5th session in and Vishi was having a bad night.

[Zulfikar Zaban]

Our 5th session in and my player playing Vishi was missing pretty much every roll, then he drops to zero hp. Fortunately another player was able to heal him some. Then his high llama got decapitated. Needless to say I think my player was feeling rather discouraged. That was near the end of the session., any recommendations for my next session? I thought maybe Vishi could meet with his high llama in the spirit world. Any recommendations or ideas of how I could make this interesting so maybe my player will feel encouraged? Thank you.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Zulfikar Zaban

[Beoferret]

4 minutes ago, Zulfikar Zaban said:

 I thought maybe Vishi could meet with his high llama in the spirit world. Any recommendations or ideas of how I could make this interesting so maybe my player will feel encouraged? Thank you.

That's a potentially really cool idea. Especially if he had a crystal or something the high llama's spirit could be bound to - so they could continue to be partners. The spirit combat bit could simply be a representation of Vishi trying to talk his mount into sticking around awhile longer (calling it to him), while the high llama itself is torn between returning to its master/rider and heading off to great green pastures of the afterlife. Discorporation, while meditating near the site of the high llama's death should do the trick. If it's been too long, Vishi might have to stack Extension on the Discorp spell in order to have adequate time to track the llama's spirit down in the spirit world.

[Zulfikar Zaban]

21 minutes ago, Beoferret said:

That's a potentially really cool idea. Especially if he had a crystal or something the high llama's spirit could be bound to - so they could continue to be partners. The spirit combat bit could simply be a representation of Vishi trying to talk his mount into sticking around awhile longer (calling it to him), while the high llama itself is torn between returning to its master/rider and heading off to great green pastures of the afterlife. Discorporation, while meditating near the site of the high llama's death should do the trick. If it's been too long, Vishi might have to stack Extension on the Discorp spell in order to have adequate time to track the llama's spirit down in the spirit world.

Those are some great ideas and good instruction, I appreciate it, thank you Beoferret.  Even though I've read about the Spirit World, I have yet to run any spirit world stuff yet so I've been a little bit nervous about it. I do feel because he is a shaman it seems rather appropriate though, especially at the beginning of the game to use this as an opportunity to help him understand his character and how to play him better and how he interacts with spirits and the spirit world. So, if he talks his mount into sticking around to him a while longer, how could I use him as a spiritual entity to help him in the game? Could he assist him in Spirit Combat then? I could possibly keep the high llama in the spirit form without his head, it could be a sort of "Headless Horseman/ but the Llama is without a head sort of deal. Unless in spirit form it would be back to it's complete self. Any way, it would be interesting, knowing death is not the end in this game in a way. Thanks, cheers:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf5Y94tw30E

[Runeblogger]

7 hours ago, Beoferret said:

That's a potentially really cool idea. Especially if he had a crystal or something the high llama's spirit could be bound to - so they could continue to be partners. The spirit combat bit could simply be a representation of Vishi trying to talk his mount into sticking around awhile longer (calling it to him), while the high llama itself is torn between returning to its master/rider and heading off to great green pastures of the afterlife. Discorporation, while meditating near the site of the high llama's death should do the trick. If it's been too long, Vishi might have to stack Extension on the Discorp spell in order to have adequate time to track the llama's spirit down in the spirit world.

Great idea, I would probably offer a range of possibilities, f.ex.:

- During the spirit combat (shaped as the shaman trying to convince the animal spirit to stay), if Vishi gets a critical success and wins the combat, he convinces the animal spirit to go back to its body (provided Vishi has healed the animal’s head back to its body with either Heal-6 or Heal Wounds) so the animal comes back to life!

- With a special success and winning the combat, the animal spirit is moved by Vishi’s plea, and decides to stay in crystal or fetish (matrix), but before that it summons a nearby living High Llama to go and find Vishi so it can be his new mount.

- By just winning the combat, he convinces the spirit to stay in a crystal or fetish.

- If Vishi loses the combat, the animal spirit is not convinced and goes on to its afterlife.

- If Vishi loses the combat and gets a fumble in the process, the animal is outraged by Vishi’s proposal, and now all High Llama spirits see Vishi as a transgressor for a year or until he somehow attunes for that.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Runeblogger

[Beoferret]

Great ideas, Runeblogger! I'd simply add the possibility that, if Vishi fumbles, he also has a -20/-30% to any Ride or Herd skill checks involving High Llamas. They just don't like him anymore (well, for a year or so.) In this situation, Vishi's best option might be to return to Prax and his shamanic teacher for some sort of cleansing or atonement ceremony (like you mention). This will, of course, involve some adventure or trial that could just be Vishi's player having a one-on-one session w/ Zulfikar Zaban or something the entire party can participate in. Either way, a fumbled result (maybe even the plain failure?) leads to more adventure - an adventure the players should be invested in.

Quick aside: it occurred to me that if Spirit Combat was going to be the way Vishi tries to win back his llama in some way shape or form, that maybe the player should have the opportunity to use the Herd skill as an augment.

Also, how is the body disposed of? Here's a chance for Vishi's player to get drawn into the setting a little more. The average high llama might be eaten, but this is a loyal mount. Does it get a burial ceremony or is the body just abandoned? If there's a burial ceremony, what does it look like? Is it eaten? Maybe it's buried in some sort of dignified way, but its heart is eaten raw (w/ Vishi insisting that all his comrades take a bite) in order to partake in the high llama's strength and courage. What does Vishi do now for traveling? Just walk? If someone offers him a horse, how is this proud Praxian going to react? Lots of roleplay opportunity here! I'd give Vishi's player some guidelines, but then let them figure out particulars.

 

[Shiningbrow]

13 hours ago, Beoferret said:

Great ideas, Runeblogger! I'd simply add the possibility that, if Vishi fumbles, he also has a -20/-30% to any Ride or Herd skill checks involving High Llamas. They just don't like him anymore (well, for a year or so.) In this situation, Vishi's best option might be to return to Prax and his shamanic teacher for some sort of cleansing or atonement ceremony (like you mention). This will, of course, involve some adventure or trial that could just be Vishi's player having a one-on-one session w/ Zulfikar Zaban or something the entire party can participate in. Either way, a fumbled result (maybe even the plain failure?) leads to more adventure - an adventure the players should be invested in.

I think he might need to go to the Great Herd or Great High Llama spirit on the Spirit Plane for this... Maybe undertake an atonement quest??

13 hours ago, Beoferret said:

that maybe the player should have the opportunity to use the Herd skill as an augment.

Be aware that Vishi's Herd is only 50%. He could (should??) have a passion for his high llama, and even that would be higher at 60%. Ride is 65%...

13 hours ago, Beoferret said:

Also, how is the body disposed of? Here's a chance for Vishi's player to get drawn into the setting a little more. The average high llama might be eaten, but this is a loyal mount. Does it get a burial ceremony or is the body just abandoned? If there's a burial ceremony, what does it look like? Is it eaten? Maybe it's buried in some sort of dignified way, but its heart is eaten raw (w/ Vishi insisting that all his comrades take a bite) in order to partake in the high llama's strength and courage.

This would be something that I think many people would like to know,m as we're talking about the funerary customs of Praxians. Has this been published somewhere?

 

13 hours ago, Beoferret said:

What does Vishi do now for traveling? Just walk? If someone offers him a horse, how is this proud Praxian going to react? Lots of roleplay opportunity here! I'd give Vishi's player some guidelines, but then let them figure out particulars.

If he's with the rest of the pre-gens, then he's not likely to be the only one walking. But, if he's a tried and true Praxian, then getting on a horse is right out!

[Darius West]

On 1/24/2023 at 10:59 AM, Zulfikar Zaban said:

Our 5th session in and my player playing Vishi was missing pretty much every roll, then he drops to zero hp. Fortunately another player was able to heal him some. Then his high llama got decapitated. Needless to say I think my player was feeling rather discouraged. That was near the end of the session., any recommendations for my next session? I thought maybe Vishi could meet with his high llama in the spirit world. Any recommendations or ideas of how I could make this interesting so maybe my player will feel encouraged? Thank you.

I really like Vishi.  Take it from a player, Vishi needs to buy some armor and some actual fighting spells.  He runs around in a blue tunic and apart from the fact that he's got a dagger-axe that hits like a train, he's potentially one missed parry from death.  Very glass cannon.

If you want to improve his mood, a week after the death of his llama make him dream that he's following the tracks of his llama that has wandered off.  In his dream he sees a truly huge high llama max SIZ and STR), and wakes up.  The following day, cousin monkey or someone sent out hunting finds the tracks of a heavily laden high llama.  If he tracks the animal, he finds it is a large and heavily pregnant high llama cow.  A night or two later, she gives birth to a high llama that has the same markings as the beast from his dream.  Is this his old mount reborn?  Yeah, probably, and potentially with better stats than before because Eiritha knows it was a good llama and Vishi will need one for the Hero Wars.

Edited January 25, 2023 by Darius West

[Akhôrahil]

A llama spirit seems like a perfect solution!

[svensson]

A question, if I may. Is this a solo campaign or are you playing Vishi in a regular game?

If it's the former, I have an interesting suggestion. If it's the latter, that suggestion really should go to your referee 🙂

The llama spirit is a great idea and I like @Darius West's suggestion as well. Vishi's alticamelus represents better than 75% of his wealth [the equivalent of taking all of a warrior's armor] and unless there is a definite plot hook [the scripted capture of the whole party, for example] where everyone suffers a huge loss, it ought to be replaced.

[Zulfikar Zaban]

1 hour ago, svensson said:

A question, if I may. Is this a solo campaign or are you playing Vishi in a regular game?

If it's the former, I have an interesting suggestion. If it's the latter, that suggestion really should go to your referee 🙂

The llama spirit is a great idea and I like @Darius West's suggestion as well. Vishi's alticamelus represents better than 75% of his wealth [the equivalent of taking all of a warrior's armor] and unless there is a definite plot hook [the scripted capture of the whole party, for example] where everyone suffers a huge loss, it ought to be replaced.

I am the GM, and Vishi is one of my players. We are cunning the starter set adventures.

[svensson]

5 minutes ago, Zulfikar Zaban said:

I am the GM, and Vishi is one of my players. We are cunning the starter set adventures.

Okay, then building on @Darius West's comment, Vishi could have the vision he described but find the pregnant cow [I have no idea what the word for 'adult female llama' is] giving birth to a 'super-llama'... the lamb is the get of Storm Bull and Grandmother Llama. It's much tougher and larger [say another 2-3 SIZ points], smarter, but also willful and prone to the occasional angry fit over nothing [they don't call him 'Storm Bull' for nothing...].

Vishi regains his mount, but he has to raise it from a lamb and train it as well. And, hopefully, keep it from biting Molon, Vasana's bison! 😉 This way Vishi's player learns a lesson [Praxian, BUFF YOUR MOUNT TOO!], gain honor that he has to live up to in his tribe, and doesn't lose the cash value equivalent.

[Shiningbrow]

16 hours ago, svensson said:

[I have no idea what the word for 'adult female llama' is]

Apparently, that would be a 'dam'... while a male is a 'sire'. However, this is purely on a binary categorisation.... and the baby llama is called a cria (Spanish for 'baby').

As to the OP, I see no reason why this spirit couldn't be cap tured and bound, as a standard animal spirit ... other than it would take up space later. It's POW is only 13, and it doesn't have any spells. Cousin Monkey, OTOH, ..... 😁

 

I think we're all overlooking the important question here...

 

Is Vishi's mount a "Lama", or a "YYama"?? (following the Spanish pronunciation??)