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


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Piratecat said:
[*] Mercenary Hall: featuring kobolds with porcupines, hobgoblin agents, goblin and troll teams, a stone golem for rent (by its ogrish owner), and a representative of the hivemind.

???

You know, I'm almost afraid to ask...:)
 


Ritualized Ghoul Creature

I think everyone is kinda missing the mark. The Amalgamated Ghoul Creature TM has been done several times to great effect, but it has been done. The story needs a more dire develpment than another creature. What about an Avatar of the unborn god.
 

Piratecat said:
Here's one person's version of the true ghoul template.

http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=561

I like the crab idea! I like the whale concept, too. Not that much water in most of the underdark, though! :D

Ok, then how about using an Octopus instead of Whale? The arms would be strings of Ghouls each holding/merged with the next one 'out' from the main body. When the PC's are grappled they face not only Ghoul Paralysis, but all those inward-facing mouth/suckers attacking. Perhaps a Stat Drain to REALLY mess with them. True Rat Bastard DM's would of course make that stat a Constitution drain, seeing as how they'd probably be spending time underwater. I can see it now:

GM: "Ok, you lost your grapple check last round and were drug underwater."

PC: "No problem, I have a high CON, I'll just hack this tentacle away while holding my breath."

GM: "Right, um, roll a save vs CON drain..."

Bwahaha, and it fits in with an Evil Idea (tm) I'd sent you months ago Mr P-kitty. This assumes you have any idea what I'm talking about :P I could re-send the E-mails if you forgot/lost it.

Hatchling Dragon
 

A thought: Battle against ghoulish agents. An Illusionist has placed illusions on all the attackers to make them look like friends, relatives and loved ones of the PCs. No real effect, but a creepy visual.

Or make them all look like the PCs to sow confusion in battle.

Can the ghoul template be applied to insects? Thousands of ghoulish flying beetles, all with a paralysing touch, could be nasty. Particularly given their newfound appetitle for flesh.

If the underdark has standard-issue glowing fungi, the stuff in the ghoulish areas should be obviously undead. Not a plot on the part of the ghouls, just a side-effect of all that negative energy.

Undead entombed in rock walls, with just their eyes exposed. Shadowing ridges make these hard to spot. Kelharin possesses them as 'serveillance cameras' (and to cast Silent Still spells).

Lure the PCs into a tunnel, then have Ghoulish Umber Hulks dig through the last bit of rock seperating it from asubterranean lake. The impact of the flash-flood probably knocks the Defenders around a bit, then the ghoulish giant squid (who were in the lake) attack. Several ghouls with wands of Dispel Magic hand behind and keep getting rid of the Defender's Water Breathing spells.
 
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Re: Ritualized Ghoul Creature

Hecabus said:
I think everyone is kinda missing the mark. The Amalgamated Ghoul Creature TM has been done several times to great effect, but it has been done. The story needs a more dire develpment than another creature. What about an Avatar of the unborn god.

Bangs head slowly on desk. Does not post.

posts, posts meaninglessness.

not posting not posting not posting.

Sialia GOOD. Sialia not make trouble for PCs.

PC already has trouble for PCs plenty.

No post today.

No.

warn PCs--yess. Must warn PCs.

Wait. Bad Idea not Posted. PC won't have it yet.

Oh yes, yes he does. Suren thing. He does.

wait. wait. we wait. yes. lurk only.

wait for story.

lurk.
 

Fade said:
Can the ghoul template be applied to insects? Thousands of ghoulish flying beetles, all with a paralysing touch, could be nasty. Particularly given their newfound appetitle for flesh.

Oh God. You're a genius. You just solved a major problem for me.

Yay!
 

Humm a ghoulish locust swarm.....Delicious!!!!

And talking about delicious, how about a ghoulish feast! Yes you hear me right. UNDEAD FOOD! Have the players invited to a dinner by some big muckty muck. The main coarse is a cooked creature of some type. Well it's dead and it's been cooked but its undead. That way you can catch your players with their collective pants down. No prepared spells. No ARMOR! Weapons at the door sort of thing. Just a thought.
 
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Seeing as my last monster post went over well, here are two that I came up with. Both use negative energy in unique ways, but niether are undead. They could easily be working for the ghouls, due to their abilities. And both could use some char levels to bring them on par with the Defenders.

Life Taker
Medium-Size Outsider (Evil)
HD: 12d8+60 (114)
Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50’
AC: 28 (+4 Dex, +14 Natural)
Attacks: Shadow Blade +19/+14/+9
Damage: Shadow Blade 1d12+7 and Soulbane
Face/Reach: 5’x5’/5’
Special Attacks: Shadow Blade, Soulbane, Spell-like Abilities
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 20/+2, SR 24, Immunities, Darksight, Shadow Form
Saves- F: +13 R: +12 W: +11
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 14
Skills: Concentrate +20, Hide +23, Listen +18, Move Silently +23, Spellcraft +18, Spot +18, Wilderness Lore +18, Knowledge (planes) +4
Feats: Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Cleave, Track
Clime: Any
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Hunt (3-5)
CR: 13 (?)
Treasure: Half coins; standard goods; standard items
Align: Always Neutral Evil
Adv. Range: 13-18 HD (Medium-Size); 19-33 (Large)

In the deepest parts of the negative energy plane there are places of such strong un-life that strange creatures and objects are birthed. A famous example of such is the deadly voidstone. Another, rarer example is a Life Taker, a strange outsider birthed where several souls fall to the plane’s deadly influence. They hunt out life, on which they feast, and are famous for their killing skill. They area also excellent at remaining hidden, and make perfect assassins.
Life Takers are patches of solid darkness, rough featureless sketches of tall, broad-shouldered but lean men. They move quickly and stealthily, even in combat, wielding their deadly shadow blades.

Combat
Life Takers prefer ambush, tracking prey and laying down clever ambushes. They use their shadow form abilities to strike from impossible places, and to retreat if necessary. They attack weaker looking opponents first, to gain strength.
Shadow Blade (Su): These unique swords are shards of negative energy, melded into the creatures’ arms, and can be created and dismissed as free actions. They have an enhancement bonus of +2.
Soul Bane (Su): When striking a living opponent with a shadow blade, a Life Taker focuses negative energy to strike at the target’s life force. Living opponents take and additional 2d6 damage. The Life Taker heals 5 points of damage with each strike, if possible. Any opponent reduced to –1 hp or below by a Life Taker’s attack is affected as if by a death knell spell. Benefits from multiple uses of this stack for the Life Taker, with up to a +10 to strength, +5 caster level, and up to 5d8 temporary hp.
Spell-like abilities: A Life Taker can use the following as spell like abilities, once per day unless noted. Deeper darkness 3/day, desecrate, enervation, magic circle against good, unholy blight. The Life Taker casts these as a 12 level sorcerer, DC: 12+spell level.
Darksight (Ex): Born in the lightless depths of the negative energy plane, Life Takers can “see” in any darkness, even magical forms.
Shadow Form (Su): For a total of one minute each day, the Life Taker can become a mass of true shadows, becoming incorporeal. Entering Shadow Form is a standard action, leaving it is a free action. While incorporeal the Life Taker has no strength score, no attack, and has and AC of 16. The minute may be broken up over multiple uses during a day. If a Life Taker is forced to take physical form in a solid object, it is shunted to the nearest empty space, taking 1d6 damage for every 10’ moved in this way.
Immunities: A Life Taker is immune to cold and negative energy effects.
Skills: Due to their shadowy nature, Life Takers gain a +4 racial bonus to hide and move silently checks.
 

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