Update 7: DRACOLICH?

[SisAmethyst]

...
Player 1: Great! We're never going to get out of here! I can;t reach the **** kobolds to hit them!
DM: I'm sure you can figure out something.
Player 1: WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, THROW THE SPEARS BACK?!
DM: Uh...yeah, that could work...
Player 1: ...wow, I'm a ****ing moron.
Everyone at the table: Yup!

lol, splendid!

+1 /rep (uhm sorry, have to spread my rep first to give you more ...)

[Chai]

When I DM, I often use a technique I call freestyle paranoia.

I make players not trust their quest giver and other NPCs, developing some sort of a mystery... who is that guy, really, and what does he really want?

It's not all that hard. Make a couple illogical actions take place, throw something unexpected at them... and then sit back and watch the fireworks.

Freestyle paranoia, with a side order of alignment based dilema. after the sense motive check has revealed that the quest giver is hiding something, is right when the fun begins.

But then it gets worse (or better), when the adventurers find out that the orcs they were sent to confront on the merchant trails have a lair full of children nearby, and I ask them what they are going to do about it. The reality the players face is they think there is a "right" answer to the dilema that would get them rewarded, but this is definately not true.

[sephiroth1084]

lol, splendid!

+1 /rep (uhm sorry, have to spread my rep first to give you more ...)

Thanks, sort of.

The funniest part, is that this guy isn't stupid, or ********, and, at the time, was 18 or 19 (this was several years ago).

Oh! Another goody from him!

The sacred compass in a church devoted to the sea-god, which Player 1 worshipped, was stolen from its pedestal. The PCs went to investigate...
Player 1: We should look for clues.
Players 2 and 3: Agreed. You check the window, and we'll check over here.
Player 1: Okay.
::rolls Search::
DM: You find some scuff marks on the wall below the window and on the floor, as well as some marks on the window frame.
Player 1: I think they broke in through the window!

The players searched the room for some more clues, and then headed out to ask around and see if there were any witnesses or whatever. After about a day (game time), they happen to be talking to a member of the city guard about the crime, and he asks them whether they searched the area outside the church...
Player 1: What do you mean?
DM NPC: You know...maybe they left a tool behind in the alley, or footprints (there's a bit of sand on most walkways from the beach nearby).
Player 1: Outside the window...? OH! ****! WE NEED TO HEAD BACK THERE!
DM NPC: Why didn't you look outside? Someone broke in, and you were satisfied with that?
/facepalm

[Maxelcat]

Draco-lich is the end of a 20 series dungeon that starts at level one and unlocks as you progress.

eg: you cant do part 2 untill you do part one.

That would make it a epic quest chain one worth seeing who can do the whole thing the fastest. (or creating new characters and hard-coreing the chain)

and even the early dungeons shouldn't be short maybe 30 to 40 minutes each...

Then you have a 10 hour mega quest chain thing...

sure the level 20s would blow threw the first stuff like butter... but later....

oh.

and 6 toons only. none of this 12 person raid stuff. this is a mega quest chain.

That should keep the CR rating up while still being attainable.

[Hendrik]

Oh, heh. Hehehe... Hahahaha! Bwahahahahaha! Ha!

Level 5 quest you say?

/snicker

Ok, when FF laughs like that, it scares the **** outta me!

[maddmatt70]

Oh I thought it said Brocolich. Now that would be truely scarey..

[Borror0]

Ok, when FF laughs like that, it scares the **** outta me!

He's just being his normal self.

[SquelchHU]

So we know that...

It will be a level 1 quest.

You'll never actually fight the Dracolich, instead you'll get cheated ala MP.

Unlike MP, the dragon doesn't breathe on an NPC...

Anything else?

[Arkat]

This will be the dragon you actually get to fight on Korthos.

[IronClan]

Making something scary happen 5% of the time makes the player very careful and on-edge the other 95% of the time, even when there's nothing to be afraid of.

LOL sounds like a great way to replace Dungeon Alert with something effective that still slows down Zergers aka instant death traps that are randomly located and only findable when not sprinting...

[FlimsyFirewood]

I am absolutely positive that every trap in our game can be found by sprinting.

[Borror0]

I am absolutely positive that every trap in our game can be found by sprinting.

"Spot? Waste of skill. That's what the barbarians are for."

[FlimsyFirewood]

Oh I thought it said Brocolich. Now that would be truely scarey..

Brocolich! I knew this thread was important.

This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about with freestyle paranoia.

I'm sorry, you were saying?

[twigzz]

Tarrasque.

It is about time for it to eat again!

[Lithic]

I am absolutely positive that every trap in our game can be found by sprinting.

You are wrong!

At least 3 traps in Feast or famine are non-functional, and will never spring up no matter how much you run over them. Several traps in a multitude of quests are triggered only by hitting levers or switches. Other traps are triggered by opening chests. Barrel traps wont explode if you sprint by them, but will if you attack them.

Need I continue?

[Boromirs]

It would be cool if the dracolich was so huge that you would actually need to climb on top of him to attack his weak point (perhaps his sephulcre or jewel embedded in his forehead). It reminds me of that PS2 game where you climb on top of enemy in order to kill it , shadow of the colossus I think it was...





The large aspect of the combat would involve the actual climbing up the dracolich to reach his head, with him constantly moving and flying leading you to slip and fall off.

[IronClan]

I am absolutely positive that every trap in our game IS found by sprinting.

Fixed that for you

Anyway that's exactly my point... DA wouldn't be necessary if their were positive and negative incentives to actually not zerg past everything. Traps that kill careless players instantly or rewards that are only found by searching or moving slowly that have random locations.

[Aerendil]

Brocolich! I knew this thread was important.

This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about with freestyle paranoia.

I'm sorry, you were saying?

Hahaha.

Is anyone else imagining a giant, undead broccoli with red-glowing eyes shouting "I'M NUTRITIOUS!" at the raid party?


PS - Flimsy, have you ever considered putting easter eggs ingame where people can find hidden fights/treasure if certain things are done, including discovering a secret fight against broccoli!

[bashemgud]

There's actually already a plotline in ddo that includes a dracolich, we just haven't gotten to that point in the storyline yet.

The plotline I am refering to is the Waterworks>Shan To Kor>Tempest Spine>Vault of Night>Gianthold>Reaver's Refuge

There is evidence that The Truthful One, is behind Sorjek's actions in the Reaver's Refuge. The Truthful One, along with the Ancient Stormreaver, closed off Dal Qour, in doing so, both of their lives were sacrificed. However The Truthful One betrayed the stormreaver at the last moment, using the magics they cast to shut off Dal Quor and destroy the 13th moon of Eberron to become a Dracolich.

In the Reaver's Refuge storyline, The Truthful One made Sorjek into a Lich, and had him gather the six dragon warriors in Stealer of Souls to create an Undead Draconic Army. However Sorjek failed.

What The Truthful One has been up to since is unknown.

There are two major storylines in DDO, the first I mentioned, and the other is the LoTD>Vale>Subterrain>Amarath. Yes, you read that right, the Devils invading Stormreach was the result of the Abbot. At this time I am still unsure of where Demon Sands and The Titan fit, though, the Titan and Inspired Quarter/Dreaming Dark do relate to the Stormreaver/Truthful One Storyline, I cannot figure out where they fit exactly, as while they relate, the events are not as a result of. But then, the storyline isn't a straight line anyway, its more of a web of events leading to each other.

The Truthful One could not have turned Sorjek into a lich if not for us killing him in Tempest Spine, the dragons would not have arrived in stormreach, if not for us killing Velah, the stormreaver would not be in the reaver's refuge if not for us destorying his doomsday device. Additionally, Velah tells us "A terrible Doom is written in Kundarak's Shards", because Velah had already seen what was going to happen to stormreach in the Draconic Prophecy. Yes, Velah knew what would happen to us, and she tried to warn us, but as she said "foolish mortals do you think I sold my freedom for mere greed?" we would not listen to her warnings.

The Truthful One is coming...it's only a matter of time.

This is interesting. Where does a noob start learning more about DDO lore and the story behind modules (note DDO and not the PnP lore) ?

[Dylos_Moon]

This is interesting. Where does a noob start learning more about DDO lore and the story behind modules (note DDO and not the PnP lore) ?

A lot of the lore is subtle and quite a bit of it is actually in NPC text if you take the time to read it.

Waterworks will literally lead you to Shan To Kor if you read the NPC text and the note that Venn left behind.

Aside from the subtle hints linking the lore together, some of the information requires prior understanding of the Eberron Lore - though most of this information is obtainable in game as well.

But its safe to say if you read most of the text in the game, you will understand a good deal of the storyline.