OOC: Death House (5e)

[alhoon]

Madness Check is:
[dice]1d100[/dice]

Hmm, that didn't work, so I used Rolz: https://rolz.org/info?X12200679
29! Looks like extreme paranoia.

Duration: [dice]0[/dice] x10 = about 2 days

You decide how the paranoia manifests. The demon and\or ghosts should be central in that though. I have some suggestions but since they may influence you, I would prefer you decide what and how it manifests.

[alhoon]

Is everyone on board with a long rest BTW?

[Ken of Ghastria]

Sounds good. And thanks -- I know a good way to run with this.

[alhoon]

OK. Rest it is. Decide where.

Now, the good news.
LEVEL UP!

[VAN]

Level up!!!

[kintire]

Woo hoo!

[Ken of Ghastria]

Huzzah! Sorry to disappear for a day or two. We've entered the Busy Season at work.

[alhoon]

Sorry to disappear for a couple of days too.
On the plus side... I now finished my Ph.D. and defended it successfully.

[alhoon]

Kintire, for druid TWO OPTIONS. I write them openly so if anyone strongly disagrees he or she can voice concerns:

Option 1. The simple option:
Circle of the land (spells and all). Instead of Wildshape you get "connection with the land"
At 2nd level, when surrounded by the chosen terrain this connections gives you:
- Second wind (exactly like the fighter ability but works only if you're in your chosen terrain)
- Awareness. Through your connection with the land, you gain a kind of premonition and act\react faster to it. While in your circle's chosen terrain, you roll initiative with advantage in your favorite terrain + 1/short rest you can choose to reroll a failed perception or stealth check (in your favorite terrain).
(The village of Barovia counts as mountains (IIRC) but most other choices are open)

Option 2. The complicated but quite awesome.
Through a really weird and unexplained phenomenon passing through the Mists gave Kimber something nobody ever had. She's the first that has this option. (My sister will know what I talk about).
Option: Shaper.
If you choose that option, Kimber discovers she can create life, real life, not undeath, not constracts, with nothing else but magic (no components).
Like Gods did.
She also realizes she's the first mortal to have it.
She would know that she can control that life. And realizes that this life can break free of her will, especially if mistreated. With care, this life can later be released from her control and remain loyal for a time and she could re-establish control with a moment's notice. However outside her control this life will grow more and more independent, nature taking over supernatural control, till the creature(s) are forever away from her control.
She also realizes that creatures that break away from her control will be hostile to her; it's a gift and a curse.

If you go for this, the rules are here:

VIEW CONTENT:

Spells: You LOSE all ability to conjure fey, beasts, elementals etc. You gain access to one abjuration or evocation wizard\sorcerer spell per spell level, chosen when you attain the spell level. This is not automatically prepared; it's just added in your spell list.

Shaping: You can create 2 creation types (life-forms) that we will discuss. They can be based on existing creatures, but they cannot be existing types that the Gods have made. Kimber discovers the way to magically create life that didn't exist before her.
At 2nd level, I'm afraid the options are not exactly inspiring. BUT you get a fairly large range of options to choose from (and I'm open to suggestions). You can create 3 creations before you need a long rest.
You learn how to make more types of creations or how to add different properties to them through research.

Control: You can control up to 3 of such creatures. Creations you directly control are more or less like dominated. You can order them to die and their heart stops (or the become rogue and attack you).
There are ways to release them but to do it correct (i.e. retaining the ability to get the creature back under control) it has to be under your control for months. So... you can't release them yet.
Or if you do, you can't get them back.
Which means YOU CAN go bat-crazy and start creating a few monsters\day and release them flooding the place, but if you do, eventually Strahd will notice and kill you. As simple as that.
I'm not being rude or deux-ex-machine here. Strahd likes his hold on Barovia. If you did that on Lamordia, Adam wouldn't care. If you did it in Markovia, Markov would ask to marry you. (Didn't end well for his first wife )

Rogue creations: When under great strain or stress, nature may take over Kimber's hold on a creation. If that happens the connection breaks forever and on top of that, the creation becomes hostile. It may flee or attack depending on its disposition and how you've treated it. But Kimber will never be able to establish control. (As a note, awaken spell does the same on a creation)

Control check: A charisma (persuasion) check vs DC depending on the creation (The easy ones you start with will be like DC 8-10). A control check is called when the creation drops under 1/4th of hp or is under great stress. Or under other conditions that call for it (like ordering its heart to stop so you can get rid of it to make a better one)

[alhoon]

QUESTION: Where will you go to "rest" for the rest of the day and the night? (It's early afternoon). Long rest will take longer than 6 hours because of looong watch hours, so we're good.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Sorry to disappear for a couple of days too.
On the plus side... I now finished my Ph.D. and defended it successfully.

That's awesome! I have a couple of friends who have gone the doctorate route, so I know how big an achievement that is. Congratulations!

I'll work on leveling up Vorj and hope to post the updated sheet by Friday evening.

[kintire]

Huzzah! Congratulations doctor!

I'll go for the shaper thing. Does it replace the circle as well as Wild Shape?

[alhoon]

Huzzah! Congratulations doctor!

Thank you very much!

I'll go for the shaper thing. Does it replace the circle as well as Wild Shape?

Yeap. You can call it "Circle of the Shapers" if you want. But since you're the very first in this version of the multiverse, Kimber can call it whatever she wants. Whenever you would get a circle benefit (or wild shape benefit) your powers as Shaper increase; you can control and create more and more powerful creations.
And while I have some vague idea (nothing concrete) why Kimber was suddenly given a power that no mortal ever had I won't tell you so Kimber can make her own theories, from cosmic accidents to her being a wannabe-goddess.

Oh, and your newfound powers have nothing to do with the Death House (although Kimber may not realize that). It's just something I'm interested in.

[VAN]

I suggest to rest at the bedroom of the 2nd floor that has beds and isn't that spooky as the 3rd one. Otherwise we can go to the 1st floor but I think there are no beds there.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Sleeping in the same beds as these dead people could be a truly risky move. I suggest grabbing some blankets and pillows from the bedrooms, and then going down to the first floor and resting there.