Help me build a Druidic Dungeon of Doom...In a forest (elric stay out)

[DM_Matt]

I generally don't do dungeons. A nearly always perfer other sorts of settings...Now the time has come for me to try my hand at a dungeon of sorts, and I am looking for ideas.

The PCs are level 8. They have no access to Fly.

I will see to it that the PCs choose to enter the druid's domian to seek refuge from pursuers outside.

Most classed creatures will be reletively low level Blightspawned Volodni (Unapproachable East: LA3, humanoid plants, advantageous stat physical stat mods, immune to crits, half damage form piercing, cold res 5, diseased touch, hide bonuses in the woods, Low-Light vision).

Other things will likely be blightspawned as well (cause disease, better pyhs stats, immune to crits)

I plan on them being able to enter the druid's domain rather easily through a doorway in a wall of greenery. Inside, there will be a huge area willed with myst that makes seeing extremely difficult, with low-CR carniverous plants all over and a couple shambling mounds on patrol. Tere will also be some pits and such. The myst extrends 15 feet beyond a cliff....the PCs will have to be careful not to fall far down into a moat.

There will be a bridge to the island-like domain of the druid, guarded by Volodni Archers and ballista operators on two very tall trees flanking the bridge.

Once the PCs are there, however, then what? What should this evil druid of disease and other natural and fey evils have in store for them?

 

[Iron_Chef]

How about some sexy poison maidens from Quintessential Druid? They're a PrC for hot evil druid chicks who enjoy poisoning people. The best use for a druidic villainess I've ever seen. Think "Poison Ivy" from Batman.

 

[green slime]

Well, like any evil Maniac bent on ruling the world (or a chunk of it) they have an agenda. What exactly would this be?

To infect the entire area with blightspawn? To destroy the nearby villages / towns?

Now after you have decided an agenda for this NPC, what would their reaction be to this incursion of lowlife? Are they to be eradicated? Or turned to the cause?

I would most likely try to trick, bribe, bargain, fool the PCs into aiding the NPC's diabolical plan.

Soemthing like having an item that causes the spread of the blight, or sickens humans at the center of the Druid grove, created by the druid. This the druid would "appear" to protect, telling them NOT to take it away. The druid will say that it enhances crops or some such.

If this is meant to be a one off, the Druid will obviously just try to off the PCs... not much more to be said. But it could be part of a longer story arc, as the item doesn't affect plants already planted, so will only have affect on the area surrounding the village it is in at sowing time.

 

[Tonguez]

I say stay away from an identifiable 'Dungeon/Fortress' and stick with either a Hedgerow Maze or an Enchanted forest motiff - their is a path (of sorts) that tunnels through the tangled undergrowth and thick intertwined canopy of the forest linking a few clearings and other strangeness.
If the PCs wonder off the main track they get lost in dense (and enchanted) undergrowth and always end up in the same place - which just happens to put them back on the main path.

Oh and blighted Elder Treants

 

[green slime]

blighted eldar shadow treants?

Twig blights?

 

[DM_Matt]

Well, like any evil Maniac bent on ruling the world (or a chunk of it) they have an agenda. What exactly would this be?

To infect the entire area with blightspawn? To destroy the nearby villages / towns?

Now after you have decided an agenda for this NPC, what would their reaction be to this incursion of lowlife? Are they to be eradicated? Or turned to the cause?

I would most likely try to trick, bribe, bargain, fool the PCs into aiding the NPC's diabolical plan.

Soemthing like having an item that causes the spread of the blight, or sickens humans at the center of the Druid grove, created by the druid. This the druid would "appear" to protect, telling them NOT to take it away. The druid will say that it enhances crops or some such.

If this is meant to be a one off, the Druid will obviously just try to off the PCs... not much more to be said. But it could be part of a longer story arc, as the item doesn't affect plants already planted, so will only have affect on the area surrounding the village it is in at sowing time.

Well, this druid is a minion of a far more powerful druid further away, and is currently gathering a force of Volodni and other creatures to d his bidding. He currently has a Blood Fiend trapped in a gem and will soon give it to his master, a powerful half-fiend druid, who intends to find a way to merge its essense into his without it turning him into a mindless predator.

The PCs were manipulated by a devil into helping this druid's minions capture the fiend, and now he is going to ensure that they flee into the druid's domain to hide from oher things, thus forcing them into a situation where they can kill the druid and destroy the gem/demon. This way, that devil is able to prevent this druid mster from merging with the demon AND destroy his foothold in the area.

 

[DM_Matt]

I say stay away from an identifiable 'Dungeon/Fortress' and stick with either a Hedgerow Maze or an Enchanted forest motiff - their is a path (of sorts) that tunnels through the tangled undergrowth and thick intertwined canopy of the forest linking a few clearings and other strangeness.
If the PCs wonder off the main track they get lost in dense (and enchanted) undergrowth and always end up in the same place - which just happens to put them back on the main path.

Oh and blighted Elder Treants

Agreed. That was the plan all along. Good idea about getting them back on path that way.

 

[Derulbaskul]

In an early issue of Dungeon (issue number 11), there was an adventure called the Black Heart of Ulom. The basic premise of the adventure was that the druids of Ulom Forest had "awakened" the whole forest so that it could protect itself, but a dying dragon defiled their work and the forest became a thing of evil. Of course, the mission for the PCs was to cleanse the forest.

I'm planning on using these ideas IMC, and setting the blightspawned forest in part of the High Forest. Additional encounters will include corrupted (BoVD template) and blightspawned creatures some of which may have had the plant template (MotP) applied first. In addition, I expect to include some half-fiend fey, one of which is likely to be a nymph.

Cheers
D

 

[Adlon]

I highly recommend the Deadwood Tree, from Mystic Eye's Nightmares & Dreams, or N&D II. Can't remember at the moment which one...

He's nasty, and even one of them will challenge your party, two of them will be awesome.

 

[Gregor]

Since the PCs have no access to fly, why not make a portion of the dungeon vertical? Make them trudge around in the mist and such as you suggested but force them to have to climb a massive ancient tree which, at the top, the Druid (bad guy) has made his home. Make it a long climb up some steps which naturally extend from the tree, as the druid as made for his/her self. You can have the Druid periodically attack them on their way up to impede their progress by summoning dire animals along the steps. Also, in addition to the mist on the ground level, have it rain constantly to even further reduce vision. As the PCs climb they will also get above the rain.

Also, think traps....lots of traps. Spiked Pits, entangle traps, spike growth traps, spiked stone traps....lots of stuff to impede their progress and weaken their resolve. Nothing worse than walking into an entangle trap while those Volodni archers attack them from among the trees and such.

Lots to do! Cheers,

edit - How about having the villain have a score of Wild Dwarves (from RoF) ambush them with poisoned blow darts. Hmmm...maybe have some myconids working for him / her, spreading their foul spores and gasses?