I recently dropped this item in my game. the wizard picked it up off a necromancer character they defeated. Has anyone else dropped this in, and if so how do you progress the story via the cryptic messages from Vaecna?
I haven't used the Tome of the Stilled Tongue before, but I can't imagine its too different from a devil or some other lesser-evil thing dropping hints every once. To put it simply, you treat Vecna as a regular character. Make up the guy's drives, interests, what his goals are, etc. Then, treat it like text messaging, or sending a letter to a correspondence for answers.
So, for example, lets say that Vecna's main goal here is to have Orcus lose his foothold over undead in the local area. Recruiting the local wizard is a side dish, awesome if he gets a new worshiper, but if not, no skin off his back (no pun intended). Vecna will put a message in to suggest the wizard look into some area where something is going on. Or gives a hint to a puzzle in the next dungeon, or suggests some other innocuous, legit offer of help with no strings attached. The goal at first is to build a rapport, some trust. Maybe provide an anti-undead spell that can be cast from the book when facing off against Orcus' minions.
After a few times, make a few suggestions to make the hard choices instead of the goodly choices. Send in the assassins. Raise your own undead army. Get an evil artifact that works as the perfect McGuffin, and directions to get to it. When someone dies, make an offer of vampirism or lycanthropy instead of needing resurrection. You can always get the real deal later, but you're in the middle of the dungeon NOW.
Don't feel compelled to stick to that midnight date line either. Do what's dramatically appropriate.
I recently dropped this item in my game. the wizard picked it up off a necromancer character they defeated. Has anyone else dropped this in, and if so how do you progress the story via the cryptic messages from Vaecna?
I haven't used the Tome of the Stilled Tongue before, but I can't imagine its too different from a devil or some other lesser-evil thing dropping hints every once. To put it simply, you treat Vecna as a regular character. Make up the guy's drives, interests, what his goals are, etc. Then, treat it like text messaging, or sending a letter to a correspondence for answers.
So, for example, lets say that Vecna's main goal here is to have Orcus lose his foothold over undead in the local area. Recruiting the local wizard is a side dish, awesome if he gets a new worshiper, but if not, no skin off his back (no pun intended). Vecna will put a message in to suggest the wizard look into some area where something is going on. Or gives a hint to a puzzle in the next dungeon, or suggests some other innocuous, legit offer of help with no strings attached. The goal at first is to build a rapport, some trust. Maybe provide an anti-undead spell that can be cast from the book when facing off against Orcus' minions.
After a few times, make a few suggestions to make the hard choices instead of the goodly choices. Send in the assassins. Raise your own undead army. Get an evil artifact that works as the perfect McGuffin, and directions to get to it. When someone dies, make an offer of vampirism or lycanthropy instead of needing resurrection. You can always get the real deal later, but you're in the middle of the dungeon NOW.
Don't feel compelled to stick to that midnight date line either. Do what's dramatically appropriate.
Thanks for the insight and suggestions! Also LOOVED the "unintentional" pun.