Stocking a Fire Dungeon

[Remathilis]

Ok, lava fans and fire elementalists, time to turn up the heat!

I'm stocking a dungeon (using the map to the Hall of Huhuetoetl from dungeon 103, reposted below) to become a fiery dungeons for my PCs. I want some help. The dungeon is a temple found in Xen'drik (Eberron) run by fire-giants and their sulatar (fire-binder) drow elf slaves. The PCs are there to find a powerful magical item and some story-related junk (not necessary to this post) and I'm putting them through hell.

The group is 11th level (3.5). What I'm looking for is awesome fire-related traps, fire-monsters of appropriate CR, and other fiery goodness. Give me your best ideas.

Thanks!

 

[Bumbles]

Feature all the elements of fire. Things that can burn. Things that are burning. Smoke. Ashes.

 

[Robert Ranting]

I recently ran a fire dungeon for my 10th level PCs, so I'm familiar with the sort of monsters you'll be looking at, although generally speaking my DM style relies more on environmental/terrain factors than Gygaxian deathtraps. That said, consider that in addition to flames and heat, volcanic areas are often rife with toxic gases which can be just as deadly, and which creatures of the fire subtype are not necessarily immune to.

Out of the MM1, you have plenty of monsters to work with in addition to the fire giants. For starters, your PCs are at the level where an adult brass, gold, or red dragon isn't out of the question, and being as this is Eberron, it's entirely possible such a creature is acting "out of character", with even the metallics working alongside the fire giants. Alternately, a 8-12 headed Pyrohydra could serve the same role, or a red dragon skeleton. Giving the fire giant leader an Efreeti ally or minion can also grant him a few nasty surprise abilities, perhaps enlarging him to huge size, or gaining the benefit of a wish against the PCs. Azers, despite their low CR, have well rounded ability scores, making them good candidates for minions of various classes, from fighters and barbarians to wizards and clerics. Salamanders are also good at providing a mix of melee and artillery. Nessian Warhounds (hellhounds) also work well for this sort of theme, and at CR 9 can spice up an encounter with a mixed group. Finally, the Rast, a CR 5 creature, when advanced to 12HD is about CR 9-10, and would add a bit of flying con damage for variety, since your PCs are probably going to be prepared for lots of fire, and probably not for blood drain.

Beyond the core books, I would have to know what you have access to. Fiend Folio, The other four MMs, the Creature Collections from Sword & Sorcery, and the Tome of Horrors series from Necromancer Games all have plenty of good options for a dungeon such as this, and there are a couple monsters in Denizens of Avadnu I might reccommend if you have access to it.

 

[Twowolves]

Well, the first thing that comes to my mind are the various fire templates ("Ignan" from Strange Lands: Lost Tribes of the Scarred Lands book or the "Elemental: Fire" template from the 3.0 Monster's Handbook), as well as the "Magma" and "Smoke" templates from Advanced Bestiary. These will massivley expand the range of monsters you have to work with. Then of course there are Elementals, Salamanders, Magmin, Fire Mephits, Pyrohydras ("-hydrae"?), Red Dragons, Fire Snakes (Tome of Horrors), Fire Lizards (also ToH), Red Abishai (Monsters of Faerun), etc etc etc.

Also don't forget the whole "Iron" tie in, with Walls of Iron, Iron Golems (constantly being healed by the magical fire that should be ubiquitous), Iron Devils (Creature Catalog II I think).

As for traps, make just breathing the smoky air force Fort saves from smoke inhalation for fatigue and/or temporary damage, and targeted Dispel Magic traps (to get rid of those pesky Endure Elements/Resist Fire/Protection from Fire spells). Noxious gasses, oil jets, flame gouts, iron spear traps, all would fit in.

Finally, take a page from 1st ed, namely the Slavers series: have a human with a ring of fire resistance stand in a cooking fire and fling globs of searing hot grease (a la flaming oil/alchemist's fire) at the party! (Double cool points if he's blind too).

 

[Wycen]

That map should have inspired everyone just from the name.

Blood. Fire and blood are primal elements that go great together. Think of Aztec sacrifices or Pele the volcanic goddess.

Maybe blood golems or burning land-sharks or maybe the burning wheel angels from Sean K. Reynalds Anger of Angels Overview if you want to introduce a moral quandry.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

How about a Gunpowder Elemental?



Think of the movies Firestarter and Backdraft, or that episode of the X-Files with the pyrokineticst.

Think of Pompeii. Think of Journey to the Center of the Earth and the giant asbestos bowl that protected everyone from incineration when the volcano blew.

Think of all those computer and video adventure games that featured inconveniently placed firepits...and bad footing.

The dungeon will be stifilingly hot. They'll sweat. Heck, they'll cook if they're in metal armor! They should be making Fort saves to see if they start suffering from heat exhaustion. (There may be rules for that in the D&D supplement, Sandstorm- [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Sandstorm-Mastering-Dungeons-Roleplaying-Supplement/dp/078693655X]Amazon.com: Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement): Bruce R. Cordell, Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes, J. D. Wiker: Books[/ame])

 

[jaerdaph]

Fire and Brimstone! Lava Rules For Your Game

 

[blargney the second]

Wasn't there a magmacore golem in one of the later 3.5 monster manuals? I seem to remember that one particularly piquing my interest.

Aren't the Sulatar elemental binders? You could have some really neat moving bits of scenery powered by bound fire elementals.
-blarg

 

[Thanael]

Coal Golem
3-Headed Fire-Breathing elite Stone Giant

Textsearch for fire here: http://dmtools.org/index.php?sort=campaign for monsters NPCs to use/adapt.

Also check out http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3r...681-fire-elementals-unique-fun-abilities.html

 

[Thanael]

Steal some ideas from Rechan's monster palette:

Battling the Volcano God and his Sacrificing Worshipers
*Orog Militant (Dungeon Magazine) reskinned as a genasi tribal warrior.
*Elf scout with different powers, again a genasi warrior.
*Reskinned, levelled up Kobold Slinger.
*Reskined (and altered) Duerger Theurge (Thunderspire).
*Reskinned Urvost, Master Smith.
*Magma Claw.
*Fire Bat.
*Runeflame Skeleton (Return to the Moathouse
*Reskinned Orc Bloodrager (Volcano God)
*Reskinned Gelatinous Cube (Sentient Magma Flow)
*Human lackeys.