using babies as hand grenades.

[calighis]

An orphanage/temple, in a remote country location, belonging to the order Heironeous has recently increased it's guard there. Rumors abound of a series of special babies born on the positive energy plane with the power to heal. In truth these babies have portals in their hearts that directly open to the positive energy plane. But when on the material plane if they stay too long they literally explode. A device has been created in the form of a red ribbon around their knecks that prevents them from going boom.

Next week I am running an all evil one shot. The entire goal and main consideration of this one shot is to break into the heavily guarded orphanage/temple and use a bunch of babies as hand grenades against the holy defenders who guard them.

The starting character level is 9 and starting treasure = 1.5x normal
there will be between 4 and 6 players.

I would like some suggestions for encounters as well as any advice you might have on dungeon design. What kind of defenders would be found in a temple of Heironeous and how can I switch it up to keep things interesting? Also how can i best utilize the aoe baby bombs and what is some sick stuff to blow up?

[Plague]

Originally Posted by calighis

an orphanage/temple, in a remote country location, belonging to the order heironeous has recently increased it's guard there. Rumors abound of a series of special babies born on the positive energy plane with the power to heal. In truth these babies have portals in their hearts that directly open to the positive energy plane. But when on the material plane if they stay too long they literally explode. A device has been created in the form of a red ribbon around their knecks that prevents them from going boom.

Next week i am running an all evil one shot. The entire goal and main consideration of this one shot is to break into the heavily guarded orphanage/temple and use a bunch of babies as hand grenades against the holy defenders who guard them.

The starting character level is 9 and starting treasure = 1.5x normal
there will be between 4 and 6 players.

I would like some suggestions for encounters as well as any advice you might have on dungeon design. What kind of defenders would be found in a temple of heironeous and how can i switch it up to keep things interesting? Also how can i best utilize the aoe baby bombs and what is some sick stuff to blow up?

lmao cool points from me this would be funnier than hell!!!

[Nifft]

Originally Posted by calighis

Next week I am running an all evil one shot. The entire goal and main consideration of this one shot is to break into the heavily guarded orphanage/temple and use a bunch of babies as hand grenades against the holy defenders who guard them.

I find it disgusting that you would have the PCs waste food like that.

"... when there are children starving on Athas!", -- N

[fba827]

if you want/expect the pcs to be able to use ranged attacks (aka the babies) then you'll need some open rooms (i.e. not filled with corners and nooks) or else the ranged attack thing will never play off right.


as far as defenders ...
pepper in enemies themed after clerics, paladins, avengers. you need not do anything special, just toss on those templates or give them a key "feature" and flavor their effects accordingly. (imagine the annoyance on the players' faces when the enemies roll twice for each attack roll).

Perhaps they are armed with holy water to attack undead and demons but it wouldn't injure the babies. Of course, that won't do any good if none of the PCs are playing undead or demonic races... though you could house-rule for this one campaign that holy water would also affect any warlocks with demonic-type pacts or something if anyone is doing that.


as for as location...
you'll have an entry room, a worship room, a daycare room, a baby sleeping room (possibly combined with the daycare room if the room is large enough to keep the baby quiet on one side vs the other side), a kitchen, dining room, a sleeping area for the grown ups, a store room (or store house if you want a buidling separate from the others). A well in the middle of the courtyard or nearby. the prayer room is easy access from the foyer. stuff like the nursery should be further back down hallways/etc.

The prayer room would be a cool place to stick an altar that creates a large magical zone of some kind to mix things up (maybe it provides regen to those with with a symbol of heronious. maybe it amplifies radiant attacks by +1, maybe it lets someone adjacent to it use a surge but can only be used once a day, etc). Also there would be lots of pews so someone could have cover hiding back there i guess.


If the PCs don't already know the effects of a baby without the ribbon, then maybe somewhere in the courtyard or foyer (or some place obvious near the start) they see a scorched red ribbon on the ground and around it the stone ground is also scorched (and anyone with religion/arcana training) can tell it is scorched from an intense radiant blast and the ribbon must be protected or it too would have been consumed by whatever blasted this spot. (essentially, it would have been a baby that was out and the ribbon fell off accidentally; but this sets up the seeds of possibilities for the PCs if they don't know the connection to the ribbon)


Edit: I'm assuming you know your -players- well enough to know that this type of scenario would be okay. just the use of babies can be a little harsh for some players. but if you know your players well enough than it's not an issue.

[calighis]

Originally Posted by fba827

if you want/expect the pcs to be able to use ranged attacks (aka the babies) then you'll need some open rooms (i.e. not filled with corners and nooks) or else the ranged attack thing will never play off right.


as far as defenders ...
pepper in enemies themed after clerics, paladins, avengers. you need not do anything special, just toss on those templates or give them a key "feature" and flavor their effects accordingly. (imagine the annoyance on the players' faces when the enemies roll twice for each attack roll).

Perhaps they are armed with holy water to attack undead and demons but it wouldn't injure the babies. Of course, that won't do any good if none of the PCs are playing undead or demonic races... though you could house-rule for this one campaign that holy water would also affect any warlocks with demonic-type pacts or something if anyone is doing that.


as for as location...
you'll have an entry room, a worship room, a daycare room, a baby sleeping room (possibly combined with the daycare room if the room is large enough to keep the baby quiet on one side vs the other side), a kitchen, dining room, a sleeping area for the grown ups, a store room (or store house if you want a buidling separate from the others). A well in the middle of the courtyard or nearby. the prayer room is easy access from the foyer. stuff like the nursery should be further back down hallways/etc.

The prayer room would be a cool place to stick an altar that creates a large magical zone of some kind to mix things up (maybe it provides regen to those with with a symbol of heronious. maybe it amplifies radiant attacks by +1, maybe it lets someone adjacent to it use a surge but can only be used once a day, etc). Also there would be lots of pews so someone could have cover hiding back there i guess.


If the PCs don't already know the effects of a baby without the ribbon, then maybe somewhere in the courtyard or foyer (or some place obvious near the start) they see a scorched red ribbon on the ground and around it the stone ground is also scorched (and anyone with religion/arcana training) can tell it is scorched from an intense radiant blast and the ribbon must be protected or it too would have been consumed by whatever blasted this spot. (essentially, it would have been a baby that was out and the ribbon fell off accidentally; but this sets up the seeds of possibilities for the PCs if they don't know the connection to the ribbon)


Edit: I'm assuming you know your -players- well enough to know that this type of scenario would be okay. just the use of babies can be a little harsh for some players. but if you know your players well enough than it's not an issue.

The players will have full knowledge of the exploding baby effect going in. I plan to introduce the idea to the characters in a bar full of baddies discussing what they consider to be the some of the vilest acts to possibly commit in the area sealing their names in the book famous villains forever.
As to the willingnes of this party to throw baby grenades there can be no question. My friends are the kind of the F'd up sickos that enjoy having a guy like me as a dungeon master. This is actually fairly tame by our standards.
I think I want to inculde some kind of celestial being/beings as the guardian of the childrens chamber.

[Wik]

Make sure you let the players arrive at the conclusion that the Babies can explode, and don't just spoon feed the idea to them - it'll be much funnier, and more memorable if the players think they came up with the idea themselves.

Added bonus if you, as the GM, feign complete and utter shock at the idea, but then "roll with it".

[fba827]

Originally Posted by calighis

I think I want to inculde some kind of celestial being/beings as the guardian of the childrens chamber.

How often do you get to fight angels -- put in angels.



A giant wall sculpture of an angel overlooks the nursery on the far side of the room. And you see with each crib, the angel theme is continued for each crib is carved from stone to look like an angel cradeling the sleeping infants.

A few caretakers are about, tending to the children but they pause as they see you enter. Fear can be seen in their eyes as one of them begins dashing for the far side of the room. ((If she makes it there, she spends a minor action to activate the giant angel status - which summons an angel(s) to step through the statue intent on defending the babies ...))

[calighis]

Originally Posted by Wik

Make sure you let the players arrive at the conclusion that the Babies can explode, and don't just spoon feed the idea to them - it'll be much funnier, and more memorable if the players think they came up with the idea themselves.

Added bonus if you, as the GM, feign complete and utter shock at the idea, but then "roll with it".

unfortunatley I ahve already told a couple of the players I will tell them that mum is the word. The rest can be shocked. I'm a bad DM and you are absolutley right.

[calighis]

Originally Posted by fba827

How often do you get to fight angels -- put in angels.



A giant wall sculpture of an angel overlooks the nursery on the far side of the room. And you see with each crib, the angel theme is continued for each crib is carved from stone to look like an angel cradeling the sleeping infants.

A few caretakers are about, tending to the children but they pause as they see you enter. Fear can be seen in their eyes as one of them begins dashing for the far side of the room. ((If she makes it there, she spends a minor action to activate the giant angel status - which summons an angel(s) to step through the statue intent on defending the babies ...))

This is a really good idea and I plan on using it.

[calighis]

I envision a large walled compound. The ornate entrance is enchanted with a continual detect evil spell a beacon glows on top if it is set off. Past the entrance is a courtyard with a well kept garden at the center and within the center of the garden is a well (which if they are smart they will poison before one day before the assualt). Behind the Garden is the main temple. It can seat up to 150 and the mess hall and subsequently the kitchen is adjoined to it so that during the time of pilgrimage the removable walls to the mess hall can be taken down and the temple can be expanded to fit twice as many. I think the raid should happen during the time of pilgrimage so that maybe the characters can lodge the babies into the crowds. Also it will make plenty of hostages available.

The main stage of the chapel will have many sacred ceremonial and magical items in store and perhaps even a weapon or two to be used against the characters. The gorund itself will be consecrated and provide fast healing 2 to all within 30 followers within 30 feet.
The high priest has an office behind the main stage of the chapel. All the money is stored in a safe there.
What level should the high priest be and what kind of retinue would he employ?
Hehehheh a smaller children's chapel exists within the temple as well and a secret escape route can be found in it. I will give the characters a chance to discover it.
The orphanage is a separate two story building. On the bottom are the children and they are trained as acolytes. some of them might even be level 1 clerics. In a combat siutation they might even help by healing the guardians, making them viable targets for AoE.
Above them is the nursery and nun's quarters. Please refer to the angel sequence in a previous post.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by fba827

if you want/expect the pcs to be able to use ranged attacks (aka the babies) then you'll need some open rooms (i.e. not filled with corners and nooks) or else the ranged attack thing will never play off right.

No way... there have to be at least some corners.

DM: Okay, you've successfully crafted a bandalero of screaming babies. Now what?

PLAYER: While pulling a baby from the bandalero, I race down that corridor we scouted earlier to the 4-way crossing. I stop just short of the intersection and then leap across, tearing the tearing the ribbon from its neck with my teeth* and chucking the baby down the passage as I dive to safety!

DM: Okay. Give me an attack roll, the baby is Heavy Thrown, so use your Strength and give me an Acrobatics check too.


* Minor Action