Because we're both hella bored during quarantine and miss being able to sit at a table and roll dice with people, I've been running Dungeon of the Mad Mage for my gf. It's a solo dungeon so I've let her start at level 11 (vs the level 5 party recommendation) and so far it's going fairly smoothly. She's playing an Oath of the Ancients paladin with 3 levels of Warlock (archfey, chain pact, has basically a Tinkerbell familiar), and there's some light roleplay in the game but not much more than that since it's not her favorite part of the game.
Here's where things get interesting. She's clearing level 1, particularly the Undertaker's lair, and she'd encountered some of them in the dungeon before so she knows they're not really vampires and even had some of their makeup she'd looted from a body. So, using the mirrors in the mirror hallway, she put on the makeup and tried to look like one of them, and she rolled really well, so she approached them and asked to join. Because she rolled so well and she planned it out well, I allowed it. She joined Urqual's camp and he asked her to try and patch things up with Harria so she would come back and recognize him as leader and maybe get back together with him, but long story short, she eventually decided to side with Harria, playing both sides until in a huge combat nearly all the bandits in either faction killed each other (and most of the flesh golem, which the PC finished off). Harria, having killed Urqual herself, was the only one left, and my gf convinced her that she stood more to gain by teaming up than continuing to fight.
So now my Chaotic Good paladin gf has an evil follower, which makes for an interesting dynamic. I've made it clear to her (and she agrees) that if Harria ever finds herself in a good position to betray the pc for a grater reward, she'll do it. But, I also subscribe to the school of thought that "evil" as an alignment does not mean "chaotic stupid," so Harria isn't out to maim anything that moves, she's also keenly aware of how valuable this partnership is to her, and will cooperate as long as it continues to be. So my gf keeps an eye on her, and for the last few sessions of this arrangement it's been working out well. She's played it smart and kept Harria happy, letting her have certain loot items she especially wants (she loves fashion accessories, and really went for the crown in room 17).
My question, and the question my gf asked me, is do you think there's any chance of Harria's selfish, evil outlook changing as a result of their association? That isn't to say she's asking me to just make her good so she doesn't have to keep looking over her shoulder all the time, but she seemed genuinely interested in story-wise, what it would take for someone so selfish and conceited to learn to care for someone aside from herself, especially down in a dark, dangerous dungeon?
I'd be interested in people's thoughts on how you might gradually rp that kind of character growth, or whether or not you think it likely, or if you've ever been in a similar situation and what you did then?
She's one of the out-of-work actors, right? I don't know. My first thought is that it's unlikely and if it happens, it's unlikely to stick. In order to really sell a face turn like that, the character would have to have a pretty serious reckoning with their past and I don't see it happening in the midst of a dungeon crawl. I think giving her things and feeding her ego, by asking her to sing or recite, will keep her happy and she might surprise herself by NOT stabbing the paladin in the back, but not an actual change. Eve Harrington doesn't turn good, she just ages into Norma Desmond. Also, it's not like the paladin is actually modeling a better way of living for her. She's just better at killing things.
I had a paladin who tried to reform people once. She was sick of killing and when she was attacked by slavers at an oasis, she beat the hell out of them, tied them in a coffle and started leading them into the desert, with the notion that they'd be entirely dependent on her ability to produce food and water magically and she'd be able to essentially brainwash them into turning good. My DM wisely killed them all with a meteor.
How to do it if you decide you want to do it? IIRC, there are a surprising number of places in Undermountain where being a good actor and musician can come in handy. I'd start by giving her the taste of professional acclaim she's been wanting her whole life. Maybe then she finds some piece of her past on a lower level that was stolen from her gang on level one and it reminds her of a happier time. Work your way up from there.
i would use the DMG loyalty points system, with an added rule that for every full (in game) week the NPC is at max loyalty, they will shift one alignment level towards the PC
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NNCHRIS: SOUL THIEF, MASTER OF THE ARCANE, AND KING OF NEW YORKNN Gdl Creator of Ilheia and her Knights of the Fallen Stars ldG Lesser Student of Technomancy [undergrad student in computer science] Supporter of the 2014 rules, and a MASSIVE Homebrewer. Come to me all ye who seek salvation in wording thy brews! Open to homebrew trades at any time!! Or feel free to request HB, and Ill see if I can get it done for ya! Characters (Outdated)
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Because we're both hella bored during quarantine and miss being able to sit at a table and roll dice with people, I've been running Dungeon of the Mad Mage for my gf. It's a solo dungeon so I've let her start at level 11 (vs the level 5 party recommendation) and so far it's going fairly smoothly. She's playing an Oath of the Ancients paladin with 3 levels of Warlock (archfey, chain pact, has basically a Tinkerbell familiar), and there's some light roleplay in the game but not much more than that since it's not her favorite part of the game.
Here's where things get interesting. She's clearing level 1, particularly the Undertaker's lair, and she'd encountered some of them in the dungeon before so she knows they're not really vampires and even had some of their makeup she'd looted from a body. So, using the mirrors in the mirror hallway, she put on the makeup and tried to look like one of them, and she rolled really well, so she approached them and asked to join. Because she rolled so well and she planned it out well, I allowed it. She joined Urqual's camp and he asked her to try and patch things up with Harria so she would come back and recognize him as leader and maybe get back together with him, but long story short, she eventually decided to side with Harria, playing both sides until in a huge combat nearly all the bandits in either faction killed each other (and most of the flesh golem, which the PC finished off). Harria, having killed Urqual herself, was the only one left, and my gf convinced her that she stood more to gain by teaming up than continuing to fight.
So now my Chaotic Good paladin gf has an evil follower, which makes for an interesting dynamic. I've made it clear to her (and she agrees) that if Harria ever finds herself in a good position to betray the pc for a grater reward, she'll do it. But, I also subscribe to the school of thought that "evil" as an alignment does not mean "chaotic stupid," so Harria isn't out to maim anything that moves, she's also keenly aware of how valuable this partnership is to her, and will cooperate as long as it continues to be. So my gf keeps an eye on her, and for the last few sessions of this arrangement it's been working out well. She's played it smart and kept Harria happy, letting her have certain loot items she especially wants (she loves fashion accessories, and really went for the crown in room 17).
My question, and the question my gf asked me, is do you think there's any chance of Harria's selfish, evil outlook changing as a result of their association? That isn't to say she's asking me to just make her good so she doesn't have to keep looking over her shoulder all the time, but she seemed genuinely interested in story-wise, what it would take for someone so selfish and conceited to learn to care for someone aside from herself, especially down in a dark, dangerous dungeon?
I'd be interested in people's thoughts on how you might gradually rp that kind of character growth, or whether or not you think it likely, or if you've ever been in a similar situation and what you did then?
She's one of the out-of-work actors, right? I don't know. My first thought is that it's unlikely and if it happens, it's unlikely to stick. In order to really sell a face turn like that, the character would have to have a pretty serious reckoning with their past and I don't see it happening in the midst of a dungeon crawl. I think giving her things and feeding her ego, by asking her to sing or recite, will keep her happy and she might surprise herself by NOT stabbing the paladin in the back, but not an actual change. Eve Harrington doesn't turn good, she just ages into Norma Desmond. Also, it's not like the paladin is actually modeling a better way of living for her. She's just better at killing things.
I had a paladin who tried to reform people once. She was sick of killing and when she was attacked by slavers at an oasis, she beat the hell out of them, tied them in a coffle and started leading them into the desert, with the notion that they'd be entirely dependent on her ability to produce food and water magically and she'd be able to essentially brainwash them into turning good. My DM wisely killed them all with a meteor.
How to do it if you decide you want to do it? IIRC, there are a surprising number of places in Undermountain where being a good actor and musician can come in handy. I'd start by giving her the taste of professional acclaim she's been wanting her whole life. Maybe then she finds some piece of her past on a lower level that was stolen from her gang on level one and it reminds her of a happier time. Work your way up from there.
i would use the DMG loyalty points system, with an added rule that for every full (in game) week the NPC is at max loyalty, they will shift one alignment level towards the PC
NNCHRIS: SOUL THIEF, MASTER OF THE ARCANE, AND KING OF NEW YORKNN
Gdl Creator of Ilheia and her Knights of the Fallen Stars ldG
Lesser Student of Technomancy [undergrad student in computer science]
Supporter of the 2014 rules, and a MASSIVE Homebrewer. Come to me all ye who seek salvation in wording thy brews!
Open to homebrew trades at any time!! Or feel free to request HB, and Ill see if I can get it done for ya!
Characters (Outdated)