Power's Check Struggle

Discussing all things Ravenloft
Post Reply
User avatar
Zilfer
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 4230
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:14 pm
Gender: Male
Location: WA (Land of lots of trees)
Contact:

Power's Check Struggle

Post by Zilfer »

It’s been awhile since I have played Ravenloft but I usually keep in mind Power checks for later. Playing through CoS and had a scene come up that I think deserved power’s check. So I’ll paint it from the view of the player here.

Player is new character joining the game. (He’s played ravenloft and an often player he just hadn’t joined this campaign yet.) He gets to the Town of Vallaki unbeknownst that it is afflicted with a Vistani curse. The gist of the curse is a Vistani girl died, so the family cursed the town that they’re thirst would never be quenched unless someone died that day. They would pay like this until his daughter ‘drew breath’. (setup as an escape clause of being able to resurrect the girl and cure the town.)

Ok so that’s what he’s walking into unbeknownst having just arrived. The party is currently not present but arriving soon. HE walks into the bar seeing oddly no one is out in the streets at all, and as he comes in he is given a Lotto Ticket. It looks like the whole town is gathered at the Blue Water in and they do a raffle thanking everyone for coming.

Because plot, the player has the “winning” number and is invited up to the stage in praise. Then it gets to the actual point of you are the sacrifice so we all may live today, and drink water. (I’m setting this up so the player could be rescued by the players coming back to the town and seeing what their inaction has wrought upon the town and feel bad so they go about curing the town’s curse.)

I fully expect the player to fight the guards that come up after him and potentially even would let him escape if he managed to figure out a way to do so. Well first round of combat comes round and he does Thunderwave…. I remind him this is a tightly packed room and he might hit bystanders. He says he’s going to do it anyways to try and get the guards next to him off him. Alright so he rolls damage and I ask him to look up how far that blast goes. It’s 15 Feet cube, does 2d8 to any commoner in the way. Save for half, if you don’t make it you go flying 10 feet. Well in a packed area I figure I’ll go more thematically than roll individual saves because this has been theater of the mind for most of this encounter. Needless to say I told him he definitely killed some commoners sending people flying. Chairs and tables up turned from either the wave or people flying awkwardly and hitting them. Some might have been killed/torn apart by the initial blast wave. He decided to wait a turn since one of the guards hadn’t been blasted back so he didn’t take an attack of opportunity. Needless to say anyone left in the crowd either a ran away, or helped subdue him along with the guards. So I wrap that up quickly with him and go to the group who hear a loud “Boom” and they proceed to rescue him, almost not because he was a “murderer” but when the group found out about the Lottery and the whole reason in the first place they wanted to put a stop to the mad burgomaster running it, who was refusing to wait and not kill anyone for a day so they could attempt to cure the curse.

Anyways, I know the guards being hostile to the player wouldn’t be counted by I feel the crowd who yes would have let him die to save their own skins, probably didn’t need to be killed and warrant a power’s check. Wanted to double check with you guys on what an appropriate check my look like and if failed what curse and boon would be good.
I’m a bit unsure with 5e of what “boon” to award since the system is different. Giving +’s is a lot more significant I feel in 5e than the other systems.
There's always something to lose.

Fraternity of Shadows Discord
https://discord.gg/AM6Kp95ekf
User avatar
thekristhomas
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 772
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2015 4:33 pm

Re: Power's Check Struggle

Post by thekristhomas »

I'll be honest, I don't think it warrants it, whether they'd "signed up" to the idea they were willing through inaction to see someone murdered, they had it coming say I.

If you still want a curse, then something that does damage mindlessly, or is perceived to do so, Path of the Minotaur maybe?
User avatar
Zilfer
Evil Genius
Evil Genius
Posts: 4230
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:14 pm
Gender: Male
Location: WA (Land of lots of trees)
Contact:

Re: Power's Check Struggle

Post by Zilfer »

thekristhomas wrote:I'll be honest, I don't think it warrants it, whether they'd "signed up" to the idea they were willing through inaction to see someone murdered, they had it coming say I.

If you still want a curse, then something that does damage mindlessly, or is perceived to do so, Path of the Minotaur maybe?
Consider the town was all gathered, and children were probably in the crowd I don't honestly know. I had thought maybe through in action they might be considered hostile but honestly in that situation I don't think I'd speak up against the crowd mob mentality.

Thanks for your response however, I'll give it some thought!

I was thinking for the boon maybe giving out something the more people within the area effect of a spell you get +1 damage per extra person up to +5. One of the other players suggested in crowds their hands start to tremble uncontrollably like they are trying to cast a spell....
There's always something to lose.

Fraternity of Shadows Discord
https://discord.gg/AM6Kp95ekf
Post Reply