[Template] Indigo Guests

[Mike_Lemmer]

"No, your Majesty, I don't know where my pants are. Another plane, probably. Now if you could please open that balcony door, I'll fly off and we'll pretend this never occured."
-Geoffrey Dunbar, Indigo Guest

If you woke up on another continent with a hangover, a magical tattoo, a demon's platemail and no memory of the past week, would you assume you were controlled by evil cultists or had one helluva party? Indigo guests believe the latter.

Part 1: Indigo Guest Template
Part 2: The Indigo Banquet
Part 3: Using It in Your Game

[Mike_Lemmer]

Summary: Indigo guests are honored guests to divine banquets, or so they believe. They disappear for a week every season, have interesting "day afters", and wear mystical indigo tattoos when they return. It's a bit disruptive at times, but only stuck-up lawfuls complain about rowdy celebrations.

Creating an Indigo Guest
"Indigo guest" is an acquired template that can be added to any intelligent being who can attend a banquet, now referred to as the "base creature". Most indigo guests are humanoids, fey, or civilized outsiders.

Prerequisites: Luck of the draw. Charisma also seems to be a factor; many indigo guests are bards, rogues, and sorcerers.

Appearance: Indigo guests gain an indigo tattoo on their lower left arm. It resembles ancient Elven spiral designs (DC 20 Knowledge (history) check) and radiates a faint transmutation aura. It can't be removed through any method short of peeling the skin off; if it is removed, the creature loses this template and the tattoo is rendered useless.

Spell-Like Abilities: Indigo guests have one or more spell-like abilities, each of which they can use once per day. The number and type vary individually. All of them are Enchantment, Illusion, or Transmutation spells from the 1st-3rd levels of the Bard and Sorcerer/Wizard spell lists. Indigo guests only have 1-6 spell levels of spell-like abilities, although it's rumored exceptional guests have more. Common choices include:
Sleep
Charm Person
Disguise Self
Alter Self
Knock
Invisibility
Fly
Gaseous Form
Suggestion

Each spell-like ability is keyed to a section of their tattoo. When it's used, its corresponding section turns black. The section turns back to indigo once its ability is refreshed. Caster level equals the creature's HD, and the save DC is Charisma-based.

Special Qualities: An indigo guest has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following:
Spell resistance equal to creature's HD + 5 (maximum 25)
Interplanar Invitation (Su): Once every three months, all indigo guests are simultaneously summoned "somewhere else". They reappear about a week later. When they reappear, they could have different spell-like abilities, be in another location, or even have a different form. They remember nothing about the time they were gone. See The Indigo Banquet below for more information.
Scrying Link (Su): The tattoo is also a scrying beacon. The creature can be scryed by his mysterious benefactor at any time (no save), and the creature takes a -2 penalty to any save versus scrying.
Interplanar Intervention (Su): If the creature is on the verge of death (bleeding out with no hope of aid, falling off a high cliff, etc.), there is a 10% chance his mysterious benefactor sees this and summons him out of danger. It is identical to the Interplanar Invitation, except that the creature is also fully healed and restored when he reappears.

Skills: Indigo guests have a +2 competence bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. They also gain Sylvan as a bonus language.

Challenge Rating: As base creature +1

Level Adjustment: +1 (+2 if their spell-like abilities total four or more spell levels)

Note: A new indigo guest is unaware of his tattoo's powers. He has an idea the tattoo stores spell-like abilities, but he doesn't know what they are or how to activate them. Activating each spell-like ability for the first time is a standard action that requires a DC 15 Int or Use Magic Device check.

All other effects of the template are automatic and will be noticed once he uses them.

-----

Indigo Guest 2nd-Level Centaur Bard
Large Monstrous Humanoid (Augmented Monstrous Humanoid)
Hit Dice: 4d8+2d6+18 (47 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural, +3 mwk studded leather), touch 13, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+11
Attack: Mwk longsword +8 melee (2d6+3/19-20) or mwk composite longbow (+2 Str) +9 ranged (2d6+2/x3)
Full Attack: Longsword +7 melee (2d6+3/19-20) and 2 hooves +2 melee (1d6) or composite longbow (+2 Str bonus) +9 (2d6+2/x3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.

Special Attacks: --
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., spell-like abilities, spell resistance 11, interplanar invitation, scrying beacon, interplanar intervention
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +11, Will +5
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 6, Cha 16
Skills: Move Silently +11, Perform (string) +9, Survival +5, Use Magic Device +9
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Focus (?)

Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Often chaotic neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3

This centuar bard was placed far away from his original home after the Indigo Banquet. He now uses his newfound powers to sneak into camps, steal anything of value, and fly away before they discover him.

Combat: Indigo guests prefer fighting through trickery. This centaur tries to get away with any goods he's stolen and will only fight as a last resort.
Interplanar Invitation (Su): Once every three months, the centaur is summoned "somewhere else". He reappears a week later somewhere else with different spell-like abilities. He remembers nothing about the time he was gone. Scrying Beacon (Su): The centaur can be scryed by his mysterious benefactor at any time (no save), and he takes a -2 penalty to saves versus scrying.
Interplanar Intervention (Su): If the centaur is on the verge of death, there is a 1 out of 10 chance he is summoned out of danger. He reappears a week later somewhere else, fully healed.

[Mike_Lemmer]

The Indigo Lord: The Indigo Lord is the indigo guests' host and mysterious benefactor. He used to be known as Veladanar, an ancient Elven demigod of wine and feasts with a fondness for indigo, but he shirked his duties and faded into obscurity.

So why has he gathered the indigo guests? He got bored. Hanging out with the same fey and satyrs had become mundane, so he invited a diverse group of mortals from across the planes. Their performances and drama entertained him so much, he invited them back. He even gave them magical powers so he could see how they use them. As he would put it, "These mortals could put me to shame. They match me in trouble with but a sliver of my power."

The Indigo Banquet: Indigo guests are the honored guests of a fey demilord's banquets. There they make merry, carouse with beings from every world and plane, entertain the lord, and are granted powers and wishes while getting divinely sloshed. It's like a night on the town with the Greek pantheon.

The Invitation: The Indigo Lord sends elven proxies to find entertaining new guests to invite to the next banquet. When they find a promising guest, they invite him to the banquet in a dream. If he accepts, he's summoned away at the next banquet. If he refuses, he receives a mischievous curse within a week. They never remember the dream invite.

Indigo guests are always summoned to banquets, whether they want to or not. (Sure, they'll gripe at first, but one sip of the wine and they'll celebrate like everyone else.)

The Banquet: Once every season, all indigo guests are simultaneously summoned to the Indigo Lord's abode, disappearing during the night.

During the banquets, indigo guests make two rolls:
DC 35 Fortitude save: If they succeed, they remember bits and pieces of the banquet through the fey wine haze. If they fail, they remember nothing (including why they made the rolls in the first place).
Bluff, Diplomacy, or Perform (any) check: Used to determine how well they do at the banquet. The indigo guest chooses which skill to check. Great checks lead to extra spell-like abilities for their tattoos, reappearing in good circumstances when they leave, and favorable reactions from other guests later (even if they don't remember why). Bad checks have the opposite effect.
If a guest rolls a 5 or less on this check at two banquets in a row, he has horribly insulted the Indigo Lord; his tattoo is removed, his indigo guest template is stripped, and he reappears in some horribly amusing situation.

The Morning After: A week later, each indigo guest reappears on his home world. When he reappears, he could be:
Thousands of miles away from his previous location.
Bruised from a fight. (Has nonlethal damage equal to half his HP.)
Stark naked. (Coincidentally finds his gear 2d4 days later.)
Sleeping with someone else.
Has someone else's stuff.
Polymorphed. (Lasts until next banquet; dispel DC 32.)
An orc in a Dwarven church. (Someone insulted the Indigo Lady.)
If this was his first indigo banquet, he now has an indigo tattoo and the indigo guest template.

[Mike_Lemmer]

Incorporation:
Very simple. The Indigo Lord just decided to start inviting select mortals to his banquets a few weeks ago. Now the first indigo guests have returned, sparking rumors and investigations.

Hooks:
An indigo guest appears in the middle of the PCs' camp, in the dead of night, hundreds of miles from civilization. Will they help him get back to civilization? Is there a reason he was returned here?
An invisible flying centaur is using his tattoo's powers to harass travelers in the woods.
The PCs are asked to retrieve a wanted bard that teleported a thousand miles away. When they arrive, they find he's been turned into a different race and now has a magical tattoo. Three months of chasing him later, they're escorting him back when he disappears again. Can they find him, bring him back and try him before another season passes?
An indigo guest friend of the PCs has been attacked twice by marids (water genies) since he returned from the last banquet. He wants to make amends, but he doesn't know what he did, and the marids aren't telling him either. He begs the PCs to help him figure out what he did to offend them during the banquet, then help him travel to the Elemental Plane of Water to apologize.
Two indigo guests awoke after a banquet in each others' arms. They stayed together and fell in love, but after the next banquet, they were split apart. One of them approaches the PCs and begs for their help to find her lost love, who could be thousands of miles away.

Campaign:
The entire party is indigo guests. After each banquet, they're all returned to a new place in need of help. They have three months to fix things and entertain the Indigo Lord before the next banquet. There, they're reviewed on their influence and entertainment, rewarded, and sent to their next destination. Roleplay the banquets and reduce the amnesia effect to get the most out of it.

Getting to the Bottom of It:
One path the PCs could take to uncover the truth of the indigo guests.

1a. The tattoo's pattern points to ancient Elven culture.
1b. If a hardy guest remembers bits of the banquet, questioning him leads to investigating deities of celebration.
2. They find references to Veladanar, a forgotten demigod of celebration and wine in ancient Elven tomes. It says he made a few portals to this world to celebrate with his worshippers and lived on a majestic island on an infinite ocean. A DC 25 Knowledge (planes or religion) check determines he lives in Arborea. A DC 30 Knowledge (planes) check determines he lives on Aquallor, the second plane of Arborea. (DMG p.166)
3. The PCs arrive at his home, either by winding their way through the planes or discovering one of his portals (now buried deep within Elven ruins).

If the PCs trek to his abode, the Indigo Lord merrily greets and serves them. He is impressed they traveled so far to meet him and asks them to stay for dinner. Gifts are exchanged, songs sung, and he'll gladly retell any incidents at the banquets.

After the meal, he'll give each PC a parting gift of an indigo noble outfit magnificent enough to make a king jealous. (They are magical, conferring charisma and AC bonuses.) He also offers the PCs an invitation to his next banquet.

They leave the same way they came. Since they didn't serve wine as potent as the banquets', the PCs only need to make a DC 20 Will save to remember their visit.

I Don't Believe That. What's Really Going On?
Alternate truths to confuse and confound your players.
A noble djinn, not a fey demigod, hosts the banquets. He's just as generous, but is easily insulted and expects favors from his guests in the future. He is unaware they don't remember them through the wine haze. The banquets are held at his palace in the Plane of Air.
The tattoos are actually symbiotes of an alien hive mind. The indigo guests invite other people to join them for the "banquets"; they all teleport away together to the alien's impact crater, deep within an ancient forest. There they infest the newcomers, take mind-altering drugs, and celebrate the rebuilding of the hive mind. The crater is guarded by the nearby fey and elven inhabitants, who have all been joined with the hive mind.
The banquets are actually a plot by demons. They summon the troubadours and scoundrels of society and trick them into drinking liquid demonic essence, which makes them susceptible to possession. During the weeks they believe they're attending some divine banquet, the demons within them are sowing carnage and mayhem. The "banquets" are held on the 396th layer of the Abyss, in an illusionary keep devoted to Gluttony.

[The Demented One]

I cannot praise this enough. An amazing concept.

[Carmichael]

What I have begun to appreciate about this month's contest is that it really seems to favor a short-and-sweet quality over burgeoning entries of thousands and thousands of words. I think this entry is exemplary, although I would not mind a greater depth of background and description (e.g. how do these guests starting behaving?)

All in all, very good. That you have a section on using the template in your readers' games is a great consideration. The suggestion for a campaign based on this is something interesting (although I personally would make it a short one). Also, I like the "alternative" explanations. When it comes to mystery and secrets, a setting needs more contradiction and confusion, not less.

[Mike_Lemmer]

What I have begun to appreciate about this month's contest is that it really seems to favor a short-and-sweet quality over burgeoning entries of thousands and thousands of words. I think this entry is exemplary, although I would not mind a greater depth of background and description (e.g. how do these guests starting behaving?)

I didn't explain how indigo guests act because it would be like summarizing how everyone uses superpowers: too diverse to sum up nicely. As a rule of thumb, they keep the same goals, but are bolder acting on them.

As for background, it starts like many a myth: "An immortal deity got bored one day." That's all you really need: the Indigo Lord got bored one day, so he began inviting mortals to banquets.

I'll be happy to elaborate on anything else people want to know about this.

P.S. Thanks for the praise, Demented, but are you sure you can't find anything I can improve?

[The Demented One]

I'd lower the percentage on the Interplanar Intervention ability, or just make it DM fiat--a 20% chance of getting bailed out of any problem is a wee bit high. I'd also make it impossible to get intervened out of a situation if you've succesfully resisted the Constant Watch ability.

[Mike_Lemmer]

I'd lower the percentage on the Interplanar Intervention ability, or just make it DM fiat--a 20% chance of getting bailed out of any problem is a wee bit high. I'd also make it impossible to get intervened out of a situation if you've succesfully resisted the Constant Watch ability.

I don't like GM Fiat; it's another word for "my favorite villain survives again!" I reduced it to 10%, which was my original value before I thought it might be too low.

I also got rid of the Constant Watch save. Since the Indigo Lord doesn't use the scrying against the guest, it's harmless and doesn't deserve a save. One less roll-a-day to worry about.

[Carmichael]

I didn't explain how indigo guests act because it would be like summarizing how everyone uses superpowers: too diverse to sum up nicely. As a rule of thumb, they keep the same goals, but are bolder acting on them.

As for background, it starts like many a myth: "An immortal deity got bored one day." That's all you really need: the Indigo Lord got bored one day, so he began inviting mortals to banquets.


Although I agree that material generally works best when it's readily adaptable to a general D&D setting (and therefore most D&D campaigns), I usually appreciate a degree of context with material; with a lot of RPG material, I get less than satisfied with the premise that a character/group/type/etc. has no agency of its own. In other words, the writer should (try to) answer the question "What do [elves/mages/indigomen] do?" I feel like you've answered this question in your last post, but it's still very broad. Stlil, it seems to be because you have chosen to place the mystery in where creatures of this template in their origin rather than in their function and agency.

As another but really inconsequential note: the form for this entry is great. (Less typos than what most entries have, even the "good" ones.) However, it seems inconsistent at times (e.g. are you going to use bullets throughout or not?). Again, this is just the grammatical side of me cutting loose, so feel free to ignore this paragraph.

[Mike_Lemmer]

The partial bullets are from not having enough time to edit the entire entry at once. As I continue editing over the weekend, bullets will crop up like flowers. Deadly carnivorous flowers.

As for their function, they serve society by rocking.

[Mike_Lemmer]

I just gave it another edit, modifying plot hooks & variant truths and adding a section on the Indigo Lord himself. (Ah, the dangers of idle deities...) I will also be posting an example creature soon.