The story is below in case anyone is interested. Short version: my rogue died in Barovia and was brought back by the cleric with revivify. Due to the death and the setting of Barovia, I have talked to the DM about the possibility of my character shifting from an assassin rogue to a phantom rogue as death clings to him. If we were to go through with it (the DM approved and thinks it would be a neat thematic fit; I am still deciding whether I want to go through with it but leaning towards doing it as a neat character arc), what ideas do you have for what the rogue experienced between death and being brought back that has caused this shift? I have a couple vague ideas so far, but I am curious to hear ideas from others that I might borrow or work into one of my current ideas. Thanks in advance. If it matters, the party is currently level 7.
As for how it happened: the party was traveling up one of the mountains in Barovia because a party member felt really compelled about trying to go up there. My character was separated from the group, and everybody was stuck in a blizzard. As my character got really low on health and started taking exhaustion points due to the cold (con saves were too low), I sent a message on a sending stone to the party to say I was stuck and close to dying. A party member came searching for me since they had just made it out of the blizzard (and I wasn't far since I hadn't been separated for long). He passed multiple survival checks (the last being a nat 20) to find me, but he found me right after I succumbed to the elements (the cold took my down to 0 hp, then I rolled a 5 and a nat 1 on death saving throws). The party member was able to get me back to the party just barely quick enough for the cleric to cast revivify to bring me back (I thought for sure I was gone).
I talked to the DM, and we think it would be neat for the death to have a lasting effect. Given the setting in Barovia and his time being completely dead before getting brought back, the phantom rogue just seemed like a great thematic fit.
Thematically I really like it, and the phantom rogue is fun to play, but from a metagame point of view is the move into necrotic damage going to serve you well in your setting?
Seems like a good thematic fit, and Barovia could be a good excuse for perhaps being brought back 'not quite right' and having the phantom abilities, with that connection to death.
The process of dying/being brought back effecting the character could even explain losing the old ASsassin abilities if you're concerned about explaining that, if not then you don't need to worry about that angle.
Thematically I really like it, and the phantom rogue is fun to play, but from a metagame point of view is the move into necrotic damage going to serve you well in your setting?
It probably comes with drawbacks in Barovia due to various necrotic damage resistance enemies that are undead, but I'm fine with that.
Seems like a good thematic fit, and Barovia could be a good excuse for perhaps being brought back 'not quite right' and having the phantom abilities, with that connection to death.
The process of dying/being brought back effecting the character could even explain losing the old ASsassin abilities if you're concerned about explaining that, if not then you don't need to worry about that angle.
Great point - I hadn't put enough thought into explaining the loss of his old assassin abilities by getting the drop on people. Perhaps the spirits surrounding him distract him too much from being able to focus on surprising people or something like that. I'll have to think about it a bit more. That said, as you mentioned, being brought back "not quite right" in conjunction with Barovia provides an easy way out.
It's really up to you if you even want/feel the need to address losing the assassin abilities at all.
In my campaign the DM let me swap from mastermind to arcane trickster and in the process I lost some tool/language proficiencies, and the ability to bonus action help etc but it wasn't that big of a deal ultimately, as the stuff I lost didn't really impact the game.
If doing that assassin stuff you no longer have access to has been a big focus on your character's RP then it might be worth explaining it, but you don't neccisarily need a story reason for the shift in game mechanics abilities you have.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
The story is below in case anyone is interested. Short version: my rogue died in Barovia and was brought back by the cleric with revivify. Due to the death and the setting of Barovia, I have talked to the DM about the possibility of my character shifting from an assassin rogue to a phantom rogue as death clings to him. If we were to go through with it (the DM approved and thinks it would be a neat thematic fit; I am still deciding whether I want to go through with it but leaning towards doing it as a neat character arc), what ideas do you have for what the rogue experienced between death and being brought back that has caused this shift? I have a couple vague ideas so far, but I am curious to hear ideas from others that I might borrow or work into one of my current ideas. Thanks in advance. If it matters, the party is currently level 7.
As for how it happened: the party was traveling up one of the mountains in Barovia because a party member felt really compelled about trying to go up there. My character was separated from the group, and everybody was stuck in a blizzard. As my character got really low on health and started taking exhaustion points due to the cold (con saves were too low), I sent a message on a sending stone to the party to say I was stuck and close to dying. A party member came searching for me since they had just made it out of the blizzard (and I wasn't far since I hadn't been separated for long). He passed multiple survival checks (the last being a nat 20) to find me, but he found me right after I succumbed to the elements (the cold took my down to 0 hp, then I rolled a 5 and a nat 1 on death saving throws). The party member was able to get me back to the party just barely quick enough for the cleric to cast revivify to bring me back (I thought for sure I was gone).
I talked to the DM, and we think it would be neat for the death to have a lasting effect. Given the setting in Barovia and his time being completely dead before getting brought back, the phantom rogue just seemed like a great thematic fit.
My first thought reading how you died...
The death experience could have been similar to what Johnny went through in “the shining”?
Watch me on twitch
Thematically I really like it, and the phantom rogue is fun to play, but from a metagame point of view is the move into necrotic damage going to serve you well in your setting?
Seems like a good thematic fit, and Barovia could be a good excuse for perhaps being brought back 'not quite right' and having the phantom abilities, with that connection to death.
The process of dying/being brought back effecting the character could even explain losing the old ASsassin abilities if you're concerned about explaining that, if not then you don't need to worry about that angle.
It probably comes with drawbacks in Barovia due to various necrotic damage resistance enemies that are undead, but I'm fine with that.
Great point - I hadn't put enough thought into explaining the loss of his old assassin abilities by getting the drop on people. Perhaps the spirits surrounding him distract him too much from being able to focus on surprising people or something like that. I'll have to think about it a bit more. That said, as you mentioned, being brought back "not quite right" in conjunction with Barovia provides an easy way out.
It's really up to you if you even want/feel the need to address losing the assassin abilities at all.
In my campaign the DM let me swap from mastermind to arcane trickster and in the process I lost some tool/language proficiencies, and the ability to bonus action help etc but it wasn't that big of a deal ultimately, as the stuff I lost didn't really impact the game.
If doing that assassin stuff you no longer have access to has been a big focus on your character's RP then it might be worth explaining it, but you don't neccisarily need a story reason for the shift in game mechanics abilities you have.