Stupid Question...

[Resonant Curse]

The only Sithicus based adventure actually falls between the two novels and is called "When Black Roses Bloom."

There is also a short story that falls between them in the Ravenloft anthology novel.

It's been a long time, which Dragon Magazine was that in?

[Dark Angel]

The only Sithicus based adventure actually falls between the two novels and is called "When Black Roses Bloom."

There is also a short story that falls between them in the Ravenloft anthology novel.

It's been a long time, which Dragon Magazine was that in?

Yeah, pretty much what I figured (I have those other sources). The issue is 258 and also has a quite humorous Nodwick in the Tomb of Horrors comic strip.

Thanks for getting back to me, RC.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

So renewing this thread with a less than stupid question/query: Is there any resource out there that take the Sithican novel, Spectre of the Black Rose, and lay it out in a concise manner?.... I am looking for something with overarching storylines of what occurs, when, and potentially how players can be involved (without screwing up the events of the novel itself). Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry, no, I don't know of anything like that, but after you read the novel, if you come up with such a summary, we'd be happy to have it. (probably Mistipedia would be the best place for it.)

[Dark Angel]

We shall see, my gaming group may have just jumped from 2 players to 8. I am not sure if that is awesome or horrifying. The novel will be read eventually, it may not make it into a game session. I will do my best to summarize (unless someone else gets to it before me) it when I get a moment.

[High Priest Mikhal]

Eight players? Here's hoping you can handle the logistics. Personally I start to lose track around five (the number of my current group ).

[Dark Angel]

Eight players? Here's hoping you can handle the logistics. Personally I start to lose track around five (the number of my current group ).

Well...
The trick right now is that I am going to be running a non-Ravenloft campaign (gasps all around).
I am hoping to get them into my web and then lure them into the Demiplane of Dread, in proper Ravenloft style. Long term manipulation! Not just for family and workmates!

[Dark Angel]

Here is a problem I have and am in need of minor assistance (not really a stupid question, but I have a pretty good section here for my random queries and needs).

I lost my copy of When the Black Roses bloom, but I can recall enough of the adventure and interactions to piece it back together (and I still have the map which was my major concern). Where I am having issues is in the 6 mirror sequences.

VIEW CONTENT:

I know some of them: Soth rescuing Isolde and her maidens from the ogres, Soth's attempt on the Kingpriest (to stop the Cataclysm), Soth gaining the Crown (?) from Tanis Halfelven in Palantas with the draconians, the idealized Soth with his family outside his (not destroyed) keep.

If anyone can give me a rough idea of the other two that would be awesome (and will likely jog a memory or two). If I got one (or more) things wrong above, PLEASE correct me. I am not looking for the minor details, but rather the general situations. Thanks in advance!

[jamesfirecat]

Here is a problem I have and am in need of minor assistance (not really a stupid question, but I have a pretty good section here for my random queries and needs).

I lost my copy of When the Black Roses bloom, but I can recall enough of the adventure and interactions to piece it back together (and I still have the map which was my major concern). Where I am having issues is in the 6 mirror sequences.

VIEW CONTENT:

I know some of them: Soth rescuing Isolde and her maidens from the ogres, Soth's attempt on the Kingpriest (to stop the Cataclysm), Soth gaining the Crown (?) from Tanis Halfelven in Palantas with the draconians, the idealized Soth with his family outside his (not destroyed) keep.

If anyone can give me a rough idea of the other two that would be awesome (and will likely jog a memory or two). If I got one (or more) things wrong above, PLEASE correct me. I am not looking for the minor details, but rather the general situations. Thanks in advance!

Um you're making #4 up whole cloth.

The first three are right.

The other three are

VIEW CONTENT:

1: Soth as a human knight fighting in a tournament to win Kitiara's hand. She's still a successful and powerful dragonlord in this memory, so this is the evidently the female equivalent of "parade all the maidens in the land before me, I small marry the most comely among them..." (Completely made up memory in no way resembling anything that even came close to happening).

(Ruined by the heroes either winning themselves or at least helping someone other than Soth win, heroes are knights)

2: Soth at the trial of his servant Caradoc with Caradoc being framed to take the blame for the death of Soth's first wife. In the memory the Caradoc is just a random knight who fell in love with Soth's wife, who returned the favor so Soth flipped out murdered his wife and is casting the blame on Caradoc who in the memory is too spineless to defend himself. Also Kitiara is one of the judges in this memory.

(Ruined by the heroes convincing Caradoc to stand up for himself, heroes are knights)

3: A memory of Soth plunging into the abyss to use a gemstone to trap Kitara's spirit inside. In reality this was done by his undead servant Caradoc.

(Ruined obviously if the heroes can find a way to stop him from trapping her spirit either by destroying the gemstone/medallion in question or stealing it and getting away from Soth, the heroes take on the form of undead spirits)

The order (if it matters) is

1: Ogre attack.

2: The Trial.

3: Cataclysm.

4: Conquering Palantas

5: The Tournament

6: Capturing the soul.

Let me know if you have any other questions, Black Rose Blooms is a fun an interesting adventure to read/think about, if only for all the Dragonlance references which I actually get in a way I don't when they're directed at any other world Darklords are drawn from...

Though sadly having him in Ravenloft does sort of make me scratch my head, or at least make me scratch my head that he wasn't pulled there right after he failed to prevent the cataclysm, it seems like nothing he ever did as a Death Knight was anywhere near as evil (or at least as worthy of being considered an act of ultimate darkness) as those actions which lead to the death of his second wife and him being turned into one in the first place.

[Dark Angel]

Damn, I am not so sure why I have that "4th" one so clear in my mind. Not sure where it came from, but thanks for the correction and giving me plenty to work with!

[jamesfirecat]

Damn, I am not so sure why I have that "4th" one so clear in my mind. Not sure where it came from, but thanks for the correction and giving me plenty to work with!

I don't know either, but honestly if I were you I would not be afraid to replace the mirror where he is

VIEW CONTENT:

invading Palanthas

with it.

After all that's the odd man out because it's the only one where he's doing something obviously villainous (feel free to change #2 so in Soth's imagination he's innocent and the heroes need to actively frame him). I think it works better if in all of these mirror's Soth actually is the hero/doing something heroic/fighting the good fight, because Soth's failing is not that he couldn't tell right from wrong as with so many Darklord's, but that he couldn't bring himself to put forward the hard work and self sacrifice that would be involved in actually doing the right thing.

Having said that, no wonder he's the odd man out who eventually got sent home by the Dark Powers even leaving aside the real life reasons for his departure....

[Dark Angel]

Thought about switching it out or keeping all and making the total count seven vs. six. We will see, thanks again.

[Dark Angel]

So once again we are here for a less than stupid question. Since 2nd edition was fairly limited for them, do changlings revert to any particular form when reduced to unconsciousness? What about when killed?

[jamesfirecat]

So once again we are here for a less than stupid question. Since 2nd edition was fairly limited for them, do changlings revert to any particular form when reduced to unconsciousness? What about when killed?

I assume you mean doppelgängers right? Because last time I checked changelings are actually a human who has lost their shadow to the Shadow Fey and now go about life with a singular determination.


As for Ravenloft Doppleganers... When they go unconscious nothing happens but when they die they will revert to their sexless vaguely humanoid form.


Finding a copy of Hour of the Knife may be very useful if you don't have one already.

[Dark Angel]

So once again we are here for a less than stupid question. Since 2nd edition was fairly limited for them, do changlings revert to any particular form when reduced to unconsciousness? What about when killed?

I assume you mean doppelgängers right? Because last time I checked changelings are actually a human who has lost their shadow to the Shadow Fey and now go about life with a singular determination.

As for Ravenloft Doppleganers... When they go unconscious nothing happens but when they die they will revert to their sexless vaguely humanoid form.

Finding a copy of Hour of the Knife may be very useful if you don't have one already.

No, this is something from a 4th edition Faerun (Realms) game and I thought it was a more straight forward thing. I am familiar with doppelgangers, Hour of the Knife, and Van Richten's guide (somewhat reliable), but this is something different I think. I wish I could offer more, but it is definitely not a doppleganger. I may have to defer to them though if an answer does not come up otherwise.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

There are a few different creatures named "changeling" in various settings and editions of the game and other game and media. it seems you may be talking about the doppelganger-blooded race that (I think) originally came from the Eberron products. (In our VRS: Doppelgangers book, they are the equivalent of calibans among doppelgangers). I play one in a non-ravenloft campaign, and it's a lot of fun. When killed, they revert to their natural squishy, alien-ish form. When knocked unconscious, they don't. (at least in 3.5).

If you're talking about the people whose shadows are stolen by the shadow fey, or about Hags who haven't shed their human form yet, or the leaders of the Dominion, or fey souls born into human bodies, or a fey left in an abducted infant's cradle, or a creature with all creature types, or a shapeshifting insect/unicorn creature, or some other kind of changeling, I can't help you....