final State: When the target bloodies a creature the target must always try to ensure that creature is the nearest creature at all times and thus always subject to its attacks, even if doing so provokes opportunity attacks. To simplify the final state a little: "In combat, a character must always move towards a bloodied opponent if one is present in the encounter and may only attack bloodied opponents if any are present in the encounter."
#3 Gilo Dec 13, 2009 20:42:01	Since Lycanthrope is in the heart of the campaign arc It could be better as the DM to just predefine who in the party is going to be diseased, when and to which degree and keeping all effects in the realm of fluff then crunch: It will save you/the players allot of bookkeeping throughout the campaign, make it easier to define encounters without having to balance it based on current/future PC disease-states. Also in terms of the story progression (for example) if the tale is about two Templars breaking rank from a lynch mob and helping their diseased friends to find the cure. You don't want them to get to demon lair at the end scene of the campaign and have one of the PCs say "I feel better now, lets go home" (due to a good dice roll or a Belt of Endurance daily use). Maybe you should fluff the Shifter's PC as someone in the advance state of the disease (rather then the usual lycan decedent background) as he has the shifter race as disease crunch.
#4 Alex_ Dec 14, 2009 19:49:04	In my homebrews, I wanted Lycanthropy to still be transferrable condition. I just changed the final stages of all the Lycanthropic diseases to include the possibility of the target becoming a Lycanthrope. "Instead of suffering the final stagrs of the disease, the target becomes a Lycantrhope of the strain that inflicted the disease upon them, with the same alignment even if this is different than the target's." Most NPCs who are afflcited by the illnesses do become Lycanthopes, but those who don't are still horribly scarred by the event. Players so afflicted can decide if they want to succumb to the final stages of the disease or become Lycantrhopes, which are essentially NPCs, which means it's time to roll a new character.