Power Check Questions

[Brandi]

Isn't there some kind of mindless thug path of corruption in which the character gradually loses the ability to do, or not do, anything that is not ordered by his employer? They'd effectively become a non-thinking robotic entity. A perfect NPC.

There's the "Track of the Chosen One" in the "Terrible Transformations" article in the Book of Shadows. It'll need modifying, though, as it assumes a 10-step path of corruption instead of the 7 (6 really, since 7 is darklordship) currently in the rules.

(Hrtofdarkns: I think you're thinking of the akikage.)

[Hrtofdrkns]

(Hrtofdarkns: I think you're thinking of the akikage.)

Yeah yeah, thats it!

Designing paths of corruption is hard, but you can do it!

[Grigg_Deadbreaker]

The article is a collection of competition entries for the annual Kargatane contest they held for each of the BoS books. I forget what the winner used to get though, I think it was some voucher for Amazon.com or something like that.

I was given a choice between a CD and a copy of the VRG vol. III. After I let them know my choice JWM sent me the prize.

I'm still pretty proud about the Skinwalker path.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

In the situation given, I might even add a curse on top of the failed check.

The ghost (or geist) of the slain child appears every time the assassin is about to complete a mission, looking beseechingly at him and asking "why?"

Or the curse draws a new child (or other innocent if you don't want to be too obvious) to his location after each mission, giving him the same decision to make over and over again. If he repeats his actions, further down he goes. If he does the right thing, it's his first step (of many) toward redemption.

[thondar]

A path of corruption's powers stack?
Take the path of ringleader (RPHB 101):
the caress => charme 1/day
the enticement => venomous saliva
the invitation => summon swarm 2/day
etc

in 3° stage i have charme, venomous saliva and summon swarm 2/day or just summon swarm 2/day?

Thank you

[Mangrum]

The powers do stack, yes.

[The Giamarga]

Powers Checks [As a note, I think it would have been worth the considerable effort needed to finally, fully codify powers checks -- so that, in effect, all NPC darklords would finally adhere to these rules. And no, we didn't actually work on this, so don't ask.]

Sorry but i have to ask: any ideas about how to do that John?

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Personally, I think the Powers Check rules ought to culminate in (gasp!) something other than "The Darklord" as a matter of course. Whether or not you receive a domain should depend on whether the Dark Powers see fit to give you one, not a simple mathematical accumulation of failed checks. If the DPs judge you unworthy of their little "collection", you can still wind up a monstrous and/or cursed NPC, but won't ever get a domain; if they do think you're perfect for the job, OTOH, even a single offense could get you nabbed if it's nasty enough.

That way, darklords who've only committed a single crime (albeit an exceptionally awful one) are far more plausible, and already-existing darklords won't need to be given a bunch of piddly little extra powers -- things left over from early stages like "The Caress" -- to fit the rules.

[Joël of the FoS]

Personally, I think the Powers Check rules ought to culminate in (gasp!) something other than "The Darklord" as a matter of course. Whether or not you receive a domain should depend on whether the Dark Powers see fit to give you one, not a simple mathematical accumulation of failed checks. If the DPs judge you unworthy of their little "collection", you can still wind up a monstrous and/or cursed NPC, but won't ever get a domain; if they do think you're perfect for the job, OTOH, even a single offense could get you nabbed if it's nasty enough.

That way, darklords who've only committed a single crime (albeit an exceptionally awful one) are far more plausible, and already-existing darklords won't need to be given a bunch of piddly little extra powers -- things left over from early stages like "The Caress" -- to fit the rules.

I agree. There are many villains out there that are not darklords, but got weird powers from a dark source - Montarri, the Brain, many Kargats, etc. Don't tell me these people are not worthy of a domain, as they made plenty of evil deeds, often more than some darklords.

That in the final stage a villain becomes darklord should ultimately be DM's choice. Guidelines could be established to help DM choose. If not a darklord, he stays in the game, but as a "supervillain".

Joël

[Mangrum]

Personally, I think the Powers Check rules ought to culminate in (gasp!) something other than "The Darklord" as a matter of course.

In the revised system, I was going to propose -- and I'll go ahead and assume the rest of the Kargatane would have gone along -- that when you fail the final powers check and enter the "darklord" phase, you don't immediately become a darklord. Instead, the Mists snatch you up and, the Dark Powers present you with one final test to see whether you truly deserve your own domain. No need to describe the test here and now -- there's plenty of examples in the fiction. If you "pass," by which I mean succumb to your worst impulses, you're granted a domain. If you fail, whatever "domain" the Dark Powers have seemingly been forming around you immediately dissolves back into the featureless Misty Border, from which you will never return. Eventually, you fade away as well, becoming a mist horror.

[NeoTiamat]

*digs in pocket, finds two cents, throws them in*

I agree with the two above posts, as well as the sliding scale idea. In order to advance down a path of corruption, each crime should be worse then the one before. If a criminal got the caress for botching a robbery and murdering the shop keeper, he should get the next step for pick pocketing. If he decides that murder is easier then stealth however....

Essentially, characters would stabilize at a certain stage, provided they don't do anything *more* evil. Same idea as the humanity scale from WoD.

----------------------------

Oh, speaking of which, there is a kind of sliding scale on Powers Checks, at least in that Evil NPCs/Monsters make checks at a much reduced percentage then good ones.

For an evil NPC to provoke a check, the only things that qualify are torture, murder, Major Betrayal and Grievous Assault.

[Matthew L. Martin]

Personally, I think the Powers Check rules ought to culminate in (gasp!) something other than "The Darklord" as a matter of course.

In the revised system, I was going to propose -- and I'll go ahead and assume the rest of the Kargatane would have gone along -- that when you fail the final powers check and enter the "darklord" phase, you don't immediately become a darklord. Instead, the Mists snatch you up and, the Dark Powers present you with one final test to see whether you truly deserve your own domain. No need to describe the test here and now -- there's plenty of examples in the fiction. If you "pass," by which I mean succumb to your worst impulses, you're granted a domain. If you fail, whatever "domain" the Dark Powers have seemingly been forming around you immediately dissolves back into the featureless Misty Border, from which you will never return. Eventually, you fade away as well, becoming a mist horror.

There was something in the canon about how mist horrors were those who 'didn't quite make it' to darklord status, but I can't remember quite where. Anyone know?

[Spiteful Crow]

There was something in the canon about how mist horrors were those who 'didn't quite make it' to darklord status, but I can't remember quite where. Anyone know?

Denizens of Dread's entry on Mist Horrors.

[Mangrum]

Denizens of Dread's entry on Mist Horrors.

Yeah, that's always been part of their writeup. This would have actually built them into the rules, however, in the same way lost ones were hardwired into Madness saves in 3E.

[The Giamarga]

So under the system you propose you would have to have retconned all the small powers to every darklord?

I think I like Roti's take on it more:

That way, darklords who've only committed a single crime (albeit an exceptionally awful one) are far more plausible, and already-existing darklords won't need to be given a bunch of piddly little extra powers -- things left over from early stages like "The Caress" -- to fit the rules.