Lordnightshade
First Post
Ooooh! That's sweet Seasong!!
Eyes everywhere! I love it! I'm using this for sure!!
Eyes everywhere! I love it! I'm using this for sure!!
How would a Demon Queen defend her palace?
- Thread starter Lordnightshade
- Start date
Leopold
NKL4LYFE
Have doorknobs that cast HARM whenever touched by anyone not native to the plane?
Fortress is in a big upside down heart the constantly throbs. When the PC's attack and cast spells and so forth and they miss or cast area of affect spells the walls gush blood or arteries come open, etc. This would give the PC's the feeling of being inside a living, breathing, heart to go along with this love concept.
Have the whole place covered in blood. Instead of making the PC's have to breather air have them be able to breathe the blood. Water breathing won't work as it is more plasma based..they would need spells to combat through it, make it cling to armor, rust it, make the blood burn their eyes, etc.
I would make the enviornment as unbeneficial as possible to the PC's. It will make them think more and wish they had planned more, but if they are already at her home it's too late..
Fortress is in a big upside down heart the constantly throbs. When the PC's attack and cast spells and so forth and they miss or cast area of affect spells the walls gush blood or arteries come open, etc. This would give the PC's the feeling of being inside a living, breathing, heart to go along with this love concept.
Have the whole place covered in blood. Instead of making the PC's have to breather air have them be able to breathe the blood. Water breathing won't work as it is more plasma based..they would need spells to combat through it, make it cling to armor, rust it, make the blood burn their eyes, etc.
I would make the enviornment as unbeneficial as possible to the PC's. It will make them think more and wish they had planned more, but if they are already at her home it's too late..
Lela
First Post
Lordnightshade said:
So, who is guarding her?
Advanced Balors with Barbarian and/or Blackguard levels.
Or. better yet,
Solars. Maybe they're trying to rescue her. Maybe they're there supposed to protect her from random demons. Add in the requirment that they need to make sure NO ONE finds out Love is there. This means that they must kill the PCs. Make sure the PCs find out why they had to fight Solars at some point (before, after, or during).
s/LaSH
First Post
Something for the fortress: Nobody seems to have considered that standard architecture is obsolete for demons. They can teleport and most of them can fly. So instead of having staircases in the palace, have whole towers that can only be accessed from the top, vertical passages a hundred feet deep, and floors that were never made for people to stand on (for example, some rooms might not have floors at all, while others might be made of huge blocks of stone ten feet on a side that are piled in different heights).
And here's an evil idea for discouraging intruders: A pit trap in a corridor. The pit is quite deep, and lined with blades along the walls. At the bottom of the pit is a teleportation circle, with the destination the ceiling at the top of the pit. Someone who fell in would actually hit the bottom of the pit before being teleported, thus taking falling damage over and over and over. The blades on the walls are to stop people 'air surfing' to get to the edge. However, to be fair, a victim of the pit would probably only fall through once a round.
Now imagine a room full of these pits, with lost souls falling through endlessly, crushed into unrecognisable pulp by an eternity of smashing into hard stone, yet still able to scream. The eternal sounds of 'Splat!' echoing at staccatto intervals throughout a chamber is bad enought, but if anyone here has played through Serious Sam: Second Encounter, you'll know that the doppler effect on screaming creatures moving rapidly is very weird. It's difficult to explain... imagine a whole chorus of screaming creatures, each starting their scream at a high note and quickly dropping in tone, completely out of synchrony.
What's worse is if you have a source of healing magic nearby, and the 'splat' creatures can be rescued and restored. What are they? Demons or petitioners?
And for a really happy twist, have the PCs run into old foes as tormented souls... except they don't recognise them as old foes, not at first. How will they interact?
It occurs to me that, if Anomaly wants the PCs to slay her, she shouldn't make things too hard, only seem that way... until she's dead, at which point they've got to get out of the palace, which will undoubtedly be much, much harder. If they've got the Goddess of Love with them it could be easier... but still, legions of quasits with dimensional anchor wands (or some creature that anchors people naturally) would be nasty.
However, demons are naturally perverse and self-defeating. Anomaly doesn't have to make sure the PCs reach her; she could very well be trying to kill them as they battle their way to the place she wants them. Innate intelligence isn't a factor; she's still a manifestation of evil, it's part of her nature.
And here's an evil idea for discouraging intruders: A pit trap in a corridor. The pit is quite deep, and lined with blades along the walls. At the bottom of the pit is a teleportation circle, with the destination the ceiling at the top of the pit. Someone who fell in would actually hit the bottom of the pit before being teleported, thus taking falling damage over and over and over. The blades on the walls are to stop people 'air surfing' to get to the edge. However, to be fair, a victim of the pit would probably only fall through once a round.
Now imagine a room full of these pits, with lost souls falling through endlessly, crushed into unrecognisable pulp by an eternity of smashing into hard stone, yet still able to scream. The eternal sounds of 'Splat!' echoing at staccatto intervals throughout a chamber is bad enought, but if anyone here has played through Serious Sam: Second Encounter, you'll know that the doppler effect on screaming creatures moving rapidly is very weird. It's difficult to explain... imagine a whole chorus of screaming creatures, each starting their scream at a high note and quickly dropping in tone, completely out of synchrony.
What's worse is if you have a source of healing magic nearby, and the 'splat' creatures can be rescued and restored. What are they? Demons or petitioners?
And for a really happy twist, have the PCs run into old foes as tormented souls... except they don't recognise them as old foes, not at first. How will they interact?
It occurs to me that, if Anomaly wants the PCs to slay her, she shouldn't make things too hard, only seem that way... until she's dead, at which point they've got to get out of the palace, which will undoubtedly be much, much harder. If they've got the Goddess of Love with them it could be easier... but still, legions of quasits with dimensional anchor wands (or some creature that anchors people naturally) would be nasty.
However, demons are naturally perverse and self-defeating. Anomaly doesn't have to make sure the PCs reach her; she could very well be trying to kill them as they battle their way to the place she wants them. Innate intelligence isn't a factor; she's still a manifestation of evil, it's part of her nature.
Lela
First Post
Lordnightshade said:
Came by. Had a look. I like it. I just don't want to be the one to start the "Hay, I'm the new guy" threads. I figure that those will become far to common and I have too much respect for the RBDM Club
. Instead, I've decided to clutter up your nice thread. 
Besides, it's not as if you've never seen me before.
Just a side note, on EZBoard I'm known as Lela II. It seems that Lela is already taken (so don't think it's me if someone starts screwing around
).I've spent far too much time on the above and refuse to spend anymore. *mumbles* cheese *mumbles*
seasong
First Post
Another room...
Room of Mud
Stolen liberally from Brave New World.
Actually a series of rooms, each small and intimately sized, and filled knee-deep in warm, liqueous mud - slightly thicker than pancake batter, slightly less thick than quicksand. Each room is filled with 2-8 souls who are revelling in the mud, and rooms vary from passionate groping to orgiastic frenzies. A lot of caterwhauling can be heard, and the souls generally ignore any attempts to talk to them... but they don't ignore warm bodies, and will attempt to include anyone entering their room in their activities. The souls are covered in the mud, and the PCs likely will be as well.
At its base, this is just a set of passion rooms, possibly what Anomaly uses to help her tap the Lust emotion (however weakly or strongly she does this). A few twists can make it more interesting, however.
Twist #1: The mud is actually a drug, which reduces inhibitions, increases lustful feelings, and makes everything feel soooo good. Have the PCs make Reflex saves every few rooms not to slip and fall in the stuff, and play out whether or not they let an attractive, mud-covered soul (of appropriate gender) carress them with the mud. In either case, a failure means Will saves to not yield to the pleasures of the mud. A kind DM will allow Will saves every so often to break free of the mud once they've yielded. There's no real danger in this room, other than tarrying for a few centuries.
Twist #2: The mud is actually a slime or ooze of some sort. Pick your favorite type, but give the PCs a few rounds to get deeper in before it starts attacking. The souls are not real, of course, and so aren't harmed by it... indeed, they find its ministrations pleasurable.
Twist #3: The mud is a sentient, empathic creature which responds to the emotions of those in it. Right now, it is crooning, but the PCs, with their harsh drive, ambition and focus on missions and killing have begun to make it itch. They'll get several rooms in, just far enough to make getting out a pain, when it finally starts freaking out and killing people (both souls and PCs). That pain will feed it's rage, of course. Treat as a Collossal water elemental that's got the PCs right where it wants them, and stir liberally.
Twist #4: The revellers are not what they seem. They might be partying demons (who will rend the PCs apart as soon as they realize who the interlopers are), worshippers of a burgeoning Anomaly Cult (who may react similarly, or may start trying to preach), or manifestations of the mud.
Room of Mud
Stolen liberally from Brave New World.
Actually a series of rooms, each small and intimately sized, and filled knee-deep in warm, liqueous mud - slightly thicker than pancake batter, slightly less thick than quicksand. Each room is filled with 2-8 souls who are revelling in the mud, and rooms vary from passionate groping to orgiastic frenzies. A lot of caterwhauling can be heard, and the souls generally ignore any attempts to talk to them... but they don't ignore warm bodies, and will attempt to include anyone entering their room in their activities. The souls are covered in the mud, and the PCs likely will be as well.
At its base, this is just a set of passion rooms, possibly what Anomaly uses to help her tap the Lust emotion (however weakly or strongly she does this). A few twists can make it more interesting, however.
Twist #1: The mud is actually a drug, which reduces inhibitions, increases lustful feelings, and makes everything feel soooo good. Have the PCs make Reflex saves every few rooms not to slip and fall in the stuff, and play out whether or not they let an attractive, mud-covered soul (of appropriate gender) carress them with the mud. In either case, a failure means Will saves to not yield to the pleasures of the mud. A kind DM will allow Will saves every so often to break free of the mud once they've yielded. There's no real danger in this room, other than tarrying for a few centuries.
Twist #2: The mud is actually a slime or ooze of some sort. Pick your favorite type, but give the PCs a few rounds to get deeper in before it starts attacking. The souls are not real, of course, and so aren't harmed by it... indeed, they find its ministrations pleasurable.
Twist #3: The mud is a sentient, empathic creature which responds to the emotions of those in it. Right now, it is crooning, but the PCs, with their harsh drive, ambition and focus on missions and killing have begun to make it itch. They'll get several rooms in, just far enough to make getting out a pain, when it finally starts freaking out and killing people (both souls and PCs). That pain will feed it's rage, of course. Treat as a Collossal water elemental that's got the PCs right where it wants them, and stir liberally.
Twist #4: The revellers are not what they seem. They might be partying demons (who will rend the PCs apart as soon as they realize who the interlopers are), worshippers of a burgeoning Anomaly Cult (who may react similarly, or may start trying to preach), or manifestations of the mud.
Lordnightshade
First Post
Nice Seasong, what if instead of Mud it was some form of magical quick silver? Fiends could be relaxing in it (they are immune to poison) but any PC who enters could be harmed by it.
What would the effects of quick silver be? What does the stuff do to you in real life, I know it's deadly poison and absorbs quickly through the skin.
Lela, if you go back to that public forum you will find more posts by me.
Lend a hand if you like, OR post questions of your own! We would love to see you there!!
One of the threads is even a different version of this thread called: "Running the Gauntlet"
What would the effects of quick silver be? What does the stuff do to you in real life, I know it's deadly poison and absorbs quickly through the skin.
Lela, if you go back to that public forum you will find more posts by me.
Lend a hand if you like, OR post questions of your own! We would love to see you there!!
One of the threads is even a different version of this thread called: "Running the Gauntlet"
seasong
First Post
General notes on quicksilver
Mercury poisoning
Overall, repeated skin exposure will have some long-term health effects, but not be immediately deadly. Breathing mercury vapors for any length of time can cause diarhea, vomiting, damage to the stomach lining and lungs, and skin sores; upon entering the bloodstream (through the lungs), it may (rarely) cause the heart to stop.
I'm not sure that mercury poisoning has the right drama for D&D, however. Most D&D poisons and diseases are unrealistically heinous, but also have quick recoveries and easy cures. Mercury poisoning lasts a LONG time (the amount remaining in your body roughly halves every 60 days), and its effects do not map well to hit points or attribute damage.
If I were going to poison the PCs with the mud, I'd make it something like poison ivy, with DEX -2 unless you scratch the spot, only "the spot" is everywhere the mud touched, and everywhere the touched spots touched. And scratching only makes the itching worse, long term. Will saves per hour not to scratch. Salves can cure it, of course, but where to find a salve in hell?
Mercury poisoning
Overall, repeated skin exposure will have some long-term health effects, but not be immediately deadly. Breathing mercury vapors for any length of time can cause diarhea, vomiting, damage to the stomach lining and lungs, and skin sores; upon entering the bloodstream (through the lungs), it may (rarely) cause the heart to stop.
I'm not sure that mercury poisoning has the right drama for D&D, however. Most D&D poisons and diseases are unrealistically heinous, but also have quick recoveries and easy cures. Mercury poisoning lasts a LONG time (the amount remaining in your body roughly halves every 60 days), and its effects do not map well to hit points or attribute damage.
If I were going to poison the PCs with the mud, I'd make it something like poison ivy, with DEX -2 unless you scratch the spot, only "the spot" is everywhere the mud touched, and everywhere the touched spots touched. And scratching only makes the itching worse, long term. Will saves per hour not to scratch. Salves can cure it, of course, but where to find a salve in hell?
Lordnightshade
First Post
hmmm maybe not poison them...
I just liked the imagery of quick silver... Mud doesn't really fit Anomaly's personality... but I guess it could. I like the idea. A sort of bath scene.
Perhaps there are large pools of everything imaginable from scented water to lava, and green slime to quick silver that people are bathing in?
I just liked the imagery of quick silver... Mud doesn't really fit Anomaly's personality... but I guess it could. I like the idea. A sort of bath scene.
Perhaps there are large pools of everything imaginable from scented water to lava, and green slime to quick silver that people are bathing in?
Similar Threads
