I am writing a module and would like some help. I am having difficultly writing a module involving an old mage whose first love was turned into a vampire when they were young and fleeing some Boneheart clerics in the Horned Society. I don't want the plot to turn into Strahd's castle ala Ravenloft.
The Grey Mouser
Never play a game where the players carry clubs - Grandma Watkins
I will imagine that the "old mage" is male and the first love/vampire is female. Of course, you could mix and match the genders any number of ways. If we go with male mage and female vampire, you have already distinguished your story from Strahd's, Strahd being male.
I will imagine that the Boneheart had no direct involvement with the vampire. Not allies and they were not responsible for creating the "first love" as a vampire - except that they were chasing the young couple.
This brings in a new player - the vampiric sire of the "first love." I will imagine the sire is female.
Of course, the "first love" has not aged, while the "old mage" apparently has. This is good.
So, to relationships -
"Old mage" still has feelings for "first love vampire," even if he discovers she is a vampire. Initially, he does not know (see below).
Sire controls "first love vampire," as her spawn and couldn't care less about anyone.
"First love vampire" wants to be free of sire and imagines "old mage" may be her ticket to breaking free of sire - ie "old mage" can be convinced to kill sire. "First love vampire" has no feelings for "old mage" left but fakes it.
Now. Enter the Boneheart.
All those years ago, "old mage" and "first love" were after something. Call it "the McGuffin." So were the Boneheart. Neither side found the McGuffin. Now, new information has surfaced as to the McGuffin's whereabouts. The game is resumed. Who will get to the McGuffin first?
"First love vampire" is the one who sends news of the McGuffin to "old mage." "Old mage," being old, recruits the PCs to help him recover the McGuffin and maybe his "first love."
Critical point - "old mage" does not know "first love" is a vampire. He thought her "lost" but was unaware of her true fate. When encountered, "first love vampire" will still be young but will claim she was kept that way by powerful sire - this is true (to a point) and will not detect as a lie - who she reveals has the recently acquired the McGuffin and hidden it (the truth, again no dectect lie). She begs to be freed and reunited with "old mage." "Old mage" wants to believe and buys the story totally.
If PCs discover "first love" is a vampire, they will still have to cooperate with "first love vampire." They cannot simply destroy her because she has valuable information on the McGuffin and is not so dumb as to tell the PCs or "old mage" everything she knows. In the case, "old mage" will want to try to "save" "first love vampire" pointing to her help as sign that she still harbors "good" within her.
Complicating matters, Boneheart agents hear of the "discovery" of the McGuffin (probably when "old mage" was seeking recruits to help him) and they want it. Enter the Boneheart, lead by the same person who chased the couple all those years ago.
A three cornered fight is now shaping up - sire vs PCs vs Boneheart. "First love vampire" will stay out of it. All "first love vampire" cares about is that somebody kills sire to free her.
As soon as sire is destroyed, "first love vampire" will flee to gain the McGuffin for herself. Weakened PCs and weakened Boneheart will have to join forces if they are to stand a chance against "first love vampire." Boneheart will turn on PCs as soon as expedient, of course.
Trick - "First love vampire" turns "old mage" into vampire if a chance to do so presents itself. She orders "old mage spawn" to stay with party as she goes after McGuffin. "Old mage spawn" will try to pit surviving PCs against surviving Boneheart (he now has no loyalty to either). This should not be hard.
At key moment in final confrontation, "old mage spawn" will betray PCs.
In this adventure, PCs will have to defeat:
Sire (and minions)
Boneheart, and then cooperate with them before fighting them again
"First love vampire" plus "old mage" turned to "spawn."
In the end, they will stand amidst a scene of near total ruin. Everyone but survining PCs are dead. They have the McGuffin, however.
If you want a really bleak adventure, the McGuffin has lost all its powers over time etc. and is worthless. It was all for nothing. This would be my preferred outcome.
Alternatively, the McGuffin is still valuable and the PCs are heroes.
On the third hand, the McGuffin is still powerful but has become corrupted and now seeks to corrupt the PCs - the adventure is not over.
I really liked the advice you gave me. This old mage is the mentor of the group mage. The mentor, Max, and his student are both wild mages. My ideas i had was Max was secretly seeing his lost love, her name is Martina. He has her picture on his bureau and makes no secret of it. One of the other ideas i had was when they, the PCs, meet Martina there is a hint that she is a vampire, pale skin, dark clothes, etc. The twist in this was that she is pleasant, courteous, and offsetting in how familiar she is and openly affectionate she is, even with people she doesn't even know. Of course this will give the PCs the willies and establish her as something more than just a monster. Of course being in her castle will also put them on the defensive. Obviously, i had no considered her having a sire. That idea i liked and puts a good spin on things.
I see several things that can be done with my ideas and what you have provided. It would fit in nicely that Martina wants to destroy her sire and Max's secret meetings with her, especially when Max turns up missing one day. And having Martina be a bit creepy, although hospitable, and turn out to be evil in the end will be more plausible than her being redeemed.
What do you think about the idea that the vampire castle, or whatever you want to call it, is on top of an old Ur-flan burial site or place of power?
I really liked the advice you gave me. . . .What do you think about the idea that the vampire castle, or whatever you want to call it, is on top of an old Ur-flan burial site or place of power?
The Grey Mouser
My pleasure.
Sure. How about making the sire an Ur-Flan? No telling how old that sire may be.
I love the Ur-Flan because they are a known villain but with almost no "canon" development. Thus, players will probably have some sense of them but will otherwise be caught by suprise.
You should post your finished adventure to Canonfire! Join the Ur-Flan Adventures club!
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