A Decision
I kicked off my new play-by-post game using "Rats in the Walls" with some minor changes. As I write this, the party is in the basement and things are rolling along. (Their rippling thews were unequal to the task of opening the iron trapdoor, so now they're rigging up a block and tackle that they bought on the wharf!)
So here's my dilemma. The party's cleric is a chaotic good Amazon who worships none other than Aurorus! Coincidence, right? Like some of you, I too realized the sub-basement could make a nice base for the PCs, but I worry that the shrine of A. would be too much of a 'gimme.' I feel that it's really there to be a source of mystery and, perhaps, temptation to use its dark powers -- not to be a ready-made chapel / divination booth for the PCs to move into.
Of course being CG, the cleric would stop short of human sacrifice (the neutral magician has fewer scruples). This could trigger some alignment play which is fine and dandy, but I want the focus of the game to be on exploration and gritty derring-do --not so much on brooding about moral dilemmas, which we can delve aplenty in other games.
Do you see my point? So I'm thinking of changing the shrine's object of worship to Mordezzan, Khalk-Xu, or Kthulhu (the latter is not my top choice, but would tie-in with the idol in the pirate treasure next level down). Thus making the shrine somewhat forbidding and perilous (short of inimical) to the players, as I think it was meant to be.
Or, I could just leave it as is and see what the players do… what do you guys think?
~ sub
