So I'm running a campaign with a PC who's mother is a warlock under the influence of an evil, manipulative patron. The PC has managed to free her from the patron's influence and I'm entering the next stage of this arc.
On the one side, the NPC is leaving an emotionally abusive relationship with their patron. It's a very delicate RP situation but one that I have a handle on.
On the other side, my NPC has also been stripped of the magic they've relied on to survive for nearly two decades. I'm approaching this as a form of addiction and having her go through the arcane equivalent of withdrawal/detox. I'm a little more concerned about this stage of the arc and am looking for any advice as to how to do it "right". I've done research on breaking addiction but I'm still a little troubled about a few things.
1) What does withdrawal from a magic addiction look like? Is it purely a psychological addiction or is there an element of physical addiction as well?
2) How do I present withdrawal in a realistic way and still ensure that we're staying respectful to the real-world issue of addiction? Should I drop this element of the story arc entirely?
3) Can a patron withdraw a warlock's powers but still retain a connection? If so, the patron has a vendetta against the PC and would have no problem increasing the NPC's suffering as a form of revenge.
Thanks in advance for any help, I know this is a delicate topic which is why I want to make sure that it's handled in an appropriate way. My apologies to anyone I've offended through ignorance.
1. I’d suspect there would be a metaphysical element. D&D does have some rules on the magical Weave, and as characters are able to interact with it it makes sense that some part of the body is or can be magical. You could make it so that the remnants of the magical connection influence her physical state.
2. I don’t see any issue with keeping this element of the story. You could represent it as a craving, with physical sensations such as often reported by heroin addicts: ants crawling under the skin, possibly other hallucinations.
3. It’s up to you… I suspect it will be harrowing enough without.
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Netherlands, GMT +1 // “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” — Bruce Lee
My opinion is that the symptoms of the detox should be emblematic of the patron. An Archfey vs. a Fiend vs. a Genie ... each would have a different type of pain-fluence.
Thanks! I hadn't really thought of it in those broad terms. The patron in question is a Chaotic Evil demigod attempting to use the player's family as a tool to ascend to full godhood (it's complicated, but it involves attempting to rewrite fate). I was using the Undying as the patron in terms of game mechanics but the Fiend would fit better in terms of attitude.
Rehab...phew tough topic. First I wouldnt delve too deep into the RL topic.
1) The fall from grace/power is mostly psychological, if the patron didn't alter her physical body too (Strength, Resistances, Devils Sight...) She still could feel weak, Endorphin and Adrenalin are mighty substances on their own.
2) I'd play the npc as inconsistent, switching from energetic to lethargic, from looking forward to haunted, and i'd throw in some hallucinations, describing she's hearing whispers, the feeling of intense heat or cold (whatever your Hell is like), or like the "Fridge Scene" from Ghostbusters, when opening a regular door or a closet. (screaming, slamming the door(s), moving away) Let her rant about what she's without (insert awesome powers) and give your players the chance to reassure her shes done the right thing. Don't make the rehab arc too long, after a while it'll only get depressing/frustrating for your players (No matter what your session Zero agreements were). Maybe present some NPCs that can take further care when she's made the "baby steps". A Group of Sages, Mages or Druids (Also Monks or Clerics if "religion" doesn't hit too close to home for you or your players.) Or a secret society opposing the Ex-Patron, that reveals itself after the split.
3) Depends on the details of their contract. And the previous plot regarding freeing her - if she's been declared free from the direct influence (as i read it) by the players: No mystical bond for a backlash anymore, aside from taking his gift away from her, similar to a "fallen" cleric - his god doesn't answer his calling anymore . Doesn't mean the Patron is happy, he could send an other Warlock or devious creature under his control to assassinate/blackmail her back into service, ruin her reputation in other ways, send a doppelganger to do evil deeds in her name and with her face. Depends if these kind of sidequests fit your plot and are something your players would enjoy, moving on.
Thanks for everyone's feedback! Thought I'd post a follow up now that the arc is resolved.
1) I decided to approach it predominantly as psychological addiction, but there was initially a brief period of intense symptoms of physical withdrawal as the remaining magic drained from her body(more on that later).
2) Obviously, that means that I kept the arc in, though I scaled it down from my original vision. This was significantly easier thanks to some clever and effective role-playing on the part of the player (more on that below as well).
3) I decided to go with the idea that the severing the connection was complete but, since the Patron is a consummate deceiver, he claimed that the physical withdrawal symptoms were in fact pain that he was inflicting as punishment for the PC defying him. So I was able to keep the intended story beat of using her pain to try and leverage the PC.
In the end, the PC tricked the patron (a CE demigod attempting to ascend to full godhood) into revealing that he needs the player to help him unravel "the Tapestry of Fate" so that he can reweave fate to achieve his goals (think of it as a free will butterfly effect). The PC took this information, plus some hints from seemingly unrelated plot threads that were ment to merge later in the campaign, and petitioned the God of Fate to help him (while spending a level advancement and doing the necessary RP to become a cleric of said deity). So now Mom is safely under the care and protection of the PC's deity and the patron is pursuing his agenda through a different route (which the PCs will eventually have to discover and thwart).
All in all, it ended up being a good way to help establish the patron as a dangerous secondary BBEG (one that's pursuing the same overall goals as the PCs but for much darker purposes).
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Hello all!
So I'm running a campaign with a PC who's mother is a warlock under the influence of an evil, manipulative patron. The PC has managed to free her from the patron's influence and I'm entering the next stage of this arc.
On the one side, the NPC is leaving an emotionally abusive relationship with their patron. It's a very delicate RP situation but one that I have a handle on.
On the other side, my NPC has also been stripped of the magic they've relied on to survive for nearly two decades. I'm approaching this as a form of addiction and having her go through the arcane equivalent of withdrawal/detox. I'm a little more concerned about this stage of the arc and am looking for any advice as to how to do it "right". I've done research on breaking addiction but I'm still a little troubled about a few things.
1) What does withdrawal from a magic addiction look like? Is it purely a psychological addiction or is there an element of physical addiction as well?
2) How do I present withdrawal in a realistic way and still ensure that we're staying respectful to the real-world issue of addiction? Should I drop this element of the story arc entirely?
3) Can a patron withdraw a warlock's powers but still retain a connection? If so, the patron has a vendetta against the PC and would have no problem increasing the NPC's suffering as a form of revenge.
Thanks in advance for any help, I know this is a delicate topic which is why I want to make sure that it's handled in an appropriate way. My apologies to anyone I've offended through ignorance.
Hmmm
1. I’d suspect there would be a metaphysical element. D&D does have some rules on the magical Weave, and as characters are able to interact with it it makes sense that some part of the body is or can be magical. You could make it so that the remnants of the magical connection influence her physical state.
2. I don’t see any issue with keeping this element of the story. You could represent it as a craving, with physical sensations such as often reported by heroin addicts: ants crawling under the skin, possibly other hallucinations.
3. It’s up to you… I suspect it will be harrowing enough without.
Netherlands, GMT +1 // “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.” — Bruce Lee
My opinion is that the symptoms of the detox should be emblematic of the patron. An Archfey vs. a Fiend vs. a Genie ... each would have a different type of pain-fluence.
Thanks! I hadn't really thought of it in those broad terms. The patron in question is a Chaotic Evil demigod attempting to use the player's family as a tool to ascend to full godhood (it's complicated, but it involves attempting to rewrite fate). I was using the Undying as the patron in terms of game mechanics but the Fiend would fit better in terms of attitude.
Rehab...phew tough topic. First I wouldnt delve too deep into the RL topic.
1) The fall from grace/power is mostly psychological, if the patron didn't alter her physical body too (Strength, Resistances, Devils Sight...) She still could feel weak, Endorphin and Adrenalin are mighty substances on their own.
2) I'd play the npc as inconsistent, switching from energetic to lethargic, from looking forward to haunted, and i'd throw in some hallucinations, describing she's hearing whispers, the feeling of intense heat or cold (whatever your Hell is like), or like the "Fridge Scene" from Ghostbusters, when opening a regular door or a closet. (screaming, slamming the door(s), moving away) Let her rant about what she's without (insert awesome powers) and give your players the chance to reassure her shes done the right thing. Don't make the rehab arc too long, after a while it'll only get depressing/frustrating for your players (No matter what your session Zero agreements were). Maybe present some NPCs that can take further care when she's made the "baby steps". A Group of Sages, Mages or Druids (Also Monks or Clerics if "religion" doesn't hit too close to home for you or your players.) Or a secret society opposing the Ex-Patron, that reveals itself after the split.
3) Depends on the details of their contract. And the previous plot regarding freeing her - if she's been declared free from the direct influence (as i read it) by the players: No mystical bond for a backlash anymore, aside from taking his gift away from her, similar to a "fallen" cleric - his god doesn't answer his calling anymore . Doesn't mean the Patron is happy, he could send an other Warlock or devious creature under his control to assassinate/blackmail her back into service, ruin her reputation in other ways, send a doppelganger to do evil deeds in her name and with her face. Depends if these kind of sidequests fit your plot and are something your players would enjoy, moving on.
Thanks for everyone's feedback! Thought I'd post a follow up now that the arc is resolved.
1) I decided to approach it predominantly as psychological addiction, but there was initially a brief period of intense symptoms of physical withdrawal as the remaining magic drained from her body(more on that later).
2) Obviously, that means that I kept the arc in, though I scaled it down from my original vision. This was significantly easier thanks to some clever and effective role-playing on the part of the player (more on that below as well).
3) I decided to go with the idea that the severing the connection was complete but, since the Patron is a consummate deceiver, he claimed that the physical withdrawal symptoms were in fact pain that he was inflicting as punishment for the PC defying him. So I was able to keep the intended story beat of using her pain to try and leverage the PC.
In the end, the PC tricked the patron (a CE demigod attempting to ascend to full godhood) into revealing that he needs the player to help him unravel "the Tapestry of Fate" so that he can reweave fate to achieve his goals (think of it as a free will butterfly effect). The PC took this information, plus some hints from seemingly unrelated plot threads that were ment to merge later in the campaign, and petitioned the God of Fate to help him (while spending a level advancement and doing the necessary RP to become a cleric of said deity). So now Mom is safely under the care and protection of the PC's deity and the patron is pursuing his agenda through a different route (which the PCs will eventually have to discover and thwart).
All in all, it ended up being a good way to help establish the patron as a dangerous secondary BBEG (one that's pursuing the same overall goals as the PCs but for much darker purposes).