Help build my Dungeon; Theme: Punishment and Penence

[Qwillion]

I am working on a Dungeon that was created by the powers of Agony, Artifice, Dungeons, Loss, Strife, Suffering, Torment, Torture and Vengence.

Primarily I am focusing on an underground dungeon in an unexplored area of my campaign world that severs as a place of penence and punishment, it my also serve as a headquarters for a powerful vigilante organization.


I was hoping to pick everyone's brain and get some specific refrences for OGC classes, prestige classes, feats, spells, magic items and monsters who fit this type of theme.

If you could, please list the source. I have access to a very large RPG library but doing this should help cut down on my research time.

Thank you
Steve Russell

 

[Obscure]

Off the top of my head...

Spells: Mark of Justice (PHB)
Monsters: Inevitables (MM)
PrC: Justiciar (CW)

 

[Qwillion]

Obscure

Unfortunatly, though the Justiciar is cool, it is not Open Gaming Content, and I want to be able to put it out as a pdf later for whoever wants it.

 

[Quickleaf]

Could you give more specific information please?
What kind of vigilante organization?
Where in the world is this dungeon?
Who is being punished here? Willingly?
Who is doing the punishing? The vigilante group?
What CR are you trying to make the dungeon?
How big will it be? One adventure or an entire campaign?

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

I am working on a Dungeon that was created by the powers of Agony, Artifice, Dungeons, Loss, Strife, Suffering, Torment, Torture and Vengence.

Don't forget the throw pillows.

 

[Qwillion]

Could you give more specific information please?

Not really as I am still working on it, I tend to write by brainstorming I was looking for things that specificly fit these themes, then I was going to work them in, I tend to create relationships between npcs, and leave them at a detante that the pc's disrupt by thier very precence.

What kind of vigilante organization?
One that acts as Judge, jury and Jailors, but this group believes there are crimes that death is too easy a punishment for. They travel the world and other planes finding these transgressors they capture them and bring them to this dungeon.

Where in the world is this dungeon?
It is underground in an extremly remote, previously unexplored region. There is no entrance per say in that you must know where the entrance is in order to teleport to the entrance.

Who is being punished here? Willingly?
People the organization deems as transgressors? some transgressors have surrendered themselves other prisoners have come to accept thier imprisonment and torture as penence for their transgressions.

Who is doing the punishing? The vigilante group?
Servents of these powers and the vigilante group

What CR are you trying to make the dungeon?
20+, I am looking for ideas, if it is a low CR idea I can always move it higher.

How big will it be? One adventure or an entire campaign?
I am shooting for 125 encounters

Don't forget the throw pillows
Hey what would a gilded cage be without throw pillows

 

[Quickleaf]

A free-willed powerful creature like a fire giant is tormented by the vigilantes, who have offered him a chance to escape. If he can break free of a block of ice, he will be allowed to leave. He is trapped in ice, only his head exposed and he can see through a narrow grate to the outdoors, tempting him with freedom.

Trick rooms designed to trap those who are trying to escape. These rooms are little death traps with spiked pits with greased walls, holes in the ceiling with acid-filled copper pipes (triggered trap) than can spill through them, self-closing/locking doors, alarms, etc. These rooms are noted by a similar arcane mark down the hall, which warns the wardens: don't go here, this means death!

Fortified positions throughout the dungeon, such as spiral staircases, which the wardens will fall back to as defense points should a prison break occur. While fleeing, the wardens have several "quick-set traps" they can spring behind them:
- hidden levers which cause a rolling boulder to fall behind them
- breaking a glass ceiling which holds a starving scorpion swarm
- a spring-loaded net or caltrops behind a tapestry
- a couple torches are actually braziers of fire elemental summoning
- a fake "retreat" room which has a secret door leading to the true retreat room where the wardens can control an array of traps in the "retreat" room

 

[Qwillion]

"A free-willed powerful creature like a fire giant is tormented by the vigilantes, who have offered him a chance to escape. If he can break free of a block of ice, he will be allowed to leave. He is trapped in ice, only his head exposed and he can see through a narrow grate to the outdoors, tempting him with freedom."

I love this one, though I think I am going to use the volcano giant from Tome of Horrors II instead of a fire giant, I think I also might use the Jortaum blooded template from Advanced Besitary (really big giant), hmmm..... I think the door way should be an illusion made to look like a "portal" to the outside. That way he can suffer complete dispair when the players dispel the illusion by trying to leave that way.

I really like the idea that this character can talk to the palyers and you don't have to really keep him behind a door.

 

[Qwillion]

Ok I am starting with monsters (Since I just love monsters)

Since I know this is going to be 20+, I decided to go over the epic stuff first

I am definetly going to use a few abominations
there is already the abomination of artifice (Anaxim) that will work well.
I can find a use for the Dream Larva (a gods nightmare)

I will create at least two abominations of my own the abomination of pain/torture/torment would be cool and an abomination of the god of vengence pops to mind.

I think if can do a few spin offs of these abominations too. WotC did a spin off the atropal abomination in the Libris Mortis, I think i can do a few like this too.

I think Force dragons make good choices for an enforcer and vigilante, I can see a force dragon thinking of himself as above the law.

The Genius Loci is going to work very well in the dungeon I like the idea of the dungeon itself being alive and being it's own living security system. I dont' know who or what I will bond to it, that creature will have to take great consideration.

A gloom can serve as an excellent enforcer for the vigilanties.


Next time Tome of Horrors II