Campaign Assistance Requested

[Rechan]

1) The Lizardfolk that got away are from the Bird Skull tribe (known as a bad lot). What would be interesting for them to do next? Attack again? Send out more scouts? Retreat into their own space? Summon reinforcements?

If you want them to appear clever and cunning: it's obvious the party has no ranged capability, but can beat the pants off any warriors. The lizardfolk know the swamp well.

So they send some ranged guys out to lure the PCs into a trap. Either a very dangerous area (Quicksand, etc), the territory of dangerous creatures (aggressive wasps, carnivorous plants, etc), or a place where the PCs could get lost easily. A lizardfolk simply stands at one spot, shoots, runs and hides. After so many feet, another one is hiding and he shoots, possibly luring the PCs into that direction.

2) I'd like to introduce the rival adventurers more fully next session. The PC's are camping out in the swamp so a meeting would be easy to do, and I want to avoid combat but have a small skill challenge or something as the two groups jostle for superiority - any thoughts?

A boasting match. "Oh yeah? Well I slew TWELVE kobolds in ONE BLOW!" Or possibly a competition of arms - armrestling, blowing stuff up, knife throwing, something like that.

Or a good old fashioned insulting match.

3) Anyone got any good swamp-based encounters to bring to mind for a group of 1st level characters? I was thinking potentially of some undead, as they're always fun. Perhaps a group of long-dead zombies attack from underwater or similar. Or, heh, perhaps LOTS of zombies closing in from all around...

Check out the Chillborn zombies. Change cold to poison. Done. Of course, you might want to level them down.

There's always swamp animals. Crocs. Here are some snakes. Bugs of many kinds. Aggressive plants.

Graveyard location

Since you mentioned a Black Dragon (but likely won't use one?) you might have something like a Dragon Buriel Ground.

 

[ExploderWizard]

There is one thing any swamp based adventure can use- hillbillies. In a fantasy setting there are many more possibilities. Mutated hillbillies can get scary, especially in large numbers.

Another way to go with this, would be to have the hillbillies be reclusive and secretive but not especially hostile. If the PC's can gain thier trust the tribe or clan might have valuable information and become a new source of adventure hooks.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

There is one thing any swamp based adventure can use- hillbillies. In a fantasy setting there are many more possibilities. Mutated hillbillies can get scary, especially in large numbers.

Another way to go with this, would be to have the hillbillies be reclusive and secretive but not especially hostile. If the PC's can gain thier trust the tribe or clan might have valuable information and become a new source of adventure hooks.

You've sold me. A secretive tribe of humans living deep within the swamps - that'd be fantastic.

Plus, I can have the other group meet them first and not get on with them, and bring them up in conversation. I'll have to make sure I make it clear that they can be talked to, though.

And I'd thought about a Chillborn Zombie, Rechan, but changing it to poison does seem like an excellent idea. A zombie, shuffling slowly forwards whilst around it the swamp withers and dies... bwahahahahahaha.