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

[maddman75]

Sollir, be less hinty and more explicit. Pretend I'm slow or something.

Rybaer, picture an underground spring-fed reservoir of undertermined size. It's dammed up, so that a small amount of water drains out, just like any dam. It's filled quite slowly.

Then the flood doors are opened. At the same time, very far downstream, a series of razor-coated portcullises is lowered.

The water rushes out into a steeply downwards sloping, perfectly smooth 10' x 10' tunnel. It slopes downwards in a gentle arc, merging with another tunnel.

For the poor PCs, though, they first learn that there's a wall of water when it smacks into them at (I think) 60-80 miles an hour, driving them downstream into a series of three razor-gates while drowning them! Then the poisonous eels start attacking... Man, kuo-toa are mean.

This is just the kind of Rat Bastard Wile E Coyote madness that gives me convulsions of maniacal laughter. Can't wait to read about this one!

 

[Richards]

I just had a strange thought about something that happened a few pages back in the Story Hour.

Suddenly, Galanna’s words to her back in the vault reverberate in her thoughts:

Speak of my gospel to those who do not believe. There is still time to save some of their souls, before the fall is over, if you do what I ask. Be strong in your faith, and you will deliver them from darkness.

Tao swallows, shivers with the memory, and raises her voice to contradict the speaker. Despite some initial heckling Tao can be a convincing speaker when she tries, and within a few minutes she has turned the mood of the crowd against the convincing goblin. When they start pelting the goblin with rotted fungus, Tao takes his place on Speaker’s Rock. Slowly at first, then gathering momentum, she tries to fulfill her Goddess’ wishes by telling others about Galanna and what her religion entails. The populace of Akin’s Throat loves a good show if nothing else, and Tao soon has a sizeable crowd listening to her as she speaks of turning away from the darkness of Imbindarla into the life-circle of Galanna. It’s unclear how many people she actually converts, but at least no one throws fungus. Flumphs drift over to float above her head, and her voice echoes out across the cavern, carrying over both the geyser and the sound of the forge’s ringing hammers.

Wouldn't it be interesting if the souls that Galanna was concerned about saving were those of the flumphs? They are intelligent beings, after all...

Just a thought. I rather enjoyed the mental picture I conjured up of Tao being followed around by a small horde of flumph followers converted to the worship of Galanna.

Johnathan

 

[Talix]

Wow - truely nasty. I love how you can try to think of one of the worst possible situations, and then throw it at your players anyway since they're so high level.

Can't wait to read about this in the storyhour...

 

[Corran]

A while back people were designing large undead troop transport creatures. In looking through all my Dragon issues to find a Nodwick comic (see the main thread), I found that someone beat us to the punch quite a while ago. ;-)

In Dragon 276 (October 2000) on page 88 is a monster called an Ulgurstasta. It's 17HD, has undead qualities, damage reduction and spell resistance. It can swallow whole, can spawn skeletons and has a breath weapon (basically it barfs on you ;-)

All in all a pretty sick puppy. ;-)

 

[Knight Otu]

Just in case...

He has been thoroughly briefed by his lady love, so he knows what the sunsuckers are capable of.

Do they know more about this now? We are talking about someone already mentioned in this thread, right?

 

[Piratecat]

You mean Telay? Nope. she's coming - but Nulloc is dallying with Murliss, Lady of Worms, ghoulish commander (and part of the original module that I'm actually using! Lordy, lordy, wonders never cease.)

All together now: Ick.

 

[Kugar]

(Raises Hand)

"Um Mr P-Kitty, sir. Could we please see Mr Toad guys stats? Please!"

Seriously, what is a Staff of the Rising Spell?

Kugar
Edit PS - My guess was that Nulloc's mistress was the Drow guide, and the pair was pulling a masterful backstab

 

[Ashy]

You mean Telay? Nope. she's coming - but Nulloc is dallying with Murliss, Lady of Worms, ghoulish commander (and part of the original module that I'm actually using! Lordy, lordy, wonders never cease.)

All together now: Ick.

I don't know now, Pkitty- maybe that is why she chose the drow in the first place. After all, she apparently has a thing for little, slimy, wriggly things....

 

[Kaodi]

True Ghoul Nobles

Is Murliss the only one of the named nobles you are keeping, or are you going to have the other Marquis (what is the plural?) as well?

 

[Knight Otu]

It was worth a shot.

Ugh!