in alphabetical order...(need more! see babombs post at end)

Mark Chance · Jun 12, 2003

A powerful aquatic elf cleric has built an enormous magical archway, called a seagate, of coral and volcanic rock that rises above the waves near a well-populated coastal nation. The seagate's magic bestows the ability to breathe water upon creatures who pass through it heading into the ocean and the ability to breathe air upon creatures who pass through it heading onto land.

Next monster: the penultimate cliche - drow!

alsih2o · Jun 12, 2003

an ethereal filcher has teamed up with an ethereal marauder. both were deeply stung from their encounter with a state sponsored wizard and they have begun a familiar slaying spree aimed at low level wizards throughout the kingdom. finding them will be difficult, catching them even more so

next is ettercap-

blackshirt5 · Jun 12, 2003

drow

The PCs encounter a drow elf travelling the countryside, accompanied by a dwarf, two humans, and a pudgy halfling. They assume that the drow must be a powerful wizard who is using domination spells on this assembled party, but find out that he is in fact, a good-aligned drow ranger, who has vowed never to kill again.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

alsih2o · Jun 13, 2003

ettercap? ettercap? anyone? bueller? bueller? ettercap?

demiurge1138 · Jun 14, 2003

Alright, ettercap:
The party successfully negotiates an understanding with a tribe of ettercaps; the party provides meat while the ettercaps guard the PCs while they sleep in their den. But the ettercap patriarch is a practitioner of the "ancient ettercap secrets" of limb grafting, and has always wanted to practice on a human...

Next is ettin.

Demiurge out.

Mouseferatu · Jun 14, 2003

An abnormally charismatic or intelligent ettin has gained several levels as a sorcerer or wizard. What's worse, he's discovered that two fully independent heads means two spells in a given round. (With the possible exception of certain spells with very complex somatic gestures that require both hands.) With this advantage, the ettin is proving utterly unstoppable by any and all military forces and adventurers in the region. Sooner or later, the ettin is going to graduate from casual raiding of caravans to actually trying to conquer and rule surrounding territories, unless someone who can stand up to twin lightning bolts and the ettin's brute force can stop it.

Formians on deck...

BiggusGeekus · Jun 14, 2003

The party encounters a centaur-like ant creature (which they may or may not recognize to be a Formian). It is climbing out of a river that it has clearly fallen into and been washed downstream a ways. A Knowledge (Planes) check DC 9 will identify the creature and a library in a small city will allow the check to be made untrained (2 8 hour periods of reserach requried).

The Formian is only a worker and can not talk and it is not too bright. However, if the party gets it back within 50 miles of the hive it will be able to contact the hive mind and be able to get home from there.

.... which only leaves the question of what the outsiders are doing on the prime in the first place ....

edit: formian warrior up next

BiggusGeekus · Jun 14, 2003

The party, if they remain in the area, comes across a group of Formian Warriors who are taking some commoners hostage. The workers are within range of their hive, but their lack of lingustic ability only permits them to say that this is their territory and the commoners are therefore Formian. The party can attempt negotiaion with the Formian Warriors, or attack.

In either case the commoners say there are rumors of the Formians forming pens of humans to assist in some project.

Edit: next is Taskmaster

BiggusGeekus · Jun 14, 2003

The party is able to locate where a Formian Taskmaster is keeping the human hostages. The taskmaster has dominated the humans -- readily apparent from their vacant stares. The Taskmaster will not say what it is the commoners are expected to do, only that this is Formian territory as granted to them by the humans by law and that these humans are clearly in breach of contract. The Taskmaster can provide no evidence of this.

The party can kill the taskmater and its attendant workers/warriors or it can attempt a Bluff or Negotiate check to have the Taskmaster take the party to its Myrmarch. The taskmaster is to be considered "Unfriendly" for this purpose.

Next: Myrmarch (the plot thickens!)

BiggusGeekus · Jun 14, 2003

If the party has made it this far by violence, they will have to track the Myrmarch down (DC 15) and engage in a great deal of violence along the way. They will be able to release human hostages of varying ability (some with healing powers, some not). The Myrmarch will be ready for them (the advantage of being in a hive mind) and will order the party to "cease their unlawful activity" before attacking.

If the party gets this far by negotiation/bluffing the Myrmarch will explain that this land was ceded to the Formians 75 years ago and it is theirs by right of law. The Myrmarch will have more attendants around her (as she did not have to send them into battle) but she will be prepared for for the party.

In other words, the party can have lots of little fights to get to the Myrmarch, or brace themselves for one big one.

If the party has gotten there by non-violent means the Myrmarch will ask if the human lands want to re-negotiate the contract. If the party agrees, they will have 48 hours to get an official representitive or proof that they are the legal respresentives of the land (easy enough to get, the local rulers are out of their league on this one) or just lie about it (Bluff DC modifier +15, and the Myrmarch is unfriendly).

If the encounter degenerates into combat the Myrmarch will attempt to teleport to her queen if reduced below 40 hit points.

next: Queen formian and conclusion!