A region the players can enter that is so soaked in magic from previous conflicts. Spending time there causes random mutations, the longer the player are there the worse the mutations become. Initially cosmetic effect, scales, feathers, atrophy but moving on the claws, spines etc. The denizens they encounter will be those that stayed too long and have degenerated in (insert created here).
Players encounter a skull, the skull contains the essence of a mage (possibly a demi-lich), the powers for the skull are limited by enervating runes etched into it. A player that carries the skull has to succeed wisdom saving throws to prevent being controlled.
Use a Wild Magic Zone from Tasha's to imitate this area of magical chaos. Whenever a spell is cast, random stuff is about to go down! This will make the players cautious, create an interesting environment, and make the attempts to save whoever gets possessed all the more desperate.
Don't place the Demi-lich themself in the skull if there are the BBG. Instead, make it a fake vessel for the mage's soul that is just trapped. If the Lich (or demi-lich) isn't actively protecting their soul, they are more likely to let the party go. This Lich could potentially become an important NPC (not necessarily the BBG, but an ally, foe, accomplice, etc).
Use monsters like The Hungry, The Lost, The Lonely, or The Angry to represent the people who are mid mutation. It creates this gruesome horror vibe.
Each player roles on the below table for each long rest spent in the region (couple this with the Unravelling Magic from Tasha's for some real fun)
D100
1-4 - Nothing happen 4-8 - Pigment change - skin, hair, ,eyes, nails 9-12 - Grow feathers (swap for fur or scales) 13-16 - Grow scales (swap for feathers or fur) 17-20 - Erupt in boils 21-24 - Atrophy 25-28 - Fungal growths 29-32 - Grow horns (or additional horns) 33-36 - Grow spines 37-40 - Replace hand with claw 41-44 - Replace foot with hoof 45-48 - Grow an extra eye 49-52 - Develop extra mouth that spans the width of their abdomen 53-56 - Grow extra ear 55-60 - Mouth and nose moved to another part of the body 61-64 - Hunchback 65-68 - Leg replaced with birds leg (swap for humanoid or hoof) 69-72 - Grow extra finger or thumb 73-76 - Grow fur (swap for feathers or scales) 75-80 - Uncontrollable flatulence 81-84 - Mouth(s) replaced with that of a cephalopod 85-88 - Nose replaced with a proboscis 89-92 - Sightless, your eyes are no more yet you can still feel those around you. 93-96 - Grow a tail (or additional tail) 97-00 - Arm and hand are replaced with a tentacle
I’d suggest allowing a save to resist the change. Con seems most appropriate, but I could see an argument for cha, as well. What happens if they get the same roll twice?
Do the changes go away when they leave the area?
I’d be really hesitant to make any changes that impact the number of usable hands they have. The game is balanced around everyone having two. If someone loses one, that’s a huge impact (chose your sword or your shield, you can’t have both anymore). Similarly if someone gains one, all kinds of tricks open up: weapon and shield and cast; dual wielder and shield. Anything other than two hands is a mess.
A similar problem could happen if a caster doesn’t have a mouth anymore. The sightless would also render most characters useless.
I think where you’re going could be really fun, and I can see where it will be interesting to make things difficult for the PCs, but you don’t want to accidentally make a character unable to do anything.
I agree with xalthu, have them make a con save every short or long rest with a DC that increases each time. Start fairly low so they will pass the early ones.
then scale the type of change into 4-5 categories of 4/6/7 instead of a D100 With one of them being “nothing happens”
This will also have the effect of curbing an issue many DM’s face of a party that wants to rest after every encounter. The more they rest the more chance they have of being effected.
This way it becomes a slow creeping change they don’t realise has a hold until they are too far in rather than growing a tentacle on day 1 and turning the F around.
I con save I think is a great mechanic and certainly something worth playing it and scaling the DC would be great too. My initial thought was to group the changes into categories so I may look at that in more depth.
I have watched Annihilation, it's great film (although not my inspiration).
I am concerned about breaking the PCs and I did consider positive effects (tentacle might grant a 10ft reach, hooves shore footed, spines 1d6 damage in melee)
I was thinking the effects could be reverted with restoration (coupled with Unravelling magic might be quite nasty and I wanted this to be fun).
I was thinking that the same number could be rolled more than once but not stack.
It sounds fun but i would definitely be careful with how much you change the players. Even if there is a benefit, some players may not care about the mechanical benefit when they think of their character as mutated. You know your party so maybe everyone is cool with it. I would be cool with it as long as there was an easy way to revert it after we were done with that place. Otherwise i would be kind of upset that my character is not what I created.
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Some work in progress.
A region the players can enter that is so soaked in magic from previous conflicts. Spending time there causes random mutations, the longer the player are there the worse the mutations become. Initially cosmetic effect, scales, feathers, atrophy but moving on the claws, spines etc. The denizens they encounter will be those that stayed too long and have degenerated in (insert created here).
Players encounter a skull, the skull contains the essence of a mage (possibly a demi-lich), the powers for the skull are limited by enervating runes etched into it. A player that carries the skull has to succeed wisdom saving throws to prevent being controlled.
Let me know what you think.
My Ideas:
Use a Wild Magic Zone from Tasha's to imitate this area of magical chaos. Whenever a spell is cast, random stuff is about to go down! This will make the players cautious, create an interesting environment, and make the attempts to save whoever gets possessed all the more desperate.
Don't place the Demi-lich themself in the skull if there are the BBG. Instead, make it a fake vessel for the mage's soul that is just trapped. If the Lich (or demi-lich) isn't actively protecting their soul, they are more likely to let the party go. This Lich could potentially become an important NPC (not necessarily the BBG, but an ally, foe, accomplice, etc).
Use monsters like The Hungry, The Lost, The Lonely, or The Angry to represent the people who are mid mutation. It creates this gruesome horror vibe.
My only good homebrews: Races, Subclasses.
An aspiring DM and Homebrewer. Ask me if you need anything.
Thanks that's great advice.
Each player roles on the below table for each long rest spent in the region (couple this with the Unravelling Magic from Tasha's for some real fun)
D100
1-4 - Nothing happen
4-8 - Pigment change - skin, hair, ,eyes, nails
9-12 - Grow feathers (swap for fur or scales)
13-16 - Grow scales (swap for feathers or fur)
17-20 - Erupt in boils
21-24 - Atrophy
25-28 - Fungal growths
29-32 - Grow horns (or additional horns)
33-36 - Grow spines
37-40 - Replace hand with claw
41-44 - Replace foot with hoof
45-48 - Grow an extra eye
49-52 - Develop extra mouth that spans the width of their abdomen
53-56 - Grow extra ear
55-60 - Mouth and nose moved to another part of the body
61-64 - Hunchback
65-68 - Leg replaced with birds leg (swap for humanoid or hoof)
69-72 - Grow extra finger or thumb
73-76 - Grow fur (swap for feathers or scales)
75-80 - Uncontrollable flatulence
81-84 - Mouth(s) replaced with that of a cephalopod
85-88 - Nose replaced with a proboscis
89-92 - Sightless, your eyes are no more yet you can still feel those around you.
93-96 - Grow a tail (or additional tail)
97-00 - Arm and hand are replaced with a tentacle
I’d suggest allowing a save to resist the change. Con seems most appropriate, but I could see an argument for cha, as well.
What happens if they get the same roll twice?
Do the changes go away when they leave the area?
I’d be really hesitant to make any changes that impact the number of usable hands they have. The game is balanced around everyone having two. If someone loses one, that’s a huge impact (chose your sword or your shield, you can’t have both anymore). Similarly if someone gains one, all kinds of tricks open up: weapon and shield and cast; dual wielder and shield. Anything other than two hands is a mess.
A similar problem could happen if a caster doesn’t have a mouth anymore. The sightless would also render most characters useless.
I think where you’re going could be really fun, and I can see where it will be interesting to make things difficult for the PCs, but you don’t want to accidentally make a character unable to do anything.
I agree with xalthu, have them make a con save every short or long rest with a DC that increases each time. Start fairly low so they will pass the early ones.
then scale the type of change into 4-5 categories of 4/6/7 instead of a D100 With one of them being “nothing happens”
This will also have the effect of curbing an issue many DM’s face of a party that wants to rest after every encounter. The more they rest the more chance they have of being effected.
This way it becomes a slow creeping change they don’t realise has a hold until they are too far in rather than growing a tentacle on day 1 and turning the F around.
Also watch the movie Annihilation on Netflix
I con save I think is a great mechanic and certainly something worth playing it and scaling the DC would be great too. My initial thought was to group the changes into categories so I may look at that in more depth.
I have watched Annihilation, it's great film (although not my inspiration).
I am concerned about breaking the PCs and I did consider positive effects (tentacle might grant a 10ft reach, hooves shore footed, spines 1d6 damage in melee)
I was thinking the effects could be reverted with restoration (coupled with Unravelling magic might be quite nasty and I wanted this to be fun).
I was thinking that the same number could be rolled more than once but not stack.
It sounds fun but i would definitely be careful with how much you change the players. Even if there is a benefit, some players may not care about the mechanical benefit when they think of their character as mutated. You know your party so maybe everyone is cool with it. I would be cool with it as long as there was an easy way to revert it after we were done with that place. Otherwise i would be kind of upset that my character is not what I created.