Hermit Posted December 5, 2003 Report Share Posted December 5, 2003 Well, in my campaign anyways. I got to run Shades of Black the last few weekends, and my players enjoyed themselves besides the fact their characters (And a few NPCs) ended up in Dr. Silverback's rejuvination vats to speed healing on Body damage I enjoyed running it as well, and the only snags I recall came from RL interuptions (RL, like excrement, happens) It mostly wrapped itself up nicely. Warning: Some spoilers may slip out below, but for those that don't mind... Talisman is in custody Lady Crow and Gryphon are also, and getting help. Black Paladin has been thrown in the darkness dimension (minus his gear) by Nightbringer as punishment for his evil. Oh, and his lady love is back in the Netherworld. ............. BTW, one other reason I'm posting is just to get opinions on the nature of the weaponry BP used. Is it EVIL? or just power, neither good nor bad? It may end up in the hands of someone else... you see, GRAB stole some of the gear... well, don't want to bore you folks Still, any thoughts on Eater of Shadows, and Crusher of Hope (BP's sword and Mace respectively) would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted December 5, 2003 Report Share Posted December 5, 2003 Names seem bad. If I remember the sword is nasty Evil, the mace is less powerful and therefore probably neutral. Stronger weapons are usually one extreme of the moral spectrum or another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 I've read too much elric for the sword not to have it's own agenda...to me the mace is just a doo-dad........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 Perhaps some of his magic actually takes on aspects of its owner? The Mace, armor, and shield, in the hands of a virtuous warrior would suddnely radiate with a blue white light, the armor, one adorned with symbols of dispare and evil now bears symbols of hope and virtue, specifically symbols important to the new wearer. The Crusher of Hope might now become the Beacon of Hope and glow with a brilliant light when used in combat. In the hands of a selfish but not outright evil foe they are non-descript yet still powerful weapons and armor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 Interesting thought there Enforcer... I might just mix those ideas...if the 'taint' can be overcome, it might shift then to more accurately fit the wearer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomon Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 The mace might as well be "neutral", so to speak, but the sword hardly seems so. Eating shadows and cursing victims with bad luck sounds like dark magic to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allen Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Originally posted by Hermit Black Paladin has been thrown in the darkness dimension (minus his gear) by Nightbringer as punishment for his evil. ... BTW, one other reason I'm posting is just to get opinions on the nature of the weaponry BP used. Is it EVIL? ... Still, any thoughts on Eater of Shadows c'mon, Hermit.... darkness dimension. Eater of Shadows. darkness. shadows... imprison the Black Paladin will he? when Chesire Cat finds himself possessed of an irresistible urge to weild the sword, Eater of Shadows, and don the Armor Of Arcane Pathways, the hero Nightbringer will learn the true meaning of punishment. Bwah-hahahahahaha.... So anyway, yeah, I'm in the camp that believes the sword is evil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Originally posted by allen c'mon, Hermit.... darkness dimension. Eater of Shadows. darkness. shadows... imprison the Black Paladin will he? when Chesire Cat finds himself possessed of an irresistible urge to weild the sword, Eater of Shadows, and don the Armor Of Arcane Pathways, the hero Nightbringer will learn the true meaning of punishment. Bwah-hahahahahaha.... So anyway, yeah, I'm in the camp that believes the sword is evil. Well, first of all, Nightbringer is a she And it's not like the Black Paladin didn't get his blows in, trust me... poor Blip had a lance shaped hole to prove it. And, lastly, the sword and swordsmen were seperated BEFORE Dropping BP into the Darkness Dimension, because Nightbringer had thought putting it in there with him would be "a very bad thing." She was tempted to destroy the darn sword (This was, a bit of vindictiveness involved, she'd been tortured by BP ... just a bit, and cut by that sword nearly losing her own shadow). So it won't be drinking things up soon. Hmm, I will have to reconsider a few things given the views here. We'll see how it goes, ironically, one player likes the idea of playing a solo character who gets hands on that gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 No matter what the PCs did, I'm sure you can find a way to bring BP back, Hermit. As for my two cents, the sword is definitely Evil. I would generally consider the mace Evil as well -- even if it, perhaps, started out "neutral," years of being wielded for the causes of Darkness has got to have "tainted" it. But maybe the right hero could "rescue" it, rename it ("Tremble before the power of Smasher Of Things Nasty!"), and "cure" it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted December 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 Originally posted by Steve Long No matter what the PCs did, I'm sure you can find a way to bring BP back, Hermit. As for my two cents, the sword is definitely Evil. I would generally consider the mace Evil as well -- even if it, perhaps, started out "neutral," years of being wielded for the causes of Darkness has got to have "tainted" it. But maybe the right hero could "rescue" it, rename it ("Tremble before the power of Smasher Of Things Nasty!"), and "cure" it. Actually, I am thinking of having BP talk through the sword and exert his influence... or try to. After all, the sword maybe tied to the darkness dimension, and BP knows from experience that weapons can be... tied to souls so maybe he'll become something of a plot device for a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corwyn Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Well' date=' in my campaign anyways. I got to run [i']Shades of Black[/i] the last few weekends, and my players enjoyed themselves besides the fact their characters (And a few NPCs) ended up in Dr. Silverback's rejuvination vats to speed healing on Body damage I enjoyed running it as well, and the only snags I recall came from RL interuptions (RL, like excrement, happens) It mostly wrapped itself up nicely. Warning: Some spoilers may slip out below, but for those that don't mind... Talisman is in custody Lady Crow and Gryphon are also, and getting help. Black Paladin has been thrown in the darkness dimension (minus his gear) by Nightbringer as punishment for his evil. Oh, and his lady love is back in the Netherworld. Definitely Spoilers I hope I can trust my players to stay out of this if they see it. I have a couple of stumbling blocks in the first act. There's an implication that the PCs may have reason to investigate Talisman and BP but I can't find any clues in the 1st act that would lead to their involvement (other than the fact that T recently escaped and magic is involved) It seems contrived and I've got plenty of magic-using villains running around - Demon, Zodiac, etc. Second, the ties to the Randolphs seems thin. This works if they get to them thru T and BP, but that itself may be a problem. There's nothing to tie their disappearance to the killings, other than the sheer timing of it all. (I'd also like an excuse to invite a PC even though I have no one with wealth/high society, etc. Maybe I could just have someone rescue a grateful debutante.) Am I missing something. BTW, time is of the essence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Please. No artifact of arcane power ever exerted influence on anyone. They're harmless. Go ahead, pick one up. Go on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlestaff Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Actually' date=' I am thinking of having BP talk through the sword and exert his influence... or try to. After all, the sword maybe tied to the darkness dimension, and BP knows from experience that weapons can be... tied to souls so maybe he'll become something of a plot device for a time.[/quote'] Well, the sword could always allow itself to be used as a weapon of virtue. It allows the wielder to think the evil is gone, and thw sword can bide its time, slowly exerting influence on the wielder, until it's time to use the wielder to open a gate and allow BP out. And all those nasty dreams the wielder started having after the sword has been at his side for a while? Why, they are being sent by that evil mace, of course!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lupus Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Please. No artifact of arcane power ever exerted influence on anyone. They're harmless. Go ahead' date=' pick one up. Go on.[/quote'] The sword came to me, it did, my love. Came to me on my birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... I'd be meaner...the sword does change to be a beacon of heroic fury and slowly explains that Both it and Black P were turned to darness by other "baaaad" people...so Surely poor BP as a victum should rescued and reabilitated.....(add Bwa ha haaahs here) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GestaltBennie Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Congratulations to your PCs, Hermit. Now make sure they live in even more interesting times. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Definitely Spoilers I hope I can trust my players to stay out of this if they see it. I have a couple of stumbling blocks in the first act. There's an implication that the PCs may have reason to investigate Talisman and BP but I can't find any clues in the 1st act that would lead to their involvement (other than the fact that T recently escaped and magic is involved) It seems contrived and I've got plenty of magic-using villains running around - Demon, Zodiac, etc. Second, the ties to the Randolphs seems thin. This works if they get to them thru T and BP, but that itself may be a problem. There's nothing to tie their disappearance to the killings, other than the sheer timing of it all. (I'd also like an excuse to invite a PC even though I have no one with wealth/high society, etc. Maybe I could just have someone rescue a grateful debutante.) Am I missing something. BTW, time is of the essence. Mmm, Assuming the Champions are in your game world...you could always have the Champions request some help or drop a clue. Maybe they're going to be on a mission and Witchcraft warns about her sister being 'up to something' . Maybe James Harmon knows the Randolphs? Not sure. Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Wow, I didn't expect this thread to come alive again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corwyn Posted February 12, 2005 Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Mmm, Assuming the Champions are in your game world...you could always have the Champions request some help or drop a clue. Maybe they're going to be on a mission and Witchcraft warns about her sister being 'up to something' . Maybe James Harmon knows the Randolphs? The Champs are and the PCs have met Defender and Witchcraft so that could work as a last resort. I'd rather not make it that obvious, though. How did your group make the connection from the murders to BP and Talisman and/or the randolphs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iuz the Evil Posted February 12, 2005 Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... BTW, one other reason I'm posting is just to get opinions on the nature of the weaponry BP used. Is it EVIL? or just power, neither good nor bad? It may end up in the hands of someone else... you see, GRAB stole some of the gear... well, don't want to bore you folks Still, any thoughts on Eater of Shadows, and Crusher of Hope (BP's sword and Mace respectively) would be appreciated. If you are wanting to get rid of this Eater of Shadows or Crusher of Hope I'm sure we could work something out... got plenty of henchmen and never seem to have enough dark relics to really equip them to my tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEmerged Posted February 12, 2005 Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... As for my two cents' date=' the sword is definitely Evil. I would generally consider the mace Evil as well -- even if it, perhaps, started out "neutral," years of being wielded for the causes of Darkness has got to have "tainted" it. But maybe the right hero could "rescue" it, rename it ("Tremble before the power of Smasher Of Things Nasty!"), and "cure" it. [/quote'] Or Mace of Denaughtification +5, for we Nodwick fans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Champsguy Posted February 12, 2005 Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Of course the sword is evil. And other people (Demon, Dark Seraph) are going to want it. But that's only the start of your problems. Maybe the sword starts acting on its own. Maybe it's so freakin' nasty on its own that you need to go get Black Paladin out of that other realm so he can keep the damn thing from destroying the world. Sure, he's an evil villain, but he's been bending the sword to his will, instead of its own, all these years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted February 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... The Champs are and the PCs have met Defender and Witchcraft so that could work as a last resort. I'd rather not make it that obvious, though. How did your group make the connection from the murders to BP and Talisman and/or the randolphs? Possilbe SPOILERS again........though not much I fear... Wow, it's been so long I forget. Terrible to say, because we really enjoyed ourselves. The connection was first made with the thefts in france actually, when it was discovered one of the things stolen was a dagger... well IIRC, it was only short work from realizing "hey...Black Paladin stole a dagger. A dagger is being used to kill these women.. ergo" I know that technically comes later, but I do recall it being important. Of course, Marlowe helped. Also, I lucked out in another area... two of my players' characters were involved in High Society (one works for St. Judes and other charities), one works in a muesuem with archeology, and another was an ex cop. With strings like that, It was easy to lace some of the seeds around. My PCs studdied to see what 'occult' supervillains were in town, and I made sure they found out that many other possible suspects were in othe parts of the country. They narrowed it down through some detective work. I really wish I could remember the exact details of how they got from point a to point b, but my memory isn't that good. Very sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corwyn Posted February 12, 2005 Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Possilbe SPOILERS again........though not much I fear... Wow, it's been so long I forget. Terrible to say, because we really enjoyed ourselves. The connection was first made with the thefts in france actually, when it was discovered one of the things stolen was a dagger... well IIRC, it was only short work from realizing "hey...Black Paladin stole a dagger. A dagger is being used to kill these women.. ergo" I know that technically comes later, but I do recall it being important. Of course, Marlowe helped. Well, that would certainly do it but, since the items stolen are supposed to be insignificant, they shouldn't be noticed unless you're actually looking for them. Perhaps a different lead identifies T who was recently seen in France... But the problem isn't identifying the villains - it's getting the PC's to the mansion in a non-railroady sort of way. Also, I lucked out in another area... two of my players' characters were involved in High Society (one works for St. Judes and other charities), one works in a muesuem with archeology, and another was an ex cop. With strings like that, It was easy to lace some of the seeds around. My PCs studdied to see what 'occult' supervillains were in town, and I made sure they found out that many other possible suspects were in othe parts of the country. They narrowed it down through some detective work. The closest to high society I get is a UN translator - though I could make that work - but I do have a guy with VIPER connections, a hougan and the above UN connections. The problem is the The Randolphs. All we have is this: The couple has been transformed and their country home is being used for the ritual. Their city home is being used as a convenient residence while looking for victims. At a social function, the PCs here about their disappearance and of course, want to investigate. They are interrupted by another abduction, this one with a witness. The cops request any leads they might have, no matter how slim. So, of course the PCs storm the mansion just in time to disrupt the ritual. What I'll probably do is have the team leader detect traces of T off the bodies. This should lead them to the randolphs eventually. I could also leak the France info to confirm suspicions. If they identify the ritual-in-progress, they probably know that a prepared space is necessary to complete it. They could look for likely places (ritual magic is usually at least a little particular about this sort of thing), necessary ingredients, special casting times, and other stuff that might point the direction. That might be enough reason to leave out the disappearance altogether until they investigate, say, 1/2 dozen old mansions that fit the bill (the mansion does have a history). Have them discover that one of them is recently vacant. Then they can investigate the Randolphs, discover the evidence at the townhouse - if they go their first - and have an actual reason to go to the mansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted February 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 Re: The Black Paladin is vanquished.... Well, if I recall, the bodies are dumped in a few miles of various directions from the mansion. I do not recall for sure if the pcs in my campaign did this or not, but that might be useful in triangulating (so to speak) the point of origin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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