Challenging my high-lvl group (NPCs and monsters; my players shouldn't read this!)

[Spatzimaus]

Hey, lets do some brainstorming! I have two more months off before continuing the campaign. What are some fun, easy plots with which to restart the game?

Oh man. "Easy plots" for an Epic group that's coming down off of all that?

It has to be something low-combat, but still worth the Defenders' time. The easy answer is to have them spend a couple weeks dealing with all the mundane stuff that piled up while they were out of contact. Besides all the dead people, there's all the other stuff, usually involving the ex-Defenders; where's TomTom with all the money they invested in Eversink? (Even if TomTom isn't available, they should be able to find SOME way of tracking down their money). How's the church of Galanna doing? Has that shrine to Aeos been built where he visited the group? Did Dylrath survive? Did Splinder's dwarves make it to their destinations? Is the Flaming Manticore on fire again? Have they trained up to their latest level yet?

Honestly, I think Bloodsparrow's idea is a nice framework for a long-term off-and-on adventure; let them be peripherally involved in the Mechanus aftermath. This isn't the sort of easy, "get back into things" type of adventure you were asking for, though. Where I'd differ from most of the suggestions: don't make it be the DoD's decision; I mean really, even though they're Epic level, that's deity-type stuff. And not Halcyon; she was only a demigod, this is the sort of thing her grandfather (Deifos) would handle. He's the god of Law, Order, and Demarcation, which fits this perfectly.

But I remembered something an old DM of mine tried once, and I got to thinking: you've got a War over a Lawful plane, untainted by Good or Evil, and that'd drive the nature of the battle; how would a purely Lawful war end up? It wouldn't be nearly as chaotic as a normal war. In fact, I'd think it'd end up more like a chess game; very organized, with rigid rules and "teams" of equal power representing the various sides. So Deifos organizes a year-long contest of very ritualized combat, and whichever team controls the most territory at the end of the year gets the plane. Very Modron-like, right? If this were the "last wish" of the Modrons, it'd be even more legitimate. In fact, the advantage of this is that instead of the winning side getting ganged up on (the current balance), it'd be more like everyone involved gangs up on anyone who deviates from the rules. Since most contestants are very Lawful, they'd be obligated to respect the outcome, more than mortals would.

In Sigil, the betting on the outcome gets huge. This, of course, leads to its own problems; many, many outside parties want to influence the outcome, especially the more Chaotic groups, who have a vested interest in seeing the underdog Slaad come out on top. So there are a lot of groups attempting to cheat, and while the servants of Deifos stop most attempts directly involving Mechanus, there are a lot of things that can be done outside the plane. This is where the Defenders come in; they can't get involved in the War itself, but they CAN make sure it goes through to its conclusion, since the last thing anyone wants is for the process to break down and another Blood War to kick off on Mechanus.

I'm not sure any of this would fit with your campaign style (it's a bit silly), and I'm not sure you'd want more plane-hopping adventures so soon after the other stuff they've done recently. But in a way, it gets back at them for avoiding your original marching Modron plotline, by forcing the players to NOT be involved in resolving some earthshattering events, no matter how much they want to. Besides, the thought of a sports bar in Sigil where fans of the various teams get updates on the progress...

 

[Graywolf-ELM]

Nah, the modrons aren't dead, they merely relocated.

Seriously, I like the idea of resurrecting Halcyon - but would that actually be possible after the Ivory King devoured her for her divine spark?

When he died, would it have been released? Maybe into someone nearby?

- Into the Ghost of Nolin, who transcended into the realms of the gods as the first God who was a ghost, thus siphoning off some of the powers of the god of undead? Becomming a minor god of undead, specifically ghosts. That undead god spot was just too powerful anyway.

- Into Priggle who descends in a spectacularly unspectacular underground god of that forgotten deep race.

- Into Malachite, and nobody really notices the change.

- Into that disciple of Calphas, who bemoans the addition of divinity to his lot.

etc.

 

[BSF]

I was thinking Doppleganger as well. But I was thinking more along the lines of a Paragon Doppleganger. Perhaps performing as Nolin? Weave in some tale about how
Nolin returned again without the Phoenix and not quite up to speed on everything that has happened. He vaguely remembers the DoD, but it is all like a dream. He has been performing and womanizing and generally being vaguely disreputable.

Surely the DoD would want to investigate.

 

[Bloodsparrow]

I don't know...

Confronting a player (and the rest of the group) with a living version of their spectacularly dead character seems a little...

Not very nice...

 

[Ashy]

How do you handle training, Pkat? Do the DoD have to find someone more skilled than they to teach them the things they need to know in order to level up? Finding someone more powerful/knowledgable than they are would be a hilarious bit!

 

[WizarDru]

How about this? The players, while in the realm of faerie, are invited to a party. There is never any question about the fact that they're the most powerful folks around, and everyone's intimidated by them. So much so, in fact, that the most powerful nobles of Faerie want to fete them all, but also go into histronic and overly-dramatic fits of terror should the PCs show any negativity. Perhaps the people of faerie know that the defenders were somehow involved with the fall of the undead empire, and now secretly fear they may be next? Perhaps they think that the defenders actually slew Imbrindarla, and are terrified of them, even as they attempt to curry their favor.

Second idea: the players attend a ball in Faerie (oh, poor Nolin...if only you were here ). While there, they get involved in a scavenger hunt that requires them to divest themselves of all their worldy items to win (for the duration of the contest)?

Third idea: while in the realm of faerie, another of Nolin's half-siblings shows up, demanding to see his half-brother. He's dying, and only Nolin can save him. He refuses to explain to anyone else, and won't take no for an answer. Worse, he appears to have a anti-magic field in effect around him permanently.

Fourth Idea: While in the court of the Faerie King, every last single member of faerie is turned to stone, before the defneders very eyes. A curse gone wrong, or a vengeful wish? It turns out to be a young fey girl, who's accidentally found an object of incaluable power, and now she's too frightened to remember what she did, or how it works? How can the defenders help? And who wasn't turned to stone? And why are fey giants choosing this moment to invade?

You want more? I got a million of 'em. Sooner or later, one might actually be good.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Okay, more ideas! I'm saving faerie for a very special adventure near the end of the game.

"...then you wake up amongst the laughing faerie and realise it was all a dream"

 

[Vargo]

Where is that cheese, anyways? Anybody got linkage?

 

[Sandain]

Here is an idea of how a lawful war may be waged. I think it comes from an early Star Trek episode.

The two warring parties realise that was is wasteful and destructive, so agree to basically play a war game. They make up all thier military assets and have battles. The thing is, when a unit is injured or killed, a judge goes back to the home town or city and the real soldiers are marched away never to be seen again. So people live a normal peaceful life, but one day they may get a knock on the door and a judge would say, sorry maam there was a battle in this street and you were a civilian casuality.

 

[BSF]

Where is that cheese, anyways? Anybody got linkage?

I didn't subscribe to the thread and search is down. But I remember the thread title and my google-fu is adequate. Thus, the Looting the Looters thread is linked to the archive for your enjoyment.

Edit: Check that out, the archive also includes the link to the original thread. So here is the "live" version of Looting the Looters. The cheese and other goodness can be found therein.