Pathfinder 1E I need a Puzzle Boss (ideas to finish dungeon)

[Palocles]

My PCs are about to enter the final boss area of the current dungeon and i want to make it a puzzle boss encounter but can't think how to do it.

They have been moving down through an old mine taken over by Hobgoblins in thrall to Devils, freeing captives. They are level 4 (tank fighter, druid, sorc and rogue) and have just defeated a bearded Devil and his hobgob goons. They have used most of their healing and and will be moving on shortly.

A magic door in the entrance covers their backs but it's about to start to being hammered by hobgobs/ogres/ a giant. This is for a "no way back" atmosphere.

Moving further down they will find that the big bad is a bone devil and he/it has enslaved a fire giant clan and is forcing their leader to forge weapons for his own master. The encounter location is your standard underground lava lake with an exit beyond. The exit is locked but the bone devil has the "key".

Hopefully my PCs will realise the bone devil is beyond their abilities and look for an alternative way to defeat it. My idea is that if they can free the lead fire giant the two will fight FG will sacrifice himself to defeat BD and free the PCs because they freed his clan.

So i need to figure out how to make a puzzle out of this situation. Younger fire giants will be kept in some kind of cages and are being used as leverage against the clan leader. I'm giving some "elemental gems" as loot, one for each classic element so would like to incorporate these some how. The gems could be in various sockets creating a magic cages...

The refugees who have been freed will be crowding along behind and need a safe way through too. So the PCs can't find some way to squeeze out with out them.

My game night is next tuesday, so any ideas, please fire away. Thanks.

(I thought there was a DMs section here but i can't find one now)

 

[GMMichael]

Caged fire giants is good. Each one can be released for help. I'm thinking the PCs need to cross the lava lake, and each fire giant that they free will act as another turtle shell (see: Frogger) over which they can bound across the lake.

But maybe lakes of lava aren't a problem for your PCs.

You'll have to figure out how the fire giant smith is bound. Is he wearing a ball and chain? Will the bone devil scourge him if he leaves the forge? More details.

You can show your PCs that they don't want to mess with the bone devil with a scene like this:

"Across the lake of lava, something big, boney, and horrific shambles toward a massive cage. In the cage, a dozen fire giants cower against the back, as far from the door as possible. The horrible devil opens the cage door, reaches in, and grasps the nearest fire giant with two charred claws. In a supernaturally fast move, its jaw closes over the giant's head and rips it off before you're sure what happened. Then it throws the dead giant to the ground outside the cage, and slams the door shut."

 

[Palocles]

Thanks DMM.

I hadn't thought about having extra fire giants the PCs could free to help them a bit. That can add some more depth to the whole scenario. They are definitely not problem free with lava lakes.

I was thinking more about the set up and imagined that the chief FG would be on some sort of island in the middle with his forge and was being kept there through duress or some kind. Mainly threats to his family, who would have been in a visible cage somewhere around the edge of the lake. Now they can be in several cages, specifically four, one for each PC or each elemental gem.

The leader was to be free-able by each of the EGems being removed from their sockets simultaneously. He would then attack the BD and scripted fight would lead to everyone getting out of the dungeon. I thought there could be a "magic line" leading from each gem socket to the central island, visible with detect magic, that would indicate that each gem was contributing to his captivity.

I really like that flavour text you've written. I wasn't planning to have the BD kill any FGs but it sets the scene very well and i can combine it with an order to work faster or "Now, get to your forge!" to keep it in theme.

Another thought i had was that i could make each gem require a task suited to each PC to get to it. Ie. (and this is about as far as i've got so far) one would be in a position in the open that the rogue would have to sneak to. One could require a strength feat for the fighter... dunno.

I think there is still room for more "things" to be involved in this scenario though so any other ideas, from any one, i'd still like to hear.

I was also thinking of a dark room full of spikes trap as a lead in to this encounter. The PCs will find a piece of skin with a zigzaging line drawn on it, on the body of a recently defeated mini boss. Later when trying to find a way out they find a room magically darkened. Stepping too far into the room springs a trap for modest damage. To get through the PCs have to figure out which way is up on the zigzag skin. This will also have to be disabled to let the refugees through safely afterwards.

 

[wlmartin]

My PCs are about to enter the final boss area of the current dungeon and i want to make it a puzzle boss encounter but can't think how to do it.

They have been moving down through an old mine taken over by Hobgoblins in thrall to Devils, freeing captives. They are level 4 (tank fighter, druid, sorc and rogue) and have just defeated a bearded Devil and his hobgob goons. They have used most of their healing and and will be moving on shortly.

A magic door in the entrance covers their backs but it's about to start to being hammered by hobgobs/ogres/ a giant. This is for a "no way back" atmosphere.

Moving further down they will find that the big bad is a bone devil and he/it has enslaved a fire giant clan and is forcing their leader to forge weapons for his own master. The encounter location is your standard underground lava lake with an exit beyond. The exit is locked but the bone devil has the "key".

Hopefully my PCs will realise the bone devil is beyond their abilities and look for an alternative way to defeat it. My idea is that if they can free the lead fire giant the two will fight FG will sacrifice himself to defeat BD and free the PCs because they freed his clan.

So i need to figure out how to make a puzzle out of this situation. Younger fire giants will be kept in some kind of cages and are being used as leverage against the clan leader. I'm giving some "elemental gems" as loot, one for each classic element so would like to incorporate these some how. The gems could be in various sockets creating a magic cages...

The refugees who have been freed will be crowding along behind and need a safe way through too. So the PCs can't find some way to squeeze out with out them.

My game night is next tuesday, so any ideas, please fire away. Thanks.

(I thought there was a DMs section here but i can't find one now)

DDO has a really good example in the Reaver quest, fighting the Reaver requires a lot of specific puzzle solving

A lot of DDO quests involve puzzle solving, well worth a look for inspiration

 

[Palocles]

Unfortunately i don't really have time for that. Thanks though.