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[plots] What kinds of things would find in a Moria-like Dwarven complex?
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<blockquote data-quote="der_kluge" data-source="post: 1338509" data-attributes="member: 945"><p>My players stay out.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Next game session, the players are headed towards an ancient dwarven complex, not unlike Moria from LoTR.</p><p></p><p>One of the players is a dwarf, and his ancestry comes from this stronghold (the Firebeard clan). He had a vision a number of years ago to retrieve a dragonscale shield - of a red dragon. This is an oddity because red dragons don't exist in the world. At least, not anymore. An ice age that came about 200,000 years ago wiped them out - making this particular shield very old indeed.</p><p></p><p>The players are trapped on a lost continent, and the dwarf learned the location of his ancestral home. This dwarven complex is long abandoned. Before heading on this expedition, he had received another visiion from an ancestor that he should seek out the dwarven stronghold.</p><p></p><p>Now, this is what I'm thinking:</p><p></p><p>At the time of the ice age, there was a great cataclysm (think nuclear winter) and lots of creatures would have attempted to fight their way into this underground complex to escape the harsh realities of life on the surface. Hence, the dwarves would have massive defenses set up to defend. Eventually, they would prevail, and then the ice age would have set in. Red dragons would have been especially susceptible to the conditions and perhaps would have made a pact with the dwarves for safe-haven within their realm. I intend to have the dwarf find the mate to his dragonscale shield - a set of dragonscale armor, which, when combined with the shield will allow him to summon forth a red dragon to aid him in combat. This effect is usable once, and only once. The party is 11th level currently. Also, if I can make this dwarven complex large enough to occupy them for some time, that would be awesome. If they don't see the light of day until 13th level - fine by me.</p><p></p><p>So, I was thinking of turning all the inhabitants of the dwarven stronghold into Shadows. So, the place will literally be the home to like 1,000 shadows. This has the potential to be a TPK if the cleric runs out of turn undead. Shadows are weak, but they get strength draining touch attacks, so even an 11th level party that gets surrounded by 50 shadows will have some serious worrying to do.</p><p></p><p>Having a complex filled with undead like this unfortunately limits the other kinds of things I can put in there. Constructs and undead are really my only other choices. Living creatures would be bad anyway since there wouldn't be much of an ecology to speak of, unless something has figured out a way to eat shadows (unlikely). </p><p></p><p>Anyway, I'm rambling at this point. Just wanted some feedback on how I can make this work, without it becoming drudgery. I was thinking of having a shadow dragon be in there somewhere. And traps - traps, traps, traps, everywhere.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="der_kluge, post: 1338509, member: 945"] My players stay out. Next game session, the players are headed towards an ancient dwarven complex, not unlike Moria from LoTR. One of the players is a dwarf, and his ancestry comes from this stronghold (the Firebeard clan). He had a vision a number of years ago to retrieve a dragonscale shield - of a red dragon. This is an oddity because red dragons don't exist in the world. At least, not anymore. An ice age that came about 200,000 years ago wiped them out - making this particular shield very old indeed. The players are trapped on a lost continent, and the dwarf learned the location of his ancestral home. This dwarven complex is long abandoned. Before heading on this expedition, he had received another visiion from an ancestor that he should seek out the dwarven stronghold. Now, this is what I'm thinking: At the time of the ice age, there was a great cataclysm (think nuclear winter) and lots of creatures would have attempted to fight their way into this underground complex to escape the harsh realities of life on the surface. Hence, the dwarves would have massive defenses set up to defend. Eventually, they would prevail, and then the ice age would have set in. Red dragons would have been especially susceptible to the conditions and perhaps would have made a pact with the dwarves for safe-haven within their realm. I intend to have the dwarf find the mate to his dragonscale shield - a set of dragonscale armor, which, when combined with the shield will allow him to summon forth a red dragon to aid him in combat. This effect is usable once, and only once. The party is 11th level currently. Also, if I can make this dwarven complex large enough to occupy them for some time, that would be awesome. If they don't see the light of day until 13th level - fine by me. So, I was thinking of turning all the inhabitants of the dwarven stronghold into Shadows. So, the place will literally be the home to like 1,000 shadows. This has the potential to be a TPK if the cleric runs out of turn undead. Shadows are weak, but they get strength draining touch attacks, so even an 11th level party that gets surrounded by 50 shadows will have some serious worrying to do. Having a complex filled with undead like this unfortunately limits the other kinds of things I can put in there. Constructs and undead are really my only other choices. Living creatures would be bad anyway since there wouldn't be much of an ecology to speak of, unless something has figured out a way to eat shadows (unlikely). Anyway, I'm rambling at this point. Just wanted some feedback on how I can make this work, without it becoming drudgery. I was thinking of having a shadow dragon be in there somewhere. And traps - traps, traps, traps, everywhere. [/QUOTE]
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[plots] What kinds of things would find in a Moria-like Dwarven complex?
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