I need some help locking the tower

BluWolf · Mar 19, 2002

The main plot in my current campaign (as the PCs have just discovered) involves a vampire goblin named Lord Hex who is trying to gain access to an evil tower known as the Goblin tower. The tower is rumored to bestow fiendish powers and allies to he who sits on the throne (Half Fiend template with some Fiendish cohorts thrown in).

If Lord Hex gets into the tower he will forge a goblin/devil army and subjogate the surrounding goody goodies.

The players know he has tried to get in and has failed. They are going to see an old sage (there is always an old sage) to find out more about he tower and how it was locked. So they can figure out Lord Hex's next move.
Here is where I am stuck. How do I lock this tower so that the bad guy needs to seek something (key, object person) that the players can try and go after to stop him.

They party (of 8 PCs) is about 3rd lvl avg and Lord Hex is probably ECl 12, so I don't want them dancing just yet.

Any advice???

Nightfall · Mar 19, 2002

Easily, it's sealed away in a pocket plane, that can only be accessed once a century when the moon and other planar bodies are in proper alignment AND they have the right key, which an evil intelligent sword. There in the plane is the key, a book of great power that has the access codes/words of power that can unlock the tower.

Of course the sage won't release the sword to just ANYONE. They have to go through some heavy trials/quests BEFORE they can gain access to the sword.

That help any?

Gargoyle · Mar 19, 2002

Well, since he's a vampire, maybe he needs someone who rightfully owns the tower to invite him in.

Perhaps he's trying to find and kidnap the descendants of the original owners so that they will be coerced into inviting him inside. The whole campaign could involve finding these innocent (or sometimes not so innocent) people and protecting them from the villain's lackeys. Maybe all the PCs have to do is pay each descendant a small amount (100gp or so) for their share of the tower. Of course, this means that the PCs become part owners as well, and eventually the bloodsucking goblin will figure this out (when you're ready for him to) and will go after them.

You can have as many descendants out there as you wish. Maybe the sage has a deed with their family names on it. (all peculiar, unique names) and he tells them what they must do.

Sounds like you've got some good ideas. Usually, the plot is to keep something from escaping, not from getting in.

BluWolf · Mar 19, 2002

Actually the tower IS made of semi-planar type stuff?? It holds a gate to hell and is made from stones from Hell.

A few hundred years ago the goody goodies defeated the previous owners and tried to raise the tower. No dice.

So they placed protective wards and spells on the tower to seal it.

I was hoping some of you all might have some input as to a layered spell type approach that might work. Maybe with a true ritual from Relics & Rituals??? I'm not that familiar with the spells in that tome.

I was thinking something like a REALLy powerful protection from evil or consecrate spell with out a duration limit??

Nightfall · Mar 19, 2002

Well you're in luck since I'm the seminal authority on R&R.

True Rituals are spells, BUT are DAMN powerful spells. They make wish and miracle (at least at compareable levels) look rather trite...

Thus a 9th level True Ritual can do what you want, such as imprison/hold the tower as well as keep it from opening up Hell. That said, it's probably unknown to most of the spell casting brethren as only wizards can cast a wizard's true ritual, a cleric can only cast a clercial true ritual and so on. So a cabal of good good wizards COULD do with a fairly powerful true ritual bind and keep out any evil that might try to enter under specific conditions.

BluWolf · Mar 19, 2002

OK, let's say a group of goodly folk ( Clerics and Mages) cast two seprate true rituals on the tower to try and seal it against entry.

There has to be away to defeat the rituals or this plot hook is dead in the water. I don't want to make an opponent single handely powerful enough to break the rituals himself or the player's will just give up and either join him or look for something else to do. So there has to be either a key or a loop hole he can exploit??

I like Gargoyle's suggestion about being invited in by the owners but it doesn't quite fit as the tower was raised through infernal magic and is not really owned. But I don like the idea that something about him being a vampire provides him a loophole.

Let make the assumption that the two rituals were put in place to prevent two different things.

The clerics were trying to stop anyone evil from entering. (pro from evil, hallowed, glyph's of warding..)

The wizards were trying to stop anyone from using arcane power to enter. (disple magic, TP, DD, passwall, ghostfrom...)

Are there any obvious loopholes here (baring a mind controlled lawful good vrigin, too hack)??

Nightfall · Mar 19, 2002

Well this leaves room for anything CHAOTIC to get through as well as any lawful, thus CN, LN, NG, CG, and LG alignments CAN enter.

If you want, you could make it so that tower bars any unliving creature and planar creature of evil and lawful alignment not be able to pass, PLUS keep out any attempts by arcane magics. BUT someone CAN enter IF they have a key, OR have access to tome WHICH can be the true rituals to undo the other true rituals.

That help any?

BluWolf · Mar 19, 2002

Here is an idea.

The two seperate rituals cast required a great personal sacrifice (massive xp) from 1 of the caster from each group. This sacrifice was so great it actually bound the souls of 1 wizard and 1 cleric too the protective ring around the tower. When these persons died thier souls ended up there.

Lord Hex has figured out if he can find the remains of these two and have them resurrected thier souls will be removed from the protective ring and the ritual broken. Hmmm?

BluWolf · Mar 19, 2002

Nevermind. I just checked. Ressurection will only reach back 10 years per caster level. The shaman is only 8th level. The tower was sealed over 200 years ago.

Head starting to hurt......

DM with a vengence · Mar 19, 2002

How about this.

The key to opening the wards to the tower were placed in a Temple of Pelor, which at some point was overwhelmed by the forces of evil and is now the home of assorted monsters. Since Lord Hex can under no circumstance enter a place so opposed to vampires as even a ruined temple of Heironeous, now the PCs must race his minions to uncover the relic. Toss in a search for clues to the where-abouts of this temple and you have the making of a really cool campaign.