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Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Dec 2004 : 21:01:07
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Okay folks, I need some help...concerning the session I mentioned earlier this year. It features a Jaezred Chaulssin plot to kidnap humans from a small surface town for use as fodder in the upcoming war - also, a surrounding story of a lycanthrope war in the neighboring Moonwood. Fun, fun, fun.
I have recently added a newbie gamer to the session. As such, I felt it best to let him take over an NPC character I had been running, that way I could guide him a bit until he got onto his feet and could roll up his own character.
However, I underestimated this new PC, and his role-playing skills are phenomenal. I really want to give him the character "full-time" and let him run with it, as he has become such an integral part of the story, and I would hate to just tear it away from him. The problem is that the NPC was a drow level 10 fighter that I had created long ago, intending him to be much more powerful than the PCs so that he could guide them where I needed them to go.
In other words, I have a PC running around no of roughly DC level 12 withother PCs who are on average level 4. This was a huge oversight on my part, and the encounters are just becoming cakewalks for the PCs because they have a drow fighter hacking to pieces anything that comes near (through no fault of his own).
My plan is to find a way to level drain the new PC. Not only will this allow me to keep balance in the game, but it might also allow the PC to start anew and create a character class that he likes a bit better. The character has recently rejected Lloth (possibly in favor of Shar or Vhaerun, or most likely Eilistraee, inspired as he was by another PC half-drow who follows her), so it might be a possibility to have him level drained by priests of his chosen sect so that he might grow instead as a supplicant trained by them...
It's either that or I pit him against a bunch of spectres and hope they do the trick (level drain of -2/attack) OR slip him a cursed item, but these things might backfire on one of the lower level PCs....so...therein lies my problem.
If I do go with the deity-change solution, I suppose just a powerful Curse or Wish spell would do the trick in order to remove the "taint of Lloth" and thus, his over-powered fighting skills, but it doesn't seem very realistic or very interesting...
Any thoughts?
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My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4685 Posts |
Posted - 22 Dec 2004 : 21:25:43
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Err I think you have to eat the error, however using the optional rule the low level should level quicker (If I understand them correctly). That the Drow will get few if any experience points by defeating lower CR levels and the low levels will get a lot of points for the Drow kills. The levels should start to balance, though not sure if you want a level 13 or 14 campaign.
To level drain any trageted player's character will make the DM appear extremely unfair, the new player will get upset and odds are good that the older players will get some concern that your Master style will target one of their Characters should they start to become too powerful.
You of course could talk to the player trying to stress the personality was something along the lines of acting when needed, but that would reduce RP time and result in a personality (reality shift) that could upset the recent gaming. Which also could lose your players.
The only other quick answer I can advise is provide a distraction. A level comaparable NPC that reappears from the past to plauge the new PC. Something to detract powers and abilities. Mind dreams, a stalking, a quest for revenge (even if PC did not do it) you would need to use either a thief and/or spell caster to provide such distraction. Perhaps weapons disappearing, perhaps dreams , vissions or illusions use and so on.
Try to fix also should not be directly tageting the most powerful Character, though stealing magic a prime traget, if using revenge a prime traget and so on. Do not give all the troubles to the most powerful as the foe certainly will want to weaken, confuse, confound, etc. those that travel with him.
Maybe I can come up with a better idea later as well. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2004 : 05:17:45
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Unfortunately, if you leave it as it is, the other players would get upset. Unless, of course, they're all amazed by this guy as well, and respect him enough to let "the new guy" get three times the levels. However, I think they'd have to be really non-competitive not to get a bit miffed about it.
Best thing I can come up with at the moment is for the Lloth-worshipping drow to catch up, grab him, and drag him off to be sacrificed. The rest of the party has to go after him, and probably catch up at a makeshift temple where he's in the process of being drained.
Or another manner, perhaps. But I like the idea of Lloth being so angry at loosing a relatively powerful worshipper to her bad-for-nothing daughter that she sends someone to drain his soul. The only problem would be making certain they stop when he's still got a level or two left, and that would be hard to manage with only CR 4 characters. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Dargoth
Great Reader
Australia
4607 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2004 : 07:45:19
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A couple of idea's
1) Tell him that the character was origionally designed as an NPC and ask him if he'd mind having his character "Leveled down" Which for a Drow would be a 2nd level character.
2) Remove the character from Play one way to do this is make it plot driven, If I was you Id make the bad ass of you campaign put in an Appearance and cast Imprisonment on the Drow character, the good thing about this option is it doesnt kill off the character. Once the Drows imprisoned get the player to roll up a new character as his current character is out of action and then work the Imprisonment into the Campaign make it so part of the adventure is to find someone or something that can cast Imprisonment (a Scroll an NPC wizard etc) the party should find the scroll around the time that they reach 12th level, when they free the Drow character give the player the option of picking up the old character or continueing the character hes got now.
A few options for taking the Drow out of play
Imprisionment spell (as mentioned)
Flesh to Stone spell
Medusa or Basilisk encounter
The high level character is abducted by the Drow (Lolth worshippers or Jaezred Chaulssin) and the PCs have to rescue him |
“I am the King of Rome, and above grammar”
Emperor Sigismund
"Its good to be the King!"
Mel Brooks |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2004 : 08:51:42
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As usual, I come to thee with the optimal solution:
1. Have the high level drow take the Leadership feat;
2. Give him a cohort of the same level that the rest of the PCs are;
3. Play a few games like this, with the player controlling both the high-level drow and his cohort (most players with the Leadership feat control their PC's cohort: DM call, but in this case, DO have him control the cohort as well)
4. Now throw in a plot twist and have the high-level drow disappear (how? not my problem: you're the DM and you'll find a solution... have him captured, turned to stone as he swims across a lake, whatever... find a reason)
5. Until the PCs reach the same level of the high-level drow, have that player play the cohort, and have the cohort level-up normally, as if it was a regular adventurer (cohorts usually get less XPs, but in this case, the cohort is now "free" as it thinks its master is gone...)
6. When the PCs reach the said high-level, find a way to find the drow and reintegrate him in the campaign. At this point, just follow the regular rules for PC and cohort levelling: your cohort will have the same level as the drow at first, but just for a very short while as the cohort levelling rules will ensure that he lags two levels behind the rest of the group (if this takes too long to equalize, just give less XP to the cohort for a while)
There you go... and make sure you inform the player beforehand: don't pull a deus-ex machina (sp?) on him, as people get attached to their characters. I know for one that this is very frustrating to "spin your wheels in the mud while your DM constantly tries to kill your PC or take him down a peg": my last DM was pissed that I came up with a good PC concept/story AND a pretty well optimized PC, so he constantly threw monsters specifically at my PC in order to rob him of key magical items (a high-level wizard is fine without his toys, as he can just cast a whole series of spells on himself for protection, but to rob a high-level fighter of key magical armor and weapons is just plain cruel and not too tasteful if you ask me). |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2004 : 14:55:27
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Or you could just be honest and tell him the situation. You gave him this NPC as a test run and after finding out what a great roleplayer he is you'd love for him to stay on in the group but the gap in levels in a problem and totally a miscalculation on your part. If he doesnt work with you to come to some sort of compromise by either shaving off levels or starting a new character than you've found a very good reason to not have him in your group, and you can say "whew, dodged that bullet" and move on.
Truth and candor works best. |
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oldskool
Acolyte
USA
31 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2005 : 10:16:56
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Not sure as to the best way to fix this problem without seeming arbitrary. The best thing is to talk to the player out-of-game and discuss it with him. He might be enthusiastic about making a new character now that he has been playing for a bit...
As far as alternate deities for drow-turned-good-or-at-least-not-evil, has anyone besides me seen Fenmaril Mestarine as a valid choice? On the one hand, the drow *is* turning toward the ways of the good elves, and on the other, Fenmaril is the god of outcasts - and who is more outcast than a drow worshipping a non-drow elven god?
oldskool |
DM: "You see a gazebo ahead of you."
Player: "What is it doing? I draw my weapon and charge!"
DM: "It's not doing anything. It's a gazebo."
Player: "Oh.. um. Then I'll cast a fireball at it!" |
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zenlunatic
Acolyte
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2005 : 04:29:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Elf_Friend
Or you could just be honest and tell him the situation.
I personally think this is the best solution. just explain the situation and I think any reasonable person would agree with it. |
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Arion Elenim
Senior Scribe
933 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2005 : 22:22:23
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Well guys, on closer inspection of the problem, it seems that...there really isn't that big of a problem...
Here's what happened:
I made the mistake of not tooling the game to my player's needs. In other words, the PCs started out as level 3-4 and I have found myself forgetting that they are, well...growing up.
The bottom line is that the drow character is now CR level 12, while the others fall between 8-9 CR. This is really not TOO much of a deficit...as eventually the other PCs will catch up to him. If they don't, this only means that I need to separate the drow character from the rest of them (albeit briefly - I sorta like the capture by vengeful Lloth-ites or even more vengeful Chaullsin idea, particularly because it falls right into my story) long enough for them to play catch up.
Thanks everyone so much for your advice. Basically, I just need to remember to trust the gameplay the good people of WOTC play-tested over and over again...the system DOES WORK!!
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My latest Realms-based short story, about a bard, a paladin of Lathander and the letter of the law, Debts Repaid. It takes place before the "shattering" and gives the bard Arion a last gasp before he plunges into the present.http://candlekeep.com/campaign/logs/log-debts.htm |
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Vecna
Acolyte
Turkey
8 Posts |
Posted - 21 Jan 2005 : 14:44:43
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Just kill him..
make it an epic, heroic death. a great sacrifice so that the others may escape maybe. so the player will not get upset.
help him to create another character entwined with the plot. |
IF THERE IS LIFE AFTER DEATH, THERE IS NO DEATH.
AND IF DEATH DOES NOT EXIST, WE DO NOT LIVE.
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I need suggestions....
