I'm trying to do something that I think could make me a very bad DM. I want to kill one of my PCs, only to have him brought back to life via morally ambiguous means to advance his personal plot line.
I can think of several objections to this but all the same, I want this player to 1) Have a badass "Purple and black flames erupt from your body and you can take out this huge swath of enemies" moment and 2) Advance a plot line in his personal backstory.
I've been thinking of ways to do both of those things and I'd really like it to organically happen, but my party is pretty heal-heavy and they rarely get in tight spots.
My plan is this - the party is on a quest to save a princess. Guarding her chambers are some number of skeletal monks. Their goal is to kill evil things, and one player (unknowingly) has a lich soul attached to him. All of the monks would rush him and ignore all other players. Player dies, the lich offers him power (Which grants the lich chances to take over his body and influence him), and the player gets access to some kind of "Lich Mode" power boost.
I KNOW that it's cliche and everything, but I can't help it. I think it'd be super awesome cool to do. How can I pull this off without making it so so obvious I'm rail-roading his character's death?
Well - to be clear, you are railroading the Character's death.
Is that a problem? Maybe, or maybe not.
Does the Player realize you want to do this? Are they on board with this? This could be a very tricky path, if your Player isn't on board with your plan.
Or is everything above board with the Player, and you're just asking how to make it less obvious that this is a scripted moment?
In either case, I'd actually recommend collaborating with your Player: a) Getting their buy in makes it less likely that you're being "a very bad DM", and b) they might have creative ideas on how to make it look less scripted, and they're definitely be able to conspire with you to bring about their Character's "death" and to make it look organic and convincing.
You can probably get Player buy-in here, as they get some "Lich Mode power boost" as payment.
I'd have a look at this Matt Colville video about such Player/GM collaborations on such things.
Best of luck! If you can pull this off, without pissing off your Player, and without tipping your hand to the rest of the Party, there's some cool role playing potential here.
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I guess to tack onto this then, can anyone give me some feedback on the lich powerup I have planned? The boost is mechanical and the drawback is narrative; it's not really supposed to be balanced. I want it to be a tempting out that makes it more and more likely the lich soul will take over his body. It's especially effective on this character because he's a Paladin from the Oath of Conquest which is all about destroying evil at any cost, even if it means using evil to do so.
What I was thinking is when he goes into "Lich Mode" he gets an aura of purple and black flames that deal 1d8 of fire and 1d8 of necrotic damage to everyone in a 5' radius.
On his turn, he gets his normal action and bonus action, but the lich also gets to take an action (Decided by me). The lich would have access to all a normal lich's spells. I'm still wobbly on the lich stuff. I think it's important to show the lich having control over him though.
As a mechanical drawback, maybe every 2 rounds gives you a point of exhaustion?
And narratively, he just starts losing his humanity. It becomes easier and easier to use people as pawns and kill people for being inconveniencing. That'd require some good role playing for my player, but I think he can do it.
I've talked with the player and he's on board with a cinematic death. I told him he may lose his character to "the dark side" and have to make a new one eventually if they can't figure out how to cure him and he said it was a risk he was willing to take. Thank you all for the advice on that front.
For the lich stuff, I'm not sure if it warrants its own thread or not, but I was trying to get some more ideas. This is what I have so far (Pretty much Paladin Oathbreaker class feats):
Lich Mode
When you come across an evil that must be defeated, what better way than the evil inside you? As an action, you can call upon the lich inside you to vanquish your foes.
Lich's Hatred
The hatred the lich has for life is so intense it emboldens you and your allies to cause as much harm as possible.
All other Aura abilities are disrupted
You and your allies within 30 feet gain a bonus to damage equal to your Charisma modifier (Minimum of +1)
Lich's Resistance
The magic of the lich envelops you and is so concentrated it protects you from damage
Gain resistnace to nonmagical slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage
Lich's Visage
The darkest emotions erupt from you in a burst of magical menace.
Each creature you choose within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw if they can see you. On a failed save, the target is frightened of you for 1 minute. If the creature ends its turn more than 30 feet away from you, it can attempt another saving throw to end the effect on it.
Lich's Shroud
Black and green flames swirl around you in a 30 foot tempest with the force of the lich's psycic power. The fire draws in light, illuminating your face in a ghastly image and dimming the light around you.
Reduce bright light in a 30 foot radius to dim light
Whenever an enemy that is frightened by you starts its turn in the shroud, it takes 4d10 psycic damage.
Creatures you choose in the shroud are draped in deeper shadow. Creatures that rely on sight have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures draped in the shadows.
You can use a bonus action to cause the shadows in the shroud to attack one creature. You make a melee spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the target takes necrotic damage equal to 3d10 + your charisma modifier
Lich's Bleed
The loathing for life the lich has affets even you. You feel your life drain away as the lich's magic courses through you.
Your hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to 1 Hit Dice + your charisma modifier.
The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.
Lich's Tenacity
You feel the lich's grasp on your mind strengthen as you use his power.
To exit this form, you must make a DC 10 + (the number of rounds the form was active) Wisdom saving throw
Narratively, the paladin will be unable to use persuasion and may only use intimidation or deception for conversation skills. He will struggle more and more with being kind and not simply killing any inconveniences. His god is disappointed in him taking a short cut to power, but is rooting for him to beat back the lich.
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I'm trying to do something that I think could make me a very bad DM. I want to kill one of my PCs, only to have him brought back to life via morally ambiguous means to advance his personal plot line.
I can think of several objections to this but all the same, I want this player to 1) Have a badass "Purple and black flames erupt from your body and you can take out this huge swath of enemies" moment and 2) Advance a plot line in his personal backstory.
I've been thinking of ways to do both of those things and I'd really like it to organically happen, but my party is pretty heal-heavy and they rarely get in tight spots.
My plan is this - the party is on a quest to save a princess. Guarding her chambers are some number of skeletal monks. Their goal is to kill evil things, and one player (unknowingly) has a lich soul attached to him. All of the monks would rush him and ignore all other players. Player dies, the lich offers him power (Which grants the lich chances to take over his body and influence him), and the player gets access to some kind of "Lich Mode" power boost.
I KNOW that it's cliche and everything, but I can't help it. I think it'd be super awesome cool to do. How can I pull this off without making it so so obvious I'm rail-roading his character's death?
Well - to be clear, you are railroading the Character's death.
Is that a problem? Maybe, or maybe not.
Does the Player realize you want to do this? Are they on board with this? This could be a very tricky path, if your Player isn't on board with your plan.
Or is everything above board with the Player, and you're just asking how to make it less obvious that this is a scripted moment?
In either case, I'd actually recommend collaborating with your Player: a) Getting their buy in makes it less likely that you're being "a very bad DM", and b) they might have creative ideas on how to make it look less scripted, and they're definitely be able to conspire with you to bring about their Character's "death" and to make it look organic and convincing.
You can probably get Player buy-in here, as they get some "Lich Mode power boost" as payment.
I'd have a look at this Matt Colville video about such Player/GM collaborations on such things.
Best of luck! If you can pull this off, without pissing off your Player, and without tipping your hand to the rest of the Party, there's some cool role playing potential here.
.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
I guess to tack onto this then, can anyone give me some feedback on the lich powerup I have planned? The boost is mechanical and the drawback is narrative; it's not really supposed to be balanced. I want it to be a tempting out that makes it more and more likely the lich soul will take over his body. It's especially effective on this character because he's a Paladin from the Oath of Conquest which is all about destroying evil at any cost, even if it means using evil to do so.
What I was thinking is when he goes into "Lich Mode" he gets an aura of purple and black flames that deal 1d8 of fire and 1d8 of necrotic damage to everyone in a 5' radius.
On his turn, he gets his normal action and bonus action, but the lich also gets to take an action (Decided by me). The lich would have access to all a normal lich's spells. I'm still wobbly on the lich stuff. I think it's important to show the lich having control over him though.
As a mechanical drawback, maybe every 2 rounds gives you a point of exhaustion?
And narratively, he just starts losing his humanity. It becomes easier and easier to use people as pawns and kill people for being inconveniencing. That'd require some good role playing for my player, but I think he can do it.
I've talked with the player and he's on board with a cinematic death. I told him he may lose his character to "the dark side" and have to make a new one eventually if they can't figure out how to cure him and he said it was a risk he was willing to take. Thank you all for the advice on that front.
For the lich stuff, I'm not sure if it warrants its own thread or not, but I was trying to get some more ideas. This is what I have so far (Pretty much Paladin Oathbreaker class feats):
Lich Mode
When you come across an evil that must be defeated, what better way than the evil inside you? As an action, you can call upon the lich inside you to vanquish your foes.
Lich's Hatred
The hatred the lich has for life is so intense it emboldens you and your allies to cause as much harm as possible.
Lich's Resistance
The magic of the lich envelops you and is so concentrated it protects you from damage
Lich's Visage
The darkest emotions erupt from you in a burst of magical menace.
Lich's Shroud
Black and green flames swirl around you in a 30 foot tempest with the force of the lich's psycic power. The fire draws in light, illuminating your face in a ghastly image and dimming the light around you.
Lich's Bleed
The loathing for life the lich has affets even you. You feel your life drain away as the lich's magic courses through you.
Lich's Tenacity
You feel the lich's grasp on your mind strengthen as you use his power.
Narratively, the paladin will be unable to use persuasion and may only use intimidation or deception for conversation skills. He will struggle more and more with being kind and not simply killing any inconveniences. His god is disappointed in him taking a short cut to power, but is rooting for him to beat back the lich.