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Challenges in a 'celestial' dungeon
- Thread starter TheNovaLord
- Start date
pawsplay
Hero
I think there should be one fight with a champion of good. As mentioned above, it is somewhat unsatisfying, but I think there should be at least one moment where the PCs face someone doing their duty, and they realize they had to do theirs as well in order to proceed. The opponent warns them off, first sternly, then gently, then pleadingly, and finally attacks, without hesitation and without using nonlethal attacks (unless advantageous). A hound archon would be good for this, but you could also use a LG elemental with class levels, some kind of angel, a ghost, or a mortal paladin with divine rank 0. If the opponent is defeated, it has still fulfilled its service, and if shown mercy, will visit no further harm on its honorable opponent. The "good guys forced to fight" motif has been good for a scene in many films. But this is not something you want to overdo.
Traps. Magical traps that trigger summon monster in conjunction with other effects would be effective, and would introduce celestial opponents to fight that would not have to be murdered (only defeated). Traps that fire off smite evil and dictum would be excellent for raising the pulse of LN or NG party members.
One room should have a mirror of opposition. Not only is this a great deterrent, it leads to a great battle, thematically, for good aligned characters. The mirror would be maintained by some entity, possibly a protectar, angel, hound archon, and so forth.
Some celestial pixies... they demand the PCs perform some tests of character and worthiness before proceeding.
Constructs are a good idea. Giant stone statues of interesting figures, enchanted with permanent magic mouth, tell the PCs that it is forbidden to enter.
Tests of courage... narrow beams over vast pits, that kind of thing. Putting a spear trap in the middle of a narrow beam would catch victmis flat-footed if they didn't have 5 or more ranks of Balance, and taking damage could cause victims to fall.
Traps. Magical traps that trigger summon monster in conjunction with other effects would be effective, and would introduce celestial opponents to fight that would not have to be murdered (only defeated). Traps that fire off smite evil and dictum would be excellent for raising the pulse of LN or NG party members.
One room should have a mirror of opposition. Not only is this a great deterrent, it leads to a great battle, thematically, for good aligned characters. The mirror would be maintained by some entity, possibly a protectar, angel, hound archon, and so forth.
Some celestial pixies... they demand the PCs perform some tests of character and worthiness before proceeding.
Constructs are a good idea. Giant stone statues of interesting figures, enchanted with permanent magic mouth, tell the PCs that it is forbidden to enter.
Tests of courage... narrow beams over vast pits, that kind of thing. Putting a spear trap in the middle of a narrow beam would catch victmis flat-footed if they didn't have 5 or more ranks of Balance, and taking damage could cause victims to fall.
Sunderstone
First Post
Why not just find some Neutral monsters and use them as guardians?
They could be guarding the silver dragons hoard, or the dragon could have placed them there to test the PCs to determine if they are worthy or desperate enough to awaken him.
They could be guarding the silver dragons hoard, or the dragon could have placed them there to test the PCs to determine if they are worthy or desperate enough to awaken him.
How about gargoyles? The PCs are walking down a corrdor lined with statues towards their destination, and suddenly all the statues awaken and attack and the door closes. When they are all dead, the door reopens. You could slap on the celestial, or maybe even the half-celestial template on one or several of them.
Ridley's Cohort
First Post
Meet an "innocent young girl" standing in a pentagram begging for assistance.
If you want it to be a tad less obvious, the Succubus could take the form of a fey spirit who has a plausible story about why she was brought here, only to be forgotten and left here.
If you want it to be a tad less obvious, the Succubus could take the form of a fey spirit who has a plausible story about why she was brought here, only to be forgotten and left here.
TheNovaLord
First Post
well we played this tonight and it went very well
the challenges were
3 trolls that lived in the valley the temple was in, which the party ran / avoided using mounts and such
4 deathless, the party cleric turned so they could get pass them
2 celestial water elementals the party scout outrageously jumped over and opened some doors which dismissed them
some plant creatures/fey they used diplomacey to chat to in a garden
a couple of areas they fathomed out they were not meant to go down as it was for use of the previous inhabitants only
nice gold idols and jewelled stauettes and some magic items they thought it best not too touch
4 deathless that had been controlled by the LE (knight) blackguard/paladin they were chasing
various portals needing a 'turn roll' to enter, time very nicely as the cleric of glory used up all his turns/day and they had no way to rest and recover.
Just before they got to the final rooms, the forces of serpentine CE started to enter the place (having to contend with all the monsters the party had left)
various revelations, long term prohecy fulfillmenst, and plot devices, the evil knight turned out to be the long lost mother of one of the partys paladins....and ended with two paladins and one cleric sacrificing themselves to redeem an error they had made earlier in the campaign that caused three angels too be slain.
All in all well roleplayed and especially the LG aligned folk who gave up ther lives
the challenges were
3 trolls that lived in the valley the temple was in, which the party ran / avoided using mounts and such
4 deathless, the party cleric turned so they could get pass them
2 celestial water elementals the party scout outrageously jumped over and opened some doors which dismissed them
some plant creatures/fey they used diplomacey to chat to in a garden
a couple of areas they fathomed out they were not meant to go down as it was for use of the previous inhabitants only
nice gold idols and jewelled stauettes and some magic items they thought it best not too touch
4 deathless that had been controlled by the LE (knight) blackguard/paladin they were chasing
various portals needing a 'turn roll' to enter, time very nicely as the cleric of glory used up all his turns/day and they had no way to rest and recover.
Just before they got to the final rooms, the forces of serpentine CE started to enter the place (having to contend with all the monsters the party had left)
various revelations, long term prohecy fulfillmenst, and plot devices, the evil knight turned out to be the long lost mother of one of the partys paladins....and ended with two paladins and one cleric sacrificing themselves to redeem an error they had made earlier in the campaign that caused three angels too be slain.
All in all well roleplayed and especially the LG aligned folk who gave up ther lives
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