Any constructive criticism, and general tips on artifacts in 4E will be more than appreciated. :D
The Starry Gnosis
I hate your web page: pop-ups galore! Why not post it here?
I like the Selune touch, she too often gets forgotten in the Shar vs Mystra conflict. But you might want to include Mystra alongside her in the scores. Hmm. I realized recently that the module would much more sense if it was a false temple to Selune instead.
You might want to put in a way to destroy the artifact, if possible. My PCs were obsessed with destroying it, barely before they knew anything about it. In the end, I let them hurl it at Arthas and had it explode like a grenade.
If anyone's interested, this was the tale I wrote for my PCs as they were researching the Starry Gnosis in the fake temple library:
Once upon a time, in the desert land of Calimshan, far to the south and west, there lay the Temple Of Old Night, dedicated to Mistress Shar. It was ruled by Irtemara, the Dancer Before The Dawn, greatest of Shar's daughters. The temple was ancient and proud, and vast, and its black fingers crept into the politics of every land as they sought and gained great power. But Irtemara had grown careless in her power, and was not mindful of the ways of Shar. The temple became host to revels and games of power, and all manner of debaucheries.
Dissatisfied and disgusted, the true and faithful Dark Followers left and walked northwards until they came to the land of Amn, and founded their own temple, called the Dark Embrace. Ruthless and devoted, the assassins there grew in power, and were beloved by Shar. But as they grew in power, their rivalry with the Temple Of Old Night also grew. Competition became bitter and murderous, and Shar grew displeased.
One dark and moonless night, a young priestess called Esvele Graycastle crept forth from the Dark Embrace and travelled to the Temple Of Old Night, and infiltrated the complex on a certain mission. The greatest treasure of the temple was a massive statue of Shar, carved of black stone, dancing the doom of the world. Her eyes were priceless black crystal spheres, with glittering stars within, that gazed down upon the debaucheries of the Old Night.
And so, cloaked in darkness and secrecy, Esvele climbed the statue, hand after hand, until she finally reached the head - and gouged out one of the eyes. The alarm was raised, and she fled into the night, clutching her prize.
Irtemara crowed, for this had been an act of blasphemy, the goddess was now one-eyed and disfigured. She had been defiled and dishonoured, desecrated. Gleefully, she the other priests gave chase, to hunt down the traitor. They finally caught up with Esvele in the cold and windswept desert, in the dark of night.
Esvele stood upon a high dune, and raised the stolen eye to the empty night skies, standing in triumph. It was glowing with a black light. Enraged, Irtemara attacked, and struck the young and impudent priestess down. She seized the eye, but it burned her hand with coldness, and addled her mind. Esvele wrenched the orb back, and kicked the old high priestess down the dune.
She raised the orb high once more, and the whole army of pursuing Sharrans bowed down to her. Even Irtemara fell on her knees and wept. For Shar had blessed the defiler Esvele and filled the stolen orb with her cold power until it was fit to burst, and had turned her back on the faithful Irtemara.
Then she recalled the words of Shar, the Lady of Loss. All things will die and be destroyed, and fall into ruin, even the gods. So do not hope and don't be proud and strive for nothing but the hastening of the inevitable doom.
Irtemara and her army returned to the Old Night, and the now scarred and half-blind statue of Shar. She blotted out all record of the tale, and forbade all mention of it, though the story was passed on in secret, as it should be. Esvele wandered off with her prize and the blessing of Shar, pursuing her own plans, and was not heard of again.
1) It is supposed to be able to dominate a group of people, it might be better to make that clear and have a burst 10 or something.
2) You need to include a Ritual that makes save against it very hard, as per the adventure.
3) (I might be misremembering here) but doesn't it key something later in the adventure? It might be a good idea to include that if it is so.
Aside from that, it looks great.
How are you dealing with the Weave vs. Shadow Weave? Any advice would be awesome
*yoinks Starry Gnosis*How are you dealing with the Weave vs. Shadow Weave? Any advice would be awesome
-Neither exist in the 4e Forgotten Realms, so rules for neither exist in 4e. Just use regular magic as presented in the 4e books for stuff concerning the Weave, and magic pertaining to the 'Shadow Source' for stuff concerning the Shadow Weave.
-Neither exist in the 4e Forgotten Realms, so rules for neither exist in 4e. Just use regular magic as presented in the 4e books for stuff concerning the Weave, and magic pertaining to the 'Shadow Source' for stuff concerning the Shadow Weave.
Having a feat (on both sides) that give a little bonus / penalty for the other power source would work as well.
Shadow weave user
Prereq; Must use shadow or arcane power source and cannot have any powers with the radiant keyword.
Benefit; When someone using the arcane power source targets you or a spell, zone, magical effect created by you, they take a -2 penalty on attack rolls.
Also, anyone without this feat takes a -2 (or -5?) penalty to skill checks for Arcana against shadow weave items and spells.
and then a feat for weave users to overcome this effect and give them a bonus on attack rolls vs shadow weave users.