Adventure hook of the month - Toben the Many

[cure]

Any group activity is perfect for Tolben. At first everything seems normal, then perhaps slightly remarkable for the high degree of coordination, then uncannily well coordinated, then frighteningly well coordinated, whereupon the party realises how out numbered it is as Tolben gets to the punchlines.

Choirs and theatre companies seem like naturals to me. Imagine Tolben butchering MacBeth and, eventually, the audience.

[Olly]

The butcher: Toben infects the Butcher of a small village and a few of his animals. Once the PCs (or someone else) get's in the smiling butcher starts taunting them and then the skinned merchandise start to reply. The butcher is a 2nd level commoner.

Heh, zombie cow carcasses...

Love is... TimeSplitters Future Perfect!

[Desertrising]

How about using Toben to take over a caravan slowly and insidiously as the PC's go about "gaurding" it until he makes himself known?

or not sure how I would work this in but what if he infected both sides of a conflict and kept them fighting each other until the PC's joined a side and then surprised them with suddenly having all of them attack the PC's?


some ideas anyway.

[alhoon]

Very good ideas Desertrising. And while I'll certainly use some of the "funny&horrific" aspects of Toben, I'll use the caravan fight after the PCs have learned of Toben after a few of the Puns proposed by others.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Toben is taken to Darkon and his greatest fear is realised, Azalin takes control of him. However, as Azalin has to concentrate to manipulate the undead in his domain, Toben hatches a plan. Using one of his zombies, he orchestrates the kidnap of a close friend of the PCs, then under Azalin's nose (Azalin, in his arrogance, wouldn't think that Toben is plotting), Toben contacts the PCs and tells them that if they do not help him get his bodies over the border, he will kill their friend.

Toben's plan is simple. He will get the PCs to kill all but one of his hosts, then he will get them to cross the border with it, saving him from Azalin. Toben's plan is not without it's flaws, however. If the PCs kill his last body, he is completely destroyed. To stop this, Toben has placed human guards with the PCs friend with orders to kill them if he doesn't return in a month.

The PCs face a dilemma, help one of the most dangerous entities in the mists and face Azalin's wrath*, or destroy him and loose a close friend.


*Haven't heard that in a while.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Toben must DIE!!!

In all the realms there is but one creature who trully loaths Toben beyond all others - Death.

As an incarnate disease, Toben often feels lonely and yearns for an audiance capable of understanding the genius of his macabre art. Surely, thought he, the dead themselves could appreciate his work. Toben sent a lone zombie to bring cheer to the lifeless city.
Surprisingly, Necropolis is a less than sunny city. Toben tried juggling limbs, rearranging heads, even a parrade of burning kittens - all to no avail. After an unfortuante misunderstanding involving a vat of acid, Toben was dragged before Death. Toben decided that death was far to serious and decided to do what ever was necessary to reveal the creature's sense of humour - despite Death's adamant protests.

Every so often, Toben sends a lone zombie into the Necropolis to play some tasteless prank on Death. Over the last few years, Death's nerves have been badly worn by the random attacks. Rather than wait for the next irritation, the Lord of the Necropolis has raised a small wing of the Unholy Order of the Grave to hunt down and exterminate all Toben zombies. These deathless reavers are ruthlessly efficient. Whereever they encounter a Toben zombie they begin the remorseless slaughter of all potential carriers of the Toben plauge - which includes every man, woman and child.

For now, Toben enjoys this new game. Rather than actually collect bodies, he perfers to lead the Reavers on a merry chase around the Core, leaving a trail of incinerated hamlets in his wake.

The PCs come in when they find Toben holed up in a village, cheerfully waiting for the Reavers to arrive before he runs off and begins the chase anew. Fortunatly for the PCs, Toben knows the weaknesses of the Reavers. Unfortunatly, he wants to play a game with them.
Will it be:
20 Questions?
Spin the Bottle?
Hide and go Shriek?
Winner gets the knowledge to defeat the reavers. Loser joins Toben.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Toben must DIE!!!

In all the realms there is but one creature who trully loaths Toben beyond all others - Death.

As an incarnate disease, Toben often feels lonely and yearns for an audiance capable of understanding the genius of his macabre art. Surely, thought he, the dead themselves could appreciate his work. Toben sent a lone zombie to bring cheer to the lifeless city.
Surprisingly, Necropolis is a less than sunny city. Toben tried juggling limbs, rearranging heads, even a parrade of burning kittens - all to no avail. After an unfortuante misunderstanding involving a vat of acid, Toben was dragged before Death. Toben decided that death was far to serious and decided to do what ever was necessary to reveal the creature's sense of humour - despite Death's adamant protests.

Every so often, Toben sends a lone zombie into the Necropolis to play some tasteless prank on Death. Over the last few years, Death's nerves have been badly worn by the random attacks. Rather than wait for the next irritation, the Lord of the Necropolis has raised a small wing of the Unholy Order of the Grave to hunt down and exterminate all Toben zombies. These deathless reavers are ruthlessly efficient. Whereever they encounter a Toben zombie they begin the remorseless slaughter of all potential carriers of the Toben plauge - which includes every man, woman and child.

For now, Toben enjoys this new game. Rather than actually collect bodies, he perfers to lead the Reavers on a merry chase around the Core, leaving a trail of incinerated hamlets in his wake.

The PCs come in when they find Toben holed up in a village, cheerfully waiting for the Reavers to arrive before he runs off and begins the chase anew. Fortunatly for the PCs, Toben knows the weaknesses of the Reavers. Unfortunatly, he wants to play a game with them.
Will it be:
20 Questions?
Spin the Bottle?
Hide and go Shriek?
Winner gets the knowledge to defeat the reavers. Loser joins Toben.

And thus Toben becomes the Crown Prince of Undeath! I never thought of linking Toben with the Joker...

[alhoon]

I never thought of linking Toben with the Joker...

No? I think that the authors had that in mind when they made his personality.

Also about your Hook: It works well if the PCs and Toben Lose after my hook ! ! !

However, I would have Toben use this sole body to infect a few creatures out of Darkon (animals, goblins, shadow fey, etc.) so that even if all of his bodies are destroyed he will respawn soon (as the infected bodies will succumb to the disease).
He would use various bodies while under "control" to leave messages and clues to the PCs as for the fate of their friend, the ways to kill him, where many bodies reside etc.

The only problem is. . . How the PCs would destroy the Toben zombies in Avernus?

Perhaps in his frustation that his experiment failed to produce results Azalin will destroy the Toben zombies in his castle.

And then I'll use ScS idea for the reavers.
So to be frank it seems that I'll run a campaign based on Toben.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

And thus Toben becomes the Crown Prince of Undeath! I never thought of linking Toben with the Joker...

I take it you mean the clown prince of undeath?

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

And thus Toben becomes the Crown Prince of Undeath! I never thought of linking Toben with the Joker...

I take it you mean the clown prince of undeath?

Of course!

*grumble*quietyou*grumble*

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Something tells me Drinnik's going to throw a whoopee cushion filled with acid my way.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Something tells me Drinnik's going to throw a whoopee cushion filled with acid my way.

Actually, it's going to be a jack-in-the-box containing a scorpion.

[Corrupted_Loremaster]

A story overheard in a non-descript dockside dive:

Why don't I like churches you ask? I once had a rather unpleasent night in one a while back...no, I don't want to tell you...well if you insist, buy another round and I'll give you the tale...

I was traveling alone through Borca during the winter. I'd just helped some lunitic named Whyton do away with some monster, and I wanted to get as far away from the town the monster had been haunting AND that madman of hunter as I could.

The winds were really starting to pick up, and nightfall was coming fast so I started to realize that I needed shelter if I wanted to see the next sunrise. I'd heard that a small village was not far down that road, and sure enough, there it was, coming in to view not a moment to soon.

I made for there as fast as the runt of a horse I had could take me, but even at the of the village I could tell something wasn't right. Place looked like no one had been there for months. Buildings in disrepair, windows broken, and not a sign of life anywhere. Couldn't tell what was wrong though...no signs battle, no houses burned to stop a plague, it was like everyone who lived there had just walked away one day and never looked back.

Yes, I know, it was a stupid thing to do, not leaving then and there, but what can I say? When the winds howling, your horse is hour from freezing to death, and you not far behind, you take what shelter you can. And in this case, the only peice of shelter that seemed more or less intact was the old stone church. Lead my horse in, let him in the main hall, and broke in to the preist's quarters. What? Yes I know it was likely not a very nice thing to do, but what can I say? You do what you have to. Started up the small woodstove in there, got some blankets together, even found a little servicable brandy in a riquety old desk in the corner, and made a fairly warm place to stay for the night.

So anyway, I'm getting a rather unpleasent bit of sleep, when I start hearing some noise coming from the main hall. I grab my ax and try and stay quiet, as I go to find out just what it is. Just as I peek my head through the door, I work out just what the noise is; it's singing! From the door I can see ten, maybe eleven people standing in the choir box, and a man in preist's robe leading them in some hymn, I think it was "Lady in the mists, we thank thee" or somethings. Now, I'm still half-asleep at this point, and that brady's hit me harder than I expected, so as soon as I see this I'm sure I'm dreaming. It's why I don't question who these people are, how I didn't find them earlier, or even why my horse is gone. I think it's just a rather strange dream, and I sit down on a bench to enjoy. And it was rather enjoyable, let me tell you. Perfect harmony, not a voice out of sync.

Then I start actually listening to the words of the song. Yeah, the tune is the same as the song I thought it was, but the words...I don't think I've heard a bawdier peice of song of my life. Yeah it talking about Ezra, but in manner blasphomous enough to strike a Bishop dead from shock. Then they start filing out of the box and moving my way, and as soon as they get enough light on them, I can see every last one of 'em grinning wider than that loon Whyton did after we'd killed the monster, and not a hint of sanity in their eyes.

What'd I do? What do you bloody think I did you idiot?! I made for the door, only when I turned that way, some more grinning loons were already there. Didn't have much of anywhere else to go, so I headed back to the preist quarters. Knocked over a few benches to try and trip 'em up, slammed the door shut. Too bad I'd already broke the lock on it...anyway I jam a chair against the door and start looking for a way out. Only exit is a window that looks much to small for me to fit through with my winter clothes on. So I started to strip down, and broke the window. I'd only squeezed halfway out by the time they were through the door. Could feel they hands brushing against my boots as I made that final push.

I ran as fast as I could, moving like only someone scared to the heart can. I saw what'd happened to my horse on the way out. From the looks of things, they'd all piled on top of it until it's legs gave out. I kept going, knowing the cold would likely kill me anyway, but I just didn't want to go back and face them. After a while I pass out, and when I come to I'm in some cave, with a handful of people around me. They were rangers, said they'd been picking off those things in the village one by one for a few months, and had just about finished them off. They asked if I wanted to help, I said not a chance, so as soon as I was in a condition to do so, I headed off with directions for the nearest safe village.

And that, my friend, I why I don't like churches. Now, what was that proposition you wanted to talk about...

[Joël of the FoS]

Dear members of the Fraternity,

While this thread isn’t anymore the featured thread of this week, it isn’t closed!

If you have more adventure hooks about this theme, post them here – I will collect them and add them to the site .

Post here adventure hooks, short verbatim (conversation by the fireside), or other thoughts about this domain / NPC.

Regards,

Joël

[Jester of the FoS]

* The heroes pursue and escaped fugitive or old villain to a local inn. The innkeeper is fearful of the night but speaks with a heavy Barovian accent so this is understandable. After the sun sets the doors are barred and locked, and the windows are barred.
However, he believes the land is cursed. Anything that dies nearby comes back to life. They live in the nearby woods and only come out at night.
This becomes problematic when the fugitive is apprehended in his room and tries to take his companion hostage. Someone almost inevitably dies and quickly rises as soon as backs are turned. It knows that a Toben zombie was buried in the cellar and it wants to let the others in.
Limited room to move, and nowhere to go; the players are unknowingly trapped with the creature while it hunts them.

* One of the Toben Zombies is separated by a domain border and trapped in an Island of Terror, but managed to survive for an extended period. It manages to develop an alternate personality due to the new experiences and decides every other Toben is a copy and fraud; it alone is Toben the Many. But of course, it needs allies if it is to destroy the rest…

* Toben journeys to Keening to make a little empire for himself amongst the dead there, only he quickly realizes no one will obey him. Unless he brings in some people specifically for that purpose then lets them be slaughtered.

* The military applications of a legion of dead soldiers who all think as one is not missed by Drakov. He despises using the tactics of Azalin but the opportunity is too great to pass up. He hires expendable heroes or mercenaries to find a Toben zombie and bring it to him (possibly through a third party). Will his plan work? What if Toben plays along (for now)?