New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 32
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Spamalot in the Playground
     
    DigoDragon's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Gender
    Male

    Default I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    I've recently started up a D&D 3.5 game based losely on the concept of Final Fantasy 6.
    Quick Background: A large elf nation is suddenly and systematically taking over the western countryside using "Magitek", machines that blend magic and technology not seen before in this world. The PCs must stop the elf nation's war before their army reaches the PCs' hometowns.

    The PCs (10th level) are at the capitol city of Ichiro, which is like Avatar's city of Ba Sing Se.

    Last session, the party Warforged Warlock decided to do something completely silly: He turned invisible and used Fell Flight to start flying west. His plan was to fly west for two days straight to find the elf army.
    I don't know if there's even a step 2 to his plan yet.

    His plan has two major holes--
    1. He didn't tell the rest of the party where he went.
    2. The elf army isn't west of the city, it's far to the south/southwest. I had given the PCs 4-5 clues that the elf army doesn't like traveling through mountains or water. Guess what two types of terrain are found west of the city?


    Its a safe bet that the Warforged isn't going to find the elf army and has effectively removed himself for 4 in-game days. That is a LOT of time to be gone. I'm not sure what the other PCs will do when they realize he's missing for a while yet.
    However, I was thinking-- Should I:

    A) Leave the warforged PC to simply spend the 4 days finding nothing?

    B) Throw a few encounters at him anyway, but ones that are suitable for a party of four 10th level PCs because I shouldn't be nice?

    C) Have him find part of the army anyway, but this force has a few scouts armed with "See Invisibility" because they are expecting enemy spies to do just what he's doing. Thus when the scout spot him, they have the army mages dispel the effect and then take him down?

    D) (Insert your ideas here)?

    How "Gygaxian" should I be?
    Last edited by DigoDragon; 2012-10-08 at 07:20 AM.
    Digo Dragon - Artist
    D&D 5e Homebrew: My Little Pony Races

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    EvilClericGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Darkest Dorset (UK)
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Find something, a dragon or some magguffin that will help against the elves.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    MonkGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    The northern wastes
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Really it's a matter of your own DMing style. There are a few factors that play in here though. First is that, while not all that smart, the player is actually taking initative and being inventive. Which in itself is something to be encouraged. For exactly that reason, I believe his endevour should LEAD to something. Indeed, it wasn't the greatest idea and therefor shouldn't really lead to some amazing sucess. But it's a step towards independent thinking and player creativity.

    Another factor is that he may drop behind in exp. which while "fair" seems a bit harsh. I strongly disslike leaving party members in the dust, making them the runt of the group. So it's probably a good idea to throw something at the guy to keep him generally the same level as the rest of the group.

    Unless you want to enforce the gravity of the situation or have a far diffrent DM style than me. While he IS being inventive. It is really sort of silly, and that should also be made note of. Weather you actually dole out any punishment is largely up to you. though remember it needs to feel reasonable.

    And there's also the problem of the definition of what can be done. Can he really stay invisible and flying for that long? Not to mention that there has probably been something to explain why the ENEMY hasn't flown in invisible forces into the city. Reasons he may have to encounter himself now that he tried it.

    I would give you examples of what to do but... I'm honestly quite stumped and I don't know all that much about your DMing or the setting so....

    But all in all. Have it lead to something. Just don't be too rewarding for something so.... well. Not all that well planned.
    You ever punched a polarbear for making you miss the buss? It's fun.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Take the other players to another room. Tell them that an elf attack is coming in three days, and they have that much time to prepare. Tell them to make their plots and plans while you go to entertain the warlock with an epic miniquest. Have him defeat a griffon, save princess of the neighbouring kindom, finds a magic sword and negotiates with Babayaga. (Or something else that is suitably epic.) Try to do this in 30 minutes to one hour of game time.

    Then bring the other players back, inform the warlock that while he was on his little sidequest, the elves attacked. Start the scene of his return from the midst of a battle.
    "It's the fate of all things under the sky,
    to grow old and wither and die."

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Spamalot in the Playground
     
    DigoDragon's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by Blightedmarsh View Post
    Find something, a dragon or some magguffin that will help against the elves.
    Quote Originally Posted by Mistwing View Post
    But all in all. Have it lead to something. Just don't be too rewarding for something so.... well. Not all that well planned.
    Quote Originally Posted by Frozen_Feet View Post
    Have him defeat a griffon, save princess of the neighbouring kindom, finds a magic sword and negotiates with Babayaga. (Or something else that is suitably epic.) Try to do this in 30 minutes to one hour of game time.
    Sounds like the general consenus is to give the Warlock SOMETHING to encounter, but not something directly related to the army itself. Sounds fair.

    I admit I was feeling a little "BSOD"ish about what to do because while PCs have split up the party in the past, I've never had anyone split Wildly off like this. Caught me off guard and that doesn't happen too often to me. It's a new record for the Warlock.
    So thank you all for the ideas to reboot my mind. I'd ask my other players for advice, but I'm fairly certain that the fact they're all a bit annoyed with the Warlock is going to skew their response in a... well, "unfavorable way".


    Maybe I could set up a fake army camp for the Warlock as a trap encounter. Something he could handle, but still challenging. Maybe leave clues there that the army isn't intending to hit "Ba Sing Se" at all, but to go around it. Would be useful info to know.
    Digo Dragon - Artist
    D&D 5e Homebrew: My Little Pony Races

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Randomguy's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    I suggest throwing in a few possible encounters that he could choose to avoid. Realistically, you won't travel for 4 days without running into anything at all, but not everything he runs into needs to have see invisibility or flight.

    A few non-combat encounters might be interesting as well, like finding possible allies that he could try and recruit towards the cause.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Riverdance's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    He could encounter a sheltered population willing to fight for him against the elves and come crashing back into the game with his own army, Return of the King Style. Maybe they're some kind of sheltered race that decides to worship him as a god, I mean after all, he is a giant mechanical charisma-based magician.
    Many thanks to Ceika for my Avatar

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Sith_Happens's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Dromund Kaas
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by Riverdance View Post
    He could encounter a sheltered population willing to fight for him against the elves and come crashing back into the game with his own army, Return of the King Style. Maybe they're some kind of sheltered race that decides to worship him as a god, I mean after all, he is a giant mechanical charisma-based magician.
    This. So much this.
    Revan avatar by kaptainkrutch.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cirrylius View Post
    That's how wizards beta test their new animals. If it survives Australia, it's a go. Which in hindsight explains a LOT about Australia.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DrowGuy

    Join Date
    Jan 2008

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    You might want to ask him "what makes you think the elves are over there?"

    If he's flying West due to misunderstanding something you said, he may be a bit...upset...when the army's not there.

    Misreading clues is one thing, but if he heard West when you said Southwest, or read the map upside down because you hat it facing you when you laid it out, those might be good to correct.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    PirateCaptain

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Elemental Plane Of D20
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by huttj509 View Post
    You might want to ask him "what makes you think the elves are over there?"

    If he's flying West due to misunderstanding something you said, he may be a bit...upset...when the army's not there.

    Misreading clues is one thing, but if he heard West when you said Southwest, or read the map upside down because you hat it facing you when you laid it out, those might be good to correct.
    He flies west for a day, then notices a large army in the distance to the south and either realises his mistake or possibly thinks they're facing two invading forces

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Spamalot in the Playground
     
    DigoDragon's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by huttj509 View Post
    You might want to ask him "what makes you think the elves are over there?"

    If he's flying West due to misunderstanding something you said, he may be a bit...upset...when the army's not there.
    I did ask him about that for clarification.
    He did indeed hear Southwest. I also mentioned the two largest clues of the bunch about how the army moves: The elves' Magitek machinery doesn't travel easily over mountains or through dense forests. I made a map to denote such terrains.

    His reasoning to still fly west is that from the "Ba Sing Se" capitol, if you go due west you will eventually reach the capital of the elf empire. Since he can fly it made sense to him to go straight west by air.
    Granted this is Really Bad reasoning since the elf army as a whole doesn't fly and that it'll take more than two days to reach the elf capitol.


    Quote Originally Posted by Riverdance View Post
    He could encounter a sheltered population willing to fight for him against the elves and come crashing back into the game with his own army, Return of the King Style. Maybe they're some kind of sheltered race that decides to worship him as a god, I mean after all, he is a giant mechanical charisma-based magician.
    I have an idea of an encounter like this, but I am hoping to have the entire party encounter it because the Warforged Warlock player by himself would most likely not take advantage of this opportunity. He prefers to be a scout/spy most of the time, hiding in the shadows or flying invisibally.
    Last edited by DigoDragon; 2012-10-09 at 07:12 AM.
    Digo Dragon - Artist
    D&D 5e Homebrew: My Little Pony Races

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    By the way, this flying armored cyborg thing who can shoot energy blasts, he wouldn't happen to be imitating anyone? Because I strongly suggest you make him face a big evil dragon and vaguely oriental villain with ten magic rings and great karate skills.
    "It's the fate of all things under the sky,
    to grow old and wither and die."

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Troll in the Playground
     
    SowZ's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Denver
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Keep in mind he can travel quite a bit farther in two days than an army can travel in a month. He is cooking at almost 500 miles a day. Unless he is adamantine laced in which case he is still rocking more than 300 miles a day. In perspective, he could get to NYC from Miami in under two days easily.
    Homebrew PrC: The Performance Artist
    Avatar by Kymme

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Titan in the Playground
     
    ElfRangerGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Imagination Land
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    If the enemy is attacking with magitek, shouldn't the warforged all be on their side?
    "Nothing you can't spell will ever work." - Will Rogers

    Watch me draw and swear at video games.

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    NecromancerGirl

    Join Date
    Aug 2012

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Have him come across the Tomb of Horrors
    If necromancy is wrong i dont want to be right.

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Kitten Champion's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2012

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by KillianHawkeye View Post
    If the enemy is attacking with magitek, shouldn't the warforged all be on their side?
    Along these lines... If they're sufficiently advanced in Magitek, they could reprogram him like Terra with the slave crown. Rather then coming back with the cavalry, he's leading the offensive against the other players.
    Last edited by Kitten Champion; 2012-10-10 at 12:54 AM.

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    PirateGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2006

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    I'm not sure how to help, but you're definitely going to have to find a chance to refer to a distance measurement with "as the warforged flies."
    Now with half the calories!

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Djinn_in_Tonic's Avatar

    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Stuck in a bottle.
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by Riverdance View Post
    He could encounter a sheltered population willing to fight for him against the elves and come crashing back into the game with his own army, Return of the King Style. Maybe they're some kind of sheltered race that decides to worship him as a god, I mean after all, he is a giant mechanical charisma-based magician.
    Quote Originally Posted by Frozen_Feet View Post
    Have him defeat a griffon, save princess of the neighbouring kindom, finds a magic sword and negotiates with Babayaga. (Or something else that is suitably epic.) Try to do this in 30 minutes to one hour of game time.
    Best ideas here. Both are fun, although I prefer the second (maybe schedule a day just for that player).

    Ingredients

    2oz Djinn
    5oz Water
    1 Lime Wedge


    Instructions

    Pour Djinn and tonic water into a glass filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Garnish with lime wedge. Serve.

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Spamalot in the Playground
     
    DigoDragon's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by Frozen_Feet View Post
    By the way, this flying armored cyborg thing who can shoot energy blasts, he wouldn't happen to be imitating anyone? Because I strongly suggest you make him face a big evil dragon and vaguely oriental villain with ten magic rings and great karate skills.
    Hahaha
    Funny thing is that a joke about him getting a Red/Gold paint job did come up in the last session. Though the popular nickname the party has for him is Dr. Doom due to his style of "people skills".


    Quote Originally Posted by KillianHawkeye View Post
    If the enemy is attacking with magitek, shouldn't the warforged all be on their side?
    Most Warforged are, but a few have escaped conscription. The party met one who was a miner in another town, but didn't ask him any questions. A pity, missed a chance for some possible insight on this war.
    Digo Dragon - Artist
    D&D 5e Homebrew: My Little Pony Races

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Apr 2008

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    When were you intending for the enemy army to arrive? How far away is the enemy city? Does the enemy army have flying scouts of its own?

    If Dr. Doom flies west for 48 straight hours, he'll cover over 300 miles. The enemy army, by contrast is at least a couple of weeks away. Do any of the players care if you just let 4 days pass uneventfully? Is it possible Dr. Doom will run into a squadron of enemy flyers long before he gets two days out?

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by KillianHawkeye View Post
    If the enemy is attacking with magitek, shouldn't the warforged all be on their side?
    What does one thing have to do with the other?

  22. - Top - End - #22
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Jallorn's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    I think this is a good time for a random encounter. I'd even roll the CR randomly.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ertier View Post
    A good background is like a skirt. Short enough to keep my interest, but long enough to cover the important bits.
    Quote Originally Posted by FistsFullofDice View Post
    Derailed in the best way, thank you good sir.
    Spoiler: Homebrew Links
    Show

    Avatar by Dogmantra

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Titan in the Playground
     
    ElfRangerGuy

    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Imagination Land
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by Andreaz View Post
    What does one thing have to do with the other?
    Do you not understand the connection between large, metal, walking tanks made and powered by magic and small, metal men made and powered by magic?

    If magitek exists in this world, it only makes sense for warforged to be a product of the same technology.
    "Nothing you can't spell will ever work." - Will Rogers

    Watch me draw and swear at video games.

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Totally Guy's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    England
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Mannerism RPG An RPG in which your descriptions resolve your actions and sculpts your growth.

  25. - Top - End - #25
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by KillianHawkeye View Post
    Do you not understand the connection between large, metal, walking tanks made and powered by magic and small, metal men made and powered by magic?

    If magitek exists in this world, it only makes sense for warforged to be a product of the same technology.
    Sure, they can be a product of magitech.
    Why would they defend the side of the war that employs it? Are they enslaved to their creators? Is their moral compass always pointed towards "using magitech"?

  26. - Top - End - #26
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Brazil
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    To avoid bitching and conflicts, just pull the player aside and tell him that leaving the party behind on a blind run is not a good idea, and he may remain off the main game. I had to do it when a newbie in my game decided he wanted to go to the opposite way of where everyone was going. I flat out told him I didn't have a solo plot or even time to do it, and he'd have to sit and watch the rest of the players for 2-3 hours, doing nothing.

    Member of the Hinjo fan club. Go Hinjo!
    "In Soviet Russia, the Darkness attacks you."
    "Rogues not only have a lot more skill points, but sneak attack is so good it hurts..."

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Spamalot in the Playground
     
    DigoDragon's Avatar

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Quote Originally Posted by Sebastrd View Post
    When were you intending for the enemy army to arrive? How far away is the enemy city? Does the enemy army have flying scouts of its own?
    The enemy army's plan are not to attack this grand city (We'll call it Ba Sing Se for clarity) for another 2-3 months. They want to build up more resources, weapons, soldiers, etc. so that their seige would have the best chance of success.
    The enemy army also wants to seek out the smaller towns around Ba Sing Se that feed resources into this capitol. Each small town sacked means one less town giving Ba Sing Se resources for its defense.

    The idea here is the players can make a difference by employing similar tactics, taking out enemy supply lines, help evacuate undefended towns back to Ba Sing Se, and negotiate alliances with other cities that thus far remain largely neutral during the conflict.

    Now that I think about it, there's a but of inspiration drawn from "The Red Hand of Doom" here, even though I never played that module.


    The distance between Ba Sing Se and the enemy capitol is 650 miles. There is a mountain range between them so unless you can fly you will have to go around it either to the North or to the South. The enemy army choose to go south and around because there are more farms in that direction (and thus, more food to sack and collect). So our flying Warforged Warlock will at worst encounter an enemy spy or scout surveying the land.

    Both sides of the war have flying scouts, wizards, etc. They are valuable units and hard to come by, so both sides use them carefully. Magitek is a powerful weapon, but takes time and resources to make, so everything this army does is planned out and prepared.
    This is a nice contrast to my players who are much more spontaneous and random.
    Digo Dragon - Artist
    D&D 5e Homebrew: My Little Pony Races

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

    Join Date
    Apr 2008

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Do your players have a map? Do they know they're supposed to be disrupting enemy supply lines?

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Sith_Happens's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Dromund Kaas
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    Well, if this is a siege situation, then maybe the warlock finds an isolated but bountiful farming village in the mountains, near a pass that could be used as an easily-defendable supply route? Then he has a chance to gain a crucial strategic ally for Ba Sing Se, though it will likely take some serious convincing.

    Or maybe he finds the secret construction site where the enemy is building a giant drill.
    Revan avatar by kaptainkrutch.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cirrylius View Post
    That's how wizards beta test their new animals. If it survives Australia, it's a go. Which in hindsight explains a LOT about Australia.

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    PirateCaptain

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Harrisburg PA,
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: I'm Not going to Lie to You... He Flew Away

    If the flying warforged would circle about the groups position for two days. That could be advantages to them actually.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •