Inactive [LP CYOA] Overlord

[Baltika9]

I dunno, I like Storyfag's suggestion:

As for our goofy disguise, let's go for this outfit:

It's just the right mix of comical and intimidating that people could go, "Huh, yeah, that look like a dark lord. Seems legit."
It's just missing something. I kinda want Erd to affect a gay lisp, but that may be too much.

 

[lightbane]

I KNOW! What about Baron Dark, the most 90s of the 90s' skeleton warrior ever existed?

Spoiler

 

[Esquilax]

lightbane has it. The right mix of cheese and genuine intimidation.

 

[Baltika9]

I'm down. But how are we going to fake it without relying entirely on illusions, since they do have Elmont present?

 

[TOME]

If we are voting for disguises, my vote goes to archaen's proposition.

But do we have a plan for the raid?

I would like once again to put my own preferred agenda on the table.

Approach:
Teleport right into their midst

Objectives:
Kidnap the prince (-> They'll have to attack the castle)
Kidnap Aria (-> Gives Erdrick reason to join the adventurers)
Engage in light combat (-> It is the best way to gauge the difficulty level of your opponents and mark out any potential troublemakers.)

Erd will be playing the role of the Dark Lord. Rin will be playing Rinotaur and is the final boss of the castle. Dark Lord kidnaps the prince from the camp after briefly gauging adventurers' abilities. Aria being the hothead she is tries a stupid rescue attemp with Gigadyne Verdant and gets teleported too. The teleport takes them to the castle where the Dark Lord leaves them with one of his minion, the Rinotaur, and then leaves. This gives Erd, not playing the role anymore, a reason to join the adventurers in their rescue attempt of the prince.

 

[Baltika9]

But do we have a plan for the raid?

There are two plans that are getting votes at the moment. Kipeci wants to make a strong entrance and scatter everyone, killing and kidnapping as we will:

As to the approach we take, I'd prefer to go for an immediately aggressive one taking advantage of their surprise. Gigadyne (or obliterate with with some other suitably powerful spell, for those of you wary of the squire noticing it or something) a prominent area of the camp (preferably the one with the mages in it given a choice), take out whatever defenses haven't been triggered by the stupidly powerful magic and have the slime squads rush in (maybe with a hapless golem at the front in case of traps) and seize victims for their respective slime. They can then set to holding their positions while the slimes have their fun, with Erd doing a lot of menacing flopping about as the Dark Schlong and vaporizing the most troublesome people in the startled camp before they can form organized nuclei of resistance. Inevitably it'll end up like stirring a beehive and Erd won't be able to secure all the groups, so before then he ought to have the squishier elements retreat while the golems hold the line. He can do one last flashy move to murder other prominent figures, and then order a general retreat while they're occupied with that and issue the most uptight of them a challenge against him within his castle.

I want to engage in theatrics to lure the expedition into our mock castle and make our rival look like a total ponce in the meanwhile:

Here's my plan, let's call it Hollywood:
We gather enough kindling to put up a convincing backdrop and set the area around their camp aflame. The sections where our troops will be stationed will have a safe corridor to retreat through, should the adventurers actually go for a serious charge.

The goblins and golems will be arranged so as to make the horde seem bigger than it actually is.
The golems in the center as the shield, dressed up to look like especially big and tough goblins; the melee goblins on the flanks; the elite goblins will be entrusted with leading separate formations and be on the front lines with their troops; the ranged troops will be in the front at first and shift behind the melee line in case the adventurers charge; the slimes will be present in a support/communication capacity to let us know if the situation is getting out of control.
Their job is to literally stand there and look as menacing as they possibly can, we can use minor illusory tricks to help them with that.

Erdrick rolls up in the center, disguised as the Dark Lord, and uses his genre-breaking awareness and bullshit mastery to lure the adventurers into the fortress. If the prince rides out and tries to play hero, rough him up a bit and let Aria save him. If he doesn't, no problem, we'll catch up with him in the fortress.
If the expedition actually looks like it might call our bluff and charge, we break out the lightning dragon.

Rin will be on damage control for the moment. If any of the separate troops actually get engaged and we can't make it, her job is to make sure that there is a sudden outbreak of decapitation.

 

[treave]

treave, do you think that Erd can conceive of a better way to develop the goblins? I'm devising this mostly with the goal of getting them to be in a better shape, but I'm not precisely sure of what helps them out. Do they develop more from muching on their preferred food, or from being in actual combat? Is this an alright way to train them, or would Erd have a better idea in mind for that? I don't want to form the basis of my plan on a misconception.

They need to get the killing blow for the most XP, of course. Perhaps have the golems hold down their targets while they deliver the stabbing.

I'm down. But how are we going to fake it without relying entirely on illusions, since they do have Elmont present?

"A skeleton mask?"

"Shadow armor can take many forms. This should work. Hold on, let me tweak this a bit..."

"Hm. Ooh. It feels rather comfortable. Fits like a glove, in fact. Is this what you usually wear? It saves on clothing expenses doesn't it?"

"Royalty can have financial issues too. There was a pretty long war, if you remember. Oh... it looks too plain, don't you think?"

"I can't see my own face."

"Well, it's too dark, I suppose. We need to light it up a bit."

"Zayan could work something up."

"No, I don't think her tricks can be impressive enough for this show. Besides, you keep telling me not to bother her with trivial stuff, that she has important research to do for you. This is trivial stuff. I can see it now. A column of flame reaching to the sky... a menacing black skull glowering from within, its every word a peal of thunder..."

"...and?"

"I've got just the spell for this!"

"Spell?"

"Oh yes. Incineratio Armageddon."

"Wait. Isn't that the-"

"Robust, go fetch me some straw. Get some that can burn really well."

"You're going to cast a city-leveling spell on my face?"

"Oh, you can take it. Don't you have really high magic defense or something?"

"Yes, but... wait, you aren't still mad about the card game, are you?"

"Of course not. This is all just for the sake of the show. Just for the sake of the show. Now if you're ready..."

 

[Baltika9]

Bros, I'm sold.
Hollywood+Baron Dark.

 

[Nevill]

But do we have a plan for the raid?

I would like once again to put my own preferred agenda on the table.

I like your idea. That said, I am unsure how many people you can convince to have Erdrick join the guys as Trider. Form a plan, and I will put yours as a conditional vote, even as a primary one if it gets traction.

It isn't too far off from what Hollywood aims to achieve, though. Baltika9, what do you think about these?
Kidnap the prince (-> They'll have to attack the castle)
Kidnap Aria (-> Gives Erdrick reason to join the adventurers)
Engage in light combat (-> It is the best way to gauge the difficulty level of your opponents and mark out any potential troublemakers.)

Fairly logical, and Rin can play the local castle boss while we (Baron Dark) pose as the FINAL ONE!!1!1

Having Trider 'assist' the adventurers in the castle certainly sounds tempting.

Hollywood+Baron Dark.

WE ARE DOING THIS LIVE!

 

[Baltika9]

I'm cool with them as targets of opportunity, but I don't want to go out of our way to achieve them.

WE ARE DOING THIS LIVE!

Zayan, make us a video camera. We're gonna make a killing here.
Erd as a sleazy movie producer, I can already smell the money.

 

[Nevill]

I'm cool with them as targets of opportunity, but I don't want to go out of our way to achieve them.

Well, it makes a big difference whether you attempt them, or not at all.

Your current secondary objectives are these:
- Attack the prince (-> This is personal now!)
- Have Aria save the prince (-> Gives Aria more leeway)

Whether you achieve them or not may affect how effective is your strategy, but it does not affect what you do after. The prince stays with the expedition anyway, and you never don the Trider hat.

TOME proposes these:
- Kidnap the prince (-> They'll have to attack the castle)
- Kidnap Aria (-> Gives Erdrick reason to join the adventurers)

Now, if these don't work, it defaults to your plan. But if they do, they draw a considerably different picture. You now have a reason to approach the adventurers (searching for your apprentice), and they are more likely to accept your help (if they don't find the prince, it's not good for them). But you will have to reveal that Trider was there, and it might affect how this whole sequence and its consequences play out.

Which is why I think those should be given more than just a cursory thought. I am fine with not trying too hard, but I do believe they have a fair chance to succeed...

 

[Baltika9]

Fair enough, but we can't do any of that unless the prince fights us and Aria intervenes. That might not even happen and I don't want to divide the vote over this hypothetical, because that is a pretty big difference.
treave, if it comes down to it, can you put it up to a vote on what is to be done with the prince and Aria?

 

[treave]

treave, if it comes down to it, can you put it up to a vote on what is to be done with the prince and Aria?

What, you guys can't work it out?

We'll see how it goes when there's a decision on which plan to take.

 

[lightbane]

They need to get the killing blow for the most XP, of course. Perhaps have the golems hold down their targets while they deliver the stabbing.

I foresee many interesting things will happen once we learn the Resurrection spell and/or optimize the healing pods to the point they can raise freshly dead subjects.

"Hm. Ooh. It feels rather comfortable. Fits like a glove, in fact. Is this what you usually wear? It saves on clothing expenses doesn't it?"

:fabulous:

By the way, just to know: can shadow armor/clothing be "dispelled" by sufficiently powerful wind/light-based magic? Better to be safe than sorry.

"Oh yes. Incineratio Armageddon."

I call it hax. How can a glorified barbarian like her know such powerful spells? Rin is definitively not a spell-caster (nor posesses the mana for it).


Jokes aside, I vote against joining the expedition as Trider. Not only it will invariably create a clusterfuck when Trider and the Dark Lord have to be together in the same room, he also has terrible reputation and his appearance will be considered a little bit too convenient.

Lastly, for the younger Codexers who don't know where Baron Dark is from, have a sample of the source:

Spoiler

(warning: 90s overload trigger warning)

 

[Nevill]

Not only it will invariably create a clusterfuck when Trider and the Dark Lord have to be together in the same room

...they don't. Though I think it's on TOME to explain what he intends to do afterwards.

 

[treave]

By the way, just to know: can shadow armor/clothing be "dispelled" by sufficiently powerful wind/light-based magic? Better to be safe than sorry.

Wind won't work, light will. Beware holy priests. But they'd have to be some really high level holy ones.

 

[lightbane]

...they don't. Though I think it's on TOME to explain what he intends to do afterwards.

Of course they *do not* have to be in the same room, but you can bet they will try. Common Adventurers' Knowledge (TM) says that you must bring your strongest party members when facing the final boss. As such, Trider/Erdrick will be hard-pressed to follow the others to the throne room (barring exceptional circumstances such as a presumed "death by falling rocks" and the like).

 

[Nevill]

Exceptional circumstanses are not to be barred. He can get taken down by Rinotaur well before that. She'd love it, too.

This is hardly a problem.

 

[TOME]

Fair enough, but we can't do any of that unless the prince fights us and Aria intervenes.

How would the prince fight us? He isn't a powerful warrior or anything. Only worrisome thing about kidnapping the prince is that we have to get past his bodyguards.

Jokes aside, I vote against joining the expedition as Trider. Not only it will invariably create a clusterfuck when Trider and the Dark Lord have to be together in the same room, he also has terrible reputation and his appearance will be considered a little bit too convenient.

It was pointed out earlier (by Nevill I think) that we don't want them to defeat the Dark Lord. Since the Dark Lord actually exists, letting everyone believe he is defeated and out of the game gives him an edge. He can operate in the shadows longer and we wouldn't want to help our competitor. So I propose Erd makes an appearance as the Dark Lord while kidnapping the prince but after that he delegates everything to his minion Rinotaur. Dark Lord leaves the stage and shortly after Trider appears.

At this point we have Rinotaur, the lord of the castle, holding the prince and Aria as prisoners and Trider joining the adventurers to save his apperentice. The adventurers will mount a rescue attempt to save the prisoners, or at least the prince, and Trider will be there to 'assist'. We will be in perfect position to do whatever we later decide. We can take them all out (by ourselves or let our minions get EXP i.e the Kipeci route), establish Trider as a hero who helps them defeat the Rinotaur, or recruit some of the adventurers to our side while killing the rest.

As for the initial raiding plan, I was thinking of teleporting past the bodyguards right next to the prince (Aria can provide his location), subduing him quickly and threatening to kill him. Then we can take a moment to mock the adveturers, maybe throw a spell or two and then teleport out. While we are teleporting out, Aria uses her Gigadyne Verdant to try and save the prince. She is a little bit late and instead of hitting Erd/getting the prince she gets sucked in and teleported too.

What do you think?

 

[Nevill]

I think it is quite flexible and leaves us a lot of room to maneuver.

The Dark Lord has a penchant for leaving his (incompetent) minions to do work for him, so Rinotaur as a castle boss would not be out of place. Plus, she is present during Plan Hollywood - it's not like we pull her out of nowhere and switching bosses. Just delegating.

 

[Storyfag]

The Dark Lord has a penchant for leaving his (incompetent) minions to do work for him, so a Rinotaur as a castle boss would not be out of place. Plus, she is present during Plan Holywood - it's not like we pull her out of nowhere and switching bosses. Just delegating.

Yeah, and let her babble about being the least of the Dark Lord's Hands or somesuch, just like TopKek did

 

[Nevill]

^ This guy gets how Overlording works.

 

[Storyfag]

Well, I *have* studied at the feet of Megatron and Starscream, learned the lessons of Cobra Commander, listened to the sage advice of the Mentor, while fortifying my dungeon heart, and am considered an accomplished Evil Genius. I might be able to do a thing or two according to TRADITION.

 

[lightbane]

If you did so then you would have known that all of the minions consider themselves as the strongest liutenant of the Dark Lord, regardless of their actual position in the Hierarchy of Evil (unless they're with bundled together, of course).

Also, I hate to be the party popper, but Erd's teleport spell is user-only. We can use a teleporting circle to kidnap the prince yes, but it will be somewhat cumbersome and leaves behind some proof (although IIRC treave said these could be programmed to self-destruct).

 

[Nevill]

Alright, since TOME is not forthcoming with his plan, I'll do it and put his name on it so he'd be ASHAMED.

Plan Hollywood - TOME edition: ('cause I won't give up putting up a show just like that)

Background dancers: (borrowed from Baltika)

We gather enough kindling to put up a convincing backdrop and set the area around their camp aflame. The sections where our troops will be stationed will have a safe corridor to retreat through, should the adventurers actually go for a serious charge.

The goblins and golems will be arranged so as to make the horde seem bigger than it actually is.
The golems in the center as the shield, dressed up to look like especially big and tough goblins; the melee goblins on the flanks; the elite goblins will be entrusted with leading separate formations and be on the front lines with their troops; the ranged troops will be in the front at first and shift behind the melee line in case the adventurers charge; the slimes will be present in a support/communication capacity to let us know if the situation is getting out of control.
Their job is to literally stand there and look as menacing as they possibly can.

Rin will be with them on damage controlt. If any of the separate troops actually get engaged and we can't make it, her job is to make sure that there is a sudden outbreak of decapitation.

Setup is the same as in Hollywood, the approach is different.

Erd will be playing the role of the Baron Dark Flaming Lord. Rin will be playing his right-hand lieutenant Rinotaur and the final boss of the castle. Dark Lord emerges in the camp while they are in the alarm mode over the horde behind the camp walls, engages the adventurers (trying to gauge what they are capable of), overwhelms the bodyguards and takes the prince hostage. He prepares the teleportation circle to kidnap the prince (not like adventurers will dare attack him with the prince's life at stake). Aria being the hothead she is tries a stupid rescue attemp with Gigadyne Verdant and gets teleported too. The horde also withdraws via a prepared Teleportation Circle. The teleport takes the prince to the castle prison where the Dark Lord leaves him with Aria in adjacent cells.

What this does:
- We gauge the efficiency of the adventurers as planned.
- The adventurers have a definite reason to storm the castle now.
- Aria is in a position to learn everything the prince knows, provided she gets his trust. That might help us learn the expedition's goals and make it so that they find whatever they are looking for (besides the prince, that is).
- This positions Rin as the adventure boss, but not as the final threat. I thought there were some concerns about what happens if the adventurers defeat Dark Lord. That won't happen, regardless of the outcome.
- It leaves our options open on what to do with the prince afterwards. He can be saved by adventurers, Aria or Trider (all different outcomes), or he can be kept hostage, or left to rot there.
- It leaves our options open on what to do with Erdric. He can join the adventurers as Trider (and be accepted more easily due to them being in a dire need), or he may never appear there and continue to kill them off from the shadows.

Also, I hate to be the party popper, but Erd's teleport spell is user-only. We can use a teleporting circle to kidnap the prince yes, but it will be somewhat cumbersome and leaves behind some proof (although IIRC treave said these could be programmed to self-destruct).

If we have the prince hostage, then it's no problem.

Also, it leaves proof of using a teleportation circle. No shit, Sherlock. I don't think it would be our concern after half the camp witnessed us doing it.