From foxx@foxxjac.b17a.ingr.com Subject: Re: RL_L: Psionicists in Ravenloft ]> From: b17a!carbon%mackeson.UUCP%bnrmtl.UUCP@Larry.McRCIM.McGill.EDU (Peter Carbon) ]> I think there should be some type of domain lord who controls ]> the psychic energy in Ravneloft. This way if a PC over uses his ]> psionic powers there is a chance that this lord could dominate ]> him or feed on his power. This is just an idea of course and I ]> just thought of it after reading Lee's post on this but with ]> more work could be feasible. What do the rest of you think of ]> this? ]> ]> [delete] ]> ]> Peter Carbon ]> bnrmtl!carbon@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu ]> I don't know if my other post on this managed to fight its way out to the net, so here it is again, boiled down to a rich broth. I, for one, would *NOT* be overly tempted as a character to use telepathic psionic abilities, spells, items,... It seems to me that trying something like reading a mind in Ravenloft would be akin to bobbing for apples in a vat of slime. It would be mentally and physically repugnant, and I wouldn't want to do it all that much. A character using such an ability,... would IMHO have to make a check or saving throw just to psych himself up and not totally recoil when the attempt is made. (Kind of like eating stuff like brussell sprouts as a child. You *have* to eat it, but it disgusts you so much it just won't swallow all the way.) All manner of abilities, spells, items,... would then be altered in Ravenloft like most other abilites, spells,... And perhaps that psionic lord of Ravenloft could be doing other things while someone's mind is open to make such an attempt. "Now why do I suddenly know which fork goes to Barovia?" It could be great for spreading obscure knowledge about the *other* lords in Ravenloft. Possible induced phobias, paranoia, and planted suggestions also 'come to mind.' ------------------------------------------------------------------ From c9e-al@danube.Berkeley.EDU Subject: Horror Poll [ Ok.. here are the results of the Poll.. ] I asked readers of the newsgroups alt.horror, rec.arts.books, rec.arts.sf.misc and rec.arts.sf.written for what they considered to be the three best horror novels and short stories. The votes ranged from Hardy's _Jude_The_Obscure_ to the Alan Moore issues of _The_Swamp_Thing_. There were 65 voters, and some voted for only 1 or 2 from each category. For the Lovecraft story, "At The Mountains Of Madness", 4 people voted for it as the best short, and 3 voted it as best novel. Going with the majority, I placed it in the best short story category. Your mileage may vary. Below are the final tallies:- Novels ( Out of 179 votes ) =========================== 1. _The_Stand_, Stephen King [17] 2. _It_, Stephen King [14] 3. _The_Shining_, Stephen King [12] 4. _Dracula_, Bram Stoker [10] 5. _The_Haunting_Of_Hill_House_, Shirley Jackson [8] 6. ( Tie ) _Interview_With_The_Vampire_, Anne Rice [7] _The_Silence_Of_The_Lambs_, Thomas Harris 7. _Frankenstein_, Mary Shelley [6] 8. _Swan_Song_, Robert R. McCammon [5] 2 votes or more ================ _Carrion_Comfort_, Dan Simmons _Conjure_Wife_, Fritz Leiber _The_Damnation_Game_, Clive Barker _The_Doll_Who_Ate_His_Mother_, Ramsey Campbell _The_Exorcist_, William Peter Blatty _Ghost_Story_, Peter Straub _The_Great_And_Secret_Show_, Clive Barker _Hell_House_, Richard Matheson _I_Am_Legend_, Richard Matheson _Midnight_Sun_, Ramsey Campbell _Necroscope_, Brian Lumley _Salem's_Lot_, Stephen King _Something_Wicked_This_Way_Comes_, Ray Bradbury _The_Strange_Case_Of_Charles_Dexter_Ward_, HP Lovecraft _The_Pet_, Charles L. Grant _The_Vampire_Lestat_, Anne Rice _Watchers_, Dean Koontz _WeaveWorld_, Clive Barker Short Story ( Out of 139 votes ) ================================ 1. ( Tie ) "At The Mountains Of Madness", HP Lovecraft [7] "The Midnight Meat Train", Clive Barker "The Tell Tale Heart", Edgar Allan Poe 2. ( Tie ) "The Call of Cthulhu", HP Lovecraft [5] "The Lottery", Shirley Jackson "The Monkey's Paw", WW Jacobs 3. ( Tie ) "The Pit And The Pendulum", Edgar Allan Poe [4] "The Rats In The Walls", HP Lovecraft "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", HP Lovecraft 2 Votes Or More =============== "The Boogeyman", Stephen King "Tha Black Cat", Edgar Allan Poe "The Colour Out Of Space", HP Lovecraft "Dread", Clive Barker "The Dunwich Horror", HP Lovecraft "I Am The Doorway", Stephen King "In The Hills, The Cities", Clive Barker "In The Penal Colony", Franz Kafka "The Masque Of The Red Death", Edgar Allan Poe "The Night They Missed The Horror Show", Joe R Landsdale "Pickman's Model", HP Lovecraft "The Outsider", HP Lovecraft "The Raft", Stephen King "Rage", Stephen King "Scars", Richard Matheson "The Whimper Of Whipped Dogs", Harlan Ellison "Who Goes There", John Campbell Thank you all for voting. Chua ============================================================= From g8801935@cs.uow.edu.au Subject: RL-L: Good In RavenLoft. It seems that the majority of people are not keen on having a pocket of good inside RavenLoft. It says in the boxed set that the majority of the dwellers are good if not reticent. There are "bounty hunter" type NPC's who roam around. I think that setting up a good pocket will not be too difficult to achieve without the overlords notice. Let's face it, you can't have evil without good. The place would be complete anarchy if *everyone* was evil/ chaotic. Using the existing residents it would be ez to set up an underground movement of good. As long as no paladins etc.. people who actually do attract the attention of the lords show up, and who are likely to pull out holy artifacts at the drop of a hat. How many of you would talk to a stranger in town if your best friend or kid had been stolen in the night, and, you thought that the lord of your land was the best thing since the wheel. Most of the residents are not aware of the nature of the land that they live in. For a nifty look at evil, try _For_the_Love_of_Evil_ Piers Anthony. Book 6 in a series of 7 in the _Incarnations_of_Immortality_ series. Not scary, but, quite a nice scenario which could lead to a pocket of good in RavenLoft. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From alvalent@husc Subject: RL-L: Scenario Ideas, Modules, Gen Con Why don't we start a new thread, guys. As I mentioned before, I am interested in collecting info on different Dark Lords and maps of their abodes, scenarios in different domains, etc. I am willing to give some ideas about Dorvinia and a few other domains. We have talked the idea of a haven of goodness about as far as it's gonna go. Some people may not ever use that concept, although it may be a good one. We can all use some adventures and notes on how to play dark lords, etc. Also, we did a couple module reviews but then stopped. Another interesting thread would be to talk about the problems or difficulties that come up when using certain modules and then how you solved it when you played them. For those interested in the Psionic Lich as the lord of a domain idea, check out "Beyond the Glittering Veil" a horrific adventure about Psionicists and undead in a dark realm. It appears in Dungeon #31, along with Bane of the Shadowborn. DO IT, man.. GO buy that thing. What Ravenloft scenarios have you guys played in at tournaments? I played in one recently that involved Stezan D'Polarno, who managed to destroy us all (the GM was REALLY bad, we HAD to be killed to go on to round 2, but he couldnt figure out how to do it, so he arbitrarily nuked us). In round 2, we all came back as Revenants to try to destroy him. Pretty strange, eh? The reason I ask is that at Gen Con there is another D'Polarno run and there is one that looks like it's gonna be a Jack the Ripper Scenario. Any info? ------------------------------------------------------------------ From miracle!sue@merk.merk.com Subject: Ravenloft and familiars I've got this problem in a game that I'm DMing..... One of the characters in my party is a mage, and he has a Foo Dog, from the Kara-Tur MC appendix, as a familiar. The Foo Dog is a good creature, and it's nature is to bark whenever it senses evil. Normally this isn't a problem, as the only evil they find is other living creatures. Now, the party just entered Ravenloft (Barovia) at the very end of our last session. They found themselves in a beautiful, picturesque meadow, so naturally they shouldn't suspect the trouble they're about to find..... Here's the problem: The way the manual in the boxed set describes it, the very land itself is evil. So, even though there's no evil creatures around at the moment, the land itself is there.....should the mage's Foo Dog be barking? Is the land a kind of evil that it would bark at, or is it such a subtle evil that the Dog wouldn't notice? Please, somebody help me out here! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From 99witzki@lab.cc.wmich.edu Subject: RE: RL-L: Ravenloft and familiars In response to The Dragon Queen's message: > Here's the problem: The way the manual in the boxed set describes it, the > very land itself is evil. So, even though there's no evil creatures around > at the moment, the land itself is there.....should the mage's Foo Dog be > barking? Is the land a kind of evil that it would bark at, or is it such > a subtle evil that the Dog wouldn't notice? Gods yes! The dog should be barking its fool head off. What's more, the dog should be absolutely TERRIFIED of the environment it has found itself in, since it very likely can sense the enormity and pervasiveness of the evil. =============================================================From blackman@acsu.buffalo.edu Mon Apr 6 16:16:41 1992 Subject: RL-L Evil Sensing Re: Wendy > Gods yes! The dog should be barking its fool head off. What's more, the dog > should be absolutely TERRIFIED of the environment it has found itself in, > since it very likely can sense the enormity and pervasiveness of the evil. I don't think so. Anything that enters the demi-plane lose the abilities to sense evil, for example, like Paladin. NOTHING in the plane can sense evil, as I believe it was described in the box set. So I would think the dog would no longer be able to tell what's evil and what's not. It may be able to tell what's lawful and what's chaotic, much like paladin ends up. the way i ran/run the sense evil is that everything is evil and when the paladin says, ok let me sense evil. i say : ouch! OUCH OUCH OUCH!!! and grimace until they get the idea..it usually doesnt take long. this is the only reason that they could have an evil cleric in the party...met him in/on? ravenloft ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From hammond@gandalf.umcs.maine.edu Tue Apr 7 11:14:05 1992 Subject: RL-L: Help with Feast of Goblyns This post contains spoilers for Feast of Goblins. If this concerns you do not read further. *************************************************************************** I am currently running my group through Feast of Goblyns. They are all in the 6th-7th level range, and they have been doing well. Last session they fought and killed Radaga (1st time), but really got the stuffing kicked out of them in the process. They decided to rest for a couple of days, instead of going right in to the other cavern where the crown was hid. Now it seems logical to me that after 4 days, Radaga would have reincarnated and left for Daglan. She also would have taken the crown with her. The players have seen the evidence (footprints) of her departure with her undead hoard, but they do not know the crown is gone. If she did take it with her, then they will have to go south to get it, killing her again, destryoing the crown and ending the module. The will completely bypass Dr. Dominiani's keep and finding out about Akriel from Harkon Lucas. Is there a good way to work these back into the story line? I thought about having Akriel and Dr. D. head south themselves after the crown. But having all three powerful NPC's to cope with in place seems rough; even for Ravenloft. I also thought of just saying that Radaga just fled without the crown. This does not make sense as she could have gotten it without encountering the PC's, and she would have know that she could. Any advice is appreciated. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From carbon%superbock.UUCP%bnrmtl.UUCP@Larry.McRCIM.McGill.EDU Subject: Ravenloft and familiars >One of the characters in my party is a mage, and he has a Foo Dog, from >the Kara-Tur MC appendix, as a familiar. The Foo Dog is a good creature, >and it's nature is to bark whenever it senses evil. Normally this isn't >a problem, as the only evil they find is other living creatures. I think the Foo Dog should be barking hysterically. The fact that it can sense evil will make it extremely sensitive to the Ravenloft environment and it won't like being there. It may even start going insane after a prolonged exposure. Perhaps thinking the PC's are evil also and attacking them or anything that moves as it cannot detect where the evil is coming from only that it is all around it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From Z_COOLIDGEJS@CCSVAX.SFASU.EDU Subject: RL-L: Fooed Up Mage, Another Thread Dragon Queen's dilemma: >One of the characters in my party is a mage, and he has a Foo Dog, from >the Kara-Tur MC appendix, as a familiar. The Foo Dog is a good creature, >and it's nature is to bark whenever it senses evil....(the rest is unrest) I agree with Harlequin and Carbon that at least for the first few weeks the Foo Dog should be barking like a cocker spaniel seeing a garbage men's union meeting. Ravenloft is far too nnoticable as an evil for a Foo Dog to miss. But as time goes on, the Foo Dog will start to get used to the presence of Ravenloft and start to quiet down, perhaps whimpering most of the time (Wouldn't you if you knew you were in a place like Ravenloft?) The familiar could be useful for detecting evil, but would be like the psionic power "danger sense," going off with many false alarms at ominous moments, because evil is everywhere. The Master himself sends: >Why don't we start a new thread, guys. As I mentioned before, I am interested >in collecting info on different Dark Lords and maps of their abodes, scenarios >in different domains, etc. >I am willing to give some ideas about Dorvinia and a few other domains. Being a network including many Ravenloft DMs, we are obviously willing to take. Here's some stuff about Vlad Drakov that my mentor DM as well as myself have thought up. First, a brief reminder of who Vlad Drakov is. He is the lord of Faulkovnia, a conqueror patterned closely after a REAL HISTORICAL character--Vlad "The Impalor" Tepes. Drakov is a militant leader who brands his citizens with his falcon symbol and who sentences his opponents to impalement while Drakov watches. Drakov even enhances the screams over a symphony orchestra as he eats. Though Drakov may seem to be "just another lord" in the box, he and Strahd von Zarovich have something interesting in common--they are both patterned after different images of the same historical figure. Strahd is the Vampire Count Dracula, while Drakov is the Hungarian Hitler Count Dracula. They are "...two different sides of the same dark coin." (Fevre Dream, by George R. R. Martin. A must reader.) I cannot help but see the two as close rivals. To step outside the boxed set and make Drakov more evil, my mentor DM made the dinner that Drakov ate while watching the impalings be the bodies of the victims. And, Drakov will on special occasions pick random innocents to impale as well as revolters. When an adventuring party faces him, Drakov will pick a favorite--usually a demi-human, because of his racism--and offer him the brain of a victim. "Do you like yours young or old? Pick a number between one and a hundred years." I think Jack Palance would be great for the role as Drakov. I know he did a version of Dracula which I long to see. Dining with Drakov is definitely cause for a power check. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From @uga.cc.uga.edu:MBLANK@UTCVM.BITNET Subject: RA-L: Foo Dog, Psionic Lich First off: the dog might first have some kind of nervous breakdown at first and then, if they remain in Ravenloft, he might get used to it (so to speak) and only bark at greater intensties of evil (unhallowed ground, when the lord of the realm is watching, etc.). Secondly: the psionic lich was in the issue 174 of dragon magazine. Try to at least get the october issues as they have a lot of Ravenloft ideas. BTW- Does anyone have the Best of Dragon with the Death Master NPC? It would make a great class for a lord in Ravenloft. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From wliaw@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Mon Apr 6 15:43:12 1992 Subject: RE: RL-L: Ravenloft and familiars > Gods yes! The dog should be barking its fool head off. What's more, the dog > should be absolutely TERRIFIED of the environment it has found itself in, > since it very likely can sense the enormity and pervasiveness of the evil. I don't think so. Anything that enters the demi-plane lose the abilities to sense evil, for example, like Paladin. NOTHING in the plane can sense evil, as I believe it was described in the box set. So I would think the dog would no longer be able to tell what's evil and what's not. It may be able to tell what's lawful and what's chaotic, much like paladin ends up. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From 99witzki@lab.cc.wmich.edu Subject: RA-L: Foo Dog, Psionic Lich In response to Grabbit Wileucan's message: > BTW- Does anyone have the Best of Dragon with the Death Master NPC? It would > make a great class for a lord in Ravenloft. Better yet. I have the DRAGON issue itself. Harlequin P.S. Good point, Wendy. One must determine, however, whether the foo dog's ability to sense evil is innate (as I believe it is) or granted by a higher power (like the paladin's). I believe the reason that paladins cannot detect evil is because the link with their god is weakened. Spellcasters employing the appropriate spells cannot detect evil because the demiplane perverts their spellcasting. Would a solar (gods forbid) be able to detect evil in Ravenloft? Food for thought. =============================================================From roshne@ais.org Subject: Re: Ravenloft and familiars Peter Carbon > > > I think the Foo Dog should be barking hysterically. The fact that it can > sense evil will make it extremely sensitive to the Ravenloft environment > and it won't like being there. It may even start going insane after a But lets not forget that any ability to detect evil (or good) simply does not work in Ravenloft. If a paladins inate ability to detect evil isn't going to work, neither should this Foo-dog's. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From wliaw@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: RA-L: Foo Dog, Psionic Lich > P.S. Good point, Wendy. One must determine, however, whether the foo dog's > ability to sense evil is innate (as I believe it is) or granted by a higher > power (like the paladin's). I believe the reason that paladins cannot detect > evil is because the link with their god is weakened. Spellcasters employing > the appropriate spells cannot detect evil because the demiplane perverts their > spellcasting. Would a solar (gods forbid) be able to detect evil in > Ravenloft? Food for thought. well, I don't think that's quite the way it works. Because the mage's detect alignment spell also suffers from the same problem. Thus, I don't think connection to the gods have anything to do with it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From TABK1@ISUVAX.IASTATE.EDU Subject: RL-L Re:familiars It says in the boxed set under palidins that "In Ravenloft, no one can detect evil magically-either by spellcasting or by natural ability. Like any character who attemps to detect evil, palidins perceive no hint of evil, good, or neutrality. Instead, they learn whether the target is 'chaotic' or 'not chaotic.'" I would take this to mean that the familiar wouldn't go insane, although he would definitly be a little agitated, and even a little jumpy, but not insane...unless you want it to go insane, which could be helpful to the DM in many ways . . . (evil thoughts left up to you) ------------------------------------------------------------------ From kq07+@andrew.cmu.edu Subject: Banshee Module Hey Yall - oops I'm from Pitsburgh (Hey YINS - never mind.) My campaign has been running in the Forgotten Realms for around four years (on and off / more or less) I am just now getting ready to shift the action into Ravenloft. I played the game Chill with many of the same players for a few years and the "Horrer Thing" just grabbed ahold of us. Ravenloft seems like a good way to kill two darkenbeasts with one magic missile. I recently ran one of my own "modules" as a sort of primer for my players which might run quite well. I set it in the Forgotten Realms near Highmoon in Deepingdale - if that means anything to you. This is the basic plot - as far as the players are concerned - in the beginning. They were being chased by some Untherite thugs for stealing a national treasure (actually they found a rather large cache beneath a huge monster- and the govt. there found out.) Racing across the sea and through cities until they got a moment to rest in Highmoon. The party, at this point split down to four characters (From the maximum of thirteen players - I know, it WAS mayhem) due to desertion, murder, and gentle weeding out of troublesome players. They sprawled into the Rising Moon (a famous FR inn) tired, hungry and wounded. While sitting at a table with even the Bard listening to the musicians a tortured, screaming wail speared through the night. A sound of supernatural anguish. The Inn emptied, the shutters were closed, and the chairs turned up. The players were either asked to leave or pay for the night now. They stayed. In the morning they managed to discover that the wail came from Lilly. Lilly was a banshee who inhabited a ravine in the Elven Court (a huge forest) about five miles north of the inn. They were immediately warned not to try anything, merely entering the ravine was grounds for prosecution from the Highlord and usually meant a stiff fine and permenant bansishment form the Dale. The players chose to push after a few tid bits. (i.e. the bard discoverd an unfinished song about Lilaeth (Lilly), the fighters heard of treasure, the magic-user disocverd she was a rather powerful Enchantress.) The story they eventually discovered was this: Lilaeth (lil-AY-eth) was a fair elven Enchantress back in the days of the height of Myth Drannor (a long long time ago) She left the fabled city for the more secluded southern woods. There she found a secluded glade in a small ravine near a small pond covered in Lillies, complete with cascading water fall. She took the name of the flower, Lilaeth, as a symbol of her new life and built her tower. Within the waterfall and pond lived a nymph. Lilaeth was washing her golden hair in the falls when she first came upon the nymph. They became the best of friends and would spend their days picking flowers and their nights counting stars. (Lilaeth was in no rush to study, she was already an Arch-Mage, and had pretty much created enough magic at this point to mke her life VERY comfortable.) One afternoon, Lilaeth was in the forest speaking with a small group of sprites, about the rights to the honey found in a certain area of the woods, when they all heard a low singing. The sprites immediately vanished. Lilaeth waited, and into the clearing stepped, a creature unlike any other she had ever seen. He stood as tall as an elf, but was far heavier. His face was covered with hair, and the hair on the back of his head was no longer than the hair on the front. His ears had no peak, and his voice was low, lower than any elf she could remember singing. It was sort of enchanting. His eyes widened with surprise when he saw her, but he did not change his tune. It was in a language she was forced to study years ago in school. She could barely make it out, it was the language of man. This was a human, and she was delighted. She sat motionless, so not to scare him off, but he went as he came. Straight through the clearing, singing all the while. He came back every once in a while. Soon they were speaking, and the nymph was jealous and frightened of this intruder. She warned the elf that nothing good ever came of humans, but she knew it was too late. This elf had learned to love. The nymph did not understand, and retreated to her home behind the waterfall. But the nymph did not forget, she spent her days watching them through a magic pool, and getting angrier and angrier. Lilaeth couldn't seem to care less. The human's name was Pond. He had been granted permission to travel these forests as a scout looking for a place to build a small human settlement. The two were in love and soon Lilaeth was with child. This fired the Nymph's rage even more. The final straw was the crafting of a magical blade. The nymph had begged Lilaeth to make for her a magical flower which she could keep in her geode (she lived in a large crystal geode) behind the waterfall which would not loose its scent. Lilaeth refused, on the grounds that she did not wish to waste her time locked in her "dreary" tower when she could be outside counting the stars. Now she sat day and night in that very room crafting a magical blade of glass for her human. No! this could not be allowed. The nymph waited and planned her vengance. On the night of the birth of their child the nymph cursed them both. Lilaeth was to see all her work and beauty destroyed, and the human was to be hers. Pond was transformed into a creature and entered the lake, while the spirit of teh elf fled into the root of the mightiest water lilly in the pond,and her specter rowmed as a banshee. No one knows what became of the child. The sitaution now... The nymph is still there, the only one who has seen her in over 600 years is the aged now-blind priest of Eldath who tends this end of the lake (the other's is Lilly's) and waits for the Nymph to return to him. He is a kindly man who knows much about the legend, the Highlord has charged him with keeping anyone from entering the ravine, and has provided him with the magic to do so. He will not kill unless necessary. The nymph is still alive, but she has become reclusive and weary. Her lands have been taken over by the humans, and her only friend has been destroyed. The lake is inhabited by a water wierd which attacks any and all doing anything more than drinking from its edge. The Banshee of Highmoon spends its years gathering its strength, when it finally has enough it seems to send out its energy and draws to by means of a powerful charm, a virgin human maiden o join to its group of brides maids - wights. Twenety years ago, a band of adventurers (the last to do so) entered the ravine to destroy the banshee. Only two of the young men returned. They would relate to know one what they saw or heard. The emerging thief left the area, and died some winter past in the north. A now elderly fighter however, still lives in the dale, and frequents the Rising Moon. He will be hostile to any adventuring parties showing any interest in the banshee, and will immediately report them to the authorities. The banshee gianed so much power from the destruction of this party that more than a dozen maidens were claimed from the surrounding territory, the following night. Thus the new Highlord of the Dale passed the law. It has been unbroken since. On the same night as the party's rest at the inn, they will be visited by the nymph (unknown to them) beseeching them to seek an end to the madness. She will provide clues to where they can find the information to destroy the banshee and release her (nad the nymph and the water wierd) from her torment. The party then must gather the information and present the case to the Highlord, in order to convice him to allow them to enter the ravine and battle the banshee. The true means of doing this which will be revealed to the players eventually (if they don't figure it out) is to cut the stalk of the lilly pad (the one that never goes out of bloom, the one that the water wierd will protect) with the glass sword. The Banshee can be harmed in no other way. Not an easy task, considering the wights and other unead to be encountered. My players seemed to enjoy this adventure, and I can easily adapt it to the Ravenloft setting. As you can guess there is alot more to the adventure than I have included here, but I don't want to create an unreadable file. If there enough interested parties, I can adapt the stuff I have, and mail it out - real mail not e-mail (so as t include maps - and get a response. I'm probably leaving any and all networks in April) So I might have to ask for postage and photo-copy money. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From brian_vickers@isd.Jpl.Nasa.Gov Subject: Re: RL-L- Feast Help *Spoile Reply to: RE>RL-L: Feast Help *Spoilers* -------------------------------------- Date: 4/7/92 8:18 AM From: Steven Hammond Now it seems logical to me that after 4 days, Radaga would have reincarnated and left for Daglan. She also would have taken the crown with her. -------------------------------------- Steve, just because she gets raised by the Mists as a wraith, doesn't mean that she gets up from where she died, and must now walk to Daglan. Instead the Mists could have simply put her there in her new form. This allows your PCs to still find the crown in the other caves, and proceed along the beaten plot. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From kq07+@andrew.cmu.edu Subject: Re: RL-L: Help with Feast of Goblyns Wow! That is a toughy! Well, look in the Triumph of Daglan section (page 92) If they do kill the wight and Daglan is released, you still have they crown to play with. The Plot of Akriel and Dominiani is completely separate from the plight of Radaga. Maybe you could keep it that way. After the PC's kill Radaga, and Daglan casts that spell the crown takes most of the spell - which may lead them to believe that the crown is not this horrible evil artifact. They are transported back to Kartakass, where they can give the crown to Dominiani and continue from there. I think this could all work - just that the "big finish" was placed out of order. So, just come up with another even bigger finish. Something to do with a collassol battle between Akriel, Dominiani, Harkon, and Gundar. It could be really rivoting. Each f these wicked creatures has their own goals and twisted alliances. Maybe the players team up in a brief alliance with Gundar AND Luckas to destroy the "evils" of Akriel and Dominiani. Anyway, they should discover at the end that all four parties were using them as a pawn and the one who one was not really a blow for the good guys. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Return-Receipt-To: blackman@acsu.buffalo.edu Subject: Re: RL-L: Good In RavenLoft. About the good in Ravenloft, and the zone of good are we forgetting the Ravenkin and the WereRavens, boths Neutral good "monsters" and the only ones so far on the demiplane. Why can't either one of those groups be the "haven" everyone is looking for for their pcs???? ------------------------------------------------------------------ From fluffy@camelot.bradley.edu Subject: Ravenloft wild surges, revisited Status: RO Well, I did contact the original poster of the wild surge table for Ravenloft, and received a more extensive, but still incomplete table. If anybody has any ideas to fill in the blanks (see the guidelines below), mail me. I'll compile any more ideas and repost if there is sufficient interest. Thanks. Jeff * * * * * * * If you think of anything to add into it, let me know. The way the table is set up, the higher the roll, the better it is for the caster. The idea behind the table is that nothing good should ever happen. 'Good for the caster' is equavalent in all cases to 'Bad for the Target'. Also, if I may expound a little more on the theory of the lists, I had broken it into 5 parts: 1-20 are really bad for the caster. Most effects are permanent. 21-40 are bad for caster, but most effects are temporary. 41-60 is bad for everyone in the area. 61-80 is bad for the target, possible side effects on the caster 81-100 _Very_Bad_ for the target (I let these get really nasty, since most of the time that target is an NPC...) - John Kovacik The Incomplete Wild Surge Table for Ravenloft 01> Same as if Caster successfully made a Ravenloft Powers Check (ie they are noticed by the land.) 02> Funeral pyre appears around caster: takes 2d6/rnd while in flames. Pyre burns out after 1 turn. 03> Caster summons an uncontrolled Ravenloft Elemental (See Monstrous Comp. Ravenloft supplement.). Priority: Blood, Pyre, Mist, Grave (if no elements are available for Blood, check for Pyre, etc.) 04> Severe Headaches occur. Caster loses 1 Intellegence permanently 05> Mists rise up around caster and all within 10', when mists part, caster is elsewhere... 06> Sinister laughter echoes 07> Chain Lightning starts on caster. Caster gets no save, takes full damage from first impact. Treat as per spell thereafter. 08> Caster's face starts to melt. Caster loses 1 Charisma permanently 09> Caster receives and Imp or Quasit for a familiar. If he already has a normal familiar, special familiar will try to kill it. 10> Caster falls prey to Bloodthirst. Must spend the next d6+2 rounds drinking blood or take 1-2 pts of damage each round. 11> Effects of Vampiric Touch occur on caster, channeled to target. Spell takes effect as if it were cast by 1d10+1 level caster. (Note: Mage will permanently lose 1hp/ die rolled.) Range between caster and target is immaterial. 12> Horrible pains afflict caster. Caster loses 1 Dexterity permanently. 13> Target begins to bubble for one round, screaming in agony. On the following round, d6 blobs burst from target. Blobs grow into creatures identical to target in one round, unless slain before. Blobs gain 10% of hp of target/ segment until at full hp. Target is unaffected, other than pain on first 2 rnds. (-2 to hit, +2 initiative, and _very_ angry...) 14> Caster Feebleminded 15> Caster polymorphs into Mist Elemental. Save vs. Death (w/ wisdom bonus) or or assume mentality of one permanently. (Note: Using abilities of a Mist Elemental requires a Powers check each round...) 16> Caster's muscles spasm. Caster loses 1 Strength permanently 17> All non-intellegent weapons (magical or otherwise) w/in 50' of caster animate and attack owner for d4+4 rounds, unless already wielded. (really nasty to thieves w/ lots of poisoned daggers hidden around...) 18> Coffins begin to explode out of the ground for 50' around caster, if possible. On following round, coffins' occupants rise and attack all in area. 19> Fireball centers on caster, cast at caster's level +2. Caster saves at -4. 20> A cold spectral hands breaks through the ground and grabs at caster's ankle. THAC0 14, +2 for surprise 1st attack. Each hit drains 1 level. 21> Caster hands polymorph into tentacles. Caster takes 3d4 damage, and transformation is permanent if system shock roll is failed, lasts for 3d4 hours otherwise. Somatic gestures impossible. 22> <...> 28> 29> Caster 'twins' into one pure good and one pure evil. Pure evil is, obviously, the NPC. The evil is welcomed by the land. (See: The Apparatus for more info.) 30> <...> 40> 41> Caster summons thunderstorm. d20% chance for person w/ most metal to be struck by lightning each round. Damage from bolt is (d6+4)d8. All items must save or be destroyed. (If no one is struck, lightning strikes _very_ close to the area.) 42> Magic runs amok. Wild magic zone is created, area has radius 1"-400". (d20 squared.) The zone is permanent, centered on the point where caster stood when surge occured. 43> Caster and target switch places _and_ personalities. Switch is permanent until one or the other dies. Living personality gets its abilities and form back. 44> Caster gates in d4+1 Vrock. Vrock attack all in the area. 45> Mists rise from ground, obscuring vision. Vision is limited to 10'. Mists cover a 200 yard radius centered on caster. 46> Caster summons d100+20 stirges. Stirges arrive at a rate of 6d6/round. Stirges attack all creatures in the area. 47> Caster summons a swarm of bats (200-400). Bats obscure area, ruin spell- casting. Vision is limited to 10', w/ occasional glimpses beyond. 48> Spell appears as a free-willed magic elemental. Looks like a will-o-wisp, spell effect occurs to whoever it hits. (Note: The act of hitting does not dispel the creature. It must be slain. Stats: AC -2, HD = level of caster, Mv 24 fl, #Att 1, Dm as Spell. +3 or better weapons to hit, Takes 6d/ level effectively dispelled from dispel magic.) 49> Time warp centers on caster. Everything w/in 200' of caster is included in the warp. For every round that passes in the warp, one turn goes by in the 'real' world. 50> Nothing happens. 51> The lord of the realm is alerted to the caster's presence. No other visible effect. 52> Rock to mud, centered on point 1/2 way between caster and target. Area of effect is 100' radius. Mud is 5' deep. Mud slowly begins to turn back to rock over 1 turn. 53> Roll again, but event is just a powerful illusion (save at -4). 54> The Demi-plane notices the group. Person w/in 200' of caster whose alignment is closest to CE must make a power check, 10% chance. 55> 56> 57> 58> Wild magic runs out of control and burns out all magic in the area. All potions are now useless. Charged items lose d10x10% of their current charges. Area of radius 1"-400" is now magic dead. No magic will work in this area. (Note: Creatures hit only by +1 or better are now immune to those weapons.) Creatures lose all spell-like powers. Any mostly-magical creatures (elementals, faeries, etc.) take 5d6/ round. Any entirely magical creatures (golems, etc.) cease to function. Any undead animated by the lord of the realm still function, however. 59> <...> 80> 81> 3d4+3 hands burst out of the ground and drag the target, kicking and screaming, into the ground. Target emerges from the ground the next night as a spectre, with the sole desire being to kill the mage. 82> Fireball centers on target, at caster's level+4. Target saves at -4. 83> Spectral Hand darts from caster and attacks target as if a fighter two levels higher than caster's level. Each hit acts as Vampiric Touch cast at 5th level. (Target loses 3d6hp, caster gains same, target loses 3hp permanently.) Each hit requires a Powers check, 1%/ 3pts of damage inflicted. Hand lasts 1 turn or Target's death. 84> All non-intellegent weapons w/ 100 feet of target animate and attack target, unless weapons are already being wielded. When target is dead, weapons attack closest creature w/in 100 ft. Weapons will continue to haunt this location until a Dispel Evil is cast upon them. 85> Target is polymorphed into a giant bat. 86> Target is cursed with Bloodlust. Must drink blood each round or take 1-2 points of damage. This is permanent. Target, unless it can regenerate, will die. 87> Death Spell centers on target. If target has too many HD to be affected normally, only it dies, otherwise treat spell as normal. Next round, all creatures slain by this spell rise as undead of equivalent HD in power. 88> Chain Lightning at d6+12 level strikes target, no save is allowed. Spell acts normally thereafter. 89> Harm affects everyone w/in 10 feet of target, target included. 90> Spell operates normally. if area of effect is individual, spell affects all within 20 ft. Otherwise, area of effect is tripled. 91> Target begins to melt. Target takes d10 points/ round until dead. Make a horror check. 92> Target is bound by magical ropes to a magical stake. Funeral pyre appears. Target takes 3d6/ round until rescued or dies. If target dies, Pyre Elemental rises from pyre 2 rnds after death. Magic of ropes and stake is that victim cannot break free on his own, under any circum- stances. 93> d4+2 Dopplegangers appear and attack Target. When target is dead, they attack closest creature until they are destroyed. 94> Target is turned inside out. Horror check required. 95> Mists rise up around target and all within 10', when mists part, target is elsewhere... 96> Clone of caster appears, identical in all respects save possessions. Close helps to kill target, then tries to destroy caster. 97> Target loses 2 levels/ HD. 98> Caster summons elemental (normal) of whatever type desired. Elemental obeys caster for 1 turn, then seeks to destroy caster. Will not stop until it is destroyed. 99> Spell takes effect at 200%. 00> Same as if Caster successfully made a Ravenloft Powers Check (ie they are noticed by the land.) ------------------------------------------------- From Z_COOLIDGEJS@CCSVAX.SFASU.EDU Subject: RL-L: A Plot Idea Here's an idea that occured to me; this could be an interesting Ravenloft plot. How many of you have ever recieved a chain letter, prophesying doom if you do not spread this postal virus? Why not have the adventuring party recieve just such a letter. They must make ten copies of the letter and send it to ten specific people. The adventure will be a mystery that must be solved. The big questions are: 1. Why those particular ten people? (Their addresses were not listed in the letter. The party must find out where they live) 2. Why did the one who sent the letter die afterwards? (He did not send the letter to all ten of his assignments) 3. Why did the tenth person just have to be Strahd Von Zarovich? How will he react to the party? (At least they know his address!) This is just a thought that popped into my head--possibly an adventure to run on a dull, sunny day. Jeff recently requested help with a Wild Surge table for Ravenlofted magic: >If anybody has any ideas to fill in the blanks (see the guidelines >below), mail me. I'll compile any more ideas and repost if there is >sufficient interest. Thanks. >21-40 are bad for caster, but most effects are temporary. This one was missing the most number of entries. I'll concentrate on it: 22: Caster inflicted with lycanthropy for 24 hours, will definitely transform that night 23: Caster suffers nightmare that night: no hp or spells recovered next day, -1 Con and Str from weakness, -1 Dex and -2 Fear/horror checks from nerves 24: Caster breaks out in sores and blisters: -3 Cha and -1 Dex for next 24 hrs. 25: Caster becomes ethereal (But still stuck in Ravenloft, of course) 41-60 is bad for everyone in the area. 41 (or any unclaimed number): Green Slime rain, 10' radius around caster: save each round for 10 rounds or until leaving area or get slimed 42: Curse affects each person in area, 3rd degree >61-80 is bad for the target, possible side effects on the caster 61: Target transformed into an undead creature (people become zombies, horses become monster skeletons, and dragons, well...) Before I plant my sig, I've got to tell you what I told a party I DMed in Ravenloft, when I handed them a Deck of Many Things. Go ahead and draw. What could go wrong? You're ALREADY in Ravenloft. Ha Ha Ha. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From kq07+@andrew.cmu.edu Subject: Rl-l:pot pourri Response to a Coolridge's plot idea: I really like the concept. The letter could be sent from the dark powers themselves as some sort of warning to the Lords of certain domains (or all of them) It has been given to a particular messenger (why a messenger - well maybe the "dark powers", whatever they are, don't want the Lords to know where the letter is coming from - maybe the problem is coming from the powers themselves, i.e. a splinter faction) They, not being very sympathitic to the plights of others have given it to a mortal, possibly a Vistani to race through the Realms and deliver it. The time limit was impossible to meet, so the Vistani died - in his dying throws he forces the bloody letter into the hands of the PC (Who automatically "senses who is left to deliver it to and how long he has.) The PC is left on a busy street holding the corpse of a tortured Vistani with a letter to deliver to the ghost in Castle Forlorn. Not only will he not get help from any witnesses, but the Vistani very well might be hunting him, AND the other Lords might not wish the final reciever to ever get the letter. I don't want to conjecture forever. An information Booth: As a DM who has been Mastering for 11 years, on and off, I have discovered one fundamental rule when dealing with parties. They , no matter how intelligent the players may be, will at times be incredibly stupid and need some help. (This put from the players point of view is,"The DM actually thinks that the clues he has provided could actually lead someone to the same conclusion he has CONTRIVED) Well, when this sort of thing happens. When the party seems to be banging its head on the same problem over and over and over - and isn't getting anywhere - and everyone is getting bored and frustrated - it's time for an information booth. Usually, when the problem or answer needed is rather simple, or commonplace it is fine to have them overhear a conversation, or bump into a knowledgable person. If the info needed is more secretive or prized - it might cost them - a trip to a king's library, a service to a sage. But if the information needed is riduculously rare or the characters are having trouble contacting the "Planer Powers" for clues, then there is always Sodo Go'uuloth! Why what is Sodo Go'uuloth? Not what - who! He is the new improved Ravenloft information both. He can get the answer to almost anything. And it just may turn out that he is the ONLY one who can get the PC's the information they need. Where is Sodo Go'uuloth? Forlorn. ugh... Sodo Go'uuloth was a mage in the lands that were annexed into Ravenloft to create the realm of Forlorn. He was a powerful, evil necromancer who lived in a world he created. Not lifeless - no necromancer in his "right" mind would wish that, but the ecosystem was harsh and without politics. He was in the middle of contacting a demon through planer travel - an Astral Projection - when the lands about him were ripped from the very continent. His mind was also torn in half, not beng able to completely return to his body. He is now completely insane, and relatively harmless - but don't push him. (In my camaign, I might make the Ghost who dwells if Castle Tristenoria the other remenants of his mind - trapped by the Powers, constantly searching for his physical half which houses a portion of his mental faculties.) He speaks in almost pure gibberish. If ever a consecutive sentence is offered by him on the same subject, one has witnessed a rare happening. He lives in a small cave under a giant undead Treant (I even think it was he who first created these abominable creatures) the Treant will not harm him, but will do its best to keep others from crawling into the cave beneath its roots. The old man gets his nourishment from the creatures that the Treant kills and sends down. During the lean times he eats the maggots and worms that crawl along the caves surface. If the chracters do find they're way down into the cave. They will find a sickeningly thin old man - who looks more like a corpse than most corpses. He sits on a small boulder in the darkness and squints in even the dimmest light. He will be constantly muttering radnom sentences. "I told you not to let the dog out! Vrak uuthra' bethadnestam. (grumble, grumble, grumble.) Peas poridge hot, peas poridge cold, peas poridge in the pot... Ha HA! he he he hehehee - snort. Five,four, three, two, one!" He will not stop muttering and will not address the Pc's until they either speak (at all) or touch him, or try to leave. He will always give some sign of recognition such as: if they try to leave, singing,"I'm so glad we had this time together - so long!" then he will go right back to this muttering. The next improtant thing he will say (a few phrases later) will be asking for some kind of payment for his services. Roll 1d6 to determine what he wants as payment (feel free to create your own table, but it should always be a random chart.): 1. "Baubles, Bangles and Beads I need, Baubles, and Bangles, and Beads" -He will not speak again until he is given some sort of jewelry, which he will look at and either wear or toss over his shoulders into the dark recesses of the cave. 2. He points into his open mouth making gargling noises - he is asking for food before he will speak again. 3. "You've killed the sacred sheep!!!!!" - He must see something killed in the cave before he will speak again. 4. "That's a very pretty dress Regina" (Most likely to the most masculine party member present)- he is asking for a piece of clothing from that member. Armor will do nicely, but no jewlery. He will sniff whatever he gets, rub it in the mud until it is filthy, and the either throw t over his shoulder or put it on and modle it. 5. "...and Zenocaster took his mighty wand and waved it into the air, a white hot light. CRACKLE, KA'ZING, KERPOW!!! and it fell dead in a puff of smoke" (He will stand and mime this little performance, actually using a wand of lightning on one of the characters which he will toss back into the dark recesses of the cave.) - he must have a magic item before he will speak again. 6. "Kissy - Kissy." - He is asking for a kiss before he will speak again. In any case after he makes his request he will sit and stare straight ahead with a blank smile frozen on his face. He will respond to nothing until his request is met. If the characters still try to leave, or if they try to get past him, or attack him, or attempt to cast a spell the roots of the undead treant shoot through the cave froming an impenetrable chaotic lattice work. Each character will be impaled by 1d4 roots doing 2d10 damage each. The roots are also poisoned and the characters must save vs. disease each hour they are trapped of catch an internal disease which will lead to choughing fits in three hours, then to a total inability to breathe in six - thus death. The roots never hit Go'uuloth, and will not release the party until all of them are dead, or the undead tree is defeated. No movement is possible, but spells with verbal components will work before the coughing fits start if the character can make a constitution check to ignore the pain. The only thins Sodo will say at this point is "Uh oh!" Once all light sources go out, he will go back to his incessant babbling. The players must make a saving throw vs. paralyzation each hour of hearing this or go completely mad - adding their own babble to Sodo Go'uuloth's until their death. If the characters, on the other hand comply with his request - he will go back to babbling. He will seem to have reverted completely to the same state he was in before the Pc's arrived. However, now he will be sensitive to what the Pc's may be saying. He will be sensitive to as many statements as the "Additional Number of Languages" listed in the PHB for the player with the highest Intelligence present. Each sentence spoken by a player will either be rpeated (50%) or be addressed or answeres (50%). If one of the characters asks,"What should we ask him?" He might be heard to add,"You darn fool that's one up - don't let the Idiot speak." and then continue babbling. He will know almost everythhing, but will speak in a manner as if the statement was taken from a completely different conversation - therefore there is much leeway as to how useful his replies may be. But the players should not walk away without gaining at least one piece of vital information. Once the Pc's have spoken their allotted statements, he will shout "Not tonight Dear I have a headache!!!" and begin slowly counting down from 20. If the characters are not out of the cave by the time he reaches 3, the roots wil shoot through the cave as described earlier. A good way to Dm this encounter might be to describe the scene to the players and then to simply begin babbling as Sodo Go'uuloth. (if you have a "you say it - you're character said it" rule in operation, the first time a player speaks react as Sodo.) This way the players will be as confuse as they're characters should be. I might also make up a table of random emotions to roll up for each statement (maybe twenty or so: happy, friendly, distant, greiving, furious, triumhant, sobbing, as a child, in a foreign language, whispered, like a machine, etc...)