For a long time horror has been used to tell a moral. The domains themselves show this with the darklord stuck in a personal hell.
Now think other supernaturals that pray on the wicked, the spirit that haunts the grave robber, the boogeyman that takes bad kids. Brutal punish the wicked with monsters can be a nice twist in ravenloft.
I had some ideas for monsters that protects kids if you wish to hear. Or share your own ideas.
Ps. Yes I know something like this happened to lord soth.
Smiling jack: a fay like being who is summoned by children cry’s for help comes for the neglected. Always smile’s and is dapperly dressed in coat and hat (or what a child thinks is high fashion) he will be friend and caretaker. The adults will find jack’s stay not so “pleasant” he scares with rather classic boogeyman tactics (or like a home invasion) jack can hide by squeezing in to tiny spaces (and spider climb) and stretch to double his size cutting a terrifying figure. The adults will ether go mad or be found dead in a too small space crushed. The child will likely have vanished (jack will often give worth adults a child to care for)
The buddy: these spirit will be seen by the lonely child. Seeming like a imaginary friend because no one else can see it or hear it’s presence. If thangs go well the child has a steadfast friend and protecter until they are no longer needed. If the child is threatened, well he can touch you but you can’t touch him, and he will return any act to the child two fold. When he is seen ( or the child describes them) they are frightening, tall humanoid with a strong build with the face of a killer (or they look like 12 miles of bad road) dressed like a vagabond with a batted wide brimmed hat worn coat.
Avenger doll: child toy that hunt’s down predators of children. Finely crafted it is first seen in the possession of a child, once it lays eyes on its target it acts like a assassin. It’s target will be found dead often with a confession. The doll can grow to the size of a hafling and mimic voices, it also has blades for stabbing and wire for mobility and garrote.
Last edited by edised on Sat Jun 22, 2024 10:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
edised wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2024 10:51 pm Oh I think I remember that
Smiling jack: a fay like being who is summoned by children cry’s for help comes for the neglected. Always smile’s and is dapperly dressed in coat and hat (or what a child thinks is high fashion) he will be friend and caretaker. The adults will find jack’s stay not so “pleasant” he scares with rather classic boogeyman tactics (or like a home invasion) jack can hide by squeezing in to tiny spaces (and spider climb) and stretch to double his size cutting a terrifying figure. The adults will ether go mad or be found dead in a too small space crushed. The child will likely have vanished (jack will often give worth adults a child to care for)
The buddy: these spirit will be seen by the lonely child. Seeming like a imaginary friend because no one else can see it or hear it’s presence. If thangs go well the child has a steadfast friend and protecter until they are no longer needed. If the child is threatened, well he can touch you but you can’t touch him, and he will return any act to the child two fold. When he is seen ( or the child describes them) they are frightening, tall humanoid with a strong build with the face of a killer (or they look like 12 miles of bad road) dressed like a vagabond with a batted wide brimmed hat worn coat.
Avenger doll: child toy that hunt’s down predators of children. Finely crafted it is first seen in the possession of a child, once it lays eyes on its target it acts like a assassin. It’s target will be found dead often with a confession. The doll can grow to the size of a hafling and mimic voices,
I like the last two a lot. I am a HUGE fan of EC Comics, and they are chock full of similar dreadful comeuppances! (They're also great sources to mine for ideas for Ravenloft and I highly recommend you seek out any of the back issues if you can.)
Haunt of Fear, Tales from the Crypt, and Vault of Horror are filled with a stories about zombies rising from their grave to get revenge on the one (or ones) who killed them. In fact, I've been trying to come up with a similar "zombie-fied" character of my own, who wanders from town to town, visiting the local cemeteries and reanimating the corpses of unsolved murders in order for them to get their long overdue revenge. I call him The Corpse Whisperer, but I haven't figured out his motive or origin yet!
edised wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2024 10:51 pm Oh I think I remember that
Smiling jack: a fay like being who is summoned by children cry’s for help comes for the neglected. Always smile’s and is dapperly dressed in coat and hat (or what a child thinks is high fashion) he will be friend and caretaker. The adults will find jack’s stay not so “pleasant” he scares with rather classic boogeyman tactics (or like a home invasion) jack can hide by squeezing in to tiny spaces (and spider climb) and stretch to double his size cutting a terrifying figure. The adults will ether go mad or be found dead in a too small space crushed. The child will likely have vanished (jack will often give worth adults a child to care for)
The buddy: these spirit will be seen by the lonely child. Seeming like a imaginary friend because no one else can see it or hear it’s presence. If thangs go well the child has a steadfast friend and protecter until they are no longer needed. If the child is threatened, well he can touch you but you can’t touch him, and he will return any act to the child two fold. When he is seen ( or the child describes them) they are frightening, tall humanoid with a strong build with the face of a killer (or they look like 12 miles of bad road) dressed like a vagabond with a batted wide brimmed hat worn coat.
Avenger doll: child toy that hunt’s down predators of children. Finely crafted it is first seen in the possession of a child, once it lays eyes on its target it acts like a assassin. It’s target will be found dead often with a confession. The doll can grow to the size of a hafling and mimic voices,
I like the last two a lot. I am a HUGE fan of EC Comics, and they are chock full of similar dreadful comeuppances! (They're also great sources to mine for ideas for Ravenloft and I highly recommend you seek out any of the back issues if you can.)
Haunt of Fear, Tales from the Crypt, and Vault of Horror are filled with a stories about zombies rising from their grave to get revenge on the one (or ones) who killed them. In fact, I've been trying to come up with a similar "zombie-fied" character of my own, who wanders from town to town, visiting the local cemeteries and reanimating the corpses of unsolved murders in order for them to get their long overdue revenge. I call him The Corpse Whisperer, but I haven't figured out his motive or origin yet!
I wouldn't think anyone would do something like that without having a deeply personal motive for his actions. Presumably, the Corpse Whisperer or a loved one was murdered by a killer who was never brought to justice. Instead of having the CW be zombified revenant himself, however, why not make him a ghost? The manner of his death could be responsible for both his return as a ghost and his driving motivation to see other murders avenged. To make it a real shock to the PC's, have those who have seen him believe the CW to just be an ordinary man, making it an unpleasant surprise when they realize he's a ghost with salient powers. Maybe the only way to permanently defeat him is to find and bring the CW's murderer to justice?
edised wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2024 10:51 pm Oh I think I remember that
Smiling jack: a fay like being who is summoned by children cry’s for help comes for the neglected. Always smile’s and is dapperly dressed in coat and hat (or what a child thinks is high fashion) he will be friend and caretaker. The adults will find jack’s stay not so “pleasant” he scares with rather classic boogeyman tactics (or like a home invasion) jack can hide by squeezing in to tiny spaces (and spider climb) and stretch to double his size cutting a terrifying figure. The adults will ether go mad or be found dead in a too small space crushed. The child will likely have vanished (jack will often give worth adults a child to care for)
The buddy: these spirit will be seen by the lonely child. Seeming like a imaginary friend because no one else can see it or hear it’s presence. If thangs go well the child has a steadfast friend and protecter until they are no longer needed. If the child is threatened, well he can touch you but you can’t touch him, and he will return any act to the child two fold. When he is seen ( or the child describes them) they are frightening, tall humanoid with a strong build with the face of a killer (or they look like 12 miles of bad road) dressed like a vagabond with a batted wide brimmed hat worn coat.
Avenger doll: child toy that hunt’s down predators of children. Finely crafted it is first seen in the possession of a child, once it lays eyes on its target it acts like a assassin. It’s target will be found dead often with a confession. The doll can grow to the size of a hafling and mimic voices,
I like the last two a lot. I am a HUGE fan of EC Comics, and they are chock full of similar dreadful comeuppances! (They're also great sources to mine for ideas for Ravenloft and I highly recommend you seek out any of the back issues if you can.)
Haunt of Fear, Tales from the Crypt, and Vault of Horror are filled with a stories about zombies rising from their grave to get revenge on the one (or ones) who killed them. In fact, I've been trying to come up with a similar "zombie-fied" character of my own, who wanders from town to town, visiting the local cemeteries and reanimating the corpses of unsolved murders in order for them to get their long overdue revenge. I call him The Corpse Whisperer, but I haven't figured out his motive or origin yet!
I wouldn't think anyone would do something like that without having a deeply personal motive for his actions. Presumably, the Corpse Whisperer or a loved one was murdered by a killer who was never brought to justice. Instead of having the CW be zombified revenant himself, however, why not make him a ghost? The manner of his death could be responsible for both his return as a ghost and his driving motivation to see other murders avenged. To make it a real shock to the PC's, have those who have seen him believe the CW to just be an ordinary man, making it an unpleasant surprise when they realize he's a ghost with salient powers. Maybe the only way to permanently defeat him is to find and bring the CW's murderer to justice?
Actually, now I remember the origin I cam up with for him - he was a necromancer cursed (by Vistani?) to make amends for all of his evil deeds! In unlife, he is forced to wander the lands and bring peace (in the form of justice from beyond the grave) to as many "souls" as he desecrated. And due to his nefarious activities as a necromancer, there are hundreds of good deeds he has to cross off his list before he can find his eternal rest.
I thought it would be interesting to have an anti-hero that was forced to do good with spells and abilities normally used for evil. I just didn't know if I should make him a lich outright, or if that back story was strong enough to make him something more unique - a necromacer revenant. And I'm really not sure if it would make a difference in the abilities I want him to have.
I’m glad you like it. And I love EC comics too, such funny ideas.
I had a idea called “the heart taker witch”. In life she was a love guru and matchmaker only using her magic as a last resort. She held love as sacred and detested those that treat love as a tool.
Well she entered a doomed relationship with a man giving her hope that she may have love too. He was a lying serial womanizer, a callus casanova with a headboard scoreboard, a practice player with a trail of broken hearts. He said all the right thangs to have her fall in love. He realized his mistake to late to do anything, he had made himself her ideal man. Unlike other scorned maidens in the past, he doubts his ability to escape a witch’s wrath.
So he did the only just thang, find witch hunters and lie his ass off. She was tried and sentenced to be burned at the stake. Pity the witch hunters din’t keep him anonymous, she knew who betrayed her, and promised, she had given her heart, she will have his, and stop other heartbreakers.
The witch’s curse came true, the man disappeared only blood and a heart carved in the door left behind. Eyewitnesses say he was seen in the middle of the night heading to the woods blank face and a bloody hole in his chest.
Jeremy16 wrote: Sun Jun 23, 2024 3:13 pm
Actually, now I remember the origin I cam up with for him - he was a necromancer cursed (by Vistani?) to make amends for all of his evil deeds! In unlife, he is forced to wander the lands and bring peace (in the form of justice from beyond the grave) to as many "souls" as he desecrated. And due to his nefarious activities as a necromancer, there are hundreds of good deeds he has to cross off his list before he can find his eternal rest.
I thought it would be interesting to have an anti-hero that was forced to do good with spells and abilities normally used for evil. I just didn't know if I should make him a lich outright, or if that back story was strong enough to make him something more unique - a necromacer revenant. And I'm really not sure if it would make a difference in the abilities I want him to have.
For what little it's worth, lich is the obvious path, so I vote for necromancer revenant.
edised wrote: Sun Jun 23, 2024 5:45 pm
I’m glad you like it. And I love EC comics too, such funny ideas.
I had a idea called “the heart taker witch”. In life she was a love guru and matchmaker only using her magic as a last resort. She held love as sacred and detested those that treat love as a tool.
Well she entered a doomed relationship with a man giving her hope that she may have love too. He was a lying serial womanizer, a callus casanova with a headboard scoreboard, a practice player with a trail of broken hearts. He said all the right thangs to have her fall in love. He realized his mistake to late to do anything, he had made himself her ideal man. Unlike other scorned maidens in the past, he doubts his ability to escape a witch’s wrath.
So he did the only just thang, find witch hunters and lie his ass off. She was tried and sentenced to be burned at the stake. Pity the witch hunters din’t keep him anonymous, she knew who betrayed her, and promised, she had given her heart, she will have his, and stop other heartbreakers.
The witch’s curse came true, the man disappeared only blood and a heart carved in the door left behind. Eyewitnesses say he was seen in the middle of the night heading to the woods blank face and a bloody hole in his chest.
That's a good one, too! I'd prefer to sanitize her name to something like the Queen of Hearts, or the Matchmaker, if you wanted her to pass herself off to normal folk seeking to use her services.
edised wrote: Sat Jun 29, 2024 10:06 pm
She is dead now, I did say that right, I doubt normal people ask the dead much.
Or did you think she went by “heart taker witch” when she was alive?
Then what's the use of the character sitcking around if she's already had her revenge? I was just trying to come up with a method for her to recur and expand her crusade to seeking out other Lotharios instead of being a one-and-done baddie.
(BTW, this being Ravenloft, maybe normal people don't seek out the dead, but there's plenty of shall we say... abnormal people that may have some twisted interest in it. Heck, if you want to play it for laughs, you can even have your heart-taker witch act as a matchmaker to the undead! "Looking for the ghoul of your dreams? Come to the Queen of Hearts." It practically writes itself!)
There's a few existing examples in Ravenloft lore:
-Nikolai Melentha (from Children of the Night: Ghosts)- the wrathful ghost of a murdered youth, that lashes out against those he thinks wrongs children. However, he often does without thinking of the consequences.
-The Whispering Beast and Bloody Cobbler, dual supernatural agents of law and chaos formerly occupying Sithicus (from Spectre of the Black Rose)
-Fenhounds, whom stalk those whom do wrong (as in, fail Powers Checks) in the swamps and moors of Ravenloft.
and that tells us nothing 
That said I would be curious to hear your ideas about child protector monsters.
Oh I think I remember that
