Author Topic: Incoming System: Risk of raised rising as undead (Read 13848 times)

Soren / Zarathustra217 · « **on:** August 31, 2010, 12:46:28 PM »

As per next update, we will feature a new experimental system, that is actually derived from a canon Ravenloft rule.

In short, it entails that there'll now be a slight risk that those you raise or resurrect become animated as undead instead. Normally, the risk is very small, but if the caster has been corrupted by the dark powers or if the spell is cast in areas corrupted by evil, the risk of animating gradually increases. Controversially, the risk become smaller if the spells are cast in holy grounds.

The motivation is largely to make death a less trivial thing - that we've noticed often requested - in a way that increases the suspense/unnerve without negatively influencing the gameplay experience.

k_moustakas · « **Reply #1 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:03:04 PM »

that means the player gets up and gets a monster template or he gets up and becomes a hostile npc?

(either way, AWESOME!)

Gorasin · « **Reply #2 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:03:36 PM »

Straight out of the pnp book. Leave it. It is the true Ravenloft feel.

Soren / Zarathustra217 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:05:47 PM »

Quote from: k_moustakas on August 31, 2010, 01:03:04 PM

that means the player gets up and gets a monster template or he gets up and becomes a hostile npc?

(either way, AWESOME!)

He becomes a hostile NPC. It isn't actually the person who is turned undead, but the corpse/remains being animated...

Kendric98 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:12:13 PM »

darkravenkin · « **Reply #5 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:14:38 PM »

I love this. I mean I can see people standing around there fallen friend weapons raised just in case he does come back, with a taste for human flesh hehehe

Now will the undead be the same level as the PC is/was.

Soren / Zarathustra217 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:16:20 PM »

Quote from: darkravenkin on August 31, 2010, 01:14:38 PM

Now will the undead be the same level as the PC is/was.

Yup. The undead won't have the same abilities though, just same HD.

darkravenkin · « **Reply #7 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:18:17 PM »

Oh wow, thats going to be really interesting. XD

Any thoughts of using animate dead do something like that to PC chars hehehe.

Psyche · « **Reply #8 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:25:47 PM »

Does the undead then drop the PC corpse again so it can be raised, or is that PC gone forever?

Telkar · « **Reply #9 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:27:34 PM »

Quote from: Psyche on August 31, 2010, 01:25:47 PM

Does the undead then drop the PC corpse again so it can be raised, or is that PC gone forever?

To my understanding, such a corpse needs to be resurrected.

Heretic · « **Reply #10 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:39:39 PM »

Quote from: Heretic on October 31, 2008, 07:19:56 PM

An Heretic's Empty Grave.

"...To lighten suffering, to be a true anchorite, thou must die and be reborn as our guardian did. Only the worthy will rise and suffer. And their suffering shall set the living free..."

Quote from: Heretic on June 25, 2009, 12:18:06 PM

The Heretic's Hovel

The "Living Dead".

"L'Homme Mort".

One of them said. The dead man.

"S�K L'VAYAN ARL�V! L'HOMME MORT!".

mayvind · « **Reply #11 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:50:54 PM »

Since it look like it was easy implementing the system ( since it was made after little chat in the chat room ), would it be possible to also make use (cast on) of special item that Necromancer/Cleric can use to creat undead/animate skeletons. More true to PnP ? i bet you can just will you do it ? Even better free will NPC undead and such and only controllable through success controll undead, it be awesome for Evil necromancer to creat hostile army of undeads ! :p Just my though !

vlowe72 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:56:07 PM »

Quote from: Zarathustra217 on August 31, 2010, 01:05:47 PM

He becomes a hostile NPC. It isn't actually the person who is turned undead, but the corpse/remains being animated...

Dammit. I was so looking forward to sitting up and groaning... "Brains.....!"

Norture · « **Reply #13 on:** August 31, 2010, 01:56:17 PM »

This is awesome.

Strigoi · « **Reply #14 on:** August 31, 2010, 02:02:30 PM »

Suggestion: it would be kewl if the zombie was counted as a summoned pet to the Ghost of the player. and allowing them to us the @summoned feature to talk through the Zombie to make it that more dynamic.

either way i think its an awesome addition

Dhark · « **Reply #15 on:** August 31, 2010, 02:51:27 PM »

WOOOOooooooOT!!
One of the most dreaded syetems in the campagin for players......-now- I'm playing Ravenloft

I hope resurection (or rather as it should be wish, limited wish or true ressurection) will be needed to revive players ?

dark_majico · « **Reply #16 on:** August 31, 2010, 04:40:09 PM »

This is amazing, thank you!

Telkar · « **Reply #17 on:** August 31, 2010, 06:51:19 PM »

Will the first one witnessing someone coming back as a zombie please take a screen shot?

Aahz · « **Reply #18 on:** August 31, 2010, 10:24:24 PM »

I saw it happen in the Alhoon lair, did not get a screen shot but there was not much to see. I hate to say it but it really was not impressive at all. A scroll was used and all that visibly happened was the body vanished a normal looking naked human (dead character was human) appeared and attacked. After it was beat down the character's "body" was retrieved from the dead "zombie". It really did not really portray the body coming back as undead much at all. The "zombie" did not look like a zombie or like the PC (different heads). It was more like a mini-Kayne appears out of nowhere, grabs the body you tried to revive and attacks.

Soren / Zarathustra217 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 01, 2010, 03:55:36 AM »

Hmm, the head should match the one of the diseased..?

We could alternatively use a standard zombie model, but I think the very fact that it matches the one who've been killed is a major factor in the horror.

Darktide18 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 01, 2010, 09:08:02 AM »

Very cool!

Aahz · « **Reply #21 on:** September 01, 2010, 09:20:43 AM »

Quote from: Zarathustra217 on September 01, 2010, 03:55:36 AM

Hmm, the head should match the one of the diseased..?

We could alternatively use a standard zombie model, but I think the very fact that it matches the one who've been killed is a major factor in the horror.

I think using a standard zombie model would be much better, at least then you get across the notion of the body being animated. As it is now it just seems like the person is resurrected and goes into a blind attacking rage (or it would if the "zombie" had the same appearance as the dead person). Its not really conveying any kind of "horror" as things currently stand.... more of a brief "wtf was that?" rather than the "oh my god!"

Shadowthrone · « **Reply #22 on:** September 01, 2010, 09:36:37 AM »

When I tested it the undead looked like the person raised with paler skin and hair. Seemed to work fine.

What I would suggest is triggering an emote as the person is animated, something along the lines of "[The corpses eyes flicker open, filled with unholy rage.]" accompanied by a VFX such as the Negative Energy Burst effect. This would get across the fact that something has gone terribly wrong with the spell.

Additionally, I tested the spell five or six times and three of those times the victim was raised as undead. This may have been fluke but perhaps lowering the chance slightly is in order?

Soren / Zarathustra217 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 01, 2010, 10:22:09 AM »

As mentioned, if cast in areas corrupted by the dark powers (sink holes of evil, most dungeons are at least slightly marked that way) the risk of animating an undead instead increases. It also increase if the caster has become corrupted by evil (failed a dark powers check)...

... could this have been the case when you tested it?

Shadowthrone · « **Reply #24 on:** September 01, 2010, 10:41:54 AM »

Oh, yes, my character has DP level 1 so I guess that explains it.

Still, that should be a fairly minor change shouldn't it?

I'll see how people without DPs get along.

Author Topic: Incoming System: Risk of raised rising as undead (Read 13848 times)

Psyche

mayvind

dark_majico

Shadowthrone

Shadowthrone