And here’s the Thrall, a “compendium” (insert) class for #Stonetop, which is one of the ways you can escape death’s door when your time is up (other way: become a ghost or a revenant).
I’m pretty pleased with the Impulse/Favor mechanic… I think it could work pretty well for a D&D-4/5e style warlock, one who’s patron really has their hooks into the PC.
Anyhow… feedback and questions appreciated!
Originally shared by Jeremy Strandberg
The Thrall
In #Stonetop, we use Death’s Door instead of Last Breath. And here’s what happens on a 6-:
On a 6-, your time has come. Choose 1:
• Step willingly through the Black Gates
• Refuse to go; gain the Revenant or Ghost insert (your choice)
• Call on one of the Things Below by name and beseech it to intercede; gain the Thrall insert
The Ghost and Revenant have been done for a long time, but I’ve been putting off the Thrall for a few reasons. I wasn’t quite sure where on the “dead man walking” vs. “sorcerer” spectrum I wanted to go. I wanted the specific Thing Below that you made a deal with to be important, but didn’t want to give up on their ambiguous, mysterious nature. A fair number of the Things Below are associated with Major Arcana, and didn’t want to crowd those out (either their moves or their consequences). And, of course, I wanted it to all fit onto one 1/2 sheet, front & back.
I’m basically using my rules for long-term enchantment & mind control for this (from here https://goo.gl/ZTZ4e4), but with Favor instead XP. The GM picks the Impulse and the first Mark, allowing them to set the initial tone for this specific Thing Below.
As you continue as a Thrall, you both gain new Marks and lose access to future marks, sort of burning the candle at both ends. When you run out, you’re done. You’re no longer a PC; you’re a monster now.
Anyhow… I’m honestly not sure if anyone would every actually choose this insert. I’m almost positive that none of the players in my long-running game would (well… maybe one of them). But that’s okay: I’m pretty sure that the mere _existence of this insert adds texture to the game, establishing part of the mythology in a way that describing sorcery just couldn’t quite do.
As always, feedback and questions are welcome and appreciated!
That’s pretty damn cool, in a horrifying way 🙂