Aggah-Shan's journals and Dissolution DW: Difference between pages

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[[Aggah-Shan]] kept detailed notes on his magical research, hidden in the accounting ledgers of his businesses. When a special leaded ribbon bookmark is placed in one of these ledgers the pages turn "inside out", revealing this research. Though the journals are organized chronologically, the following outlines what can be learned from them in a more organized fashion. Each category contains two columns, one with in-game facts found in the journals and one with metagame commentary on those facts. (The [[Dissolution Recap|campaign recap]] may shed more light on some of these references.)
__NOTOC__
This page is an experiment, contemplating how the characters of the [[campaign::Dissolution]] campaign could be converted to the ''[http://www.dungeon-world.com/ Dungeon World]'' system, specifically using the variant character rules from ''[https://redboxvancouver.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/class-warfare-character-and-class-creation-for-dungeon-world/ Class Warfare]'' as described in the [[Ptolus Dungeon World]] conversion document.  


== Path to Lichdom ==
As 13th level ''Pathfinder'' characters, all of the characters will be converted into 7th level ''Dungeon World'' characters. I'm thinking of handling gear and magic items by saying each character can have a number of custom moves equal to their level that are supplied by their gear. Most characters would probably also get a couple of moves related to their social background as well.


{| class="wikitable"
== Characters ==
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* While human, Aggah-Shan was a necromantic researcher in the land of Kem.
* Originally, his research focussed on trying to understand the creation of the world.
* He started sliding into instability when he uncovered a hidden secret of the world: when creatures like demons or angels are summoned into this world, they never actually leave. Interviewing both demons and angels, he discovered that they ''can't'' leave. They are trapped here.
* He went a bit nuts when he uncovered the mechanism causing this: an uber god, Præmus, the Creator, constructed the entire world to be a prison.
* He became obsessed with finding out why Præmus did this and searched for decades, getting more senile as time went on. When magical means of extending his life to keep up the search began to fail, he became a lich in order to be immortal.
* Once a full lich, his thinking becomes a lot more clear, but it still takes him centuries to find the answer to his question.
* The entire world was created as a trap for a set of chaotic beings known as the Galchutt. Once lured to the world, the Galchutt found they could not leave. This really pissed them off, and they railed against their cage for quite a while.
* Præmus seems not to have cared that He sealed countless races of innocents in the prison with the Galchutt. This really pissed off Aggah-Shan, and colors everything he's done since.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;;" | '''Kem''' is a desert land, with a feel similar to ancient Egypt or Persia.
Neither you, nor anyone you know, has ever even heard of '''Præmus'''.


Most have not heard of the '''Galchutt''', but you have. Raising them from sleep was the point of that ritual you stopped: the '''Night of Dissolution'''.
=== Caralaria ===
|}


== Ultimate Goal ==
Warrior: Destroyer, Martial Hero, Acrobat, (Flux??)<br/>
Base damage: d8<br/>
Load: 10+STR<br/>
HP: 8+Constitution


{| class="wikitable"
=== Oreni ===
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* The magic that keeps the world a prison is manifested as something called the Seven Chains. These chains are guarded by powerful angels on the Vallis moon.
* The point of the Night of Dissolution is thought to be that, once the Galchutt reawaken, they will break the Seven Chains and unlock the prison.
* Aggah-Shan has come to believe that this idea is nonsense. If the Galchutt could have broken the Seven Chains, they would have done it when they first arrived. Consequently, he views those obsessed with he Night of Dissolution as pawns and idiots.
* He was really stunned when the Valis moon reappeared, as he considered Wuntad to be a moron.
* Aggah-Shan really wants to kill Præmus.
* Aggah-Shan has come to believe (though, to an objective reader, his reasoning is a bit thin) that in order for the prison to be as strong as it is, it must be a part of Præmus. As such, if the world could be dominated by necromantic energy, the world (and, therefore, part of Præmus) would die.
* Only two beings have come close to dominating the world with necromantic energy: Eslathagos Malkith (the Dread One) and Ghul. While Aggah-Shan respects their power, however, he considers both of them fools, because they spent their efforts on military conquest. Still, while not rolemodels for how to use power, they certainly provide a good road map for ''acquiring'' it.
* The key to the Dread One's power was the ''book of inverted darkness'', which Aggah-Shan has been trying to find.
* The key to Ghul's power was the ''entropy sphere'', which Aggah-Shan has also been trying to find.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;;" | The '''Vallis moon''' is the magical moon that briefly reappeared during the ritual you stopped.
'''Wuntad''' is the demon-like boss guy running the ritual you stopped.


You will recall that '''Eslathagos Malkith''', before he became evil, created the '''Banewarrens'''.
Magician: Shield Arcanus, Prepared Caster-ish, some sort of dragon/electricity thing, (Psi-Knife)<br/>
Base damage: d4<br/>
Load: 6+STR<br/>
HP: 6+Constitution


'''Ghul''' is a kind of "mini-me" version of the Dread One, who claimed to be his son (though he wasn't). He was still a badass, though. Among other things, Ghul twisted elder and shoal elves into harrow elves.
Build a spontaneous caster specialty that works by gaining hold each day, and spending hold equal to spell level on casting @ 7-9. Only know a limited number of spells. Maybe call the hold "reserve" and have other moves use it in some way.
|}


== The Book of Inverted Darkness ==
=== Naerai ===


{| class="wikitable"
Disciple: Elementalist, Vancian Caster-ish, Friend of the Wild sorta<br/>
|-
Base damage: d6<br/>
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
Load: 9+STR<br/>
* The ''[[book of inverted darkness]]'' is responsible for corrupting the man who became Eslathagos Malkith (the Dread One).
HP: 6+Constitution<br/>
* Aggah-Shan wants this book very badly, as he believes it was the key to the Dread One's power.
* Aggah-Shan sent a team into the Banewarrens to find the book. They failed.
* Since it was not in the Banewarrens, Aggah-Shan is fairly certain the book must therefore be in Jabel Shammar (see below).
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;;" |Almost everyone knows that the '''Book of Inverted Darkness''' corrupted the Dread One, but no one you've ever met has much to say about what it actually does.
|}


== The Entropy Sphere ==
Build a Hierophant caster type that works something like Prepared Caster, but can choose a mix of schools and spheres. Can only cast spells of level-1.


{| class="wikitable"
=== Scoffney Shever ===
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* Though Ghul harnessed the power of the ''entropy sphere'', it is unlikely he created it.
* Aggah-Shan wants the sphere badly. Not only is it powerful in its own right, Aggah-Shan is convinced it can be used to enter Jabel Shammar (see below).
* The sphere can be reached through Goth Gulgamel (see below).
* Access to the sphere is controlled by a powerful guardian. Aggah-Shan was researching how to bypass it, but hadn't yet figured it out.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;;" |The '''Entropy Sphere''' is said to be the creation of the Dread One.
|}


== Jabel Shammar ==
Rogue: Thief, custom alchemy/ranged traps moves, Sharpshooter, (Engineer)<br/>
Base damage: d8<br/>
Load: 8+STR<br/>
HP: 6+Constitution


{| class="wikitable"
=== Lostwhite ===
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* Jabel Shammar was the fortress of Eslathagos Malkith (the Dread One).
* Aggah-Shan believes that using the ''banewarrens key'' and the ''entropy sphere'', he can get inside.
* Aggah-Shan is convinced the ''book of inverted darkness'' rests within.
* Aggah-Shan uncovered rumors of a magic item (or items) called an ''orrery'' which predicted the orbits of some type of invisible objects orbiting Jabel Shammar. He found one of these items at one point, but couldn't find these objects. He lost the ''orrery'' not long after.
* Later rumors suggest that these objects are gates of some kind, but not into Jabel Shammar itself. Suppposedly, they only become visible to those wearing a set of magic items called an ''illitor''.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;;" |Everyone knows that '''Jabel Shammar''' rests at the very top of the spire that overlooks Ptolus. It is a thoroughly evil place, said to be impenetrable. Even flying too close to it is considered a bad idea.
|}


== Goth Gulgamel ==
Relegated to being a hireling.<br/>
Cost: 0<br/>
Loyalty: 2<br/>
Protector: 3<br/>
Warrior: 5<br/>


{| class="wikitable"
=== Sikarsis ===
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* Goth Gulgamel was the fortress of Ghul (the Skull King).
* Aggah-Shan believes that the ''entropy sphere'' can be reached from here.
* Aggah-Shan has been inside Goth Gulgamel, which is not as impenetrable as rumors suggest.
* Goth Gulgamel is much larger inside that it looks from the outside. Aggah-Shan believes that once you pass through any of the main doors, you are actually inside an extra-dimensional space called the Utterdark.
* Other extra-dimensional spaces, such as ''bags of holding'', cannot be accessed within Goth Gulgamel.
* It is not possible to teleport into or out of the Utterdark, though you may teleport within it. From the outside, only some key outdoor landings are reachable though teleportation or flight.
* When Ghul was defeated, an elven wizard named Khelaeson helped clean out Goth Gulgamel, severing many of its connections to the Utterdark. This cast whole sections of the fortress adrift in the Utterdark, lost forever. Certain corridors inside lead directly into the cold pitch blackness of the Utterdark.
* Khelaeson claimed that he lacked the ability to sever all the connections to the Utterdark. Aggah-Shan found some of Khelaeson's personal letters proving that this was a lie. He had the ability to do so but, had he used it, the ''entropy sphere'' would have been lost and Khelaeson wanted it for himself.
* In the same letters, Khelaeson admitted that he later discovered that one of the chambers he cut loose into the Utterdark likely contained the ''[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/artifacts/minor-artifacts/staff-of-the-magi staff of the magi]''. Aggah-Shan assumes the chamber still exists, adrift in the Utterdark.
* A big fan of gambling and dice games, Aggah-Shan is fairly certain that the [http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/artifacts/minor-artifacts/knucklebone-of-fickle-fortune knucklebone of fickle fortune] was possessed by Ghul and likely lost in the Utterdark as well.
* Aggah-Shan found one of the cards of the ''[[pandemonium deck]]'' in the remaining rooms of Goth Gulgamel. He suspects more cards may also be lost in the Utterdark.
* Most mentions of Goth Gulgamel are found in the most recent journal. It is clear that Aggah-Shan was spending a good deal of time there, some of it in the Utterdark itself.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;;" |Everyone knows that '''Goth Gulgamel''' rests half-way up the spire that overlooks Ptolus. It is a thoroughly evil place, said to be impenetrable.
When you were in the Banewarrens, you were inside the spire, and managed to get almost half way up.


The name '''Khelaeson''' is revered even now in Ptolus as being instrumental to the defeat of Ghul.
Relegated to being a hireling.<br/>
Cost: 0<br/>
Loyalty: 1<br/>
Priest: 6<br/>
Protector: 2<br/>


The '''''staff of the magi''''' is a potent arcane artifact. You know that the Church of Lothian claimed they destroyed it during the inquisitions against arcane casters supporting the Edict of Deviltry.
== Group Moves ==
|}


== The Dark Reliquary ==
Possibly some number of moves that anyone in the group can use. Such as:


{| class="wikitable"
* Moves that reflect the presence of Lostwhite.
|-
* Moves that reflect the presence of Sikarsis.
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* A move showing how Cassiodora's bag of goodies helps the party.
* Aggah-Shan spent lots of effort researching the Dark Reliquary and its inhabitants.
* Moves reflective of their estate and house in the Noble Quarter.
* His research suggests that the Dark Reliquary is built over the site of an ancient temple where some of the Galchutt actually rest.
* Possibly some moves reflecting their interaction with the public.
* While powerful demons reside in the building, security of the catacombs underneath it are comparatively lax.
* A move or two specific to using memberships, such as with the Delver's Guild.
* The angel Raguel leads the demons and devils. After the Galchutt were trapped, Præmus made him ruler of Hell. Eventually he balked at this and, two hundred years ago, ''voluntarily'' entered this prison world to escape his duties, bringing many demons and devils with him.
* "Keys to the City", which allows you to capitalise on celebrity.
* Raguel is thought to possess ''Parnaith’s mirrored sphere''. Aggah-Shan doesn't know much about what this item does, but is certain it is connected to the ''entropy sphere'' in some way.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |All Ptolus residents know to stay away from the '''Dark Reliquary''' in the Necropolis, as it is home to demons and devils.
|}


== The Banewarrens ==
== Fronts ==


{| class="wikitable"
Create some fronts.
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* Aggah-Shan discovered historical references to a ''banewarrens key'', which was capable of passing the seals of the Banewarrens.
* Many decades later, he learned that the key was actually the severed hand of the Dread One.
* Recently, he discovered House Vladaam held the severed hand of the Dread One, though they apparently didn't know exactly what it was.
* Aggah-Shan sent a team to recover this key.
* The team was then sent into the Banewarrens with a primary objective of locating the ''book of inverted darkness''. This failed.
* The team's secondary objectives were to recover three other items: the ''malady lock'', the ''osseous redoubt'' and the ''remnant crown''. They found all three.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |Most people (including [[Cassiadora]] thought that the return of the Vallis moon is what caused the seals on the Banewarrens to fail. The journal makes it clear that Aggah-Shan entered even before that happened.


The team Aggah-Shan was the team you dispatched in the White House, led by that deathknight.
* One about the malady, which is mostly underway.
 
* One based around the sword of lies.
Aggah-Shan was wearing the ''remnant crown'' when you defeated him. The other items were nowhere to be found. Nor was the ''banewarrens key''.
* Harrow elves.
|}
* Power vacuums in city.
 
* Shuul or golems or something becoming "warlords" in the city during plague?
== The Remnant Crown ==
*
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* The ''[[remnant crown]]'' was placed in the Banewarrens, held inside the ''osseous redoubt''.
* The crown is a potent magical item, capable of "branding" undead to gain control of them.
* The crown also enhances necromancy.
* Aggah-Shan was most interested in this item because it would allow him to control many more undead at once.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |You recovered this crown from Aggah-Shan's body.
|}
 
== The Malady Lock ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* This ''[[malady lock]]'' was placed in the Banewarrens, connected to a normal box.
* The lock has the ability to contain a necromantic disease called the [[Malady]].
* When infected with the Malady, a victim becomes nearly mindless, with a constant need to feed on the flesh of the living. Bites from such victims pass the disease to others.
* If the disease is locked up in a box by the ''malady lock'', anyone who opens the box will release the disease in a necromantic burst and is almost certain to die.
* Aggah-Shan fooled an ambitious member of his team into opening the box, getting rid of a potential threat and unleashing the disease onto the world at the same time.
* Aggah-Shan went out of his way to infect members of the Balacazar crime syndicate (which he can't stand) with the Malady.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |You quickly recognize the '''Malady''' as the zombie infection that is raging through Ptolus.
The description of the lock is very thorough, with detailed drawings. This would be enough to target the lock with a ''[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/l/locate-object locate object]'' spell, if you were close enough.
|}
 
== The Osseous Redoubt ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* The ''[[osseous redoubt]]'' was placed in the Banewarrens without a true understanding of its capabilities.
* The true purpose of this box is to hide and enhance a lich's phylactery, making Aggah-Shan's interest in it obvious.
* If his phylactery is within the box when the lich dies, he regenerates in a matter of hours instead of days. Further his new body is enhanced in various ways.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |Reading this, you realize it is likely that Aggah-Shan may have already regenerated and may be more powerful. (On the other hand, loosing the ''remnant crown'' and some of his other magical items will weaken him.)
|}
 
== The Pandemonium Deck ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* Mentions of the ''[[pandemonium deck]]'' are scattered throughout the journals.
* Over is long unlife, Aggah-Shan has located twenty of the cards of this deck, the most recent one in Goth Gulgamel.
* Several centuries ago, Aggah-Shan's body was destroyed by another group of adventurers while in possession of 14 of the cards, which were taken by the adventurers and have since been scattered.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |The '''harrow deck''' is a deck of 52 cards used by fortune tellers, similar to the tarot deck. Nearly all such decks are perfectly mundane, but have a reputation strange power (again, similar to tarot cards).  
|}
 
== Phylactery ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* Aggah-Shan's phylactery is a platinum amulet, depicting a planet in three dimensions, being crushed by a seven-fingered hand.
* Though extremely well crafted, the phylactery is not, in itself, magical.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |You didn't find this object anywhere in Aggah-Shan's sanctum under the White House.
|}
 
== Arcane Bond ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* Aggah-Shan has gone through a number of arcane bonds during his life and unlife. Some were made to replace those stolen, lost or destroyed, but some were intentional upgrades of earlier versions.
* Most recent versions have been amulets with a skull motif, enchanted to protect against spells and other effects.
* The journals make it pretty clear that Aggah-Shan stores a backup amulet with his phylactery, allowing a quick ritual to rebind to it once regenerated.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |Binding to an item like this is a choice all wizards can make. It provides benefits, but has drawbacks if lost.
You found the most recent arcane bond on Aggah-Shan's body (giving a +3 profane bonus to saving throws).
|}
 
== Chaositech ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| style="vertical-align: top;" |
* The journals might be one of the largest libraries of information about chaositech in the world.
* Aggah-Shan clearly developed an large number of chaositech items.
* The full blueprints of the "Mrathrach Machine" fill a book. Its intent was to capture the randomness of the game Mrathrach in Aggah-Shan's casino, amplify and store the energy for later use.
* Aggah-Shan's most recent chaositech design was a set of strange, semi-organic chains, designed to feel around in the Utterdark and attach to what they find.
| style="vertical-align: top; color: #005; width: 38.2%; font-family: serif;" |You recognized designs of some the funky magical technology that has been grafted onto to the bodies of some of the people and creatures you have fought.
You recognize the multi-leveled as the one you destroyed.
|}
[[campaign::Dissolution| ]]

Revision as of 08:55, 26 December 2014

This page is an experiment, contemplating how the characters of the Dissolution campaign could be converted to the Dungeon World system, specifically using the variant character rules from Class Warfare as described in the Ptolus Dungeon World conversion document.

As 13th level Pathfinder characters, all of the characters will be converted into 7th level Dungeon World characters. I'm thinking of handling gear and magic items by saying each character can have a number of custom moves equal to their level that are supplied by their gear. Most characters would probably also get a couple of moves related to their social background as well.

Characters

Caralaria

Warrior: Destroyer, Martial Hero, Acrobat, (Flux??)
Base damage: d8
Load: 10+STR
HP: 8+Constitution

Oreni

Magician: Shield Arcanus, Prepared Caster-ish, some sort of dragon/electricity thing, (Psi-Knife)
Base damage: d4
Load: 6+STR
HP: 6+Constitution

Build a spontaneous caster specialty that works by gaining hold each day, and spending hold equal to spell level on casting @ 7-9. Only know a limited number of spells. Maybe call the hold "reserve" and have other moves use it in some way.

Naerai

Disciple: Elementalist, Vancian Caster-ish, Friend of the Wild sorta
Base damage: d6
Load: 9+STR
HP: 6+Constitution

Build a Hierophant caster type that works something like Prepared Caster, but can choose a mix of schools and spheres. Can only cast spells of level-1.

Scoffney Shever

Rogue: Thief, custom alchemy/ranged traps moves, Sharpshooter, (Engineer)
Base damage: d8
Load: 8+STR
HP: 6+Constitution

Lostwhite

Relegated to being a hireling.
Cost: 0
Loyalty: 2
Protector: 3
Warrior: 5

Sikarsis

Relegated to being a hireling.
Cost: 0
Loyalty: 1
Priest: 6
Protector: 2

Group Moves

Possibly some number of moves that anyone in the group can use. Such as:

  • Moves that reflect the presence of Lostwhite.
  • Moves that reflect the presence of Sikarsis.
  • A move showing how Cassiodora's bag of goodies helps the party.
  • Moves reflective of their estate and house in the Noble Quarter.
  • Possibly some moves reflecting their interaction with the public.
  • A move or two specific to using memberships, such as with the Delver's Guild.
  • "Keys to the City", which allows you to capitalise on celebrity.

Fronts

Create some fronts.

  • One about the malady, which is mostly underway.
  • One based around the sword of lies.
  • Harrow elves.
  • Power vacuums in city.
  • Shuul or golems or something becoming "warlords" in the city during plague?