The zombificiation of the beholder shows that Strahd succeeded where the wizard failed, demonstrating both his moral superiority and strength. his word against mine), that's a great time for a zombie beholder to float, quivering and shuddering, into the room (or down from the chandelier-or maybe it is the chandelier).Įither way, this is a chance for a cool powerplay. If the PC convinces the party it isn't true and tries to call Strahd's bluff (i.e. Or, he could stage a dramatic reveal at the dinner, accusing the wizard of his evil deeds in front of the whole party (all the better if they don't know yet). "I know what you did!"), perhaps even as a test to see how they'll react. Strahd could reveal this knowledge to the PC privately (via a note, or a spy) in order to manipulate them (i.e. Maybe Strahd learns of the wizard's misdeed and uses it to demonstrate his moral superiority over this party of "heroes." Maybe the PC thought he summoned it from the Underdark, but actually summoned it from the Amber Temple? That's where I feel like it makes the most sense for a Beholder to hang out.Īlternatively, Barovia seems like an excellent excuse to drop a Beholder zombie on the party. Alas, I didn't use it because I decided it would very much derail my campaign.) (This idea occurred to me as I was prepping Death House and saw some similarities to the aforementioned Lovecraft story. And if you resist the madness and follow the tunnels deeper into the earth you find the creature prompting it: a very old and very twisted beholder, which has been served by the Durst family for generations as it warps them through its dreams. Perhaps, the reason Strahd destroyed the Dursts wasn't just because they killed his playthings which, lets face it, lots of monsters do, but because they were serving a power other than him.įor these tunnels were carved long before the Van Zarovichs came to Barovia this small family cult is older than even its members know it is. On top of that, there is something else influencing things, giving them strange dreams and driving them away from their humanity into madness. There they see much more depraved evidence of their "celebrations," including millions of human bones and bones of other creatures. Lovecraft's "The Rats in the Walls." Basically, what if the Death House went deeper?Īs it is now, they built a dungeon under the house to cannibalize people and have orgies and make sacrifices and what have you so they could appeal to the Dark Powers or something, its unclear.īut if we take the cannibalism idea and run with it, maybe they have older chambers even below the basement we see in the game, accessed through the crevice where the shambling mound forms (or beneath the altar) that leads to a full-on underground village, or more accurately an underground farm.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |