help with sewer monsters
- Thread starter rossik
- Start date
Wik
First Post
I like wererats. I think if you had a wererat leader, and maybe some ratfolk (I think the creature collection has some neat ratfolk, although you could just use the stats for kobolds or goblins and *call* them ratfolk) would be pretty cool. Hell, you could make 75% of the fights rat-themed - dire rats, rat swarms, and the like.
Ghouls would be cool, or zombies (fast zombies from Libris Mortis, maybe?). Something about a bunch of zombies mucking about in the sewers as the party does their best to evade 'em... cool stuff.
Oozes are great monsters for sewer games, but by the time the party is a decent level to *fight* oozes, they're usually not involved in sewer adventures (which are typically low-level, because it's fairly easy to escape a sewer when you're hurt).
Thieves are another great foe in a sewer game, because they use the sewers as their home. I ran a sewer game where the thieves had excavated their lair from an abandoned sewer section, and kept the smell out through judicious use of blankets (and traps) blocking the entrance.
I think disease is something that should be present in a sewer environment. Players who wade through the water should have to make fortitude saves or come down with a nasty bug a few days later. Players who walk the ledges have to make balance checks in combat.
Remember that there will be many iron gratings (locked!) throughout the hallways. This is a great chance to let the rogue shine. Light will reflect oddly, as it will bounce off the slime and water, so the sewer will appear strange in lanternlight as opposed to the typical dungeon. Sound will also carry better, thanks to the water and tight hallways - the group should hear those ghouls approaching WELL before they get close.
Also, remember that the sewer passageways will follow the streets above. Unless your city follows a grid pattern (and how many medieval cities do? Hell, how many modern cities do?), your sewer won't, either.
I like the idea of floating corpses in the water. Do that twice - the first time, have it be an opportunity to give the PCs some easy loot. The second time, have the corpse be a zombie. Fun stuff.
Ghouls would be cool, or zombies (fast zombies from Libris Mortis, maybe?). Something about a bunch of zombies mucking about in the sewers as the party does their best to evade 'em... cool stuff.
Oozes are great monsters for sewer games, but by the time the party is a decent level to *fight* oozes, they're usually not involved in sewer adventures (which are typically low-level, because it's fairly easy to escape a sewer when you're hurt).
Thieves are another great foe in a sewer game, because they use the sewers as their home. I ran a sewer game where the thieves had excavated their lair from an abandoned sewer section, and kept the smell out through judicious use of blankets (and traps) blocking the entrance.
I think disease is something that should be present in a sewer environment. Players who wade through the water should have to make fortitude saves or come down with a nasty bug a few days later. Players who walk the ledges have to make balance checks in combat.
Remember that there will be many iron gratings (locked!) throughout the hallways. This is a great chance to let the rogue shine. Light will reflect oddly, as it will bounce off the slime and water, so the sewer will appear strange in lanternlight as opposed to the typical dungeon. Sound will also carry better, thanks to the water and tight hallways - the group should hear those ghouls approaching WELL before they get close.
Also, remember that the sewer passageways will follow the streets above. Unless your city follows a grid pattern (and how many medieval cities do? Hell, how many modern cities do?), your sewer won't, either.
I like the idea of floating corpses in the water. Do that twice - the first time, have it be an opportunity to give the PCs some easy loot. The second time, have the corpse be a zombie. Fun stuff.
Xyanthon
First Post
Hehehe, the conversation with the otyugh was excellent! I could imagine fighting off all sorts of terrible beasties only to find that this was the cause of it all! I'll have to keep that one in mind.
Anyway, I've been going through the Book of Vile Darkness and there are some pretty disgusting baddies in there that would fit right in in a sewer ecology such as a Thrall of Jubilex and Vermin Lord. Undead would also make a great boss. For something different, maybe a swarm of vermin that have developed a hive mind mentality. Wererats (as have been mentioned) are cool. Typical sewer denziens are oozes, rats, carrion crawlers, and spiders. How about a shambling mound composed of algae and offal? Or a rather disgusting water weird?
Anyway, I've been going through the Book of Vile Darkness and there are some pretty disgusting baddies in there that would fit right in in a sewer ecology such as a Thrall of Jubilex and Vermin Lord. Undead would also make a great boss. For something different, maybe a swarm of vermin that have developed a hive mind mentality. Wererats (as have been mentioned) are cool. Typical sewer denziens are oozes, rats, carrion crawlers, and spiders. How about a shambling mound composed of algae and offal? Or a rather disgusting water weird?
krichaiushii
First Post
I'll chuckle at your reference, and raise you a Sewer Urchin PrC!Sejs said:
As to the OP, what about Skum, which in turn lead up to an encounter with an aboleth?
Thunderfoot
Hero
I would call Roto Rooter...rossik said:
Most of the posts here are good, but I like carrion crawlers and otyughs. They scale well against most levels and are just enough of a pain that players hate them. Also the odd huge (fiendish) black widow is pretty good too.
Slife
First Post
You say you need help taking care of the littler guys? Spraying them with Febreeze tends to take care of the smell, and if it gets in their eyes all the better. Follow that up with some bubble elementals, and you're good to go.
Shades of Green
Explorer
Cockroaches of various sizes, (demi)human criminals, cultists using the sewer as a hideout...
Jürgen Hubert
First Post
I fourth ghouls.
Especially if you tack a few class levels on them. Remember, ghouls and ghasts tend to be more intelligent than they used to be in life - in fact, they have higher stats in all attributes than a normal human except in Constitution (for obvious reasons). They might also make very dangerous sorcerors - they get higher Charisma and much more hit points.
So they are not "dumb monsters" that will rush intruders without any planning. They will attack from ambush, make plans, lay traps, and be exceedingly dangerous foes...
Especially if you tack a few class levels on them. Remember, ghouls and ghasts tend to be more intelligent than they used to be in life - in fact, they have higher stats in all attributes than a normal human except in Constitution (for obvious reasons). They might also make very dangerous sorcerors - they get higher Charisma and much more hit points.
So they are not "dumb monsters" that will rush intruders without any planning. They will attack from ambush, make plans, lay traps, and be exceedingly dangerous foes...
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
IcyCool said:
You're channelling a character from my last campaign: Verd the poop mephit, who decided to make over the sewers of Tilverton in his own image by gating in a couple thousand of his closest friends. He has a personality somewhere close to Elmo -- except for the stench.
The_Gneech
Explorer
werk said:
You laugh.
Back in high school my good ol' 1st edition-Dragon-variant bard had to battle against (and I kid you not) "living dung".Ew.
-The Gneech
