Magical Drugging?

[Malevolent]

There was a brief throwaway line in my recent replay of Baldur's Gate 2 that stuck with me. "They came as you rested, figures cloaked in mist that clouded your thoughts, blurring the lines between consciousness and dream." It got me thinking about how cool actually roleplaying something like that would be. The PC, or maybe the entire party, has been betrayed. Someone that poses as an ally slips some sort of magically enhanced chemical into your food or drink. Or maybe an environment is crafted where simply being in it induces a similar effect. Preferably a more violent environment in either case, that is primarily unfamiliar to the PC.

 

As it kicks in, it becomes difficult to think. Maybe the screen blurs and the colors fade, or become more saturated. Things around you warp, and you try to escape the situation you're in. Hostile creatures or individuals come to stop you. Are you really taking damage, or is it all in your mind? You lose track of some, or all of your party members. Or maybe you think you do. Perhaps this drug could play on fears the PC has established at an earlier date, or allow them to relive a particularly intense moment amid the hallucinations. Only some time later when the effects of the drug/magic wear off, do you realize where you really are, and what you've really done.

 

Obviously, the disorienting nature of the drug could make for some severe repercussions to certain actions performed while under its affects. It would be interesting if the results were context sensitive, too. Depending on who/what you attacked/what you did/where you went, things would vary. The roleplaying opportunities of doing something completely unintended (preferably without a convenient frame job), would be very interesting. What if you killed a servant in your attempts to escape instead of one of the guards/monsters you thought you were attacking? There are a lot of angles that could be used regarding some of your companion characters and their reaction, as well. And the more psychological the nature of the hallucinogen and the visions that come with it, the more opportunity there would be to discuss what you/others saw.

 

I'm sure there are a variety of other ways it could be implemented, but those are just what came to mind.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Malevolent

[TRX850]

Fear and Loathing in Project Eternity.

 

"We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like 'I feel a bit lightheaded. Maybe you should drive.' Suddenly, there was a terrible roar all around us, and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, and a voice was screaming 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'"

 

Sorry...couldn't resist!

 

Interesting idea though. Sounds like something that would need to be handled carefully, as with a lot of the community suggestions so far.

[Osvir]

This is bat country!

[LadyCrimson]

Or maybe an environment is crafted where simply being in it induces a similar effect.

For some reason this makes me think of Piers Anthony's "Source of Magic" (Xanth series) where Bink and his party travel through some hallucinogenic region of madness..too much magic dust in the air or something.

[rjshae]

The issue with approach like this (subdual of the party through drugs) is that it can seem like railroading. Hence it should be done sparingly and with care.

[maggotheart]

There was a level in Bastion where the player gets 'drugged' and the music/visuals/voiceovers goes all funky, which was quite fun and a nice diversion from the standard. I wonder how it could be reasonably implemented with an isometric viewpoint, no time limitations and 6 party members though?

[TRX850]

Visually it would seem to fit a first person game more than an isometric. If anything it's reminiscent of the dream sequences from BG.

 

I re-read the OP a couple of times, and I couldn't help picturing the party of 6 marching across a feywild area, but there was something in the breeze, something in the air, like pollen that made them all have to will save against confusion or some mind-affecting outcome, like a natural defense of the forest or its intelligent denizens.

 

A druid quest maybe?

[Domigorgon]

Since you mention Baldur's Gate 2, there are at least two more instances where you get "drugged" (magically or otherwise).

 

Number one, a certain NPC betrays and drugs the party at one point in the game, which moves the plot forward.

 

Two, if you follow a quest of a certain landowner (who later turns out to be a red dragon), you mistakenly slaughter innocents believing them to be monsters (all because the said lord/dragon has cast an illusion spell on you).

 

Just thought I'd point out that something along those lines has already been done.

[Nonek]

Might be a good low - mid level power for a Cipher, disorientate or some such. Imagine a whole pack of psychically gifted assassins coming for you, twisting everything you can see or believe as they close in for the kill. Perhaps it would be up to the parties strongest will to fight them on the only battleground available, their own shifting mindscape?

 

They allready have the slo mo option in place, make use of that in an aesthetic sense as time warps and twists, add disturbing illogical puzzles and challenges of the id, the ego and the super ego. Set it in an MC Escher, Gaudi or HR Giger backdrop and i'd damn well like to venture through it.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Nonek

[JFSOCC]

Bastion

has a dream scene with drugs induced from poisonous plants in the Jungle

which I thought was cool

[Thingdo]

There was a level in Bastion where the player gets 'drugged' and the music/visuals/voiceovers goes all funky, which was quite fun and a nice diversion from the standard. I wonder how it could be reasonably implemented with an isometric viewpoint, no time limitations and 6 party members though?

Bastion

has a dream scene with drugs induced from poisonous plants in the Jungle

which I thought was cool

 

After reading the OP, Bastion is what I immediately thought of. One of the more memorable levels from that game to be sure.

 

One of my favorite parts of that level is that it reused many of the pieces of scenery from earlier in the game, but in areas where they were completely out of place. It also replayed some of the narration, but slightly misquoted by just one or two words, for example "What do you say to a man who has seen too much" becomes "What do you say to a kid who has seen too much".

Edited January 13, 2013 by Thingdo

[Malevolent]

I re-read the OP a couple of times, and I couldn't help picturing the party of 6 marching across a feywild area, but there was something in the breeze, something in the air, like pollen that made them all have to will save against confusion or some mind-affecting outcome, like a natural defense of the forest or its intelligent denizens.

 

A druid quest maybe?

 

Yes! I was thinking of something along those lines especially. That way you're unfamiliar with the area when the affect takes place. Exploring said area is optional to begin with, that way you aren't forced into having that encounter. Because the environment is foreign to the players (and maybe happens on say, the first time of exploration), you won't be sure what type of monsters or scenery to expect, making it even harder for the player to separate hallucination from reality.

 

Might be a good low - mid level power for a Cipher, disorientate or some such. Imagine a whole pack of psychically gifted assassins coming for you, twisting everything you can see or believe as they close in for the kill. Perhaps it would be up to the parties strongest will to fight them on the only battleground available, their own shifting mindscape?

 

They allready have the slo mo option in place, make use of that in an aesthetic sense as time warps and twists, add disturbing illogical puzzles and challenges of the id, the ego and the super ego. Set it in an MC Escher, Gaudi or HR Giger backdrop and i'd damn well like to venture through it.

 

I hadn't thought about that, before! A cipher could be a really good candidate for something like that.

 

Since you mention Baldur's Gate 2, there are at least two more instances where you get "drugged" (magically or otherwise).

 

Number one, a certain NPC betrays and drugs the party at one point in the game, which moves the plot forward.

 

Two, if you follow a quest of a certain landowner (who later turns out to be a red dragon), you mistakenly slaughter innocents believing them to be monsters (all because the said lord/dragon has cast an illusion spell on you).

 

Just thought I'd point out that something along those lines has already been done.

 

I know, but I didn't feel that they were done to satisfaction, especially with Firkraag. Sharper players/characters have an immediate sense something is amiss, so the surreal quality is lost. It also only spans a brief period of time, and those characters in particular, rather than being a whole environment and a multitude of hostiles. I know the Circus also had illusions going on, but again, the players were clued into this before they even stepped foot into the tent. The only disorienting bit was with the peasants, which Aerie warns you of if you talk to her, and the rest of the enemies are displayed as hostile. Which is why I wanted to sort of steer away from that and delve deeper into the uncertainty of it all, sort of like what was mentioned in the opening. It could be incredibly trippy, and make for a great roleplaying opportunity, especially if there are after-effects to your actions.

[Tauron]

I like to think that in PE magic is equivalent of science or might be considered as such, maybe those two are overlaping in a sense. Magic is just something that works in ways we can not fully comprehend, yet we can anticipate results. As for lines from BG2, the party just might have been affected by confusion spell. Doesnt necessary need to be magical drug :D