tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post6013551524010786632..comments2023-10-16T07:47:36.179+11:00Comments on Eleven Foot Pole: KalarelGreg Tannahillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-86900935619794991292011-07-01T05:28:38.739+10:002011-07-01T05:28:38.739+10:00I decided to play it all perfectly straight, with ...I decided to play it all perfectly straight, with the caveat that I did add something (another cliché) to answer why Winterhaven and Karalel are connected. I had the goblins kidnap children to be sacrificed to Orcus in order for the portal ritual to work...<br /><br />Of course, the heroes arrived in the nick of time, stopped the ritual, yadda yadda...<br /><br />I hope they'll eventually forgive meAmphimir the Bardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18119080390182072075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-41595965549176589852009-08-06T07:40:10.809+10:002009-08-06T07:40:10.809+10:00Colmarr, the Forgotten Realms-specific remix of Ko...Colmarr, the Forgotten Realms-specific remix of KotS (which Wizards released as a PDF on D&D Insider) adds the Shadraxil backstory, which I feel strengthens the plot a great deal. It also shifts the cultists from worshipping Orcus to Shar, if I'm not mistaken, and does a couple of other things to make the plot hang together a bit better.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09407157737800660686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-80442114784316628342009-07-13T12:52:07.600+10:002009-07-13T12:52:07.600+10:00Hmm, so the default Kalarel is not opening a porta...Hmm, so the default Kalarel is not opening a portal to the Shadowfell to release the imprisoned Shadow Dragon Shadrilax?<br /><br />I think I need to go pat my DM on the back...Colmarrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-32839785176850579712009-07-03T03:24:03.750+10:002009-07-03T03:24:03.750+10:00Thank you for this post, I laughed out loud when I...Thank you for this post, I laughed out loud when I read this.<br /><br />True, Kalarel sucks. And that's that.Marco Filippohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11741091924546434941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-54655260447124720212009-04-14T15:59:00.000+10:002009-04-14T15:59:00.000+10:00After reading your post, I think that I will in fa...After reading your post, I think that I will in fact make him exactly as cartoony as you describe him. At the risk of killing the somber climatic battle scene, I'm going to add a library to the ghoul warren, and put a bunch of cool rituals in there as well as various books intended for humorous effects. "How to be an Evil Mastermind for Simpletons: The Supalkoth Times Number 1 Best-Seller." As inspired by your post, the chapters of the book will be:<br /><br />Chapter 1: So you want to be an Evil Mastermind?<br /><br />Chapter 3: Perfecting the menace grimace <br />Chapter 4: Laughs, guffaws, and other blood-curdling sounds of mirth<br />Chapter 5: Hiring mercenaries: goblins, undead, or both?<br />Chapter 6: Raiding local villages: pros and cons. (Subtitle: Finding the right pro/con ratio for your raiding party)<br />Chapter 7: Everything you wanted to know about lairing but were too evil to ask<br /><br />Chapter 11: Advertising your plan - buying vellum in bulk really saves!Lgstarnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-67177231599666078592009-02-17T06:36:00.000+11:002009-02-17T06:36:00.000+11:00I love the idea at the very end, showing the playe...I love the idea at the very end, showing the players how useless Kalarel really is.<BR/>I didn't like him much as a villain and was tempted to do something along these lines.<BR/>I could see him opening the portal straight into Orcus's bathroom.<BR/>Orcus busy in the shower is so pissed that he squishes Kalarel on the spot and ignores everyone else, closing the portal like someone slamming the door in the face of a Door to door salesman.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-82654884401274630422009-01-29T10:47:00.000+11:002009-01-29T10:47:00.000+11:00Cliches are popular for a reason. People know how...Cliches are popular for a reason. People know how they work, they draw on an established mythos of storytelling, and they present pre-tested story conflicts that players have a template for interacting with. Used carefully, they're a great resource for a DM, and have a stronger and more deserving place in RPGs and real-time storytelling than they do in other media.<BR/><BR/>You just need to be careful that your cliche <I>makes sense</I>, that's all. Think about whether it's really the best thing for your game before running with it. I'd be very sad if I never got the chance to fight evil priests and goblin mercenaries again; I love that shit. <BR/><BR/>Yours sounds pretty decent, and I love the story potential inherent in the very first necromancer - doing undead in a world where they're not only a cliche but completely unheard of. Nice work.Greg Tannahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-58995363007060879742009-01-29T10:04:00.000+11:002009-01-29T10:04:00.000+11:00My villain was in the process of 'inventing' undea...My villain was in the process of 'inventing' undeath, as it didn't exist in the campaign world prior. He violated the three points you made, but with reason.<BR/>"hiring goblin mercenaries" - Cheap labour that would serve as experiment corpses once the heroes had done away with them.<BR/>"raiding local villages" - He regularly unleashed undead prototypes on nearby villages to gauge his development progress. This also gave reason to his minions becoming more powerful throughout the campaign.<BR/>"lairing in crumbling ruins" - Only while he was doing what he needed to do there, and he had a good escape plan.<BR/>'Switch places' spell with a dragon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com