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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

My players have entered an ancient city in the middle of a vast desert.
The city is filled with undead, and some of them are under the control
of a mummy-cleric.

The city is under a powerful curse that prevents the decay of the city,
causes all who die there to rise again as undead and all who enter
cannot leave.

There are several different groups in the city besides the undead,
including a group of centaurs that are warring with a group of trolls,
a trapped dragon, and the remnants of a doomed adventuring party (to
show the PCs what will happen to them if they don't get out).

I am trying to think of a good way for the players to break the curse,
without it being to predictable (defeating the head monster, destroying
an evil artifact).

Any ideas?
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

decalod85 wrote:
> My players have entered an ancient city in the middle of a vast
desert.
> The city is filled with undead, and some of them are under the
control
> of a mummy-cleric.
>
> The city is under a powerful curse that prevents the decay of the
city,
> causes all who die there to rise again as undead and all who enter
> cannot leave.
>
> There are several different groups in the city besides the undead,
> including a group of centaurs that are warring with a group of
trolls,
> a trapped dragon, and the remnants of a doomed adventuring party (to
> show the PCs what will happen to them if they don't get out).
>
> I am trying to think of a good way for the players to break the
curse,
> without it being to predictable (defeating the head monster,
destroying
> an evil artifact).
>
> Any ideas?


Perhaps there's some large machine underground, hidden deep within an
undead-filled dungeon, that can only be destroyed by finding <insert
artifact here> which is located in <insert building here>.

Or the one about raining.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

On 23 Apr 2005 11:42:00 -0700, "decalod85" <decalod85@comcast.net> scribed
into the ether:

>
>My players have entered an ancient city in the middle of a vast desert.
> The city is filled with undead, and some of them are under the control
>of a mummy-cleric.
>
>The city is under a powerful curse that prevents the decay of the city,
>causes all who die there to rise again as undead and all who enter
>cannot leave.
>
>There are several different groups in the city besides the undead,
>including a group of centaurs that are warring with a group of trolls,
>a trapped dragon, and the remnants of a doomed adventuring party (to
>show the PCs what will happen to them if they don't get out).
>
>I am trying to think of a good way for the players to break the curse,
>without it being to predictable (defeating the head monster, destroying
>an evil artifact).

The mummy-cleric is the one who cast the spell, and needs to be convinced
to remove it. Some aspect of his undeadiness has caused him to forget some
crucial event in his past, or misremember it. One or more tombs within the
city has the evidence (a scroll, a keepsake, another sentient undead the
M-C knew when it was alive) that will help to convince the M-C to repent.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

In article <1114281720.603931.38560@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,
decalod85 <decalod85@comcast.net> wrote:
<snip>
>The city is under a powerful curse that prevents the decay of the city,
>causes all who die there to rise again as undead and all who enter
>cannot leave.
<snip>
>I am trying to think of a good way for the players to break the curse,
>without it being to predictable (defeating the head monster, destroying
>an evil artifact).

The question you have to answer is why is there a magic effect
(don't limit your self to curses which imply that someone intended
it to happen) that prevents the decay of the city...

Thoughts:-
* A particularly stupid King Wished that his city (who he declared
to be at the peak of its glory) would never change.
* Someone is playing silly buggers with time (a Glass clock perhaps🙂
* The city is a prison sealed off by the gods to keep a something very
nasty from the world.... this does not have to be a monster, it could
be an idea, a really nasty truth They are Not Keen To Circulate.
* a rift was opened to Somewhere Else.

Once you have decided _why_ the city is sealed off the solution to
the problem is easy enough to work out (Unwish the wish, break the clock
forget the idea, close the door)
--
Michael
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NPC rights activist | Nameless Abominations are people too.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

"decalod85" <decalod85@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1114281720.603931.38560@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> My players have entered an ancient city in the middle of a vast
> desert.
> The city is filled with undead, and some of them are under the
> control
> of a mummy-cleric.
>
> The city is under a powerful curse that prevents the decay of the
> city,
> causes all who die there to rise again as undead and all who enter
> cannot leave.
>
> There are several different groups in the city besides the undead,
> including a group of centaurs that are warring with a group of
> trolls,
> a trapped dragon, and the remnants of a doomed adventuring party (to
> show the PCs what will happen to them if they don't get out).
>
> I am trying to think of a good way for the players to break the
> curse,
> without it being to predictable (defeating the head monster,
> destroying
> an evil artifact).
>
> Any ideas?


By showing the dead king/duke/leader of the city respect in the form
of holding a proper banquet in his honor, he arrives and thus the
curse is ended when the meal is finished. The characters will have to
find a way some way to produce the banquet, the food, the drinks etc.
Perhaps they have spells that they can use, if not perhaps there is a
one time use item (probably an item that had more charges before) that
can produce the feast required. Include dancing, and watch as the
leader's ghostly friends, family, and loyal guards join in on the fun.
If the players can pull the banquet off successfully, they are
rewarded with an end to the curse, perhaps a magical item or two, and
of course their freedom.
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

decalod85 wrote:
> My players have entered an ancient city in the middle of a vast desert.
> The city is filled with undead, and some of them are under the control
> of a mummy-cleric.
>
> The city is under a powerful curse that prevents the decay of the city,
> causes all who die there to rise again as undead and all who enter
> cannot leave.
>
> There are several different groups in the city besides the undead,
> including a group of centaurs that are warring with a group of trolls,
> a trapped dragon, and the remnants of a doomed adventuring party (to
> show the PCs what will happen to them if they don't get out).
>
> I am trying to think of a good way for the players to break the curse,
> without it being to predictable (defeating the head monster, destroying
> an evil artifact).
>
> Any ideas?

They may be able to do it only by allying (at least temporarily) with an
evil creature (the dragon might work well, since he probably wants out
too). That's always a favorite of mine.

Or maybe the dragon doesn't really give a hang, but does know a way out
and will share the info if the PCs do something for him... The secret
way out is the reknitting of an artifact that was sundered long ago,
both pieces now being in possession of the centaurs and the trolls,
respectively. This might actually work better if the centaurs were
replaced by less savory creatures (try the belligerent Quarophon from
MMIII). The PCs might be able to win through picking a side and the use
of diplomacy, or they might have to wipe out both sides. And what about
that third piece that the dragon "forgot" to mention? And is it
*really* a *dragon*, or is it an illusion cast by a wizard working for
the mummy cleric? Heh.

- Ron ^*^
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Billy Yank wrote:

> Suddenly, decalod85, drunk as a lemur, stumbled out of the darkness and
> exclaimed:
>
>
>>My players have entered an ancient city in the middle of a vast desert.
>> The city is filled with undead, and some of them are under the control
>>of a mummy-cleric.
>>
>>The city is under a powerful curse that prevents the decay of the city,
>>causes all who die there to rise again as undead and all who enter
>>cannot leave.
>>
>
> (snip)
>
>>I am trying to think of a good way for the players to break the curse,
>>without it being to predictable (defeating the head monster, destroying
>>an evil artifact).
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>
>>
>
>
> Perform the proper death rites for the last king in his mortuary temple.

I like this -- and it could be combined with my own ideas, if the ritual
requires an unsundered artifact to perform. Perhaps the mummy was an
enemy of the king, punished with undeath, and wants to keep his spirit
in torment for eternity (i.e. stop the PCs from performing the ritual)?

- Ron ^*^
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Matt Frisch <matuse73@yahoo.spam.me.not.com> wrote:
> The mummy-cleric is the one who cast the spell, and needs to be convinced
> to remove it. Some aspect of his undeadiness has caused him to forget some
> crucial event in his past, or misremember it. One or more tombs within the
> city has the evidence (a scroll, a keepsake, another sentient undead the
> M-C knew when it was alive) that will help to convince the M-C to repent.

Nice!
--
Bradd W. Szonye
http://www.szonye.com/bradd
 
Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Matt Frisch wrote:
> On 23 Apr 2005 11:42:00 -0700, "decalod85" <decalod85@comcast.net> scribed
> The mummy-cleric is the one who cast the spell, and needs to be convinced
> to remove it. Some aspect of his undeadiness has caused him to forget some
> crucial event in his past, or misremember it. One or more tombs within the
> city has the evidence (a scroll, a keepsake, another sentient undead the
> M-C knew when it was alive) that will help to convince the M-C to repent.

Maybe make a twist that the thing the mummy cleric was trying to do was make the
whole city transcend into his patron diety's homeplane. BUT something went
wrong! And when he remembers or the PC's figure it out, the uncurse also takes
the city to the heavens.
Or something.
--
"... respect, all good works are not done by only good folk ..."
--till next time, Jameson Stalanthas Yu -x- <<poetry.dolphins-cove.com>>
 
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