I have a player in my game that is determined to release an evil deity from their prison. The key to the prison was shattered b the other deities and scattered around the world.
I want to have the key split into 6 pieces with each piece being associated with the core Ability scores. So, now for the two part question: what obstacle must the player overcome that is related to each separate ability score? What magical bonus could each piece of the key give the player plus a possible downside/curse to it?
Player would only be allowed to attune to one piece of the key at a time. Ideally the pieces would be shared amongst the rest of the party, but that's for them to decide.
The deity that is imprisoned is one of vengeance, darkness, shadows, etc other bad things, they were imprisoned by the god of crafting and blacksmithing, the god of wilderness, and the god of seas.
Seems like you are suggesting that each piece be it's own independent artifact. Maybe take some inspiration from the DMG in creating your own, or the examples that are provided.
Sentience would be a must, probably a DC 20 stat dependent save or higher to not be taken over by these artifacts. I might suggest 2 minor beneficial, 3 minor detrimental, two major detrimental. (Guessing that the deities that created this thing wouldn't be happy with it's use)
Off topic: What does your PC hope to achieve by releasing the darkness upon the land? And at what point do they become your NPC?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
The deity that is imprisoned is one of vengeance, darkness, shadows, etc other bad things, they were imprisoned by the god of crafting and blacksmithing, the god of wilderness, and the god of seas.
I would suggest three tests for each key - one related to crafting, one related to wilderness , and one related to the ocean.
It could be as simple as something like the unlocking in The 5th Element, or a series of skill checks - Crafting/Blacksmithing = crafting skill check (here's some stuff, make something pleasing to the god), Wilderness = Nature, Survival, or Animal Handling skill check, Sea= swimming check (Athletics), Nature skill check, Hold Breath (Athletics again), etc...
Each test would have to be passed in order to unlock the key - either by everyone in the party, or by one character doing all three, or by one character for each key... The gods would have set this up to ensure that each of them was represented by one of their followers in order to unlock each key.
I would probably give a small group buff (related to those three domains) to each party member within 30' feet for one key, a major buff for two keys, and something hefty for all three... take a look at the artifact minor and major powers tables for inspiration... and I don't know that I'd put a curse on them at all... although there should be something nasty going on for the evil character - and it should get worse the more keys are within proximity to each other. Think Protection from Evil/Good that isn't limited to extraplanar creatures, or something... constant disadvantage at the very least.
The god of Crafting would construct a test building. The entire place would be lined with metal that made it impossible to use Scrying spells from the outside or from inside. Only one person could enter for any given test, the person with the highest score. The god of the Wilderness would cause all characters inside to be irrevocably lost unless they made themselves a map. Any magical means of finding a way through would not work, nor would any form of teleportation. The god of the Wilderness would also fill the entire building with CR 30 monsters. Before the final chamber, the character would have to pass the challenge of the god of the Seas, and fight underwater against a pack 5 of CR 30 sharks. The character would be unable to use spells or effects that allowed for water-breathing.
The final test could be attempted only once.
Strength. Lift an object weighting 500 pounds over their head with a DC 35 Athletics check.
Dexterity. Shoot a target with a bow and arrow provided by the test and hit a target with an armor class of 35. Natural 20s cause the test to reset.
Constitution. Run 100 miles in 8 hours.
Intelligence. Solve a puzzle in 2 minutes with a DC 35 Investigation check.
Wisdom. Guess the god of bad thing's True Name with a DC 35 Insight check.
Charisma. Convince the god of bad things to swear an oath against it's own power to never again do a bad thing with a DC 35 Persuasion check.
They "key" is broken into six pieces and scattered around the world. Fine. Got it. But if those pieces are simply objects that the players can research and search for and find, then you're gonna have an evil deity wreaking havoc in your world in a matter of months if not weeks. That's some bad beeswax right there. So what if the pieces aren't simply objects? What if you don't simply need to find them? What if the six pieces were instead.... PEOPLE!
Okay, bear with me. So there are six people scattered around the world. Maybe each one is somehow immortal because of the power and the responsibilities entrusted to them, or maybe it's hereditary/genetic whatever. And each person represents an Ability Score. So maybe the players think they're looking for the "Stone of Strength" which they might think is an actual rock, but it turns out the Stone of Strength is a stone giant and ONE player has to defeat him in one-on-one unarmed combat to win his "key". And maybe the players have to solve the "Puzzle of the Mind", and they may think they're looking for a riddle or something, but really it's just some old dude on top of a mountain sitting at a chess board, and you just have to find him, sit across from him, and beat him in a game of chess. ((And maybe the player and the DM could actually have a real actual chess game there at the table to decide the winner.)) And maybe the players think they're looking for "The Heart of the Damned", and they may think they have to kill a fiend and cut out its heart ((eww... gross...)). When really they need to find some sullen fiend and somehow use their charisma to earn its trust and convince it to give up being a fiend and dedicate its life to love and beauty instead. Yeah, good luck with that one, mates!
So anyhow, that's my two c.p.
Make the keys people, make each one represent an ability score, and make each encounter require the use of that ability score to win the key.
I have a player in my game that is determined to release an evil deity from their prison. The key to the prison was shattered b the other deities and scattered around the world.
I want to have the key split into 6 pieces with each piece being associated with the core Ability scores. So, now for the two part question: what obstacle must the player overcome that is related to each separate ability score? What magical bonus could each piece of the key give the player plus a possible downside/curse to it?
Player would only be allowed to attune to one piece of the key at a time. Ideally the pieces would be shared amongst the rest of the party, but that's for them to decide.
The deity that is imprisoned is one of vengeance, darkness, shadows, etc other bad things, they were imprisoned by the god of crafting and blacksmithing, the god of wilderness, and the god of seas.
Current Characters:
Inara, Changeling, Level 3 Ranger/Gloomstalker
Oraine Bramblebrand, Level 5 Monk/Way of Ascendant Dragon
Seems like you are suggesting that each piece be it's own independent artifact. Maybe take some inspiration from the DMG in creating your own, or the examples that are provided.
Sentience would be a must, probably a DC 20 stat dependent save or higher to not be taken over by these artifacts. I might suggest 2 minor beneficial, 3 minor detrimental, two major detrimental. (Guessing that the deities that created this thing wouldn't be happy with it's use)
Off topic: What does your PC hope to achieve by releasing the darkness upon the land? And at what point do they become your NPC?
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
The deity that is imprisoned is one of vengeance, darkness, shadows, etc other bad things, they were imprisoned by the god of crafting and blacksmithing, the god of wilderness, and the god of seas.
I would suggest three tests for each key - one related to crafting, one related to wilderness , and one related to the ocean.
It could be as simple as something like the unlocking in The 5th Element, or a series of skill checks - Crafting/Blacksmithing = crafting skill check (here's some stuff, make something pleasing to the god), Wilderness = Nature, Survival, or Animal Handling skill check, Sea= swimming check (Athletics), Nature skill check, Hold Breath (Athletics again), etc...
Each test would have to be passed in order to unlock the key - either by everyone in the party, or by one character doing all three, or by one character for each key... The gods would have set this up to ensure that each of them was represented by one of their followers in order to unlock each key.
I would probably give a small group buff (related to those three domains) to each party member within 30' feet for one key, a major buff for two keys, and something hefty for all three... take a look at the artifact minor and major powers tables for inspiration... and I don't know that I'd put a curse on them at all... although there should be something nasty going on for the evil character - and it should get worse the more keys are within proximity to each other. Think Protection from Evil/Good that isn't limited to extraplanar creatures, or something... constant disadvantage at the very least.
The god of Crafting would construct a test building. The entire place would be lined with metal that made it impossible to use Scrying spells from the outside or from inside. Only one person could enter for any given test, the person with the highest score. The god of the Wilderness would cause all characters inside to be irrevocably lost unless they made themselves a map. Any magical means of finding a way through would not work, nor would any form of teleportation. The god of the Wilderness would also fill the entire building with CR 30 monsters. Before the final chamber, the character would have to pass the challenge of the god of the Seas, and fight underwater against a pack 5 of CR 30 sharks. The character would be unable to use spells or effects that allowed for water-breathing.
The final test could be attempted only once.
<Insert clever signature here>
So here's an idea, for whatever it's worth....
They "key" is broken into six pieces and scattered around the world. Fine. Got it. But if those pieces are simply objects that the players can research and search for and find, then you're gonna have an evil deity wreaking havoc in your world in a matter of months if not weeks. That's some bad beeswax right there. So what if the pieces aren't simply objects? What if you don't simply need to find them? What if the six pieces were instead.... PEOPLE!
Okay, bear with me. So there are six people scattered around the world. Maybe each one is somehow immortal because of the power and the responsibilities entrusted to them, or maybe it's hereditary/genetic whatever. And each person represents an Ability Score. So maybe the players think they're looking for the "Stone of Strength" which they might think is an actual rock, but it turns out the Stone of Strength is a stone giant and ONE player has to defeat him in one-on-one unarmed combat to win his "key". And maybe the players have to solve the "Puzzle of the Mind", and they may think they're looking for a riddle or something, but really it's just some old dude on top of a mountain sitting at a chess board, and you just have to find him, sit across from him, and beat him in a game of chess. ((And maybe the player and the DM could actually have a real actual chess game there at the table to decide the winner.)) And maybe the players think they're looking for "The Heart of the Damned", and they may think they have to kill a fiend and cut out its heart ((eww... gross...)). When really they need to find some sullen fiend and somehow use their charisma to earn its trust and convince it to give up being a fiend and dedicate its life to love and beauty instead. Yeah, good luck with that one, mates!
So anyhow, that's my two c.p.
Make the keys people, make each one represent an ability score, and make each encounter require the use of that ability score to win the key.
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
Something that might fit could be an adaptation of "The Rod of Seven Parts".
All the info you need to build a multi-part artifact could be gleaned from it.