Help needed with Encounters for a 9th level party (Eberron, but anything goes)

[Bront]

Ok, I've never been good at creating encounters with non-humanoid beasties, and would like to get a good one or two in in my next adventure.

My Party:
Half-Orc Fighter 1\Monk 8 - Uses a Longspear and he can flurry with it.
Kalashtar Soulblade 9 - Has the sub levels, is quite deadly and has the best AC of the party
Halfling Cleric 9 - Full Plate Halbard wielding cleric of Dol Arrah, has all the Jorasco marks he can. Occasional spokeman.
Human Fighter 4\Cleric 3\Warpriest 2 - Dual Shortword Wielding tactician, and occasional spokesman.
Elf Noble\Fighter (Not sure of level mix) - Mounted combat and archery, though not exclusively. Likely a party spokesman as well.
Warforged Scout Rogue 2\Ranger 3\Scout 4 - Not the best trapsmith, though getting better, he's fairly mobile for a little guy (Base 40'), and an excelent shot with a bow.

They are probably a little better equiped than their level, so can in theory up the challenge of an encounter by 1 if you're calculating it.

They'll be heading into the Mournlands looking for the Lord of Blades (and my personal campaign's stance on how the Mournlands act will likely be different than the official one, still working on exactly what they will be). I need some Living Construct encounters, and some other encounters with odd beasts/creatures/living.

Encounters the party has had before.

Squidforged - Custom Monster Rystil Arden helped me stat out. Was pretty cool.
Anchient Warforged Titans - 1000 years of decay ment that they weren't in fully functional shape. This was nearly a deadly encounter (They were 5th level at the time and had no magical weapons).
Elven Raiders - in Arenal, a charming elf convinced some others to attack the party to try to take out the noble.
Their shaddows - The party had 2 warforged that seemed to be heading wherever they were heading. They found their bodies on Valen's Isle (where they met the Titans) in Arenal.
Barghasts - Bribed to attack them, though they never figured that out.
Warforged Skeletons - Custom creatures, were sort of a zombie/skeleton mix with living construct traits as well.

While something within my theme would be good, I'm open to anything, particularly because my Mournlands are fairly wide open.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Land Outcast]

I dunno if these are the style you are searching for but...

Three of these guys should do the trick...
[sblock=Steel Stalker]
Steel Stalker
Size/Type: Construct (Living Construct)
Hit Dice: 10d10+40 (95 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), Climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 23 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +10 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+20
Attack: Bite +17 melee (2d6+13)
Full Attack: Bite +17 melee (2d6+13) and 2 Claws +12 (1d6+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trip, Subdual Strikes
Special Qualities: Arcane sight, Darkvision 60ft, DR 5/Adamantine, scent, see invisibility, SR 20 (12+CR)
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +9
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 19, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +19, Jump +23, Listen +10, Move Silently +29, Spot +10, Survival +15*
Feats: Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (Bite), Run, Track(B), Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary or pack (5-8)
Challenge Rating: 8
Steel Stalkers are efficient pack hunters created to chase fugitives or anyone their master desires. Some packs of steel stalkers are known to have gone independant, selling their services to the highest bidder.

Steel Stalkers are sleek feline-like constructs covered completly by darkened steel plates, about 9 feet long and weighing 1000 kg.

Combat
Steel Stalkers prefer to attack in packs, surrounding and flanking a foe when they can.

Trip (Ex)
A Steel Stalker that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+13 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the Steel Stalker.

Subdual Strikes (Ex)
When needing to retrieve a prey alive, the steel stalker retracts its teeth and claw, effectively delivering subdual damage at no penalty.

arcane sight (Sp)
As the spell, always active, caster level = HD.

see invisibility (Sp)
As the spell, always active, caster level = HD.

Skills
A Steel Stalker has a +6 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.

*It also has a +8 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

Advancement: 11-30 HD (Large)
18 HD: Change See Invisibility for True seeing, Change DR to 10/adamantine.
26 HD: Change Arcane Sight for Greater Arcane Sight, Change DR to 15/adamantine.
30 HD: Add Discern Location 3/day as a spell-like ability, Change DR to DR 15/-.
[/sblock]

 

[PK]

Almost any creature with a tainted or fiendish template applied to it can work well in the Mournlands. I also like incorporeal creatures.

For ideas, check out the Mournland Horrors thread on the Wizards Eberron boards. 650 posts of Mournland encounters: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=407341

 

[blargney the second]

One thing I've often wondered is how the Mourning affected creatures below Cyre in Khyber. Maybe they're emerging...

 

[ceratitis]

we took on an aboleth with some croonies at that level. all failed saves with really bad rolls taking out all the spellcasters. was a tough one, but lots of fun. we run away to recover and lost a major chunk of the treasure
Z

 

[Remathilis]

If they go by sea, there is the Steel Kracken from Five Nations...

consider giving the pesudonatural template (Comp Arcane, Lords of Madness, Tome & Blood, probably elsewhere) to normal things.

or opening a small rift to a dark plane, like Mabar (the eternal night) for some outsider goodness.

 

[demiurge1138]

Mourn-trolls. Trolls with either the fiendish, pseudonatural or (if you're feeling really mean) the corrupted template (corrupted is in the BOVD). The key to the fear in this encounter is that the trolls still regenerate, even in the Mournlands. Put them in some horrible terrain that they can live through, like fields of jagged rocks or a forest of thorns. The Mourn-trolls are smart enough to lure and trap PCs in areas that'll shred them, but that the trolls can heal.

If you have access to the Advanced Bestiary by Green Ronin, there's a "flesh plant" template - turns a plant creature into a twisted mockery of an animal, thirsty for blood. And use vermin. Lots of vermin. They'd be the only nearly-normal animals able to survive in such a desolate region. Doesn't mean you can't still give them all sorts of awful templates, though.

Demiurge out.

 

[Bront]

Oooh, Trolls are fun, that sounds enjoyable.

BTW, people talk about the no healing in the Mournlands, but I've never seen where that's officialy spelled out. Where is that?

 

[D'karr]

BTW, people talk about the no healing in the Mournlands, but I've never seen where that's officialy spelled out. Where is that?

Eberron Campaign Setting, pg 188 See the Government and Politics section. Weird place for the info if you ask me...

 

[dogoftheunderworld]

Eberron Campaign Setting, pg 188 See the Government and Politics section...

What D'karr said. I knew it was in there somewhere, but had to look it up and was beaten to the post. I've houseruled it to 1/2 healing instead of none (I think this may have even been suggested by Keith Baker at one point... but it's been a while back now, so I could be wrong).

As far as monsters:

1. Advanced Warforged Titan. Now that they've seen one in action and know what to expect, time to give them a not-so-ancient version that's ready for action!

2. Cadavar Collecter. Oh, yeah.

3. Charnel Hound.

4. Living Spells -- maybe a Chilling Fog or Glitterfire to soften them up