|
Post by Achilles on May 8, 2017 22:11:04 GMT
Hey all! I could use some help as I've gotten myself into a bit of a creative hurdle. A few weeks ago I was winging my game, as I do, and I had an NPC task the players with climbing a mountain to an old ruined dwarven fort that is now the home of an Emanation of Knowledge (basically as old as a god, but not god-like?). Once they get to this fort, in order to speak with the Emanation, they will need to "Sing the God-Song". This is where I need suggestions, because I have no clue what that means and my players are about to reach a point where it needs to happen. So, share unto me your amazingly creative ideas for what this means and how to do it! Thank you in advance!
|
|
|
Post by margaret on May 9, 2017 1:13:47 GMT
Not sure what you were thinking of, but there's a dwarven religious poem you might be able to adapt at: www.farlandworld.com/poems.htmlDo any of your players have an instrument, or is this going to be an acapella performance?
|
|
|
Post by Achilles on May 9, 2017 2:57:08 GMT
Not sure what you were thinking of, but there's a dwarven religious poem you might be able to adapt at: www.farlandworld.com/poems.htmlDo any of your players have an instrument, or is this going to be an acapella performance? Thanks! I have 2 Bards in the group, and one has an instrument. However, I'm ok with this not being an actual song of any sorts. It could be a metaphor or a riddle of some sort.
|
|
sotf
Advice Guru
Posts: 1,084
|
Post by sotf on May 9, 2017 3:00:35 GMT
Depending upon the setup, you could probably go with the setting for it.
For example, take inspiration from a modern church and the choral booths a lot of them have, use something like that at the entrance. Even scraps of the song could be found there.
Personally, unless you are good at writing verse, I'd skip the actual song. But I would look around for some religious sounding music and have it ready to play for it.
Perhaps you could also pull something like creating spirits or echoes of long dead members of the choir and have part of the puzzle be in getting the information from them where they return to the choir for your players where if you find them all, they're the ones singing.
If your players aren't that big into video game RPGs, one of the best music for this kind of thing is the Hymn of the Fayth from Final Fantasy X.
|
|
|
Post by Achilles on May 9, 2017 3:22:26 GMT
Depending upon the setup, you could probably go with the setting for it. For example, take inspiration from a modern church and the choral booths a lot of them have, use something like that at the entrance. Even scraps of the song could be found there. Personally, unless you are good at writing verse, I'd skip the actual song. But I would look around for some religious sounding music and have it ready to play for it. Perhaps you could also pull something like creating spirits or echoes of long dead members of the choir and have part of the puzzle be in getting the information from them where they return to the choir for your players where if you find them all, they're the ones singing. If your players aren't that big into video game RPGs, one of the best music for this kind of thing is the Hymn of the Fayth from Final Fantasy X. Great suggestions! Something I neglected to mention that may be helpful; Once the party "Sings the God-Song", they will open a rift allowing them to enter the Emanations domain. The domain is a floating body of land adrift in space with countless other rifts all around, each linked to an alternate reality. The Emanation oversees everything that could be and everything that is.
|
|
|
Post by stelmaria on May 10, 2017 1:42:45 GMT
The first thing that comes to my mind is a tonal lock, such that they would have to figure out or collect the right series of notes and then play the melody in order to access the Emanation. They might find clues in murals on the walls or other riddles or some such. If neither you or your players are particularly musically inclined, keep it simple (think Ocarina of Time). It's an unusual sort of puzzle, and the PCs will feel clever for figuring it out. That's my thought, anyway.
|
|
|
Post by kgstanley81 on May 10, 2017 16:59:55 GMT
Never really cared for riddles in games, because some of the characters would be really smart and know the answer
|
|
|
Post by DnDPaladin on May 10, 2017 21:03:05 GMT
One of the thing you could do if your players aren't into role playing the actual songs or anything. is to make other thing make the song happens.
great game of old, designed literally by an 8 year old girl and her father. Torin's Passage ! Tons of great puzzles. one of them was that a song was needed to open up the passage to the next realm below. but its not the players who needed to chant it was the habitants of the realm. and thus you needed to just place them in the right order of vocals.
so it could only be a substitution puzzle. where you simply move around crystals of different colors and once they are placed well they play the song which is just a music.
or you could also make it like avatar the last air bender and have them make moves from whats written on the walls. once they follow all the moves on the different plates, it plays out the music magically. so basically their moves makes the magical music.
reguardless of the way you use it, it all depends on your player types. i had a player once doing a bard, she was great role player, but would never sing or say anything that would make her bard like. same for an actual player here, his only cutting word he always use is... "You suck" while pointing at the monster. i wouldn't ask my players to sing a song because i know my players can't do it even if they tryed.
|
|
|
Post by onethatwas on May 12, 2017 7:11:37 GMT
It depends, I guess, on how much into lore you want this to be.
If it is just a simple puzzle...go with the above ideas. Essentially you are enacting a scene from Goonies where they play a musical piece to open a door (sans death trap if they hit the wrong note).
If you want to delve a bit into mythology...
Why is it CALLED the God Song?
Is it a song of creation? Does it call forth a God? Does it resonate with the universe, at tuning the singer with the fabric of reality itself? Is it a song that God's sing? Or is it a song they love to hear?
These answers could lead to a multitude of ways to resolve your problem, and even create new ones!
If the song is one that resonates with the universe, then it would be recorded in the passages of time, and strung upon the harp of the stars...but playing the chords and in toning the celestial voice of the song can drive the singer mad with knowledge of the cosmos no mortal was meant to bear...
If it is a song sung by the celestial choir, then they would need to summon forth Siyekthetet, the composer, who could instruct the bard in the song...but may ask a steep price.
If the song is one of creation, then the bard must seek The Muse, who knows how to inspire creation in a bard's voice...but her passions are both fickle and voracious, so should she take a fancy to the bard, he or she may find that the attention of the Muse can be a horrible curse, as she has ruined many bards in the past with her wiles...
Or perhaps the notes of the song can be heard in the Echoes of the Gods, betwixt the stars...which may mean they must look for the music notes within some astrological symbology...
There is a ton of stuff you can do here. A puzzle, a riddle, an interesting bit of lore.
Have fun
|
|
|
Post by Achilles on May 13, 2017 6:44:52 GMT
It depends, I guess, on how much into lore you want this to be. If it is just a simple puzzle...go with the above ideas. Essentially you are enacting a scene from Goonies where they play a musical piece to open a door (sans death trap if they hit the wrong note). If you want to delve a bit into mythology... Why is it CALLED the God Song? Is it a song of creation? Does it call forth a God? Does it resonate with the universe, at tuning the singer with the fabric of reality itself? Is it a song that God's sing? Or is it a song they love to hear? These answers could lead to a multitude of ways to resolve your problem, and even create new ones! If the song is one that resonates with the universe, then it would be recorded in the passages of time, and strung upon the harp of the stars...but playing the chords and in toning the celestial voice of the song can drive the singer mad with knowledge of the cosmos no mortal was meant to bear... If it is a song sung by the celestial choir, then they would need to summon forth Siyekthetet, the composer, who could instruct the bard in the song...but may ask a steep price. If the song is one of creation, then the bard must seek The Muse, who knows how to inspire creation in a bard's voice...but her passions are both fickle and voracious, so should she take a fancy to the bard, he or she may find that the attention of the Muse can be a horrible curse, as she has ruined many bards in the past with her wiles... Or perhaps the notes of the song can be heard in the Echoes of the Gods, betwixt the stars...which may mean they must look for the music notes within some astrological symbology... There is a ton of stuff you can do here. A puzzle, a riddle, an interesting bit of lore. Have fun All fantastic ideas and really get my brain going! But I think one stands out and makes something click for the thematics of my groups game so far. I opted for; "If it is a song sung by the celestial choir, then they would need to summon forth Siyekthetet, the composer, who could instruct the bard in the song...but may ask a steep price." TL;DR - Price = Loss of stat(s)? Something more/less? Suggestions/thoughts? Reward = Angelic boon? Stat/aesthetic boost/gain? Suggestions/thoughts? I decided my group will traverse an already staged (but I never decided on what exactly would be beyond) secret door in the main entryway of this ruined dwarven fortress. The stairs will lead to a Celestial Antechamber where they'll meet a herald of the Emanation who will inform them that "knowledge requires knowledge" and one of them must pay the steep price. (Open on suggestions as to the mechanics of the steep price? Whether it be a sizable minus' to WIS or INT? A loss of stat chains across the spectrum, like minus X to STR and DEX and CON and etc, etc? (probably way too harsh) Thematically maybe age significantly? Or just rp memory loss with no mechanics at all? What are some of your suggestions (everyone)? But whatever the downside, the one who (if at all) takes the risk, there will be a reward. I'm thinking some kind of connection to the the angels (current campaign, home-brew, is about elder gods corrupting demons and pulling the material plane across the ether into the abyss) where they gain some angelic perk or occasional angelic guardian? Up for suggestions there too lol.
|
|