assault Posted June 17, 2022 Report Share Posted June 17, 2022 The tomb of an ancient Hero is outside the city. Not only is he buried there, so is his mount or vehicle. I can't quite decide whether to give him just his horse, or go with a pair of horses and a chariot. And maybe his driver (a lesser hero/sidekick). Naturally there is a chance of him coming back to life. I'd go with the chariot option on aesthetic grounds, but it makes the tomb larger, and chariots are a pain to run. What would you choose, and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 18, 2022 Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 Me, I'd base the age mostly of when horses in this particular world became large and strong enough to actually carry an armed and armored warrior. I think that would be about the first half of the first millennium BC. Some cultures continued to use chariots afterwards, like the Britons, but that was probably a status thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted June 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 I'm getting more attached to the chariot option. The hero is increasingly looking like a homage to Cu Chulainn, so... I need to think a little more about why his charioteer is there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher R Taylor Posted June 18, 2022 Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 Chariots are just cool DShomshak and assault 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted June 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 Obviously the charioteer died in the same battle. The next question is: what bonus to his Presence attack does he get when the wall of his tomb collapses from the inside, and he rides out? Remembering that he is both legendary and long dead... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 18, 2022 Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 That'd be on a "Oh sh!t, it's Mister Creosote!" level. At least three dice extra, maybe six. assault 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 18, 2022 Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 I'm really feeling a lack of context here. All you've actually described is an image. Who was the hero? Why/how did he die? What has caused him to come back? For what purpose? Why does the size of the tomb matter? Who is supposed to be impressed by him bursting out of the tomb? Is he supposed to have game stats that PCs can fight, or is he just there for appearances? BTW in some cultures, when a prominent person died it wasn't uncommon for their servants, and even spouses, to be entombed with them, even if they hadn't died themselves yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted June 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 The hero is a homage to Cu Chulainn. He died in a legendary battle a long time ago. His tomb is a local shrine, where people still gather to feast. The bit in which he is buried is sealed off of course. The rest is basically a feasting hall. Generally speaking, a couch is left empty for him, and maybe his charioteer. It's considered unlucky for women to sleep there, unless they want to get mysteriously pregnant. Who wants him back? A complete idiot, because he was a notorious berserker. Who is supposed to be impressed when he bursts out? Anyone who sees it. See the post by L. Marcus. Will the PCs have to fight him? It depends. Maybe they could avoid conflict with an insane demi-god, or even ally with him. That would be wise, but maybe not possible. His actual return is the worst case, and thus inevitable. Fine, here's some other details: his mother's name was Blue Martha. (It sounds better if you don't translate it into English.) That's probably "blue" in the Irish Gaelic sense. When he was young, he was given a female name and forced to wear a dress. (Trans and Black - why not?) His charioteer is white and Cis - they were foster brothers and blood brothers. No more than bromance between them. His spear is an area effect Killing Attack. Think Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy. Lord Liaden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 18, 2022 Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 Chariot! assault 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted June 18, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 The question has answered itself. I'd love more feedback, though. Who was the idiot who did the magic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 18, 2022 Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 Oh, just an idiot with magic. A deranged fanboi who ends up as the first victim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted June 18, 2022 Report Share Posted June 18, 2022 What I meant by "who's impressed" is, is it intended for when there's a crowd e.g. in the dining hall, or would it just be PCs who witness it? And is there a larger settlement near the tomb? With a crowd the scenario could spiral into protecting innocents from the berserk hero. (In which case, keep in mind that Celtic and other cultures' war chariots often had scythe blades projecting from the wheel hubs.) Who the magician is will be influenced by whether you want him/her to be the driver behind the larger plot. Does he have some credible plan to control or manipulate the hero? Does he want to use the hero as a weapon against his enemy or rival? Or as a symbol to rally followers behind? Maybe even steal the hero's power for himself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher R Taylor Posted June 19, 2022 Report Share Posted June 19, 2022 Crashing up through the ballroom floor built over his tomb would be a nice entrance. assault and Lord Liaden 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cowan Posted June 19, 2022 Report Share Posted June 19, 2022 3 hours ago, Christopher R Taylor said: Crashing up through the ballroom floor built over his tomb would be a nice entrance. Crashing up through the bathroom floor built next his tomb would be a nice too. What did you dump down the loo? assault 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted June 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2022 38 minutes ago, Tom Cowan said: Crashing up through the bathroom floor built next his tomb would be a nice too. What did you dump down the loo? That would explain a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cowan Posted June 19, 2022 Report Share Posted June 19, 2022 6 hours ago, assault said: That would explain a lot. Yep, All the magic waste from people that have used potions has pissed the dead. Now he is awake and in a sh*tty mood. Sounds like something from a Ghostbusters cartoon. who you going to call... the plumbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted June 19, 2022 Report Share Posted June 19, 2022 A chariot is the only proper choice for a hero based on Cú Chulainn. The chariot will give him a more ancient vibe which seems to fit what you are going for. Láeg was a hero in his own right so having his charioteer with him is fitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mallet Posted June 19, 2022 Report Share Posted June 19, 2022 What is/was the landscape and environment around the city and region? If it was all swamps or mountainous or thick jungle, then a chariot wouldn't be viable, rather a horse would be more likely. If it was generally dry and flat then a chariot would make more sense. Scott Ruggels 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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