Inspirational Sermon - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Inspirational Sermon

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
ah_spacepope
Feb 09, 2009 20:54:02 Our 4e party is attached to a company of soldiers, one of the last holdouts of a human empire in a DM-created setting. The empire has been overrun by an invading army of undead. We're trapped in a small isolated village. The peasants are unsure if they should surrender and hope for mercy or help us hold out in a last-ditch defense. Some of the villagers have been killed, and we burned the bodies to prevent them from being made into undead enemies.

To help assuage the villagers my cleric is going to perform funeral rites for the dead villagers, since the families could not do that themselves, and then give a sermon/speech stressing loyalty to the God-emperor and promising punishment for those who are unfaithful.

I'm going to ask the wizard in our party to help me put on a Vegas-style show for the peasants with things like Prestidigitation to turn on the torch at a climatic moment, play music when I preform a funerary chant, etc. The wizard can also do some stuff with ghost sound like whisper "words from the God-emperor" among members of the crowd. Mage hand can make my holy book levitate from my hand, etc.

I really want to wow the peasants who haven't seen much magic before and show them the God-Emperor is still a force to be reckoned with. I can also use some of my powers for dramatic effect.

I'm looking for any other ideas that could help improve my performance.
#2
baneofelves
Feb 09, 2009 20:57:58 more wizards mean more cool effects at once. (so if there are others, even apprentices, hire them!) Maybe an inspirational speech like what Aragorn gave at the battle of mordor, or something along those lines. Nothing like a cool show and kickass speech to get everyone to stand strong and fight back. That's all I have, but it seems like a solid idea as is.
#3
wordserpent
Feb 09, 2009 21:41:35 Forget the magical effects. Just give a good, rousing speech. Like this one:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=10703581
#4
baneofelves
Feb 09, 2009 21:44:19 why settle for an inspiring speech when you can have an inspiring speech with cool magic effects?
#5
redclock_the_untimely
Feb 10, 2009 3:20:13 This just makes me think of Belushi in Animal House.
"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"

#6
ah_spacepope
Feb 10, 2009 10:15:03 As far as I know there are no other spellcasters in the company/legion and certainly not among the villagers. We've only got one wizard in the party. Overall it's a pretty low-magic setting. I think she can have three effects of prestidigitation going at once.
#7
ritreaude
Feb 11, 2009 17:47:04 well i would start by telling the locals to keep an eye out for anypersons named Fulgrim, Perturabo, Konrad Curze, Angron, Mortarion, Magnus, Horus, Lorgar, or Alpharious. Anyone with these names should be killed immediately for the good of the God-Emperor, unless you want him to become a cripple God-Emperor.
#8
ah_spacepope
Feb 12, 2009 18:11:46 Here's a follow up, the sermon went pretty well and I was able to improve the morale of the soldiers and peasants somewhat. The DM was impressed and I got an XP bonus out of it.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ah_spacepope Feb 09, 2009 20:54:02	Our 4e party is attached to a company of soldiers, one of the last holdouts of a human empire in a DM-created setting. The empire has been overrun by an invading army of undead. We're trapped in a small isolated village. The peasants are unsure if they should surrender and hope for mercy or help us hold out in a last-ditch defense. Some of the villagers have been killed, and we burned the bodies to prevent them from being made into undead enemies. To help assuage the villagers my cleric is going to perform funeral rites for the dead villagers, since the families could not do that themselves, and then give a sermon/speech stressing loyalty to the God-emperor and promising punishment for those who are unfaithful. I'm going to ask the wizard in our party to help me put on a Vegas-style show for the peasants with things like Prestidigitation to turn on the torch at a climatic moment, play music when I preform a funerary chant, etc. The wizard can also do some stuff with ghost sound like whisper "words from the God-emperor" among members of the crowd. Mage hand can make my holy book levitate from my hand, etc. I really want to wow the peasants who haven't seen much magic before and show them the God-Emperor is still a force to be reckoned with. I can also use some of my powers for dramatic effect. I'm looking for any other ideas that could help improve my performance.
#2 baneofelves Feb 09, 2009 20:57:58	more wizards mean more cool effects at once. (so if there are others, even apprentices, hire them!) Maybe an inspirational speech like what Aragorn gave at the battle of mordor, or something along those lines. Nothing like a cool show and kickass speech to get everyone to stand strong and fight back. That's all I have, but it seems like a solid idea as is.
#3 wordserpent Feb 09, 2009 21:41:35	Forget the magical effects. Just give a good, rousing speech. Like this one: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=10703581
#4 baneofelves Feb 09, 2009 21:44:19	why settle for an inspiring speech when you can have an inspiring speech with cool magic effects?
#5 redclock_the_untimely Feb 10, 2009 3:20:13	This just makes me think of Belushi in Animal House. "Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!"
#6 ah_spacepope Feb 10, 2009 10:15:03	As far as I know there are no other spellcasters in the company/legion and certainly not among the villagers. We've only got one wizard in the party. Overall it's a pretty low-magic setting. I think she can have three effects of prestidigitation going at once.
#7 ritreaude Feb 11, 2009 17:47:04	well i would start by telling the locals to keep an eye out for anypersons named Fulgrim, Perturabo, Konrad Curze, Angron, Mortarion, Magnus, Horus, Lorgar, or Alpharious. Anyone with these names should be killed immediately for the good of the God-Emperor, unless you want him to become a cripple God-Emperor.
#8 ah_spacepope Feb 12, 2009 18:11:46	Here's a follow up, the sermon went pretty well and I was able to improve the morale of the soldiers and peasants somewhat. The DM was impressed and I got an XP bonus out of it.