Dragon hoard/ lair in Argonnessen (Eberron)

[shilsen]

MY PLAYERS STAY OUT!

In our next session, the PCs in my Eberron game (see sig) are going to be going after a dragon for truth, justice and general looting. Assuming that they win, they'll be entering the dragon's lair, which is likely underground and perhaps underwater (it is close to a large lake in a desolate area).

I'm looking for suggestions for interesting chambers and other contents of the lair. Or particularly unusual and intriguing treasure, for that matter, especially of the powerful (and presumably useful) magical variety.

In case it helps, the dragon is a bronze and a solitary creature which is known to be particularly greedy for magic. It especially focuses on magic associated with other planes, and is fairly paranoid about future incursions against Eberron (and, more importantly, itself) by planar dangers. Since my PCs are currently involved with fighting off an invasion by aberrations from Xoriat (the plane of madness, i.e. the far realm), magic aimed at fighting such creatures would be especially welcome to them.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[deganawida]

Could you have the lair set up so that it is like an orrery? The dragon's chambers would be where Eberron sits in the orrery,, and the various treasure chambers and work areas could rotate around it. Maybe even make it so that you have to cast a spell which corresponds in some way to the plane in question in order to enter the representative chamber (like Confusion for Xoriat, Inflict Wounds for Mabar, Speak with Dead for Dolurrh). Each chamber could contain a magic item that pertains to the plane in question. Would kind of fit the dragon's interests, and make the area interesting.

 

[Kristian Serrano]

This article might help for some random treasure.
Dragons of Eberron: Dragon Hoards

You could probably select pieces and swap them out for things that are more fitting.

Remember also that a hoard doesn't have to be all in one giant heap.

 

[shilsen]

Could you have the lair set up so that it is like an orrery? The dragon's chambers would be where Eberron sits in the orrery,, and the various treasure chambers and work areas could rotate around it. Maybe even make it so that you have to cast a spell which corresponds in some way to the plane in question in order to enter the representative chamber (like Confusion for Xoriat, Inflict Wounds for Mabar, Speak with Dead for Dolurrh). Each chamber could contain a magic item that pertains to the plane in question. Would kind of fit the dragon's interests, and make the area interesting.

Hmm. I had been thinking of having an orrery or something related within the lair, but having actual chambers associated with the various planes is an interesting idea.

This article might help for some random treasure.
Dragons of Eberron: Dragon Hoards

You could probably select pieces and swap them out for things that are more fitting.

Thanks. I already checked that out, and it gives me a couple of interesting ideas.

Remember also that a hoard doesn't have to be all in one giant heap.

Absolutely. I was actually planning to have the 'hoard' consist almost exclusively of items rather than coinage, and have already set the stage for that with the PCs having learned that the dragon has been known to buy items from other dragons (or sometimes kill them and claim their wealth).

 

[ajanders]

A few thoughts.

1. When the party arrives, the dragon is dead without a mark on him and his lair is completely cleaned out. Bonus points for gnomish footprints. Double bonus points if the setup gets the party to thinking "What if the gnomes deliberately left footprint, knowing we would think gnomes were too sneaky to leave footprints."

2. Consider the aftermath of Smaug: there's a lot of dragons out there that want their stuff back. Some of it was surely bought legitimately, but some was stolen from various other dragons, nations, or Mordain.

3. Bound inhabitants of other planes your dragon used as sages. They may be of varying degrees of willingness and nonviolence. This could be Gareth's big chance to argue theology with a barbed devil sage...

 

[MarkB]

Have the dragon's lair be set up very much like a wealthy businessman's mansion, everything really ornate and well-appointed. There's an outer set of chambers - drawing room, dining room, guest quarters, etc. - that are fairly open, at least once you get past the entrance.

Then a second set that are restricted via locked doors, household staff, and/or simple alarm spells, which are for household members and staff only - staff quarters, kitchens, larders, library, etc.

Then finally, an inner set of chambers to which only the dragon has access, comprising his bedroom, study and workshop.

Approximately half a hoard's worth of wealth goes into the fixtures and fittings of the place, though much of this is difficult to transport and problematic to re-sell. The rest of the hoard, in traditional items-and-treasure form, is in a proper, serious vault, within the household area and adjacent to the dragon's private quarters. It has a bank-vault-style adamantium door with combination lock, large enough for the dragon to pass through, and is guarded by highly competent uniformed guards, as well as magical traps and wards.

An alternative to the main door, easier to pass but more difficult to find and reach, is a secret door built into the side of the vault, accessible from the dragon's bedroom. It's still trapped, but the wards are less deadly and easier to bypass. Of course, knowing about it is another matter, as is getting into the dragon's bedroom in the first place.

For a twist, have the PCs arrive just as the dragon is hosting a major party for some of his draconic colleagues. They are mistaken for hired help, or possibly entertainment, and need only play along with minor bluffing to gain access to the household - but once inside, can they maintain the pretense long enough to complete their mission?

 

[Solarious]

I wouldn't hesitate to make this paranoid dragon's lair an underwater one, in line with draconic paranoia. In fact, it really should be somewhere in the dephs of the Dragonreach or the Thunder Sea to have the best effect. Syberis Observatories require a careful balance of energies between Khyber, Syberis, and Eberron (not to mention sacred geometry and arcane geography), and such locations are not always convieniently tailored to the random scholar's specifications. In my mind, the lair will be a singular exposed shaft that sinks from the seabed all the way down to the very dephs of Khyber, with a chamber about 1/3 of the way down that is suitable for an Observatory. Various forces and pressures keep things at the bottom from reaching up the shaft up into the rest of the world proper. Most of them.

Usually.

Of course, the problem with this is that with an underground chamber that only has light comming from a single shaft deep down (which remains unusually bright, due to a few alterations required for the Orrery) is the limited view of the sky. That isn't ideal, to put it lightly, for any Observatory. That's why there are specially bred species of plants, fish, and mobile coral that move and disperse in response to commands issued in the central platform of the Observatory/Orrery to display information recieved via sympathetic harmony with the three layers of Eberronian astrology. It should be able to be used for any number of effects both magical and mundance: most should die with your dragon, and will require extensive study and test (with results both disasterous and hilarious) to discover/comprehend/unlock. It's a McGuffin like the Web of Motes is, except it's tied to a location. Don't be afraid to incorperate a Mirror of Power for MostinNameles' edification.

As for treasure, Gareth has lately been moaning, as he is prone to, about the loss of his armor. Let's make him happy by dropping in a set of nice Dhakaan armor. Say... a minor-artifact +5 (insert-armor-type-of-choice) major acid resistance with immunity to all beholder-kin eye-ray effects. The immunity to beholderkin eye powers also includes antimagic zones... which means *swift fly*-*charge*-*splorch* Naturally, since it -is- a Dhakaan artifact, with dozens of blinded eyes (various methods) depicted all over, this results in many excuses for your patented Shilsen setups.

We've already discussed Nameless, so let's move on to the local horny sociopathic druids. Since you've limited the access to non-core spells, I recommend expanding their potential repitoire. Make it interesting by making it a plant from Lamannia, and plants grown from it form new and fantastical shapes that can inform them of new spell possibilities, particularly when you use Speak with Plants or Commune with Nature on them. Higher level spells/insights/secrets are available by using higher level nature communication spells on them. Since they're extra-planar plants, normal physics and biology assumptions do not apply to them. Stone plants, plants with large spheres of water as fruit, and flaming flowers are all viable choices, especially if growing them results in different kinds of plants each time, no matter what the parent strains are. Scrolls, potions, and oils grown from them can be great sources of weirdness too. Give them better stuff if they take the time to take care of them, with spells or otherwise. They should have viceral expressions, reactions, and psudo-personalities not normally present in normal Eberronian plants: try to make Luna endearing on some of the nastier agressive ones that doesn't like Nameless or Gareth.

Six can benefit from more support of his new line of Martial powers, so maybe it'll be a good idea to put in some more forms of Warforged 'fungus' to improve recharges and/or grant more powers/stances. Another shapeshifting weapon would be great in line with Six's adaptable nature: I recommend a spiked chain (it is his signature item) that can change material composition (+1 bonus), and have some equiviant bonus to the Sword of the Planes from the SRD. I remeber the Equalizer from Baldur's Gate 2, and it is a glorious, if somewhat underpowred once you got it. Binding it to Six so it teleports back to his hands every time he drops it is also great. Don't forget, the Giants made the Warforged against an incursion against extraplanar threats, and some of their developments should be effective against other foreign intrutions.

 

[Asmo]

The dragon and the party have a common enemy? Why don´t try some sort of diplomatic encounter,where they could - if handled correctly - make a very useful partner?

Asmo

 

[shilsen]

The dragon and the party have a common enemy? Why don´t try some sort of diplomatic encounter,where they could - if handled correctly - make a very useful partner?

Asmo

One could, but this is a quick side adventure because the PCs (and the players) just wanted to have a good old-fashioned fight and some treasure-gathering without having to think about pesky things like plot and talking

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I'm definitely stealing some of them. If you have any more, keep 'em coming.