My Dad wants to join our group as we are about 6 weeks into a new campaign. He has become obsessed with an NPC wizard in game that died (or so the pc's thought) behind the scenes and wants to play him. So I decided to let him use the NPC as a party appropriate level but he suffers from amnesia. I have prepared a set of 3x5 cards of memories that can be triggered by certain events in game.
This isn't taking too much power away from the player is it?
Have him check out Fizban from the early Dragonlance novels for some inspiration. There's a bit of spoilers on why Fizban is absent minded, but he reads in a very good way and could inspire the roleplay!
I would avoid trying too hard to develop mechanics for the situation. He has amnesia and has forgotten who he was and everything he has ever done. He remembers how to perform magic (and his gaining levels represent learning or remembering more magic). No other skills should be affected, he remembers history and general lore, just nothing about himself.
Everything else is pure story. He is maybe not an evil wizard now - perhaps he later discovers that he inflicted the amnesia on himself to assuage his own guilt at something he had done. Perhaps people meet him and react to him but he has no idea who they are and it doesn't mechanically matter. He might search for a way to regain his memories, or else decide that it is better not to know and instead forge a new path. Maybe the rest of the party won't trust him straight away, assuming he is faking it, but as they travel together they see him suffering his nightmares and can see he is genuinely committed to proving himself.
I think it is a great idea, and has a wealth of opportunity for really interesting and fun stories. I think it takes no power at all away from the player (especially since it is the player's idea) and there need be no mechanical penalty in the slightest.
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My Dad wants to join our group as we are about 6 weeks into a new campaign. He has become obsessed with an NPC wizard in game that died (or so the pc's thought) behind the scenes and wants to play him. So I decided to let him use the NPC as a party appropriate level but he suffers from amnesia. I have prepared a set of 3x5 cards of memories that can be triggered by certain events in game.
This isn't taking too much power away from the player is it?
Not if he agrees to it and the other players think it's neat. Sounds cool to me.
#OpenDnD. #DnDBegone
Yea. He wants to play an old forgetful wizard. The NPC was pretty powerful so it was the easiest way to make him comparable to the party.
And as he levels up he'll remember more skills and spells? That makes perfect sense. What did the NPC do before his fall?
#OpenDnD. #DnDBegone
He was helping the band of cultists trying to summon the 4 Mavens of Chaos (4 Erinyes who can open a portal to the 9 hells)
Have him check out Fizban from the early Dragonlance novels for some inspiration. There's a bit of spoilers on why Fizban is absent minded, but he reads in a very good way and could inspire the roleplay!
I would apply a DC intelligence check when he’s trying to remember things and if you rolls under he just doesn’t know.
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I would avoid trying too hard to develop mechanics for the situation. He has amnesia and has forgotten who he was and everything he has ever done. He remembers how to perform magic (and his gaining levels represent learning or remembering more magic). No other skills should be affected, he remembers history and general lore, just nothing about himself.
Everything else is pure story. He is maybe not an evil wizard now - perhaps he later discovers that he inflicted the amnesia on himself to assuage his own guilt at something he had done. Perhaps people meet him and react to him but he has no idea who they are and it doesn't mechanically matter. He might search for a way to regain his memories, or else decide that it is better not to know and instead forge a new path. Maybe the rest of the party won't trust him straight away, assuming he is faking it, but as they travel together they see him suffering his nightmares and can see he is genuinely committed to proving himself.
I think it is a great idea, and has a wealth of opportunity for really interesting and fun stories. I think it takes no power at all away from the player (especially since it is the player's idea) and there need be no mechanical penalty in the slightest.