Help Wanted with ideas for Chapter 3 (levels 9-14) of my campaign

[GoodKingJayIII]

FIrst of all, sounds like a great campaign. Kudos for running something cool and epic.

Secondly, my only question is this: how are you going to prevent the PCs from dying? This sounds like a scripted event that's going to happen no matter what. What if your players decide not to leave? Will they remain out of the artifact's radius? I suspect someone will try and save the NPC, probably her brother PC. In that case, are you willing to let that character die, or do you have an out to save all their butts? Just curious. You know how PCs have a tendency to be all heroic and courageous.

Edited some typos

 

[Michael Morris]

Easy - they are on a balcony 100' back and 20' up from the point of the drop. The ball only affects those within 20' -- the queen a couple of her retinue and probably the new prime minister (which Triel has a grudge with - he was the former prime minister). Without flying spells it's a 4 rounds of movement to get down there, and the commotion they'll cause by trying to enter the chamber will tip Triel off.

If the players come up with something *good* they *might* save her. Nothing is ever written in stone. But this will be difficult for them.

 

[jollyninja]

what i'd do is have him look up at the pc's directly and "All we are is dust in the wind" before teleporting out, while playing "dust in the wind" by styx on my computer. and my players would groan and throw stuff at me.

but for a serious suggestion i might go with something like "kingdoms, like their rulers are but ashes and dust" and then poof, out.

 

[Michael Morris]

Dust in the Wind is by Kansas (or at least the one I always think of).

I do know I'm going to play "At Zankarland Once Again" - the remix by Russel Cox. MPe here --

http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR00617/

The last time I used that I had them tearing up -- they'll ball this time (I'm evil).

 

[Vargo]

Having come here to suggest "ashes to ashes, dust to dust"...

I gotta say the "ashes, ashes, all fall down" line just takes the cake. Use it, then report back here how many bits of popcorn you got pelted with.

 

[Lackhand]

None of them have Dim Door, Telekinesis, or Wall of Force?
Or even Dispel Magic?
Because they could hold action to screw with the bad talky-man's plans by IDing anything he does, and counterspelling it.
Or casting the wall of force between their favorite NPC and the falling orb.

Yes, it would take quick reflexes, but the villain is clearly *taunting* -- they're (probably?) going to want to interfere, unless it's not as obvious. Maybe use Spot versus his Sleight of Hand (at -10 for distance, at least!) to see the marble, and/or Sense Motive checks as a sort of initiative check, opposed by his Bluff (or something), to figure out whether they spot the *evil* before it's done?

Finally, 100 feet is *not* 4 rounds of movement -- if they can run, they can get 120 feet; they probably can't in a crowded hall, but they certainly can try to double move, 60' a round. Given the height advantage, they may start looking for ropes to swing on, even -- and a spider climb or expeditious retreat (or both!) could cause strange reactions.

This all assumes the interaction is taking place in a fairly open room. If there are more obstructions, then this is a lot harder for them to meddle in.

 

[BlackMoria]

"The winds of change are upon you and yet still you cling to childish notions. Our beloved country no longer can afford such indulgences.

You have sown that wind....NOW REAP THE WHIRLWIND AND BE SWEPT AWAY!!"

<teleport....boom>

 

[jollyninja]

Dust in the Wind is by Kansas (or at least the one I always think of).

I do know I'm going to play "At Zankarland Once Again" - the remix by Russel Cox. MPe here --

http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR00617/

The last time I used that I had them tearing up -- they'll ball this time (I'm evil).

I stand corrected, kansas it is.

 

[Michael Morris]

100' through a room filled with 300 people is. You can't run through an assembled crowd. The party's sorcerer is a living torch and has none of the spells you mention. The cleric doesn't routinely prepare dispel magic (though he should, I've never pointed this out to him - not my character to play). That wouldn't matter, a chaos orb is a minor artifact which cannot have it's effect dispelled. It can be stopped with an antimagic shell or a mordenkainen's disjunction.

Again, I don't know if they'll try anything you mention. They may very well. A problem though - at least until he drops the chaos orb Triel has a right to be there. They are all commoners and will be attacked by the guard if they attempt to interfere up to the moment the guard realizes Triel is the real threat.

Triel is a real pain though - a 5th level wizard 8th level blue mage. If the party where to try to get off a counter he was aware of he'd block it with a casting of force of will. As any Magic: The Gathering player will tell you, getting into a counterspell war with a dedicated blue mage is just asking to get pwned.

 

[Michael Morris]

I think I'll play this song as I describe the character's funeral.

"I Grieve"
Peter Gabriel
On the City of Angels soundtrack

it was only one hour ago
it was all so different then
there's nothing yet has really sunk in
looks like it always did
this flesh and bone
it's just the way that you would tied in
now there's no-one home

i grieve for you
you leave me
'so hard to move on
still loving what's gone
they say life carries on
carries on and on and on and on

the news that truly shocks is the empty empty page
while the final rattle rocks its empty empty cage
and i can't handle this

i grieve for you
you leave me
let it out and move on
missing what's gone
they say life carries on
they say life carries on and on and on

life carries on
in the people i meet
in everyone that's out on the street
in all the dogs and cats
in the flies and rats
in the rot and the rust
in the ashes and the dust
life carries on and on and on and on
life carries on and on and on

it's just the car that we ride in
a home we reside in
the face that we hide in
the way we are tied in
and life carries on and on and on and on
life carries on and on and on

did I dream this belief?
or did i believe this dream?
now i can find relief
i grieve