I thought that the NPC gnomish scientist in my Spelljammer campaign might be taking up too much time, so I contrived to remove him from the story, at least for a length of time. However, it would seem the PCs are quite taken with him and want to get him back.
Right now, the three PCs (4th level Bard, Fighter, Psion[nomad]) at a mercenary fort on Verdura. This means that 'real' civilization is about a week's travel by ship. They've employed a mercenary ranger to find Tombunckle (the gnome); he has a written description and knows where he was last seen and the direction where he said he was going. My current plan is to have a lizardfolk emissary come to the fort and demand some outrageous concession in exchange for the lives of their prisoners: Tombunckle and the mercenaries' siege engineer (lvl 3 expert) and a pair of regular mercenaries (who persuaded Tombunckle to leave with them when their path crossed the party's). Around nightfall, the ranger returns to tell the PCs that Tombunckle has been taken prisoner (thanks, Sherlock) and that he knows where he is being held. The mercenary commander, fearing an ambush, won't send his troops to recover them, but the PCs are independent and can go if they would like to (anything that kills a few lizardfolk and gets these obnoxious, egotistical spaceheads out of his camp at the same time is a great thing in the commander's mind). The ranger will come with them for money, while some or all of a rival adventuring party could be persuaded to help in exchange for information that the PCs managed to get to before them. The NPC party includes a cleric (travel and destruction domains), a rogue/warrior, and a psionic warrior. Verdura is more or less entirely a hot, rainy planet, and the terrain for the lizardfolks' home turf will all be jungle and swamp.
Knowing these things, help me design a prison that will put the PCs' abilities to good use. I'd like there to be a situation which rewards the PCs for sharing their information (should they choose to do so) so they don't feel like they just get hosed - for instance, the cleric's silence could help them sneak the clumsy prisoners out undetected if there is some way they are hidden from view, while his fly spell (travel domain) could make an unusually-located prison accessible. Probably this should not be an encounter that can be won through brute strength, though it may be possible for them to smash their way in, grab the prisoners, and make a clean getaway before reinforcements arrive if they hurry.
I was thinking about something along the lines of a cage or a net suspended above a gorge, or sitting on a large flat rock in the middle of an otherwise-raging river. What other situations might be good? What kinds of guards should there be? Where should I put them, and how should they patrol?
Thanks much in advance for your time, all you rat bastards!
Right now, the three PCs (4th level Bard, Fighter, Psion[nomad]) at a mercenary fort on Verdura. This means that 'real' civilization is about a week's travel by ship. They've employed a mercenary ranger to find Tombunckle (the gnome); he has a written description and knows where he was last seen and the direction where he said he was going. My current plan is to have a lizardfolk emissary come to the fort and demand some outrageous concession in exchange for the lives of their prisoners: Tombunckle and the mercenaries' siege engineer (lvl 3 expert) and a pair of regular mercenaries (who persuaded Tombunckle to leave with them when their path crossed the party's). Around nightfall, the ranger returns to tell the PCs that Tombunckle has been taken prisoner (thanks, Sherlock) and that he knows where he is being held. The mercenary commander, fearing an ambush, won't send his troops to recover them, but the PCs are independent and can go if they would like to (anything that kills a few lizardfolk and gets these obnoxious, egotistical spaceheads out of his camp at the same time is a great thing in the commander's mind). The ranger will come with them for money, while some or all of a rival adventuring party could be persuaded to help in exchange for information that the PCs managed to get to before them. The NPC party includes a cleric (travel and destruction domains), a rogue/warrior, and a psionic warrior. Verdura is more or less entirely a hot, rainy planet, and the terrain for the lizardfolks' home turf will all be jungle and swamp.
Knowing these things, help me design a prison that will put the PCs' abilities to good use. I'd like there to be a situation which rewards the PCs for sharing their information (should they choose to do so) so they don't feel like they just get hosed - for instance, the cleric's silence could help them sneak the clumsy prisoners out undetected if there is some way they are hidden from view, while his fly spell (travel domain) could make an unusually-located prison accessible. Probably this should not be an encounter that can be won through brute strength, though it may be possible for them to smash their way in, grab the prisoners, and make a clean getaway before reinforcements arrive if they hurry.
I was thinking about something along the lines of a cage or a net suspended above a gorge, or sitting on a large flat rock in the middle of an otherwise-raging river. What other situations might be good? What kinds of guards should there be? Where should I put them, and how should they patrol?
Thanks much in advance for your time, all you rat bastards!
