False Positives for fun and intrigue - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

False Positives for fun and intrigue

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
garner_adam
Jul 27, 2009 14:46:15 So I recently read an article about player information (I believe it was a dungeon article). In the article the players encounter a wierd sickly smell of embalmed people. Later they encounter that same smell right before they encounter a mummy. I want to do some thing like this but with a Vampire.

Pretty much I plan on the players meeting two or three individuals with similar qualities but two of them are vampires and the other is not. In a way I want them all to be seriously suspicious but at the same time I don't want to have a poster on their back screaming (STAKE ME NOW!)

So finding the balance is tricky. Any suggestions?
#2
Preston_R
Jul 27, 2009 15:02:43 there was an article in one of the older dragons that had a critical threat. A necromancer who fell in love with a vampire and used magic to make herself appear more vampiric, adopted vampiric traits (like throwing away mirrors, never coming out during the day, etc)

don't know if that helps.
#3
garner_adam
Jul 27, 2009 16:14:18 That makes sense. I could make the false positive perhaps extremely polite and always asks before he enters. He'd have a quality that a normal person could have but makes him seem like he's a Vampire.

As for the actual vampires I was thinking about giving the first clue that his hands or skin are very dry. Do you think that's too obvious?
#4
quickleaf_dup
Jul 28, 2009 2:56:28 How about an NPC who is drowsy during the daytime because they are constantly working nights or perhaps they claim they suffer from insomnia? Alternately, giving the NPC a bit of bipolarism (fatigued one day, elated the next) might hint at the lows/highs of vampiric feeding.
#5
Polis
Jul 28, 2009 13:18:14 Vampires might have some pretty terrible breath with all the blood drinking and what not.

Some other characteristics:

All metal items are non-polished to avoid the whole reflection issue (if you use that).

The non-vampire NPC might wear a gorget in otherwise non-combat clothes.

Vampires likely won't drink ale or anything of the sort, but the non-vamp would or might.

Vampires don't breath, so it might be noticable if their chest doesn't show it.

They avoid words that start with W because they pronounce them as V's. (KIDDING!)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 garner_adam Jul 27, 2009 14:46:15	So I recently read an article about player information (I believe it was a dungeon article). In the article the players encounter a wierd sickly smell of embalmed people. Later they encounter that same smell right before they encounter a mummy. I want to do some thing like this but with a Vampire. Pretty much I plan on the players meeting two or three individuals with similar qualities but two of them are vampires and the other is not. In a way I want them all to be seriously suspicious but at the same time I don't want to have a poster on their back screaming (STAKE ME NOW!) So finding the balance is tricky. Any suggestions?
#2 Preston_R Jul 27, 2009 15:02:43	there was an article in one of the older dragons that had a critical threat. A necromancer who fell in love with a vampire and used magic to make herself appear more vampiric, adopted vampiric traits (like throwing away mirrors, never coming out during the day, etc) don't know if that helps.
#3 garner_adam Jul 27, 2009 16:14:18	That makes sense. I could make the false positive perhaps extremely polite and always asks before he enters. He'd have a quality that a normal person could have but makes him seem like he's a Vampire. As for the actual vampires I was thinking about giving the first clue that his hands or skin are very dry. Do you think that's too obvious?
#4 quickleaf_dup Jul 28, 2009 2:56:28	How about an NPC who is drowsy during the daytime because they are constantly working nights or perhaps they claim they suffer from insomnia? Alternately, giving the NPC a bit of bipolarism (fatigued one day, elated the next) might hint at the lows/highs of vampiric feeding.
#5 Polis Jul 28, 2009 13:18:14	Vampires might have some pretty terrible breath with all the blood drinking and what not. Some other characteristics: All metal items are non-polished to avoid the whole reflection issue (if you use that). The non-vampire NPC might wear a gorget in otherwise non-combat clothes. Vampires likely won't drink ale or anything of the sort, but the non-vamp would or might. Vampires don't breath, so it might be noticable if their chest doesn't show it. They avoid words that start with W because they pronounce them as V's. (KIDDING!)