D&D turned up to 11.

[Li Shenron]

At least plan an encounter with the following classic monsters!

- Dragons (obviously), at least Red, White, Blue and Black
- Beholders
- Displacer beasts
- Dopplegangers
- Drow
- Elementals of various types and sizes
- Gargoyles
- Gelatinous cubes
- Giants, pick your favourites
- Giant spiders
- Gnolls
- Golems, pick your favourites
- Hydra of Lerna
- Illithids (Mind Flayers)
- Minotaur, equipped with a maze
- Ogres
- Orcs
- Rust monsters
- Sphinx, equipped with riddles
- Succubus
- Trolls
- Undead... lots of them! Make sure to include Vampires and a Lich or two
- Werewolves
- Worgs

And of course evil cultists with their various summoned horrors, evil mad wizards and evil BBEG with armor spikes

 

[BriarMonkey]

Does Character ascension to deific status count?

And don't forget the building/gaining of a keep and the associated hordes of followers.

 

[ThaDium]

By "turning it up to 11", I mean I want to do ALL of the over the top D&D tropes. My hope is to turn them slightly on their head or do them tongue planted firmly in cheek. Because we can only run once a month, a deep level of immersion is hard to attain. Consequently, the fun seems to come from either epicness or slight parody camp. (Not of the summer variety; more the old Batman tv show.) Hence, my reference to Spinal Tap.

One PC has already requested an Underdark excursion which will lead to demon, Orcs and Drow. In the game world, the dwarves and gnomes have been booted from their underground homes by a nation of demon aligned orcs. My current thought, based on your calls for a grow invasion is to twist that by having the PCs get caught in the middle of a drow plan to invade the orc realm after they learn that the orcs are planning to invade the surface world.

This makes the PC problem: Do they help the drow and hope that stops the orc invasion of the surface world? Do they thwart the drow because they're drow and then deal with the orcs? Play both again each other? Some other option? Seems to have a lot going for it.

Into the above level 10-15ish scenario, I figure I'll throw in the Sword of Kas. It makes for a good artifact to have them destroy and if necessary, it can easily disappear during the confusion only to reemerge later on in the hands of some other world conquering despot.

Right now, they're brining their city states's tribute to the capital city. So, it's forest travel and small town adventures once they leave the city. I like the giant idea. Maybe I'll have some they re basically using a local village as a type of veal farm with people in the place of baby cows.

Mainly, I'm looking to do classic style D&D encounters throughout the campaign, and I want to make sure I hit all the classic highlights and stereotypes. Each with the "Turn it up to 11" twist I hopefully explained clearly up above.

Thanks for the help you've already given. I appreciate it.

 

[Sekhmet]

Dandu, I have just not seen enough of you lately since I've been haunting the 5e boards.

No, my point is that I don't know what he wants us to turn up to 11. The intensity of the campaign is subjective to say the least and doesn't give us anywhere to start. Not to mention that what is 11 to us might be a 4.5 to him. Plus we don't know what to be focusing on. If he thinks that he needs to boost his magic items then I'm sure we can suggest ways of getting there - from suggesting higher level gear or more money or even coming up with new artifacts for him to use. But that information is useless if he wants spicier kingdoms, with true moral quandaries and racist elves and whatnot. I want to know what he wants up to 11. Give us examples or a direction to go with. I've noticed that people on ENworld are VERY creative if given the chance but we just need to know what he wants to do beyond "turn the game up to 11".

This is the sound of cultural references going over someone's head.

 

[Tovec]

This is the sound of cultural references going over someone's head.

 

[Sekhmet]

My sides hurt, and everyone thinks I'm crazy now.
Thanks.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Back to the OP, If you want to take a classic D&D concept and turn it on it's ear, how about have a region where the Half-Dragon template is applied to everything? Dragon's will breed with anybody.

Half-Dragon cows. Half Dragon Beholder. Half Dragon Rust Monsters.

And someplace in the marshes, a Bronze Dragon with a few levels of Drunken Master.

 

[Tovec]

Back to the OP, If you want to take a classic D&D concept and turn it on it's ear, how about have a region where the Half-Dragon template is applied to everything? Dragon's will breed with anybody.

Half-Dragon cows. Half Dragon Beholder. Half Dragon Rust Monsters.

And someplace in the marshes, a Bronze Dragon with a few levels of Drunken Master.

Half-dragon tables, half-dragon spoons, half-dragon-dragons, half-dragon-marshes

 

[ThaDium]

I do like the idea of a drunken dragon who's been shape changing into various forms and impregnating the local population. A drunken master dragon is almost too funny to pass up. I'll be doing this one for sure. I just need to figure out the balance so I can present it seriously enough to keep my players unsure about whether it's tongue in cheek or not. Great idea, Rumbletiger!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Back to the OP, If you want to take a classic D&D concept and turn it on it's ear, how about have a region where the Half-Dragon template is applied to everything? Dragon's will breed with anybody.

Half-Dragon cows. Half Dragon Beholder. Half Dragon Rust Monsters.

And someplace in the marshes, a Bronze Dragon with a few levels of Drunken Master.

Half-dragon tables, half-dragon spoons, half-dragon-dragons, half-dragon-marshes

I do like the idea of a drunken dragon who's been shape changing into various forms and impregnating the local population. A drunken master dragon is almost too funny to pass up. I'll be doing this one for sure. I just need to figure out the balance so I can present it seriously enough to keep my players unsure about whether it's tongue in cheek or not. Great idea, Rumbletiger!

Base him on Benjamin Franklin, ladies man...at least in legend.

Or Leon Phelps, ladies man.

Or an amalgam of both. Yeah, both.