Hey all, quick setup: party of 6 level 8 characters are about to explore a huge, magically cursed forest. In one corner of the forest, if they even happen to go there, they will find it charred and ashen. If the players happen to rest there, a random player will be taken away to an encounter with a giant, fiery skeleton spirit, who will bend down and hold out their hand, offering something ablaze, which looks painful to touch. If the player reaches out, the entity will say:
“GIVE ME PART OF ONE, AND I STRENGTHEN THE OTHER. CHOOSE: BODY, OR SPIRIT?”
If they chose Body:
- Their Charisma score reduces by 1, permanently.
- Their Constitution score increases by 1, permanently.
- And they learn Blazing Body:
- Blazing Body: Can be activated as a bonus action a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, and expended uses are regained after a long rest. While Blazing Body is active, your body ignites in spectral flames for 1 minute. While ablaze in this way, you gain resistance to fire damage, and all your melee attacks (or spells which cause fire damage) deal an additional amount of fire damage equal to your constitution modifier plus your proficiency bonus. Blazing Body can be ended as an action on your turn. However, each turn you maintain Blazing Body, you take an amount of psychic damage equal to your constitution modifier plus your proficiency bonus.
If they chose Spirit:
- Their Constitution score reduces by 1, permanently.
- Their Charisma score increases by 1, permanently.
- And they learn Searing Spirit:
- Searing Spirit: Can be activated as a bonus action a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and expended uses are regained after a long rest. While Searing Spirit is active, your eyes ignite in spectral flames for 1 minute. While ablaze in this way, you gain resistance to fire damage, and a bonus to all checks which use charisma equal to your Charisma Modifier plus your proficiency bonus. Searing Spirit can be ended as an action on your turn. However, each turn you maintain Searing Spirit, you take an amount of psychic damage equal to your charisma modifier plus your proficiency bonus.
After that, the entity will disappear, never to reappear. The player will never know what they could have gained if they chose the opposite. I'm debating if it's fair, and interesting to use, and if I should drop the self inflicted damage to half or not. Thoughts? P.S. we are playing this weekend, so I'd appreciate answers asap. Thanks
Also, thinking about it, I'm considering reducing the charisma bonus (if they choose Spirit) to half, so (CHA + PROF)/2, just like the damage they would take. This would make it less abusable to just completely manipulate NPC scenarios, especially since they could just activate it, take a bit of damage but gain a huge bonus to persuasion or intimidation, then deactivate it immediately.
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Hey all, quick setup: party of 6 level 8 characters are about to explore a huge, magically cursed forest. In one corner of the forest, if they even happen to go there, they will find it charred and ashen. If the players happen to rest there, a random player will be taken away to an encounter with a giant, fiery skeleton spirit, who will bend down and hold out their hand, offering something ablaze, which looks painful to touch. If the player reaches out, the entity will say:
“GIVE ME PART OF ONE, AND I STRENGTHEN THE OTHER. CHOOSE: BODY, OR SPIRIT?”
If they chose Body:
- Their Charisma score reduces by 1, permanently.
- Their Constitution score increases by 1, permanently.
- And they learn Blazing Body:
- Blazing Body: Can be activated as a bonus action a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, and expended uses are regained after a long rest. While Blazing Body is active, your body ignites in spectral flames for 1 minute. While ablaze in this way, you gain resistance to fire damage, and all your melee attacks (or spells which cause fire damage) deal an additional amount of fire damage equal to your constitution modifier plus your proficiency bonus. Blazing Body can be ended as an action on your turn. However, each turn you maintain Blazing Body, you take an amount of psychic damage equal to your constitution modifier plus your proficiency bonus.
If they chose Spirit:
- Their Constitution score reduces by 1, permanently.
- Their Charisma score increases by 1, permanently.
- And they learn Searing Spirit:
- Searing Spirit: Can be activated as a bonus action a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and expended uses are regained after a long rest. While Searing Spirit is active, your eyes ignite in spectral flames for 1 minute. While ablaze in this way, you gain resistance to fire damage, and a bonus to all checks which use charisma equal to your Charisma Modifier plus your proficiency bonus. Searing Spirit can be ended as an action on your turn. However, each turn you maintain Searing Spirit, you take an amount of psychic damage equal to your charisma modifier plus your proficiency bonus.
After that, the entity will disappear, never to reappear. The player will never know what they could have gained if they chose the opposite. I'm debating if it's fair, and interesting to use, and if I should drop the self inflicted damage to half or not. Thoughts?
P.S. we are playing this weekend, so I'd appreciate answers asap. Thanks
Also, thinking about it, I'm considering reducing the charisma bonus (if they choose Spirit) to half, so (CHA + PROF)/2, just like the damage they would take. This would make it less abusable to just completely manipulate NPC scenarios, especially since they could just activate it, take a bit of damage but gain a huge bonus to persuasion or intimidation, then deactivate it immediately.