Help me design a few memorable encounters for 4th level.

[SoulsFury]

*If you are a player at Giant in the Playground and play in the Chaos Scar campaign, turn away!*

Okay, here is the deal. I have been running a decently long PBP campaign (9 months!). I was running it in a different part of my very small (as of now) campaign world, running parallel in time with my table top game. Due to time constraints, player interest and players moving, the table top game has stopped. The PBP campaign is using the Chaos Scar adventures in Dungeon Mag. I have decided I no longer want any none original stuff in my campaign world.

So, I have decided to destroy the part of the world with Restwell Keep and the Chaos Scar. What better way to do that, that to send in a tarrasque. The PCs are inside the meteor that is in the center of the Scar. In the center of the meteor is a sleeping tarrasque. He is about to wake up from his slumber. The PCs know that there is something sleeping that will wreak the area, but they currently believe it is a dragon.

The tarrasque was put their by Orcus in his attempt to combat Tiamat as they both race against each other to take over the world. The evil doers of Orcus have fled the meteor and are in hiding in the mountains, hoping to take over after tarrasque's rampage.

So what I need are some memorable encounters that will lead up to the PCs arriving in the chamber and realizing they are in way over their head. Something other than goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears. Something that would be left by the followers of Orcus to keep anyone from accidentally awaking tarrasque early.

The PCs are all 4th level (they are crafty and very tactical) and consist of:
Human Bard
Elf Monk
Goblin Artificer
Human Fighter
Half-Elven Druid

I'm hoping they know better than to help it wake up and I am assuming they will lead a mass exodus from Restwell Keep. However, knowing these guys, they may do anything.

Thanks for any input! Also, if you have ideas for any encounters during the exodus, please suggest!

Nik

 

[Rechan]

These guys have been fighting pretty low end stuff right? Well then, wake them up by showing something that they know is nasty.

Let's say that the followers of Orcus really wanted to deter people. So they got some very nasty customers. Trolls (or undead trolls), bone golems, powerful undead, etc and chained them around the area. But, from what I understand, fragments of the meteor do crazy stuff. But consider for instance that some of that crazy stuff. Some of that crazy stuff clearly makes some things nastier, more dangerous/powerful. But we could also say that prolonged exposure could be unhealthy.

So the various guardian monsters have been mentally dulled, sickened, handicapped, or otherwise received detriments during their exposure to the meteorite and various wandering monsters. Alternatively, undead that have been damaged over time and just can't heal, thus they are in their weakened state.

As a crude example, you could take a Troll, decrease its stats down to 5th level, make it an Elite, and give it a power such as 'Mentally Dulled; Unless it has taken damage this turn, the troll is dazed and has a -8 to perception checks'.

Another example could be a Bone golem (reskin an elite brute of some kind) which has a half-shattered leg (so reduced REF score, can fall prone under x y or z condition) but still hits like a tone of bricks.

 

[Dragon Sin-Camealot]

I invent unique creatures. Another aspect is redundancy. One idea I will share is to invent a creature that takes a 'set' amount of damage. That it has 200 HP and can take no more than 10 from an attack.

If this idea has been though of already it means you might be on the right track. In terms of imagination and ingenuity. What do you expect?

It might sound generic but getting it in at least 20 hits. It might be better than having a Rouge dish out 60 and killing it too quickly.

Can you make it challenging and fun?

 

[SoulsFury]

I would like to make it both challenging and fun.

Rechan, they have been fighting your standard stuff. Goblinoids, kobolds, bullywugs, a wyrmling, worgs, dragonborn, etc. I like the idea of weaking a creature and throwing it at them.

Perhaps use some trolls that have been chained to the walls and left as guardians. The room could be too wide for the trolls to hit or help each other, but just wide enough they can strike anyone who walks through.

After that, a room of undead that will make them wish they had a cleric...

Keep the ideas coming.

 

[Riastlin]

I'm only vauguely familiar with the Chaos Scar region but it seems like oozes and the like would be natural. In fact, you could use oozes as both creatures and hazards. In one section for instance, the ground is spotted with acidic puddles or poisonous pools.

Other hazards could have more arcane-like effects (from the meteor itself).

Another thing to consider is to have the more intelligent monsters that are trapped there freaking out. The trolls or ogres start pleading with the party to let them go "before it wakes". Let the players know that something really nasty is down there this way. "Dang, if the trolls are freaking out . . . "

Finally (for now anyway) consider having some sort of "clock" effect in place. The meteor is becoming increasingly unstable, causing the earth to rumble, making it more likely that the tarrasque is about to wake. This also gives you the chance to roleplay the party's abilities too. If the bard or artificer makes something go "Boom" you can describe the resounding crash of the spell and the echoes coming back, etc. Do this late in the run obviously, but the idea is to press upon the party that time is of the essence. This does two things: 1) it encourages them not to try to take an extended rest simply because they have spent some resources and 2) it gives them additional objectives in combat. They don't need to "win" so much as win quickly and get the heck out of Dodge. Maybe they end up with a running fight at the end. Then when they get back to the keep, they trigger a skill challenge to try and get the people moving and out of the Scar before Big T goes on his rampage.

Hope that helps a bit, if I think of anything else I'll be sure to post.

 

[Delgar]

Terrain, Terrain, Terrain.

The most memorable encounters I have run have involved an interesting battlefield. Either something the players and creatures can take advantage of or something they have to watch out for, or both.

I run an eberron campaign so some of my memorable encounters have taken place on moving objects, such as a lightning rail or an airship. Another fun one was in lumber mill with chains, conveyer belts and of course saw blades. Make the terrain cool and interactive.

In your case you could have pockets of radioactive rocks that eminate a damaging aura, or perhaps cause a disease?

Chambers that are barely being held up by weak pillars of stone. Players and critters could then try and collapse these areas ontop of people.

Lots of pourous pits to drop characters and monsters into.

Magnetic rocks that pull all metal towards them. Basically have it roll an inititive and pull anything metal X number of squares towards it each turn. If a character is only wielding something metal they can let it go to negate the pull.

I would just take some normal critters and reskin them and use them and describe them to my players. Like radioactive goblins, with glowing green eyes, and scorched flesh. Or kobolds with metalic veins that vomit hot metal. Stuff like that.

 

[SoulsFury]

I'm definitely incorporating timing into it. I've had the ground shaking already, and now I'm going to start having portions of the meteor collapse as they go through it. The pleading trolls might make for an interesting encounter. Have a few trolls attacking them, and then turn a troll against the other trolls in return for being set free.

Love the ideas, got my creative juices going now!

Nik