Hi!! Finally writing a new campaign for next semester and I definitely want to make my BBEG a necromancer, making my players fight through hordes of undead.
I’m feeling inspired by Strahd at the moment, and might want to go the “resurrecting a dead lover/loved one” route, but what could be so difficult about that that they would have to get so powerful and vengeful in order to do that? (Also open to any other motivations if y’all have ideas :D)
I’m feeling inspired by Strahd at the moment, and might want to go the “resurrecting a dead lover/loved one” route, but what could be so difficult about that that they would have to get so powerful and vengeful in order to do that? (Also open to any other motivations if y’all have ideas :D)
They've tried in the past and failed, so they keep looking for more powerful magicks to successfully bring them back because they think it's a lack of power that's the problem -- not that their former lover doesn't want to come back
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Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue) Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I've actually been pondering an idea similar to AntonSirius, just as a side-story for my current players, not a full BBEG. The idea I had was that the "necromancer" was actually a different type of magic-user, who didn't have access to any reincarnation or resurrection spells. But after losing a close family member to a war, they were trying to use an ancient artifact to bring them back. They just haven't figured out that the artifact doesn't do that. Instead of raising the dead, all it does is trap the souls of anyone who dies in the surrounding area, and turn them into lost spirits- ghosts, specters, wraiths, etc. And the necromancer is getting more and more obsessed, fighting off anyone who tries to stop them, because "It will work, I just need more time!"
Hi!! Finally writing a new campaign for next semester and I definitely want to make my BBEG a necromancer, making my players fight through hordes of undead.
I’m feeling inspired by Strahd at the moment, and might want to go the “resurrecting a dead lover/loved one” route, but what could be so difficult about that that they would have to get so powerful and vengeful in order to do that? (Also open to any other motivations if y’all have ideas :D)
Why does someone like one gender and not the other? Why do people vote the way they do? It happens, somewhere down the line the BBEG went down a directional path to be vengeful. It may have nothing to do with the actual resurrection, but everything to do with who is blamed for the actual death. The BBEG blame could be on not the actual individual that did the death, but society that allowed this "murderer" to actually commit the crime.
Maybe go for a Frankenstein approach, their trying to bring back their loved one with alchemical magic but everything they do, such as graverobbing, body stitching etc, is percieved as Necromancy. Have the party fight through hordes of crawling claws, failed experiments/reanimated corpses and find the monsters lair and boom! they find they are going to be fighting a Flesh Golem or similar. You can have lots of crackling gizmo's and arcane equipment that can blow up if damaged and the BBEG can use LIghtning magic with impunity as the flesh golem is healed by it.
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* Need a character idea? Search for "Rob76's Unused" in the Story and Lore section.
There is the pure evil Idea. The Necromancer has been shund his entire life and is a social outcast. So as the hatred for society and people in General grew, the ultimate goal of revenge against the living, would be to enslave the world as their zombies/undead, etc. Then the lore behind the growth of this character would be a fun write. Hope it helps some. Peace
I did a plot once ... it was complicated, but I'll try to make it simple.
Players break a thing, and something is set loose - it takes recidence in one of them, and that player, regardless of class, also get's the ability to create undead companions. This gets quite powerful with levels.
Stuff happens. This both is and isn't part of the main plot - while the party goes on adventures, the thing inside one of them grows more powerful. Finally, it breaks free and retreats. Hides.
The players then encounter a fey creature weaving a tapestry of ... well, history, but really of time. While the players aren't really paying attention, she weaves them into her tapestry - sending them to the past, where a fey court is struggling to contain a great darkness of their own making. The players try to help, but only succeed in making things worse. In essence, they release the thing that possesses one of them a thousand years later.
They do realise what's happened, and explain to the fey elders how to bind the creature to the thing they originally broke themselves. Loop closed, so to speak.
They return to the present, and defeat the thing they released. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.
For your game, just flip it on it's head: This was all the some NPC's story. He got possessed, the thing grew inside him. He managed to expel but not kill it. Studied, and found a clue to the fey realm. Went there, accidentally caused the thing he tried to prevent. He lost his mind. He's still alive, somewhere, ranting and raving, but he has the clue to defeating it once more: It can be bound to a thing like the one he broke, long ago.
Too complex? It's not a bad plot, I think.
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Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I think that you should make it an issue of their power, like AntonSirius said. Those corpses they're fighting through? Those are all of the necromancers failed expirements. they might be trying to create the perfect killing machine for vengeance, or bring back someone important to them or someone they think the world needs. At the end, add a little twist; They're a vampire, the person they're trying to bring back is a legendary hero so that the hero can save the world from something, the necromancer is a character parent and their trying to ressurect the dead other parent of the character.
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DM: He doesn't have much besides the skin on his bones. Me: I'll take the skin on his bones, then.
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches Road
"You see a gigantic, monstrous praying mantis burst from out of the ground. It sprays a stream of acid from it's mouth at one soldier, dissolving him instantly, then it turns and chomps another soldier in half with it's- "
"When are we gonna take a snack break?"
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Hi!! Finally writing a new campaign for next semester and I definitely want to make my BBEG a necromancer, making my players fight through hordes of undead.
I’m feeling inspired by Strahd at the moment, and might want to go the “resurrecting a dead lover/loved one” route, but what could be so difficult about that that they would have to get so powerful and vengeful in order to do that? (Also open to any other motivations if y’all have ideas :D)
:)
They've tried in the past and failed, so they keep looking for more powerful magicks to successfully bring them back because they think it's a lack of power that's the problem -- not that their former lover doesn't want to come back
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue)
Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I've actually been pondering an idea similar to AntonSirius, just as a side-story for my current players, not a full BBEG. The idea I had was that the "necromancer" was actually a different type of magic-user, who didn't have access to any reincarnation or resurrection spells. But after losing a close family member to a war, they were trying to use an ancient artifact to bring them back. They just haven't figured out that the artifact doesn't do that. Instead of raising the dead, all it does is trap the souls of anyone who dies in the surrounding area, and turn them into lost spirits- ghosts, specters, wraiths, etc. And the necromancer is getting more and more obsessed, fighting off anyone who tries to stop them, because "It will work, I just need more time!"
Why does someone like one gender and not the other? Why do people vote the way they do? It happens, somewhere down the line the BBEG went down a directional path to be vengeful. It may have nothing to do with the actual resurrection, but everything to do with who is blamed for the actual death. The BBEG blame could be on not the actual individual that did the death, but society that allowed this "murderer" to actually commit the crime.
Maybe go for a Frankenstein approach, their trying to bring back their loved one with alchemical magic but everything they do, such as graverobbing, body stitching etc, is percieved as Necromancy. Have the party fight through hordes of crawling claws, failed experiments/reanimated corpses and find the monsters lair and boom! they find they are going to be fighting a Flesh Golem or similar. You can have lots of crackling gizmo's and arcane equipment that can blow up if damaged and the BBEG can use LIghtning magic with impunity as the flesh golem is healed by it.
There is the pure evil Idea. The Necromancer has been shund his entire life and is a social outcast. So as the hatred for society and people in General grew, the ultimate goal of revenge against the living, would be to enslave the world as their zombies/undead, etc. Then the lore behind the growth of this character would be a fun write. Hope it helps some. Peace
I did a plot once ... it was complicated, but I'll try to make it simple.
Players break a thing, and something is set loose - it takes recidence in one of them, and that player, regardless of class, also get's the ability to create undead companions. This gets quite powerful with levels.
Stuff happens. This both is and isn't part of the main plot - while the party goes on adventures, the thing inside one of them grows more powerful. Finally, it breaks free and retreats. Hides.
The players then encounter a fey creature weaving a tapestry of ... well, history, but really of time. While the players aren't really paying attention, she weaves them into her tapestry - sending them to the past, where a fey court is struggling to contain a great darkness of their own making. The players try to help, but only succeed in making things worse. In essence, they release the thing that possesses one of them a thousand years later.
They do realise what's happened, and explain to the fey elders how to bind the creature to the thing they originally broke themselves. Loop closed, so to speak.
They return to the present, and defeat the thing they released. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.
For your game, just flip it on it's head: This was all the some NPC's story. He got possessed, the thing grew inside him. He managed to expel but not kill it. Studied, and found a clue to the fey realm. Went there, accidentally caused the thing he tried to prevent. He lost his mind. He's still alive, somewhere, ranting and raving, but he has the clue to defeating it once more: It can be bound to a thing like the one he broke, long ago.
Too complex? It's not a bad plot, I think.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I think that you should make it an issue of their power, like AntonSirius said. Those corpses they're fighting through? Those are all of the necromancers failed expirements. they might be trying to create the perfect killing machine for vengeance, or bring back someone important to them or someone they think the world needs. At the end, add a little twist; They're a vampire, the person they're trying to bring back is a legendary hero so that the hero can save the world from something, the necromancer is a character parent and their trying to ressurect the dead other parent of the character.
DM: He doesn't have much besides the skin on his bones. Me: I'll take the skin on his bones, then.
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches Road
"You see a gigantic, monstrous praying mantis burst from out of the ground. It sprays a stream of acid from it's mouth at one soldier, dissolving him instantly, then it turns and chomps another soldier in half with it's- "
"When are we gonna take a snack break?"