Help With Dwarven Vault

[Shallown]

My players will be venturing into a Dwarven vault in the future. (about 6 sessions or so) and I am starting work on designing some of the stuff there so I can foreshadow and reveal some of the info with good Knowledge / research rolls (which would happen in like 2 sessions therefore the reason for asking now)

What I was thinking is this was the dwarven city were the society as it is was founded after a long period of slavery. It hasn't been occupied by dwarves for 12-15 hundred years and then was only occupied for like 5-8 hundred. So it won't be as large as the characters expect but it has a vault for the high treasures that was not emptied out before they had to abondon the city. I want the vault to be cool , inventive and majestic. So I need some help with ideas.

I am looking for puzzle / traps that are based on the dwarven mindset and society.

Here are the ideas I have so far.

A varienty of chess with miners, ore carts etc where the characters would play to win to get pass. I am stearing away from them actually being the pieces but suffering some loss when they lose a piece stat damage or straight damage.

A forge where the players would have to forge the key to enter a lock. Can't be picked, can't be knocked etc.

a trap or series of rams, swinging chains etc that must be danced through. I am stealing this right from PC's story hour and since my players don't read ENworld I should be safe.

I am designing these all so players have a resonable chance to pass through eventually but of course I don't want a cake walk either. Tough as hell to balance. If it helps they will be 11th-12th with a fair mix of classes including a useful Bard to help with the ancient crap.


Any other ideas... hopefully more brilliant than mine.

thanks.

later

 

[Piratecat]

Well, I think you've already read all of my best ideas.

I had to balance out the fact that some really clever methods (knowledge of old dwarven legends, etc.) just aren't very much fun in actual play. I didn't want to say "Roll a profession: miner check. Make it? The key is..." Perhaps the best method is to give the player all the clues, and let them put them all together.

 

[jdrake3]

Other Ideas

I ran an adventure that sent the characters to a Dwarven stronghold, and into the mines beneath.

I used the mines as an entrance to the Underdark, and had the old dwarven mining outpost currently inhabited by Drow. Also their objective was protected by a deep dragon. This proved quite challenging, yet rewarding for the PC's, and it introduced a rival for possible future use (the drow leader). There were also some chances for random encounters involving Umber hulks and the like.

I would suggest using some third party having setup shop in the ruins, as an opener to the traps and the like.

You could use traps similar to Indiana Jones and the last crusade, in addition to those you listed. Also a stone lever style trap could be interesting, where the PC's have to move one stone/boulder onto on end in order to open a door/passage on the other side. Certianly traps based on Dwarven racial abilities and darkvision would be appropriate as well.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[iwatt]

These are dwarves, there's gotta be some drinking involved. A Ward that can only be bipassed safely by having a high enough blood alcohol level

 

[Piratecat]

These are dwarves, there's gotta be some drinking involved. A Ward that can only be bipassed safely by having a high enough blood alcohol level

That's freakin' brilliant. Good idea!

 

[iwatt]

That's freakin' brilliant. Good idea!

Yup, none of my all-dwarf parties makes it out of the inn.

 

[Shallown]

I agree with PC Iwatt that is freaking brilliant. Funny thing is the party lost (he killed himself more or less) the one character who could probably walk pass the ward at any given moment.

I will add that one with an appriopriate poem or song/chant that would be the clue.

Andf Yes PC I stole ideas like crazy. I'm a bad, bad boy... but a Rat bastard GM



Come on every one else some ideas please.

Don't make me beg.

Later

 

[Cecil]

A lock based off of weights...you can provide clues as to the correct weight.

A ward that can only be passed by someone bearing a specific talisman:
Options: Holy symbol of the dwarven god
Clan crest
Fingerbone of clan enemy (only works if deceased--living ones are barred entry)

 

[Shallown]

The weight puzzle sounds interesting. I will have to work something out for that one.

Thanks

Anyone else?

 

[iwatt]

I agree with PC Iwatt that is freaking brilliant. Funny thing is the party lost (he killed himself more or less) the one character who could probably walk pass the ward at any given moment.

My party still has there own. He's going around with an endless decanter of....beer.