I am writing an adventure module ahead of the chrimbo period which features a group of characters having to find out why Santa is asleep, and fix it.
Currently I have the concept that he lives on an island with sentient mice instead of elves, and he was put to sleep by a yuan-ti sorceress who lives on the opposite side of the island. The party will find that he's asleep, and be told that she did it.
Now I just need to work out how she did it, and how the party can fix it!
I want it to be optional whether it involves combat, as there will be combat with minions etc. en-route, and everyone deserves another chance at Solstice!
I was considering something quite high-fantasy-esque, like one of her tears, or perhaps an antidote she keeps in a display case of poisons, making it a puzzle. Something that's more than "kill her, take it".
Has anyone got any good ideas for this sort of thing? I'm feeling sadly uninspired recently, but I'm feeling myslef reviving!
There's a Long-Term Madness (or maybe one of the permanent ones?) that involves a character being unable to awaken from their sleep without some kind of assistance, I forget exactly. But I find that when published spells or curses don't scratch the itch I have, looking at the Madness tables definitely helps.
In case it matters, I'm referencing the 2014 DMG. I'm not sure if the tables are still in the newer version or not.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
There's a Long-Term Madness (or maybe one of the permanent ones?) that involves a character being unable to awaken from their sleep without some kind of assistance, I forget exactly. But I find that when published spells or curses don't scratch the itch I have, looking at the Madness tables definitely helps.
In case it matters, I'm referencing the 2014 DMG. I'm not sure if the tables are still in the newer version or not.
I will have a look! And I am still on 2014 rules, haven't embraced the new yet, and likely won't until it's all out!
Why did she do it? There may be a good, thematic answer to the how after the why.
Plotwise, it's because he abandoned her and her people. The story I am trying to reveal is one of what happens to old dreams when they are left behind, so he had planned on building an empire with the sorceress, then abandoned her to try and be a good person, and she poisoned him out of revenge so that he couldn't do it. Plotwise, he's been asleep for 100 years or so.
Given the themes of trying to forget about the past then the curse could be to forget the past in a dream with the only way to wake them up being reminding them of it. Essentially the curse could be that Santa is trapped in a good dream he doesn't want to leave because it's a version where the bad things he did were forgotten. The yuan ti sorceress could carry a potion that allows them to enter the dream which they then have to use to make santa confront the past. If the sorceress is alive they can come dream hopping too.
I am writing an adventure module ahead of the chrimbo period which features a group of characters having to find out why Santa is asleep, and fix it.
Currently I have the concept that he lives on an island with sentient mice instead of elves, and he was put to sleep by a yuan-ti sorceress who lives on the opposite side of the island. The party will find that he's asleep, and be told that she did it.
Now I just need to work out how she did it, and how the party can fix it!
I want it to be optional whether it involves combat, as there will be combat with minions etc. en-route, and everyone deserves another chance at Solstice!
I was considering something quite high-fantasy-esque, like one of her tears, or perhaps an antidote she keeps in a display case of poisons, making it a puzzle. Something that's more than "kill her, take it".
Has anyone got any good ideas for this sort of thing? I'm feeling sadly uninspired recently, but I'm feeling myslef reviving!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: My Character is a Werewolf: balanced rules for Lycanthropy!
I have started discussing/reviewing 3rd party D&D content on Substack - stay tuned for semi-regular posts!
There's a Long-Term Madness (or maybe one of the permanent ones?) that involves a character being unable to awaken from their sleep without some kind of assistance, I forget exactly. But I find that when published spells or curses don't scratch the itch I have, looking at the Madness tables definitely helps.
In case it matters, I'm referencing the 2014 DMG. I'm not sure if the tables are still in the newer version or not.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Why did she do it? There may be a good, thematic answer to the how after the why.
I will have a look! And I am still on 2014 rules, haven't embraced the new yet, and likely won't until it's all out!
Plotwise, it's because he abandoned her and her people. The story I am trying to reveal is one of what happens to old dreams when they are left behind, so he had planned on building an empire with the sorceress, then abandoned her to try and be a good person, and she poisoned him out of revenge so that he couldn't do it. Plotwise, he's been asleep for 100 years or so.
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: My Character is a Werewolf: balanced rules for Lycanthropy!
I have started discussing/reviewing 3rd party D&D content on Substack - stay tuned for semi-regular posts!
You could have the curse breaker be: The tears of a virgin of the same house as the one who put the curse on.
Find a way to make one of the PCs "of her house".
Have other additional elements as you wish.
Given the themes of trying to forget about the past then the curse could be to forget the past in a dream with the only way to wake them up being reminding them of it. Essentially the curse could be that Santa is trapped in a good dream he doesn't want to leave because it's a version where the bad things he did were forgotten. The yuan ti sorceress could carry a potion that allows them to enter the dream which they then have to use to make santa confront the past. If the sorceress is alive they can come dream hopping too.
my favorite spell of all time, Imprisonment has an effect that fits this
Race: Not Human. that's for sure
Class: Godless monster in human form bent on extending their natural life to unnatural extremes/general of the goose horde
Alignment: Lawful Evil
fun fact: i gain more power the more you post on my forum threads. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
King Of TVs.