Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="SteelDraco" data-source="post: 1401258" data-attributes="member: 359">I'm not sure I'm actually physically capable of turning down that particular request for aid. Let's see here. I'll assume that your first level party is of normal size, so a CR 1 encounter should use up around 25% of their resources. A CR 2 encounter at that level is fairly challenging, and CR 3 is potentially deadly. With that in mind...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Assassin Vine (CR 3) - the subterranean variety of assassin vine would grow very well in a sewer. Lots of food to eat, even if there aren't any tasty adventurers around.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Choker (CR 2) - a critter like this would probably prey mostly on vermin in a sewer, occasionally snatching a sewer worker or a ratling. Think Gollum.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ettercap (CR 3) - you can play around with an ettercap's traps for quite some time, giving them the possibility to avoid the creature itself, though it would look for whatever disturbed its lair. Possibly a scary 'hunted through the dark' episode while they scramble for an exit.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ooze Mephit (CR 3) - a large sewer might create spontaneous gates to the elemental plane of Ooze, dumping surprised and angry (or desperate?) ooze mephits into the material plane. Note that these aren't necessarily hostile; perhaps it wants the PC's help to find a way home? An ooze mephit can navigate in places in a sewer PCs can't or won't go; what's down there that they might want to know about?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Along the same lines, a Dragon magazine a while back had stats for genasi from the other elemental planes. An ooze genasi hermit would be very much at home in the sewers. Perhaps some sort of a sewer druid? Might be an interesting non-combat encounter.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A smaller version of a shambling mound might be the result of magical run-off, if there's a wizard college or something in the area. Drop it to three hit dice or so, drop the stats and natural armor bonus, and it'd be an interesting little encounter, without stomping their heads in.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rat Swarm (CR 2) - while walking down the tunnels, the PCs hear frantic squeaking and chittering, and their torchlight falls across a furry carpet and seething red eyes as dozens and dozens of rats flee from the darkness. The rat swarm attacks the PCs, but what was it running from, and why?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A (mated?) pair of troglodytes is enjoying the local stench when they run across the PCs. Do they attack? Watch and ambush later? Let them go by? Attempt to talk? For some reason, I love the idea of a pair of troglodytes honeymooning to go smell the human sewer.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The PCs encounter a smuggler making his way through the sewers on a raft, singing as he poles through the sludge. He's very cordial, and offers to show them his wares, though if they look weak, he'll offer them something to drink and try to poison them.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The group runs across a dying ratling. Do they kill it? Take it topside for questioning? Why was it dying, anyway, and what happened to the thing that killed it?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The PCs find the body of a recently-dead official floating through the sludge, with the dagger that killed him still in his back. Around his feet, they find a frayed rope, which was once tied to a stone - he wasn't supposed to ever be found. Perhaps there's some way to identify his killer from the body, such as the dagger? Or is he not even known to be missing yet? Or has he been replaced by a doppleganger?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Along the same lines as the previous, the PCs find a severed hand with a signet ring on it. The ring is magical, and can be used to create a verified seal, used for getting past customs and signing official orders. Do they turn it in for the reward, sell it to smugglers and thieves, or keep it for their own use?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">And then there are some more standard sewer monsters - snakes, dire rats, monstrous spiders, that sort of thing. </li> </ul>Hope that's helpful.</blockquote>

Verification