Gladiator Campaign

[rabindranath72]

According to my Roman History prof gladiator fights were often like modern professional wrestling with pre-determined results, lots of flashy moves and few attempts to actually kill each other. While common criminals/POWs were cheap enough to kill en masse the fights of the more popular gladiators were generally staged and not lethal unless the crowd/emperor was very displeased with the loser.

QFT.
Sometimes, some notables asked for TRUE fights to death, but then the proprietors asked huge amounts of money to compensate for the losses (it seems one of these events started the Third Servile War, according to Plutarch, in Italy in 73 BC).
Death in the arena seemed to be the exception, not the rule (at least for professional gladiators).

 

[Majestic7]

There are many moving pieces to the story going right now, many variables. It seems like there is a great story out there that could somehow tie most of the pieces of the puzzle together, if I could only think of it, but right now I'm having a hard time coming up with a good story to link everything together. Ideas?

First, let me suggest something - if you want to build a really intricate plot, with multiple factions fighting against each other and the players in between them, outsource some of the thinking. Get a friend or two or three and ask them to meta-play puppeteers and masterminds on the background. Give them a rough idea of what resources each have in their possessions and what are their goals. Give them reports of what is happening as seen by their minions and perhaps through their sorceries. Then ask them what they will do next... carry on those plans to the game, report back the results. These plans and plots don't need to directly come to play within in your sessions, but they may have some background relevance regardings fates of the world and NPCs around them. Several minds can come up with much better plans than just one. Besides, plots of each faction will feel much more intricate and plausible if there is one dedicated mind behind each instead of one puppeteer trying to play a dozen sockpuppets at the same time.

You really don't need to turn it in to a strategy game or anything. Just throwing ideas and report-like information around can be very rewarding. Eventually it will produce more stuff than if you used the same amount of time to making up plots by yourself. Plenty of the stuff will most likely never come in to play with your group - but you can then use them as spinning off points for other campaigns...

* The priest of Mata'Cima has in his possession some ancient scrolls written in a dead language. He's currently trying to decipher them, and they could have anything I want on them as their contents are a mystery. (see my Cults thread.)
* A priest of the cult of Mata'Cima, who is an alley of the noble PC from house Gilroy, a fellow cultist. He is not a slave or gladiator, nor is he wanted. He'd currently at large.
* Cthulhu cultist/regressed Neanderthals attempting to evade Messantia from below

Okay, how about attaching these three elements together. The scrolls the priest has are the reason why the cultists/degenerates have appeared in Messantia. The scrolls, that contain some Cthulhusque "wisdom" and perhaps a powerful spell of some kind, were originally stolen from them. They have tracked the thief and the scrolls to the city. They have lost contact with trails of the scrolls themselves, but know somehow that one of the PCs is connected to the person who has the scrolls. They want to capture that character because they think he can lead them to the scrolls. The degenerates are most likely just cannon fodder - they are really lead by a sorcerer of some sorts, that might or might not be a degenerate as well. If you want to add extra twist, perhaps these folks are just tools used by some far more sinister power for some other purpose. Perhaps the power behind them really wants as many people as possible to learn about the scrolls, to get someone decipher them and use their contents within the great city...

* Hadramas, merchant, slaver, and sorcerer who is enemy #1 in the PC's minds
* Maloc, the champion gladiator of house gabrio, enemy of the ophirian PC

How about attaching these two together. Perhaps Hadramas is not only a slaver and merchant, but as well agent of some other faction. If you make those mysterious scrolls the main storyline of the campaign, he could be agent of someone or something who wants to destroy the scrolls. All the trouble he has caused to the PC's is caused by connections of one character to the cult. Hadramas thinks that because the degenerate group find the group important, they must really be important! He does not know which of the character is inside the cult. He might even think them all to be in the plot. He will use Maloc as his tool to slay the characters, thus preventing them from ending in the degenerates hands. If it seems like he can't kill them, he might even help them to escape! Perhaps somewhere along the road some twist might make Hadramas ally of the player characters or turn out to be "one of the good guys" who has been tricked to haunt them for wrong reasons.

* Tommy the Fist, thug who does "jobs" for house gabrio, claims to have evidence to clear the PCs of their crimes, has been known recently to have dealings with smugglers of sorcerous items
* The ophirian family of assassins to which the PC belongs
* The Zamorian thief's unknown enemy (per his hindrance)

These sound like another group that could marry. What if the thief's enemy has noticed a chance to not only get rid of him but as well use his demise to his own ends. They will use empty promises to get the group to assassinate someone of importance and the "evidence" will be something that will not only make sure the characters are guilty but as well that they were working for some good scapegoat. Let's say, Stygians.

Lets throw in some more twist - this group is the Ophirian family of assassins that the PC comes from. They will do a midnight rescue to snatch that one character away. Give him a moral dilemma about whether to leave his comrades to a certain death, convince his family to help them even if they'd want the Zamorian thief to die (perhaps it is a case of mistaken identity or misunderstanding after all?) or perhaps he shall leave his family. You could even make so that this family is part of some cthulhusque click. Maybe they work with the degenerates and want to obtain the scrolls. Perhaps they are their own group or working for the Black Ring or some other such cabal. Maybe you could make up a plot within plot where this character will try to manipulate the cult member so he can get his hands on the scrolls. Opportunities and more opportunities. I certainly enjoy internal intrigue within PC group when possible, heh.

* Lord Damon Florens, who was approached by the Zamorian about getting out of his current situation
* Calchas Idaeus, owner of half the PCs, attempting to use the PCs to embarrass house Gilroy (with one of the party members being a noble from house Gilroy)

Everything does not need to be connected to everything. Perhaps these two could be purely red herrings - useful and memorable NPCs who can be patrons or enemies through their influence and wealth, but who do not really belong to the larger plot at hand. However, you could still encourage the players to be suspicious about them. For example, Lord Damon could be suspiciously interested in one of the player characters, but it could be just romantic interest or something like that.

* Argentio, the information broker from Vengeance of the Golden Skull (which I'd like to run later), he's been known to do jobs for the priest of Mata'cima and the noble PC

Argentio might have been the person who brokered the deal between the thief and the priest for the scrolls to change hands. Perhaps he is underling of Niccolo, the vampiric information broker from Messantia book. Niccolo would make interesting observer/broker that would be willing to sell information to the player characters - but as well sell information about them to their enemies for his own amusement. I've used him in my own campaign.

You could use the Golden Skull as a passive-aggressive faction on the background. They have their own plots on the motion in the background, so what they want most is to have this tiresome meddling in the form of fighting over the scrolls gone from the city. They could even prove out to become allies of the PCs for their own interest. Perhaps PCs could end up doing something that would aid in their plots... which they will later turn out to regret?

As a final, remember Tartarus, the Acheronian ruin underneath the city and its sewers. Nothing like ancient ruins of foul civilizations to aid creating Howardian horror/fantasy mood. I ran a little tomb robbing in there in my campaign, created some maps, traps, curses and stuff for it. Too bad they are hand drawn stuff, I could otherwise post them.

EDIT - I noticed you playing with the idea of involving ghouls. That might be a nice twist. Several Call of Cthulhu adventures feature "Ghoul Cults", humans who traffick with ghouls. They take care of changelings, take care of ghouls business among humans and hope that they can reach immortality by becoming ghouls. Some are religious fanatics, some families that have a secret running from generation to another - the family members turning in to ghouls when they start to become old. Cannibalistic fun stuff that is vile for your average human but only slightly naughty in comparision to the cosmic evils of Cthulhu Mythos. Maybe some of the factions I mentioned above could be one of these Ghoul Cults. What if the Ophirean family of assassins is really a Ghoul Cult?

Cthulhu supplements further tell that ghouls are divided in to two groups. There are those that worship god-king of ghouls - can't remember his name - and behave according to strict rules. Mainly, they only eat the dead and do not hunt among humans. They dig tunnels underneath cemetaries and steal corpses to eat... they will kill humans who venture in their warrens if they think they might pose a threat.. and will do anything to stay hidden from the mainstream of human society. But they are not insane, bloodthirsty predators and have a certain amount of respect towards any sorcerer. There are surprisingly large populations of ghouls residing under major human cities, feasting on their dead. Their main interest is survival and they avoid other Cthulhu factions, though they seem to have a relationship of some kind with Nightgaunts, known as Night Weirds in Conan RPG.

The other group is far more violent and vile - they see humans as cattle. In Delta Green they hunt in subways and other dark places, practice sorcery and worship vile Outer Gods and Great Old Ones. They are a smaller group, but a far more visible one through to their violent practices. If you want to pull this difference between two ghoul societies to Hyborian Age, then all ghouls Conan encounters in Howards works are certainly members of this cabal. The City of Ghouls is certainly populated by these creatures. Perhaps these two ghoul societies could be another point of conflict causing turbulence in your campaign.

 

[Style]

Let me start off with some thoughts I had before I came here today, before I respond to Majestic's fantastic post.


So far, Hadramas has no ties to anything in the story. I was considering making him an apprentice to Amanar, from Conan the Invincible (and basically running Conan the Invincible, as the PC's follow Hadramas trail to Amanar's castle, instead of following the gem thieves to get there); however, that can easily be scraped if I find a better use for Hadramas in the story, b/c as I said, as of right now the PC's know of no links of him to anything.

Having said that, the first two below are very easy to link:

* Hadramas, merchant, slaver, and sorcerer who is enemy #1 in the PC's minds
* Tommy the Fist, thug who does "jobs" for house gabrio, claims to have evidence to clear the PCs of their crimes, has been known recently to have dealings with smugglers of sorcerous items
* Maloc, the champion gladiator of house gabrio, enemy of the ophirian PC

Hadramas has an enemy in House Gabrio. It could be for any reason, but one possibility is he screwed them over in some merchant deal. After the deal, they discover he used hypnotism to charm the pants off their representative, so they already knew he was a sorcerer. When a well publicized case of Hadramas vs a local noble and his friends occurred, and the noble claimed Hadramas was a sorcerer and they were innocent, House Gabrio thought "Hey, they were right about him being a sorcerer, perhaps Hadramas tried to Shanghai them, and they really are innocent." They do some investigating, and they find that Hadramas has in the past double crossed free men and sold them into slavery. They send in Tommy as their representatives to make a deal with the PCs. Hey, why not make a little money in the exchange, and have them throw a match they should win as payment?

Very easy, very straight forward, maybe not brilliant, but it works.

The third piece, Maloc, shouldn't be too hard to tie in, as he's working for the same people as Tommy. Maloc is a successful and popular gladiator, who's not pleased with the PCs for embarrassing him and getting too popular too quickly. He gets wind of what his employers are doing, helping the PC's out of their predicament, and decides to stop it. The best way to do this? Make sure they win the fight they're supposed to throw, which will cost House Gabrio a lot of money and piss them off at the PCs. How to accomplish this? That's a good question. Perhaps he pays the opponent to throw the match. Perhaps he puts poison on the blade of the PC, so that a even a scratch can kill. Other ways to ensure the PC wins?


Now, for the professional advice:

First, let me suggest something - if you want to build a really intricate plot, with multiple factions fighting against each other and the players in between them, outsource some of the thinking. Get a friend or two or three and ask them to meta-play puppeteers and masterminds on the background. Give them a rough idea of what resources each have in their possessions and what are their goals. Give them reports of what is happening as seen by their minions and perhaps through their sorceries. Then ask them what they will do next... carry on those plans to the game, report back the results. These plans and plots don't need to directly come to play within in your sessions, but they may have some background relevance regardings fates of the world and NPCs around them. Several minds can come up with much better plans than just one. Besides, plots of each faction will feel much more intricate and plausible if there is one dedicated mind behind each instead of one puppeteer trying to play a dozen sockpuppets at the same time.

You really don't need to turn it in to a strategy game or anything. Just throwing ideas and report-like information around can be very rewarding. Eventually it will produce more stuff than if you used the same amount of time to making up plots by yourself. Plenty of the stuff will most likely never come in to play with your group - but you can then use them as spinning off points for other campaigns...

I've gotta admit, that's pretty brilliant. If the PCs end up staying in Messantia and all the intrigue that's going on there, I may have to attempt this.

* The priest of Mata'Cima has in his possession some ancient scrolls written in a dead language. He's currently trying to decipher them, and they could have anything I want on them as their contents are a mystery. (see my Cults thread.)
* A priest of the cult of Mata'Cima, who is an alley of the noble PC from house Gilroy, a fellow cultist. He is not a slave or gladiator, nor is he wanted. He'd currently at large.
* Cthulhu cultist/regressed Neanderthals attempting to evade Messantia from below

Okay, how about attaching these three elements together. The scrolls the priest has are the reason why the cultists/degenerates have appeared in Messantia. The scrolls, that contain some Cthulhusque "wisdom" and perhaps a powerful spell of some kind, were originally stolen from them. They have tracked the thief and the scrolls to the city. They have lost contact with trails of the scrolls themselves, but know somehow that one of the PCs is connected to the person who has the scrolls. They want to capture that character because they think he can lead them to the scrolls. The degenerates are most likely just cannon fodder - they are really lead by a sorcerer of some sorts, that might or might not be a degenerate as well. If you want to add extra twist, perhaps these folks are just tools used by some far more sinister power for some other purpose. Perhaps the power behind them really wants as many people as possible to learn about the scrolls, to get someone decipher them and use their contents within the great city...

In case it was not clear, the first two points are the same priest, so they're already linked. However, this is very good stuff. First, the degenerates can't have tracked the PCs to Messantia. They've been there a long time, and the gladiators have been tasked with protecting the city from them. Having said that, their activity has dramatically increased since the PCs started living below the Coliseum. Perhaps they "sense" the presence of contact with the scrolls? That works. I love the idea that increased activity from them is really an attempt to get the PCs. :twisted:

They are canon fodder, but who is the power behind them? Well, what I had in mind for them before hand actually works perfect. I planned on running on using the caverns from SM3, Shrine of the oracle (the whole series is a free download on DF, which I highly recommend). In SM3, at the bottom layer of the cavern/dungeon is an ancient lovercraftian alien monstrosity. Above it are the regressed, humans that worship it as a god, and through their dark religion they've actually devolved into a lesser form. (I thought that was pretty howard-like, not to mention hpl-like.) So the entity "sensed" the scrolls (or more precisely contact with the scrolls, since the PCs no longer have them), and has sent out his minions to get them.

I like it. I like it a lot.

* Hadramas, merchant, slaver, and sorcerer who is enemy #1 in the PC's minds
* Maloc, the champion gladiator of house gabrio, enemy of the ophirian PC

How about attaching these two together. Perhaps Hadramas is not only a slaver and merchant, but as well agent of some other faction. If you make those mysterious scrolls the main storyline of the campaign, he could be agent of someone or something who wants to destroy the scrolls. All the trouble he has caused to the PC's is caused by connections of one character to the cult. Hadramas thinks that because the degenerate group find the group important, they must really be important! He does not know which of the character is inside the cult. He might even think them all to be in the plot. He will use Maloc as his tool to slay the characters, thus preventing them from ending in the degenerates hands. If it seems like he can't kill them, he might even help them to escape! Perhaps somewhere along the road some twist might make Hadramas ally of the player characters or turn out to be "one of the good guys" who has been tricked to haunt them for wrong reasons.

This is very interesting and has potential. Hadramas clearly needs to have a continuing role in this somewhere, and it makes sense to connect him to some faction, be it Amanar, a merchant House, or both. (Speaking of which, wouldn't he pretty much have to have some affiliation with a merchant house to even practice his trade in Messantia? Slaver's caravan has him listed as an Aquilonian, and I saw no reason to change that, but I'd think if he was a regular practitioner of his trade in Messantia he's have to sign on with one of the houses, or else he'd end up sleeping with the fishes. Am I right?) The problem with what you're proposing (at least as written) is there is no way I can retrofit previous events to make it seem like the reason Hadramas is pestering the PCs is b/c of their connection to the cult.

Now that is not to say that somehow Hadramas has since found out about the scrolls, and doesn't want them falling into the hands of the regressed. Perhaps he is the servant of Amanar, and Amanar is a 1000 year old (or older) wizard. In the past, he's fought others of the race of the entity, or even the entity itself. He knows it's beneath Messantia, but has not successfully gotten to it yet. Now he finds out about the scrolls and the entity's interest in it. (Divinations?) He gives Hadramas new orders: retrieve the scrolls and bring them back, or short of that destroy them. Do not let them fall into the hands of the entity!

* Tommy the Fist, thug who does "jobs" for house gabrio, claims to have evidence to clear the PCs of their crimes, has been known recently to have dealings with smugglers of sorcerous items
* The ophirian family of assassins to which the PC belongs
* The Zamorian thief's unknown enemy (per his hindrance)

These sound like another group that could marry. What if the thief's enemy has noticed a chance to not only get rid of him but as well use his demise to his own ends. They will use empty promises to get the group to assassinate someone of importance and the "evidence" will be something that will not only make sure the characters are guilty but as well that they were working for some good scapegoat. Let's say, Stygians.

Lets throw in some more twist - this group is the Ophirian family of assassins that the PC comes from. They will do a midnight rescue to snatch that one character away. Give him a moral dilemma about whether to leave his comrades to a certain death, convince his family to help them even if they'd want the Zamorian thief to die (perhaps it is a case of mistaken identity or misunderstanding after all?) or perhaps he shall leave his family. You could even make so that this family is part of some cthulhusque click. Maybe they work with the degenerates and want to obtain the scrolls. Perhaps they are their own group or working for the Black Ring or some other such cabal. Maybe you could make up a plot within plot where this character will try to manipulate the cult member so he can get his hands on the scrolls. Opportunities and more opportunities. I certainly enjoy internal intrigue within PC group when possible, heh.

Oh man, I really like the idea that the family of assassins is the enemy of the Zamorian thief. I also like the idea that they also become players for the scrolls, b/c they are agents of the black ring or some other such cabal. I don't really like the idea of them working with the regressed so much, but man, how Howard like is it to have a bunch of factions working against the PCs, as well as each other? Right now, I've got the entity and his regressed, the assassins working for a cabal, and Hadramas and Amanar all going after the scrolls. It would be real easy for me to toss the Vendhyan priest of Mata'cima into this group as well, as he is the one the PCs stole the scrolls from in the first place! He didn't know that they'd stolen them from him, or where to find the PCs, but he could have since found out.

I'm thinking I'm going to get the scrolls back in the possession of the PCs. I could have the priest of Mata'Cima (his name is Cleb) use Argentio (any easy piece to tie in) to send the scrolls to the PCs, saying "Cleb told me you're to protect these, but nothing further. He seemed pretty haggard, like he hadn't slept in a couple days, and kept glancing over his shoulder like he expected someone to sneak up on him." What happened is Hadramas summoned a demon to hunt down and retrieve the scrolls. The PCs are his closest and most powerful allies. He's hoping they can defeat the demon, and keep them safe.

* Argentio, the information broker from Vengeance of the Golden Skull (which I'd like to run later), he's been known to do jobs for the priest of Mata'cima and the noble PC

Argentio might have been the person who brokered the deal between the thief and the priest for the scrolls to change hands. Perhaps he is underling of Niccolo, the vampiric information broker from Messantia book. Niccolo would make interesting observer/broker that would be willing to sell information to the player characters - but as well sell information about them to their enemies for his own amusement. I've used him in my own campaign.

The thief was the noble PC, who did it as a service for his priest, Cleb. (See my trial of Genesis posts.) I'm not seeing much reason to introduce yet another moving piece at this time, so I'll leave Niccolo out for now.

You could use the Golden Skull as a passive-aggressive faction on the background. They have their own plots on the motion in the background, so what they want most is to have this tiresome meddling in the form of fighting over the scrolls gone from the city. They could even prove out to become allies of the PCs for their own interest. Perhaps PCs could end up doing something that would aid in their plots... which they will later turn out to regret?

It would be neat to include the cult of the Golden Skull now, as a build up to running Vengeance of the Golden Skull. At the same time, do I want yet another moving peice? Also, I thought what the cult wants most is chaos and the fall of the aristocracy, not get rid of the "tiresome meddling"? Gonna have to think about this one a bit. I'm sure they could be linked in some how, just not sure where yet.

As a final, remember Tartarus, the Acheronian ruin underneath the city and its sewers. Nothing like ancient ruins of foul civilizations to aid creating Howardian horror/fantasy mood. I ran a little tomb robbing in there in my campaign, created some maps, traps, curses and stuff for it. Too bad they are hand drawn stuff, I could otherwise post them.

Man, I completely forgot about the ruins down below. Oh man, that can be used, for sure. Endless uses for that. Do you have a scanner? That's a pretty easy way to get them to me. Are they written in english?

Oh nice, you've made an edit and added more material. Let me have a looksie.

EDIT - I noticed you playing with the idea of involving ghouls. That might be a nice twist. Several Call of Cthulhu adventures feature "Ghoul Cults", humans who traffick with ghouls. They take care of changelings, take care of ghouls business among humans and hope that they can reach immortality by becoming ghouls. Some are religious fanatics, some families that have a secret running from generation to another - the family members turning in to ghouls when they start to become old. Cannibalistic fun stuff that is vile for your average human but only slightly naughty in comparision to the cosmic evils of Cthulhu Mythos. Maybe some of the factions I mentioned above could be one of these Ghoul Cults. What if the Ophirean family of assassins is really a Ghoul Cult?

:twisted: I like it. This could be a way to tie in the cult of the Golden Skull as well. It's left unexplained what Zuthelia's relationship with the ghouls is, right?

Cthulhu supplements further tell that ghouls are divided in to two groups. There are those that worship god-king of ghouls - can't remember his name - and behave according to strict rules. Mainly, they only eat the dead annd do ot hunt among humans. They dig tunnels underneath cemetaries and steal corpses to eat... they will kill humans who venture in their warrens if they think they might pose a threat.. and will do anything to stay hidden from the mainstream of human society. But they are not insane, bloodthirsty predators and have a certain amount of respect towards any sorcerer. There are surprisingly large populations of ghouls residing under major human cities, feasting on their dead. Their main interest is survival and they avoid other Cthulhu factions, though they seem to have a relationship of some kind with Nightgaunts, known as Night Weirds in Conan RPG.

The other group is far more violent and vile - they see humans as cattle. In Delta Green they hunt in subways and other dark places, practice sorcery and worship vile Outer Gods and Great Old Ones. They are a smaller group, but a far more visible one through to their violent practices. If you want to pull this difference between two ghoul societies to Hyborian Age, then all ghouls Conan encounters in Howard's works are certainly members of this cabal. The City of Ghouls is certainly populated by these creatures. Perhaps these two ghoul societies could be another point of conflict causing turbulence in your campaign.

That's pretty interesting. I definitely need check out some COC. (Not to mention finish reading HPL's works. I'm not even half way through yet.) This is another one of those "Do I really need another moving part right now?" I was toying with the idea for ghouls as an alternate to the regressed, as the "enemy below" in DDA1 was not suitable for my Conan game. I chose the regressed b/c SM3 was such a nice fit, and all the work was already done for me. I could simply tack on the caverns in SM3 to the bottom of the caverns in DDA1.

Majestic, I've got to tell you that was phenomenal advice. Thank you so much. This has been really fun! I definitely owe you one.

 

[Style]

I noticed you playing with the idea of involving ghouls. That might be a nice twist. Several Call of Cthulhu adventures feature "Ghoul Cults", humans who traffick with ghouls.

If this isn't a odd coincidence, I don't know what is. Just this morning I picked up and read Pickman's Model. I had never read a HPL ghoul story before, nor did I have any clue that Pickman's Model was one. It just happened to be the story at the top of the stack.

**cue the Twilight Zone music**

 

[rabindranath72]

The "god" of ghouls (really a great old one) is Mordiggian. It is a huge, worm-like creature, which wanders under the Earth. It could certainly make an appearance anywhere in the hyborian age.
Style, you might want to check out d20 CoC, there is lots of nice information and critters to port over d20 Conan.

 

[rabindranath72]

The ghouls described by HPL seem quite different from the ghouls described by REH. You can certainly use the HPL version in addition to the REH version. They retain the same name, but the seem quite different nasties.
If you do not want to go with the HPL canon about ghouls, you can certainly consider the DG "strain" as the REH one.
I am strongly partial to the HPL version, due to the reasons described by Majestic above.

 

[rabindranath72]

What if the "monstrosity" at the bottom is actually Mordiggian (perhaps in a period of "slumber", much like Cthulhu)? You might then tie the "degenerate" with the Lovecraftian ghouls. Those people are degenerate due to the long contact with ghouls.
Or, the degenerate actually ARE HPL's ghouls.

 

[Style]

What if the "monstrosity" at the bottom is actually Mordiggian (perhaps in a period of "slumber", much like Cthulhu)? You might then tie the "degenerate" with the Lovecraftian ghouls. Those people are degenerate due to the long contact with ghouls.
Or, the degenerate actually ARE HPL's ghouls.

That actually works pretty well. And could be a way to tie in Zuthelia and the ghouls.

Richard Upton Pickman in HPL's great tale is a degenerate from his contact with ghouls. He can still pass for human (my regressed can not), but there is definitely something wrong with him physically:

the fellow's features and expression were slowly developing in a way he didn't like; in a way that wasn't human
...
old Reid was right. He wasn't strictly human. Either he was born in strange shadow, or he'd found a way to unlock the forbidden gate.

The entity is named Velikul in SM3:

Resembling an amorphous mass with three
pseudopods, a central eye, and a gaping maw full
of slavering fangs, Velikul is a survivor of a forgotten
age. It has dwelt among its worshippers for so long
that it has come to believe that it is a god

Changing Velikul to Mordiggian will require me to either change his layer in the dungeon to something more befitting a giant work, or to change Mordiggian so that he's not a giant worm. The dungeon as is doesn't make sense for Velikul to be a giant worm.

Great idea!

I was actually thinking the scrolls (pages from the necronomicon?) would have detailed a ritual to summon/awaken a great old one or outer god.

While we're on the subject, I've found this to be the most useful Cthulhu site: http://www.maison-otaku.net/~rhea/Cthulhu/Cthulhu.html

I definitely need to check out some of the game COC (d20 or earlier) for inspiration. So much to read, so little time!

 

[Majestic7]

I was actually thinking the scrolls (pages from the necronomicon?) would have detailed a ritual to summon/awaken a great old one or outer god.

Just a little nitpick.. but Necronomicon won't be made for centuries. It was created in Cthulhu Mythos by the mad Arab Alhazred before his death in 738. However, the Book of Eibon is propably out there somewhere, since Eibon and Old Hyperborea existed before the Hyborian Age. I've always thought that the Book of Skelos and the book of Eibon might be the one and the same. Plus Howard was always a keen fan of reincarnation.. so maybe a mad Shemite might have created something similar in the Hyborian Age.

 

[Majestic7]

I'm thinking I'm going to get the scrolls back in the possession of the PCs. I could have the priest of Mata'Cima (his name is Cleb) use Argentio (any easy piece to tie in) to send the scrolls to the PCs, saying "Cleb told me you're to protect these, but nothing further. He seemed pretty haggard, like he hadn't slept in a couple days, and kept glancing over his shoulder like he expected someone to sneak up on him." What happened is Hadramas summoned a demon to hunt down and retrieve the scrolls. The PCs are his closest and most powerful allies. He's hoping they can defeat the demon, and keep them safe.

That demon sounds like a place for a good, old three-sided fight. Something like having the characters in middle of battling the degenerates when the demon bursts in the scene, accidentally saving the PC's... or the other way around, a bunch of the degenerates bursts in just when the demon is about to kick some major ass. It could even confuse the players to think that some mysterious power is helping them.

The thief was the noble PC, who did it as a service for his priest, Cleb. (See my trial of Genesis posts.) I'm not seeing much reason to introduce yet another moving piece at this time, so I'll leave Niccolo out for now.

You don't need to use him, but don't miss the potential of using him. I often do little things like that - I drop hints at some NPC or group being connected to something else. Most of the time I never need to carry those hints in to action. However, if it serves the plot or gives opportunity to give a push to get stuck players moving again, I can justify bringing in something or someone new with those old hints I've dropped. Heh, it often makes players think that plots are far more intricate than they really are as well.

It would be neat to include the cult of the Golden Skull now, as a build up to running Vengeance of the Golden Skull. At the same time, do I want yet another moving peice? Also, I thought what the cult wants most is chaos and the fall of the aristocracy, not get rid of the "tiresome meddling"? Gonna have to think about this one a bit. I'm sure they could be linked in some how, just not sure where yet.

Timeline of the Golden Skull has not been really established. If they have just started to build their base of power and network, they are vulnerable and surely don't want their plans to be disturbed.

Man, I completely forgot about the ruins down below. Oh man, that can be used, for sure. Endless uses for that. Do you have a scanner? That's a pretty easy way to get them to me. Are they written in english?

They are scribbled notes about traps and such mainly in Gamer, heh. I won't make any promises, but if I find myself having a sudden jolt of extra energy at some point, I might draw a better version, scan it and write some notes so others can use them.

Majestic, I've got to tell you that was phenomenal advice. Thank you so much. This has been really fun! I definitely owe you one.

Well, I'm glad if I could be of some use. Remember to tell how the campaign turns out.

Oh, I forgot to put one random thought in my original post. A running theme in Cthulhu Mythos tomes and scrolls is that they are more than just writing. They are things with some sort of malevolent semi-sentience. So I think those scrolls could be a power and a player in the game about their destiny themselves! They could be trying to make themselves end up in the hands of a human sorcerer within Messantia, be deciphered and used instead of being taken by the other factions. For this end... the group has a sorcerer, does it not? He could start to experience strange dreams and visions after the group have the scrolls again. Something about great power and blah blah, whatever the character happens to desire. He might even become Obsessed with deciphering the scrolls himself and give motivation for the group to keep them, if he can make his case to the others!

If this isn't a odd coincidence, I don't know what is. Just this morning I picked up and read Pickman's Model. I had never read a HPL ghoul story before, nor did I have any clue that Pickman's Model was one. It just happened to be the story at the top of the stack.

Coincidence? Yes, you can keep telling yourself that before becoming enlightened... Bwahahahahahaaa!

 

[rabindranath72]

I was actually thinking the scrolls (pages from the necronomicon?) would have detailed a ritual to summon/awaken a great old one or outer god.

Just a little nitpick.. but Necronomicon won't be made for centuries. It was created in Cthulhu Mythos by the mad Arab Alhazred before his death in 738. However, the Book of Eibon is propably out there somewhere, since Eibon and Old Hyperborea existed before the Hyborian Age. I've always thought that the Book of Skelos and the book of Eibon might be the one and the same. Plus Howard was always a keen fan of reincarnation.. so maybe a mad Shemite might have created something similar in the Hyborian Age.

QFT.
When I want something in the future Al Azif appear in my Conan games, it is either in the Book of Skelos or the Book of Eibon. From what is known, probably the Al Azif is just a "compilation" of material from these two books.

 

[rabindranath72]

Changing Velikul to Mordiggian will require me to either change his layer in the dungeon to something more befitting a giant work, or to change Mordiggian so that he's not a giant worm. The dungeon as is doesn't make sense for Velikul to be a giant worm.

I definitely need to check out some of the game COC (d20 or earlier) for inspiration. So much to read, so little time!

The connection with Mordiggian is IMO too juicy to let it pass. You could perhaps simply consider the Great Old One as only partially emerging in a cave. He need not be completely in a dungeon room!
It is known that temples built AROUND Mordiggian possibly exist in the Dreamlands, and may have been built in ages past, which fits perfectly with the Hyborian Age.
Unless you plan to make Velikul moving around (and be fought by characters), this might be a good setup.

 

[rabindranath72]

Oh, I forgot to put one random thought in my original post. A running theme in Cthulhu Mythos tomes and scrolls is that they are more than just writing. They are things with some sort of malevolent semi-sentience. So I think those scrolls could be a power and a player in the game about their destiny themselves!

Good advice. Again, d20 CoC contains lots of flavour (and some rules bits) to handle the "contact" with artefacts (and books) of the Mythos.

Regarding the books, other possible sources are:
Pnakotic Manuscripts, Zanthu Tablets, The fragments of G'harne, The book of R'lyeh (this one would confer greater knowledge about the Mythos than the Necronomicon itself).

 

[Style]

First let me give an update on my game, and then I'll address the latest responses.

* The ophirian family of assassins to which the PC belongs
* The Zamorian thief's unknown enemy (per his hindrance)
* Lord Damon Florens, who was approached by the Zamorian about getting out of his current situation

The gentleman playing the Ophirian from the family of assassins has dropped out of the game. Since I had yet to do anything with his back story, I'm going to simply drop his character and family from the story. This means I have an open position for the Zamorian thief's enemy. I don't have to fill that position immediately, but it's something to keep in mind.

I also discovered that I was wrong about the Zamorian approaching Lord Damon and asking for help. It was actually the Ophirian who approached him. Now, I could still use Lord Florens as a patron for the PCs if I so choose, but with the Ophirian dropping from the group, he's no longer a highly significant variable in the story line.

Having said that, on with the good stuff. We played Thursday night, and I tested out some of the new storylines:

It started off with the Shemite PC merchant who was to throw a match in exchange for evidence to free him. His blades were poisoned by Maloc, but at first he didn't notice. After giving his opponent a scratch, he started acting strange. He backed away from the Shemite, a look of confusion on his face, sweat starting to bead on his forehead, face turning red. The Shemite took a closer look at his blades, and saw something on them. He tossed his blades down, and put his hands up. Immediately after doing this, his poisoned opponent let out ferocious war cry, and charged in with a wild swing. The Shemite took a practiced fall, and attacker and defender went down together in a heap. After a minute of lying still, the Shemite rolled his opponent off of him and got up. The man on the ground was dead! King Milo was in attendance, so the judges deferred to him how to rule this strange fight. I rolled a d3, for win, lose, or draw (I could see a case for any of the three). The player was ruled the winner. (Which was probably best for the story, as now he'd betrayed Tommy [and House Gabrio], but I was willing to let the dice rule the day.)

On the way through a common area for gladiators under the arena post fight, he "felt" a pair of eyes on him. When he turned to see who it was, he saw Maloc getting bandaged up from a fight earlier on the card. Maloc quickly dropped his eyes when the Shemite looked toward him. Of course, he immediately began to suspect Maloc.

After the match, the pcs sat around and shared all the information they knew, so they learned that Tommy and Maloc were working for the same people. They came to the conclusion that there were either two different agendas, or that it was one agenda, to make the Shemite look bad. For the former, the thinking was either he throws the match and loses, lessening his reputation (he's undefeated at this time), or he wins via poison, which could ruin his gladiator career and get him in worse trouble (with the law, or killed by the house of his opponent he killed).

I left this piece with the gladiator officials trying to cover up the poison use, so as to not get people thinking it was dirty, while they conducted their own private investigation.

I'm thinking I'm going to get the scrolls back in the possession of the PCs. I could have the priest of Mata'Cima (his name is Cleb) use Argentio (any easy piece to tie in) to send the scrolls to the PCs, saying "Cleb told me you're to protect these, but nothing further. He seemed pretty haggard, like he hadn't slept in a couple days, and kept glancing over his shoulder like he expected someone to sneak up on him." What happened is Hadramas summoned a demon to hunt down and retrieve the scrolls. The PCs are his closest and most powerful allies. He's hoping they can defeat the demon, and keep them safe.

Some time later, I had Argentio deliver the scrolls exactly as described above. Later that very night, a demon entered the noble's room and attacked. The PC called for help, and after a heated battle between the demon and the gladiators (in their night clothes), the demon was defeated. It was clear he was seeking the scrolls. The PCs had another pow wow, and the noble admitted he stole the scrolls from a high priest of Mata'Cima. He said that the demon must have been sent by the high priest. (He was actually sent by Hadramas. :twisted: )

In the following days, they received an invite to attend a gala at the Tavern of Trials (from the Messantia box), where they would get to meet with various upper crust fans of the games (and hot ladies/groupies). They did some investigation, and found out that the Tavern was owned by House Gabrio. They suspected that something was up, but figured there best way to find out more information was to attend.

At the gala, they mingled with the aristocrats, and were hit on by hot women, but didn't seem to be finding out any hidden agenda for why they specifically were invited. One voluptuous Brythunian bomb shell was a little more persistent than the other ladies, and invited him to a room she'd gotten for the night down the hall. He refused her repeatedly, saying "Any other night, sweet heart." She was going to lead him into a room where Tommy and his goons were waiting. They were just going to rough him up a bit, maybe knock his teeth out, to send him a message that you don't mess with him Tommy the Fist (and to make him feel better about all the money he lost in the match). Since the Shemite never bit, that didn't go down.

At the end of the evening, they slipped out with intentions of not returning to the coliseum. They were followed. Being unarmed and unarmored, and not wishing to get murder charges on them again, they ran. A chase down a few alley ways and a few dice rolls later, and the men following caught up to them. The session ended with the Shemite, in mid-run, feeling a strong hands grip the back of his shirt, and a voice that could only belong to Tommy say "No one double crosses me."

So there you have it. I was pretty pleased with how it went, and the players all seemed to have fun. I received a lot of positive feedback after the session, and they said they enjoyed the political intrigue.

Now, to address the great responses I'm getting:

Just a little nitpick.. but Necronomicon won't be made for centuries. It was created in Cthulhu Mythos by the mad Arab Alhazred before his death in 738.

QFT.
When I want something in the future Al Azif appear in my Conan games, it is either in the Book of Skelos or the Book of Eibon. From what is known, probably the Al Azif is just a "compilation" of material from these two books.

Right, that's what I meant (but didn't state clearly). These scrolls are pages that will later be copied into the Necronomicon, not the actual Necronomicon itself.

That demon sounds like a place for a good, old three-sided fight. Something like having the characters in middle of battling the degenerates when the demon bursts in the scene, accidentally saving the PC's... or the other way around, a bunch of the degenerates bursts in just when the demon is about to kick some major ass. It could even confuse the players to think that some mysterious power is helping them.

This story line absolutely calls for a three sided fight. Between the regressed, Hadramas, the Vendhyan priest, their summonings, and of course the PCs, it shouldn't be too hard to work in. I'm thinking next session. (Which is Monday night!)

You don't need to use him, but don't miss the potential of using him. I often do little things like that - I drop hints at some NPC or group being connected to something else. Most of the time I never need to carry those hints in to action. However, if it serves the plot or gives opportunity to give a push to get stuck players moving again, I can justify bringing in something or someone new with those old hints I've dropped. Heh, it often makes players think that plots are far more intricate than they really are as well.

True. I've always found that having a good "living" world, that doesn't just revolve around the PCs, is great for that. You have all different powers and politics active, with their own goals and motivations, and just occasionally toss out rumors and other hints about the world around them. When things do stall, it's really easy to insert something from this living, breathing world to prod them. You look like a genius, with "foreshadowing" and a very intricate plot.

My last campaign was great like that, in my own homebrew world. I'm still coming to grips with the Hyborian world, and I don't have it in my back pocket, I don't have the comfort level with it, as I did in my homebrew, but I'm getting better every day.

Timeline of the Golden Skull has not been really established. If they have just started to build their base of power and network, they are vulnerable and surely don't want their plans to be disturbed.

I was considering running it pretty soon, but yeah, I certainly wouldn't have to. The timeline can be what ever I need it to be.

A running theme in Cthulhu Mythos tomes and scrolls is that they are more than just writing. They are things with some sort of malevolent semi-sentience. So I think those scrolls could be a power and a player in the game about their destiny themselves! They could be trying to make themselves end up in the hands of a human sorcerer within Messantia, be deciphered and used instead of being taken by the other factions.

Now this I really like.

For this end... the group has a sorcerer, does it not? He could start to experience strange dreams and visions after the group have the scrolls again. Something about great power and blah blah, whatever the character happens to desire. He might even become Obsessed with deciphering the scrolls himself and give motivation for the group to keep them, if he can make his case to the others!

The group has a Pict Shaman. In SW Kane, there are two types of MUs, Shaman and sorcerers. They're what you think they would be: Sorcerers get their power by studying ancient tomes and the like, shaman (which typically come from less civilized cultures) call up spirits to perform their magic (N'Longa). Now, I could still have these scrolls promise power to a shaman, even though he's not technically supposed to get his power from ancient scrolls and the like. After all, the scrolls could simply tell him how to summon more powerful spirits to do greater tasks. The bigger problem is he's an illiterate Pict. Am having a hard time seeing someone who's illiterate decipher anything.

Another thing I was considering was using the scrolls as a variant of the "Like Father, Like Son" spell. A sorcerer in ancient times was terminally ill. He performed a ritual to put his essence into a scroll, where the reader of the scroll would be dominated by him, his mind and spirit taking over their body. Something went wrong, and the scroll was lost for a few millennium past before the scroll resurfaced. I was going to have this happen to Cleb, high priest of Mata'Cima who the noble trusts with his life. In some ways it would be even better to do this to a PC. :twisted:

Coincidence? Yes, you can keep telling yourself that before becoming enlightened... Bwahahahahahaaa!

lol.

The connection with Mordiggian is IMO too juicy to let it pass.

At this point, there is zero connection to ghouls in the story line. I would be inserting it just to insert it. Not saying it wouldn't be cool, I would definitely like to work some Great Old One action in there somewhere. Originally I was actually thinking that the scrolls would detail how to summon Mata'Cima, who is really just one "face" of Jhebbal Sag, who is really Shub-Niggurath. Of course, the PCs wouldn't figure this out until they summoned her. :twisted: Of course, that would likely be the end of my campaign as well.

You could perhaps simply consider the Great Old One as only partially emerging in a cave. He need not be completely in a dungeon room!
It is known that temples built AROUND Mordiggian possibly exist in the Dreamlands, and may have been built in ages past, which fits perfectly with the Hyborian Age.
Unless you plan to make Velikul moving around (and be fought by characters), this might be a good setup.

SM3 is designed around the PCs facing Velikul. I certainly wouldn't have to have it come to that, though. It really just depends on what's the best storyline. If the best story line is the scrolls summon Shub-Niggurath, I'll go with that. If the best story line is Mordiggian is asleep and dreaming beneath the coliseum, I'll go with that. I want a Mythos deity in there somewhere, I just have to decide where.

Speaking of Jhebbal Sag, this reminds of a (near?) future storyline I've been tossing around. I would like to at some point take my campaign across thunder river. If for no other reason than I have a Pict in the group, and it'd give him a chance in the spotlight. Plus, shaman MUs in SW Kane get special bonuses for casting spells in their homeland b/c of the native spirits. With that in mind, I pretty much have to give them at least one opportunity to adventure in the Pictish wilderness, so he can take advantage of this system feature. I was thinking I'd reveal that Mata'Cima was just one aspect of Jhebbal Sag. The scrolls mention a massive idol of Mata'Cima that is focus for the ritual to summon her. Cleb has read these scrolls, and the Pict Shaman has actually seen the idol. It's in the village of a rival tribe in the Pictish Wilderness. This would be a way to link the Pict, the noble, and his high priest Cleb, and get them to work together (and hopefully drag along the rest of the PCs) on an adventure with a nice HPL ending.

At any rate, what's next? The player of the Shemite has already told me that he's going to attempt to talk to Tommy. I don't know how much Tommy is going to be willing to listen, but if he can talk quickly and convincingly, it's possible that he could avoid a fight and turn Tommy on Maloc. Regardless of what happens in that encounter, the PCs will be escaped slaves running loose in Messantia. A short time after that, I'm going to have the three way fight. I haven't decided how I want to pull that off. Should Hadramas summon another demon? The first one failed, so would he do this again? I could also have the PCs get attacked by the regressed (Who pour out of the sewers where ever the PCs are holed up), and when things are looking bleak have the Vendhyan priest step in. While the priest and his forces are fighting the regressed, there is opportunity for the PCs to slip away.

What to do with the scrolls and their effect on the PCs (and NPCs) is probably the biggest question.

 

[Style]

For this end... the group has a sorcerer, does it not? He could start to experience strange dreams and visions after the group have the scrolls again. Something about great power and blah blah, whatever the character happens to desire. He might even become Obsessed with deciphering the scrolls himself and give motivation for the group to keep them, if he can make his case to the others!

The group has a Pict Shaman. In SW Kane, there are two types of MUs, Shaman and sorcerers. They're what you think they would be: Sorcerers get their power by studying ancient tomes and the like, shaman (which typically come from less civilized cultures) call up spirits to perform their magic (N'Longa). Now, I could still have these scrolls promise power to a shaman, even though he's not technically supposed to get his power from ancient scrolls and the like. After all, the scrolls could simply tell him how to summon more powerful spirits to do greater tasks. The bigger problem is he's an illiterate Pict. Am having a hard time seeing someone who's illiterate decipher anything.

Quick, help me sell the Pict shaman on the scrolls!

Savage worlds doesn't have classes or levels. The way advancement in Savage Worlds works is regularly you get what is termed an advance, a small increase in power, as opposed to a relatively large increase from a class in Conan D20, which occur less often. Among other things, an advance can be used to get rid of a hindrance or to learn a new spell. The Pict is due for an advance after tonight's session. I told the player out of game that if he used his advance to get rid of his PC's illiteracy, and then studied the scrolls, I would give him a new spell learned from the scrolls for free. Basically, he'd be getting the benefits of two advances for the price of one. He said he wasn't interested. (!!!) This was an email exchange.

In tonight's game, I plan on giving the character dreams of power and wealth associated with the scrolls. The PC also has the hindrance of greedy, so I'm going to play into that. Hopefully that will be enough, but I'm not sure.

Any help you could give on me "selling" the idea to the Pict would be great! If he continues to show no interest, it's not a show stopper. After all, I can just use Cleb, the high priest trusted NPC ally, in the same role the Pict would have filled, but it would be MUCH better if it were a PC. Once the PC's realize the source of their trouble is these scrolls, an NPC is going to have a hard time convincing the group to hang on to them.

Speaking of which, ideas on how to sell the group on keeping and protecting the scrolls? Off the top of my head, it sends them dreams of unspeakable horrors unleashed if the scrolls fall into the wrong hands...

The clock is ticking! Game time is less than 8 hours away!

 

[Ichabod]

I haven't followed this thread much, so I'm not completely clear on the situation.

Have someone start using the scrolls badly in front of the shaman and have him realize some sort of connection between their magic and his if you really want to force it.

I don't see the reason to force it, though. How about having one of the other PCs, someone who isn't into magic, take an interest in them instead and start in on a magic kick? How about the party loses/sells/trades them and all hell breaks loose?

Seems a lot more interesting to have the shaman PC, who has already taken a plausible position of opposition, to take a position of extreme opposition rather than be boxed in as a generic magic-using PC. The shaman could be the one character who wants to see them destroyed but is constantly stymied by the hunger for power of others.

 

[Style]

How about the party loses/sells/trades them and all hell breaks loose?

This another thing I was thinking about. Give dreams to the Pict of power and wealth, and dreams to the other PCs of doom and disaster if the scrolls fall into the wrong hands. Then if the PCs do decide to rid themselves of the scrolls, have them regret that decision when doom and disaster surely follows.

Seems a lot more interesting to have the shaman PC, who has already taken a plausible position of opposition, to take a position of extreme opposition rather than be boxed in as a generic magic-using PC.

He's hasn't taken a position of opposition against the scrolls yet. He wasn't even at the last session. All that has occurred is I sent him an email saying "Your character has in his hands scrolls of obvious power. If as a player you choose to get rid of your illiterate hindrance at your forth coming advance, I will give you some spells for free. Any interest?" He replied "Not really." That's it. He has no other information. After I give him dreams of power and wealth, he may change his tune, or it could have the opposite effect if he feels I'm trying to force him. If so, so be it.

The biggest sell I think I can do is to show him the power. If he refuses to study the scrolls, have Cleb step in, who's not even a MU, step in and perform magic that dwarfs anything he's ever done. If he does show interest in the scrolls and begins studying, give him a taste right away. During a critical point in a battle, he goes to cast a spell. At the last second, he thinks about the some of the symbols of power he'd been studying in the scrolls and a spell goes off that dwarfs anything he's ever done before. Show him the power. Show is always better than tell.

Something else I may do is have Cleb really, really want them. Reverse psychology, make the player think i want Cleb to have them so he can have all the power. Then I either watch the greed kick in with the PC desiring them, and if not, carry out the story of the scrolls with Cleb as the one in their thrall.

How about having one of the other PCs, someone who isn't into magic, take an interest in them instead and start in on a magic kick?

The noble is a follower of Mata'Cima, and he thinks the scrolls are holy relics of his deity. And in fact, they pretty much are, they're just holy relics plus a whole lot more. I'm thinking I will have his dreams show him reaching enlightenment by studying the scrolls, in addition to doom and disaster if they fall into the wrong hands. In fact, I could have variants of that message to all of the PC's, emphasizing religion to the noble.

 

[Style]

A couple players didn't show tonight, so we watched the original movie instead of playing.

 

[Sting52jb]

After giving it some though If you really need just one of the members of your group to carry the scroll so as it can corrupt him in some fashion but are having trouble selling this to your shaman. You can try the following.

Have someone seeking the scroll not the scroll itself project the thoughts into the players dreams. The way I would do this is try and game with each member individually play out their dream sequence befor your next full gaming secession. Allow the person seeking the scroll to use their dreams to find what the PC wants more than anything currently, be it their freedom, riches, fame. Then promise them these things if they hold on to the scroll.

At least one of your PC should be tempted to take the scrolls and he should also try and keep it a secret from the rest of the party, as it has been implanted in his mind that if he looses the scrolls he will never achieve his greatest desire.

In all actuality the scrolls themselves embody so much evil and corruption that it begins to bend the will of the character, predisposing him to be more cruel and evil. You could make he win some matches that he was suppose to lose even going so far as to kill or critical hurt a gladiator that he was suppose to actually lose to. Do to his strange behavior the group begins to shun him. You could even have him leave the group setting out to find the one who has implanted the original thoughts into his mind.

Now if your other PC have formed some type of bond with the now corrupt PC, they will try and find a way to help their friend. Maybe use Cleb to explain to the PC what might have happened. After searching for information on the scroll the PC discover a way to help their friend but must win their freedom before they can set off to rescue their friend.

The person that is projection the dreams into the PC could be Hadramas, I don't know if this is the direction you were planing on taking but I've never done anything similar but this is what I came up with to not only have intrigue but some decent action in a upcoming secession as the PC have to again battle with Hadramas to save their friend.

Anyways hope this helps you with the Scrolls if not sorry. But it did give me some cool ideas for a future adventure myself.

 

[Style]

Thanks, Sting52jb. Interesting ideas. I'm chewing on them. There's definitely potential there.

Thinking about it is leading me to some questions I had previously. If the scrolls are sentient in some way, what are their goals?