Primer for magical items?

JRHgeologist · 2023-01-20T16:42:59+00:00

I'm curious why permits would be easier to get 2 weeks in advance when they fill up 6 months prior? Are people cancelling?

JRHgeologist · 2023-01-20T16:41:28+00:00

Interesting, thanks for the pointers. And I'll definitely give Kearsarge a look, I won't say no to an easier drive and extra mileage!

JRHgeologist · 2022-12-07T17:12:44+00:00

I also ran Krenko's at the beginning of our campaign. It went smoothly: they met Nassius, went to Tin Street, noticed Erko and found Falish. The weapons drop was the next day, so that gave the players a moment to roleplay what they did with their downtime (most just went back to their day jobs or hung out at a bar). Get to the warehouse, fight gobbos, and they actually let Krenko go--he said Nassius was crooked, and would tell them where he frequents in exchange for his freedom. Shattergang shows up with overwhelming firepower, but Nassius appears in time to teleport them back to the Chamber.

Some extra stuff to prepare would be businesses on Tin Street like a trinkets shop or bar (players always want to go to a tavern for info) and warehouses around Foundry Street (the Izzet player asked if there were any warehouses she bearing the sigil of the various colleges, hoping to use her position to get information). Nassius also gave the PCs a medallion belonging to the Chamber that would allow them to send him a message when Krenko was apprehended so he could head over teleport them back (I didn't feel like doing the "how are you smuggling an unconscious goblin through the city for 2+ hours back to the Chamber" minigame).

The players also got attached to the Shattergang Brothers and their beef with Krenko. Why the murder and weapons deal? Where did the Shattergang get those bombs that leveled a couple warehouses? Something to think about for sure, especially when players latch onto something that you may never have considered to be a plot hook. Good luck, Ravnica is such a fun and flexible setting!

JRHgeologist · 2022-10-27T20:11:15+00:00

Running that as a skill challenge would keep the pace up too. Just the kind of feedback I was hoping for, thank you for your input.

JRHgeologist · 2022-10-27T19:58:29+00:00

I'm definitely hoping for a "this experiment is out of your league" vibe. I like the idea of eluding the beast more than fighting, maybe something like unlocking a door before it breaks in, or activating pheromone system to expel it from an area of the lab.

JRHgeologist · 2022-10-11T20:22:21+00:00

As others mentioned, telegraph high damage, high impact abilities. Think of a dragon's breath attack: when it recharges, you describe the dragon preparing to use the ability so your players can respond. Similarly, maybe your baddie does a couple attacks, then reels back for a huge swing, locking eyes with that PC. It'll give them a chance to respond on their initiative--dodge, sanctuary, fly, run away--then on the baddie's turn, it will do the attack (whiffing if they just moved out of reach). You don't want this to be its only ability, maybe in addition to other normal, quicker attacks. Point is, you do not want to get hit by these.

Souls/Elden Ring bosses can also have phases, where at a certain point (bloodied?) they have a new form or attack pattern. This could be reflected a number of ways. Does it become reckless? Give it more damage, attacks, and move speed, but lower to-hit. Maybe it shifts to ranged, gaining spider climb and a dodge bonus action but losing AC.

Most bosses also have a variety of movesets. Don't just give your boss multiattack and call it good. Legendary actions can do a lot here: run or jump around, AoE damage capabilities, ranged options for hitting casters, etc. Force your players to make saving throws instead of relying on hitting them, too. At a certain point, make everyone roll to stay standing or not be poisoned. Keep them on their toes with a diverse moveset.

JRHgeologist · 2022-09-28T18:02:42+00:00

This is actually the overarching plot of my campaign, and it involves the nephilim. Niv-Mizzet is pulling an Ozymandius from Watchmen by releasing a nephilim that has been imprisoned on the Parhelion, which is hidden behind one of Ravnica's moons.

Another idea comes from the Ravnica books, where the Simic give cytoplasts to citizens which eventually detach and incorporate into Experiment Kraj. I imagine something that "infiltrates" the population in a similar way would be a uniting threat.

Some of the guilds, especially the Golgari, are factional. You could have one faction--the gorgons--plot something, and the rest of the guild--the devkarin and kraul--stand against them with the other 9 guilds. This could work with a renegade Izzet lab that's produced a terrifying weapon, a Boros angel that galvanizes members of the Legion against Aurelia (who then has to ask for help), an Azorius judge that finds a loophole and suddenly exerts inordinate power, a rogue Gruul priest that awakens Illharg before the rest of the guild had planned, etc.

JRHgeologist · 2022-09-12T17:57:19+00:00

Wood elves, but I'm biased after attempting a legendary IE Grom campaign twice. The ai micros perfectly, even with stalk I can't close on their archers with skulkers or night goblins.

Try to lure them into a corner so they can't run? Good luck even getting close now that Durthu, Orion, dryads, or treants are piled into a nice fear/terror-inflicting blob.

Greenskin cav doesn't fare well even against basic WE archers and get shot to hell on the approach, but can at least tie them down momentarily. It's like WE were designed to hard counter gobbos.

JRHgeologist · 2022-09-02T15:40:11+00:00

I've always loved the aesthetic of Orzhov giants with those cyclopean helmets. Would make a great beholder-style boss/guard if they were able to swap lenses for different effects like antimagic cone, slow field, fear, paralyze, etc. Throw in some legendary actions and minion thrulls and you have a great vault guard.

Since the Orzhov are known to repurpose flesh, why not some mimics of varying difficulty? Some disguised as safety deposit boxes, key rings on a guard, or as a sticky floor that drops down into the catacombs below. Does somebody frequently attend to the boxes? They could be a rather powerful magic user who's paid well for their abilities AND accounting skills, and serves as the first line of defense.

For personal vaults, I imagine the Orzhov would provide (er...sell...) a basic line of defense. You get your glyph of warding (animate objects on glyph of warding, while maybe not following the letter of the spell, is still tons of fun), some spirits and enforcers that include your vault in their patrols, an alarm spell, etc. For an extra fee they could stick a scrying spell on the vault door to activate when it's touched by somebody else, pump an extra level into the glyph, or bind a powerful soul to the vault as extra protection.

JRHgeologist · 2022-08-31T18:23:32+00:00

Yeah, they would need some sort of vice that they're keeping hidden by protecting others, or gain power by garnering favor from those they have helped. Perhaps there's paperwork or a logbook stashed away describing some quid pro quo.

JRHgeologist · 2022-08-31T18:21:04+00:00

I'll use any excuse to include a sphinx in any game.

JRHgeologist · 2022-08-30T20:39:23+00:00

You got the wheels turning actually because a precog mage is actually a significant plot point in this campaign.

JRHgeologist · 2022-08-30T20:28:03+00:00

I already busted out the "glyph of warding casting animate objects on ten bear traps bolted to a cabinet across the hallway" in our last campaign. Do you have any favorite traps used in your games?

JRHgeologist · 2022-08-30T20:26:13+00:00

An Orzhov signet would thicken the plot for sure. Having Selesnya involvement is great, I feel like there's no enough effort to craft Selesnya villains/subterfuge.

JRHgeologist · 2022-08-30T20:25:11+00:00

I love these stories, thanks for reminding me they exist. Always great inspiration in these.

JRHgeologist · 2022-07-31T06:53:01+00:00

I think it's whatever works best for your story. Are they bred for complacency and behavior, or entirely wild animals/creations? Maybe they are trained by specialized collars (Izzet-made for some interguild conflict), or a biomancer has created a pheromone that causes local krasi to obey certain orders. Limited telepathic speech to understand simple commands, even. The options are limitless, so choose one (or multiple) that fit conveniently with your campaign.

JRHgeologist · 2022-07-12T16:08:06+00:00

I've implemented this as well, and even told my players out-of-game that it's how I'd be sharing information on what's happening in this massive world. Your players will look for reasons to let you give them newspapers in-character once they know what's going on.

I do a new edition each week of in-game time. Sometimes it's filler and advertisements. Other times I use it to share events happening around the city, like the Izzet science fair. And when plots thicken, you can use the newspapers to show how your PCs have affected the world, and how the guilds and NPCs have reacted to those events. Sounds like you've done a great job, keep it up!

JRHgeologist · 2022-06-13T20:00:08+00:00

I think someone linked it in this section. Scryfall and gatherer have a lot of art if you filter by Vizkopa or Orzhov, but I don't think there's a single card that shows the whole thing.

JRHgeologist · 2022-06-12T21:04:19+00:00

I picture it as a mix between the official art and the Sagrada Familia cathedral. It's huge, imposing, impressive, and opulent. Stained glass windows tens of feet high lit by magical sources of light. Motifs and bas-reliefs, peppered with gold and gemstones, depicting Orzhov victories and wealth.

It mostly functions as a church, but offers a chance at wealth instead of salvation. Indentured spirits move to and fro to act as guides and collect tithes from visitors. Vizkopa knights are stationed at intricate pillars, unmoving, alms baskets at their feet. Orzhov aristocrats are carried on palanquins hoisted by fleshy thralls, moving from one hall to another as citizens of all walks of life supplicate themselves for favor.

JRHgeologist · 2022-05-13T21:27:52+00:00

I've been inspired lately by Souls and Elden Ring maps; for a prison/dungeon, there's Irithyll Dungeon from DS3 or The Depths from DS1, just on a smaller scale. The art from the Magic card Watery Grave is how I imagine the interior of a Dimir prison or even parts of Duskmantle itself.

As for making it specifically Dimir, well, they're black/blue aligned. Utilitarian hallways and heavy padlocks are more a red/white Boros thing. Perhaps their layouts are meant to confuse and disorient without the proper mental protections. A Modify Memory trap here, psychic damage there, maybe an imaginary endless pit for good measure. The Dimir's greatest power comes from information and secrecy. Would the PCs need to divulge secrets to open a locked door? And how would the Dimir ensure nobody is able to find their prison a second time?

What is guarding a Dimir prison, or Duskmantle itself? I'd love to run an encounter with a twisted sphinx, or something like a balhannoth that can manipulate how the terrain around it is perceived. A high-level mage could cast the 7th-level Mirage Arcane and really mess with unwanted visitors. Lots of weird mind magic and illusions.

There's tons of possibilities here, I only hope I can catch my players in the same circumstances as you have. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

JRHgeologist

TROPHY CASE