Challenges in a 'celestial' dungeon

[TheNovaLord]

My party of L-N-G knightly types of 6th/7th level are about to enter a temple/workshop/dungeon that was used in ages past by a silver dragon/wild elf group to forge mighty weapons. The partys aim is to ultimately waken the silver dragons asleep there as the world needs them

What i am looking for is a few 'combaty' challenges within the place assuming it is largely intact and isnt filled with evil.

-I have a few ideas for a trap/puzzle
-The final 'twists' i also am fairly clear on
-Before the party got there they saw a black knight (ExPaladin 7/ something 2 or 3) on a knightmare enter the place before them (they know it is from a LE faction, which is basically fighting the same impending CE/end of the world the party is against) so hopefully that will involve some social interaction / uneasy alliance?

My combaty thoughts thus far are
-maybe a small quake has opened an entry in. I thought id have carrion crawlers have entered but the magic of the place has made them 'celestial' and long lived, but still hungry and N(G?) in alignment!
- a few 'deathless' type undead , of either elves who volunteered to do this, or enemies of the elves animated this way as a sort of 'if you canniot beat us you are not worthy' type of cliched beasties.

Anyone else?

JohnD

 

[diaglo]

i think you want the FR book with the Baelorn (good elven lich)

 

[Kunimatyu]

How about a guardian Hound Archon who challenges one of the PCs to a duel in order to allow them past? If the PC loses the duel, the archon can still be persuaded with Diplomacy to let them by, but if the PC uses underhanded tactics("hey guys, gang up on him!") or the like, the archon teleports out, warning of retribution.

 

[darthkilmor]

Any reason it can't just be infested with random magical beasts / animals ? Maybe a nest of Bulette's or some phase spiders or soemthing.

 

[Cor Azer]

How about a guardian Hound Archon who challenges one of the PCs to a duel in order to allow them past? If the PC loses the duel, the archon can still be persuaded with Diplomacy to let them by, but if the PC uses underhanded tactics("hey guys, gang up on him!") or the like, the archon teleports out, warning of retribution.

That's what I'd suggest.

As I understand it, you want something that makes this dungeon stand out as a "good" dungeon rather than a run-of-mill ruin. I don't think that'll be that evident if you just throw regular monsters with celestial templates at them.

But having an honourable combat challenge or two (which should be able to be done in such a way as to involve all of the PCs) gives them a different feel to the encounters - still a fight, but not necessarily to the death, and not random wandering monsters.

 

[TheNovaLord]

the hound archon is already a part of the plot later in the place (blimey wierd how lots thought of that). He is actually an 'upgrade' of a wolf that used to be a druid PC's companion!

To help them find this place 3 eladrin gave their 'lives' against a Bluespawwn godslayer* and its chums so the party could 'escape'. Eventually it will need 3 PC's to give up their lives to allow the eladrin to return to fulfill thier role...it is quite near the end of this part of the campaign so i think the party will gladly do this for the greater good, see how it goes!! there are 2 paladins and 1 LG cleric as part of the party.

phase spider sounds good
had also thought about nosey mindflayer


it isnt a ruin it has just been untouched/lost for 400 years......

keep em coming

JohnD

*had to use the mini at some point.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

One thing thats frequently overlooked is how channeling can be used for things other than Turn Undead. I think theres an example of a church library being sealed, and requiring a turn attempt of X HD to be opened.

 

[TheNovaLord]

oh, good call on the channeling idea

cleric has glory as a domain so quite powerful.

 

[Vanye]

I ran an adventure for my home group like this, and ran it at Gen Con the following year. Basically a lost temple of Helm that was a reminder of past glories of the kingdom of Phalorm. Several crypts, of heroes of some of the greatest heroes of that lost land. It was guarded by a lamassu, a sphinx, a good aligned naga, and the final beastie was a (3.0) cryohydra with the Monster of Legend template.

 

[00Machado]

I thought to myself, the players I know would feel and be reluctant to kill, or even fight, a good aligned being. They might if forced, but it would leave an unsatisfying feeling, rather than making them feel like they'd successfully gone through a holy place. When considering what wouldn't make them feel bad, and be something they can attack and even destroy without guilt, the first thing that came to mind are constructs/automatons. A blessed construct, looks like a saint, or some personage of the faith.

No need to feel bad for defeating something that isn't really a being.

Other ideas that some to mind...
Challenges that are sometimes tests of faith/sometimes things that will destroy you if you aren't clever, aren't versed in the doctrine, etc. You might figure out the way through it with Knowledge religion being just as important as Disable Device, or by having to make a leap of faith. The challenges in the temple from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade come to mind.

One last point. If you are using outsiders on the material plane, have them be summoned so that destroying them doesn't destroy them...or be aspects rather than the real entity. The real entity could even appear to them at the end, confirming that no hard was done and proclaiming the PCs worthy of the <whatever>.