Archetypal mid-level and high-level D&D game elements?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm prepping the sequel to my Midwood campaign and in addition to raising the stakes -- merely saving the barony and a city won't do the second time around -- I want to make sure to get in many of the archetypal D&D elements for the higher level game.

As an example, the lower-level Midwood campaign featured goblins riding on wolves, battling kobolds, a giant frog fight on a bridge in an homage to T1 (albeit with one of the frogs being half green dragon -- nasty), fighting skeletons in a tomb, an owlbear fight, a chimera fight and a barroom brawl-style encounter.

For the sequel, I'm thinking of elements like intelligent undead, a trip into the Underdark, fighting a giant, dealing with an intelligent weapon, consorting with demons and celestials and a fight with a dragon.

Any other bits that scream "classic D&D" to anyone?

 

[Ahnehnois]

Beholders and illithids are pretty classic (and not for the low of level).

Owning some kind of stronghold is a common progression for higher-level adventurers.

Planar travel is classic.

A lich or other high-level mage makes a good nemesis.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Ownership of some place - a keep, a town, a barony, whatever.

Giving the PCs ownership over their base of operations, rather than them remaining itinerant do-gooders.

 

[RangerWickett]

Cool magic items.

A mad wizard's labyrinth full of traps and puzzles.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Ownership of some place - a keep, a town, a barony, whatever.

This! And by consequence: responsibility.

 

[ExploderWizard]

What levels are you talking about here as mid to high? High level in AD&D depends on who you talk to.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

I like cursed items about that power level. They aren't that hard to get rid of, but having "remove curse" or the equivalent handy all the time is still felt. Just a few sprinkled in with the mostly good ones, gives a bit of hot pepper to the sauce.

 

[Sammael]

IMO (for a heroic perspective):

Mid-level (7-11): Saving a city, taking care of a small keep and its surroundings, foiling the plans of powerful cults, encountering aboleths, mind flayers, and beholders for the first time, fighting young dragons, hill/stone giants, vampires, and mummies. Accidentally travelling to another plane and finding your way home.

Mid-high-level (12-15): Saving a country, commanding a small army, destroying a widely spread cult, fighting adult dragons, fire/frost giants, liches, and death knights. Purposefully exploring other planes, ridding the world of dangerous artifacts.

High-level (16+): Saving the world, dealing with avatars, titans, and ancient dragons, foiling archdevils' and demon princes' plans, using artifacts, traveling back and forward in time, commanding vast armies, forging personal planar domains.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What levels are you talking about here as mid to high? High level in AD&D depends on who you talk to.

About 7 or 8, depending on the character, through 20.

For those of you who own Ptolus, the ultimate goal is to complete the entire Cask of Frozen Dreams storyline, which is extremely high level (probably epic, or close to it), raising the stakes dramatically. Along the way, they'll be breaking into the Banewarrens, mixing it up with drow (and maybe even the Empire of the Ghouls by Open Design), visiting a ruined dwarf city, visiting a dragons' graveyard and more.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

For those of you who own Ptolus...

OK then. Something clockwork and nasty!