One of my characters is a warlock who's patron is a genie who is stuck inside the characters genie vessel. The character doesn't know whether or not the Djinn refuses to leave or if it is trapped in the vessel. Basically I just want to know how y'all would do a Djinn who is seemingly always present in the character's magic vessel?
maybe inside the vessel the patron is asleep on a slab of marble, snow white after-the-apple style. rather than interact with the patron, you're forced to instead discuss all matters with other hangers about. mephits or familiars or talking critters of questionable reliability. perhaps in the middle of this room the slab is situated on top of a small hillock of sweet grass that a cow, horse, and deer circle endlessly: munching and walking, stepping and eating. like a living velvet rope to keep people from touching the display. off to the side there's a fancy gold-framed mirror set up on a similarly gold and fancy chair. when you look into the mirror, the reflection of one or more animals can look up and talk to you as they walk. they might all appear to be the voice of a single person, each finishing the sentence of the other as they mosey along. or maybe they chatter back and forth with riddles and hints in a sort of "one of us always tells the truth, one of us always lies" shtick that can be as obvious or unfolding as you like. perhaps the warlock could even look into other mirrors in the regular walk-about world and contact these intermediates to receive quests or information. regardless, in this scenario the patron is dreaming and the warlock will continue to have powers while they dream. who knows what happens if they were to try whispering in their ear or even if they found themselves in a position where they might consider waking the genie.
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i was hoping to see what some others might come up with.
another strange genie-shut-in i imagined: what if inside the vessel the warlock finds that, although made comfortable with expensive rugs and cushions, the walls are covered in throbbing mucus and it's incredibly humid. also, the ceiling in shadows resemble very much an arch of clenched teeth. teeth from the inner perspective. there to one side is a figure half merged with the wall, wrapped in clinging pink ropes, and seemingly in the process of being digested. they greet the warlock and wave their free wrists animatedly about welcoming all to their humble abode. their voice is one the warlock recognizes as their patron. is their patron the humanoid being devoured or the owner of what appears to be a cavernous mouth around them? is it in good taste (ha ha) to ask about the risks of anyone else becoming stuck as well when their host is so evasive, quickly moving on to other topics when someone begins to ask? or else shushing them to listen to noises on the outside as if they're hiding from some greater predator?
so then, is the patron trapped? is their attachment to this vessel a way they have attained great power, a shell that masks their presence from which they will leap out in cosmic-level ambush, or perhaps it's their own mouth which they're loathe to open while it is biting some extra-dimensional prey? very likely they're not actually the body in the wall and simply using it to speak through as a convenience, but what would it take to get them to admit that? is that body the last warlock who made a deal? if so, were they a poor match or did they eventually become too tasty a morsel to let flee as they grew fat in experience and power? is there a way to keep playing this game without becoming a meal or a casualty to some higher-level genie conflict? mysteries to draw out over many sessions...
The vessel is infact a TARDIS-like construct which imprisons the Genie. The main chamber is the one the warlock can bamf in and out of using their Warlock powers but, when left alone, doors appear and the Genie can wander the halls and rooms of the "TARDIS" but everytime the vessel is used the Genie is teleported back to the main chamber. The exits to the chamber only appear when the genie is alone, or so the Genie thinks. Anyone who can pass a DC30 Investigation check can find various hidden doors located all around the main chamber, the doors are hidden from magic in a fashion akin to being covered by Nystul's Magic Aura Spells. Each door is locked but has some sort of puzzle or special key required to open it unless the Genie is alone. The Genie itself is bound by a curse or Geas spell so cannot ask anyone using the vessel for help in escaping but can otherwise be quite churlish and even confrontational everytime it finds itself teleported back to the main chamber.
At a time you deem appropriate you could then have the party discover a control room which allows the TARDIS to planeshift and give them a method of travel, albeit with a rather annoyed Genie in tow. Maybe the Genie is trapped because it needs a power source for the planeshifting ability of the TARDIS to work and the Warlock is going to be that powersource.
This is a very interesting idea, though I've settled on the idea of the Djinn appearing in a mirror inside the vessel, and the warlock can also communicate with the Djinn with other mirrors that aren't in the vessel.
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One of my characters is a warlock who's patron is a genie who is stuck inside the characters genie vessel. The character doesn't know whether or not the Djinn refuses to leave or if it is trapped in the vessel. Basically I just want to know how y'all would do a Djinn who is seemingly always present in the character's magic vessel?
maybe inside the vessel the patron is asleep on a slab of marble, snow white after-the-apple style. rather than interact with the patron, you're forced to instead discuss all matters with other hangers about. mephits or familiars or talking critters of questionable reliability. perhaps in the middle of this room the slab is situated on top of a small hillock of sweet grass that a cow, horse, and deer circle endlessly: munching and walking, stepping and eating. like a living velvet rope to keep people from touching the display. off to the side there's a fancy gold-framed mirror set up on a similarly gold and fancy chair. when you look into the mirror, the reflection of one or more animals can look up and talk to you as they walk. they might all appear to be the voice of a single person, each finishing the sentence of the other as they mosey along. or maybe they chatter back and forth with riddles and hints in a sort of "one of us always tells the truth, one of us always lies" shtick that can be as obvious or unfolding as you like. perhaps the warlock could even look into other mirrors in the regular walk-about world and contact these intermediates to receive quests or information. regardless, in this scenario the patron is dreaming and the warlock will continue to have powers while they dream. who knows what happens if they were to try whispering in their ear or even if they found themselves in a position where they might consider waking the genie.
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
This seems like an interesting idea, I might try running it by my player.
i was hoping to see what some others might come up with.
another strange genie-shut-in i imagined: what if inside the vessel the warlock finds that, although made comfortable with expensive rugs and cushions, the walls are covered in throbbing mucus and it's incredibly humid. also, the ceiling in shadows resemble very much an arch of clenched teeth. teeth from the inner perspective. there to one side is a figure half merged with the wall, wrapped in clinging pink ropes, and seemingly in the process of being digested. they greet the warlock and wave their free wrists animatedly about welcoming all to their humble abode. their voice is one the warlock recognizes as their patron. is their patron the humanoid being devoured or the owner of what appears to be a cavernous mouth around them? is it in good taste (ha ha) to ask about the risks of anyone else becoming stuck as well when their host is so evasive, quickly moving on to other topics when someone begins to ask? or else shushing them to listen to noises on the outside as if they're hiding from some greater predator?
so then, is the patron trapped? is their attachment to this vessel a way they have attained great power, a shell that masks their presence from which they will leap out in cosmic-level ambush, or perhaps it's their own mouth which they're loathe to open while it is biting some extra-dimensional prey? very likely they're not actually the body in the wall and simply using it to speak through as a convenience, but what would it take to get them to admit that? is that body the last warlock who made a deal? if so, were they a poor match or did they eventually become too tasty a morsel to let flee as they grew fat in experience and power? is there a way to keep playing this game without becoming a meal or a casualty to some higher-level genie conflict? mysteries to draw out over many sessions...
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
A bit of an odd Dr Who inspired idea for you:
The vessel is infact a TARDIS-like construct which imprisons the Genie. The main chamber is the one the warlock can bamf in and out of using their Warlock powers but, when left alone, doors appear and the Genie can wander the halls and rooms of the "TARDIS" but everytime the vessel is used the Genie is teleported back to the main chamber. The exits to the chamber only appear when the genie is alone, or so the Genie thinks. Anyone who can pass a DC30 Investigation check can find various hidden doors located all around the main chamber, the doors are hidden from magic in a fashion akin to being covered by Nystul's Magic Aura Spells. Each door is locked but has some sort of puzzle or special key required to open it unless the Genie is alone. The Genie itself is bound by a curse or Geas spell so cannot ask anyone using the vessel for help in escaping but can otherwise be quite churlish and even confrontational everytime it finds itself teleported back to the main chamber.
At a time you deem appropriate you could then have the party discover a control room which allows the TARDIS to planeshift and give them a method of travel, albeit with a rather annoyed Genie in tow. Maybe the Genie is trapped because it needs a power source for the planeshifting ability of the TARDIS to work and the Warlock is going to be that powersource.
This is a very interesting idea, though I've settled on the idea of the Djinn appearing in a mirror inside the vessel, and the warlock can also communicate with the Djinn with other mirrors that aren't in the vessel.