How Would You Hide Your Secret Necromancer City in The Swamp?

[Xarlen]

If this is a *city*, then obviously the monsters are undersway under the Necromancer's power. I mean, if they can pull this kind of power out of their butt, a 'Charm Monster' isn't that unheard of.

I like those examples! (Though I wonder how a Ghoul would see in obscuring mist).

Chuuls that lurk in the swamp water, as well as perhaps a resident aboleth (Especially if the city is underwater, this could be a 'head of the guard'). One or two natural lycanthrope werebats (MaoF) circling the swamp on patrol in bat form.

I don't think that Women should be the ideal slaves (C'mon, there can be female necromancers). However, those who Don't have the capability of magic are definetly going to be slaves, whatever gender.

Undead or Corrupted Treants.

Let's not forget that those who delve into the folds of Necromancy could also deal with Demonic and Inferanl forces. A few imps, or Osyluths lurking in the swamp, searching for mental connection with telepathy, then alerting any intelligent undead (The watch commanders) of introduers.

Undead patroling deep waters, waiting for anyone to fall in, and be grappled.

Furtheremore, skeletal arms which are animated via 'Animate Object'. Imagine a small throng of skeletal arms just waiting in a small marsh.

A bone golem, for the above Iron Golem info.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

You know, the nifty thing about undead is that they're environmentally low impact residents. Say what you will about their housekeeping, zombies don't pollute.

What I'm getting at is that as long as you have a fresh supply of bodies you can keep this little swap city (sorry, cité du marécage, one must try to be cosmopolitan) going for forever or until the adventurers arrive, whichever comes first.

So you can have your necromancers start a plague and then teleport the bodies in. For that matter, you can have your necromancers be honest-to-goodness doctors for a far away army. The necros give their service to one side in exchange for all the dead bodies. They wouldn't even have to cheat! What mideaval army wouldn't exchange medicinal services for the VERY low cost of having the same medical people haul away the dead. That's pretty much ideal.

Undead don't need to breathe, so the whole underwater thing is cool. BUT! Don't forget swamp gas! You can have encounters above ground but surrounded by swamp gas. When the wizard casts a fire spell KA-BOOM! Everyone takes 1d6 fire damage. That'll keep things interesting.

Happy gaming!

 

[James McMurray]

The best place to hide your necromancer city would be in the mountains or the prairies. Nobody ever looks there for Necromancers.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Hmm...Nightfall hasn't showed up yet to tell you to put your necromancer city in a volcano. He's falling behind.

How big of a city are you thinking of? Will there be "normal" people there, or is it totally undead?

There are a lot of ways to hide things in swamps, mostly because people don't go in swamps to begin with. This makes it easy to stay hidden, but it also tends to hinder the growth of a "city." You can't have much of a population if there's no trade.


Maybe the necromancers developed a spell that created the swamp around an exisiting city, and systematically turned the residents into undead?

 

[SSquirrel]

Necromantic Swamp Ideas

The necromancers are allied with evil Lizardman clerics... who have permanently Unhallowed the area, and Desecrated it too (if those stack).

Black Dragon Druid + Awakened Half-Dragon Dire Alligators.

-- Nifft

All in all a bunch of great ideas there Nifft. My housemate was reading this with me and she thought that increased VERY heavy swamp growth to make good use of the swamp's natural defenses. Make frfiends with the lfora nd fauna...hell, ,maybe taht's what the Dragon Druid and the Lizardmen have done.

Also check out Butcher Spirits from Scarred Lands. Nasty bastards that would fit right in with the idea. Creature Collection 1 I believe.

 

[Xarlen]

Actually, the best place to hide it would be beneath a little throp called HappyVill. Who'd look for necromancers in Happyvill?

 

[jester47]

Funny how people want to put thier necromancers in swamps. Return to the Tomb of Horrors by Bruce Cordell does that very thing. A city of necromancers poped up around the Tomb of Horrors in the Vast swamp south of Sundi. The necromancers called themselves the Black Academy (aka the Bleak Academy). Funny how themes keep coming up. I think it has to do with Zombies and Loisianna Bayou. That whole new orleans Juju Schtick. Heh, cajun necromancers...

Aaron.

 

[GravyFingerz]

Hmm...Nightfall hasn't showed up yet to tell you to put your necromancer city in a volcano. He's falling behind.

How big of a city are you thinking of? Will there be "normal" people there, or is it totally undead?

There are a lot of ways to hide things in swamps, mostly because people don't go in swamps to begin with. This makes it easy to stay hidden, but it also tends to hinder the growth of a "city." You can't have much of a population if there's no trade.


Maybe the necromancers developed a spell that created the swamp around an exisiting city, and systematically turned the residents into undead?

More undead than necromancers, because they need cheap labor and its constantly in demand. Its about the size of a small city, prolly around 5,000 people. They usually keep travelers as slaves or concubines, to promote progeny.

 

[Xarlen]

I like the idea of trading bodies for medical services. Though, a good trade for the necromancery city could actually Be due to ivory.

Or natural gas, through a special means, is made into a fuel. Or what about oil? There's tar and fossils buried deep in swampy lakes, perhaps they've found a way to tap into that?

I think Necromancers + Swamp is usually associated with the decay that a swamp feels. It's not a very cheerful place. Almost bleak, dead, dying, ugly, and generally there's some Nasty Stuff in there that'll eat you. Twisted trees that look like skeletons, fetid, dirty water, putrid smells and thus.

 

[Nifft]

If this is a *city*, then obviously the monsters are undersway under the Necromancer's power.

I was picturing the areas outside the city having permanent Sympathy spells, while the city itself has permanent Antipathy spells (for the various vermin & monster types).

No-one has the patience to Charm several thousand stirges -- especially given that they don't live all that long.

I don't think that Women should be the ideal slaves (C'mon, there can be female necromancers). However, those who Don't have the capability of magic are definetly going to be slaves, whatever gender.

I'd thought about this scenario, but it just didn't ring true. While I can easily picture a female necromancer, I just can't see a pregnant female necromancer. Anyone giving birth in the swamp is going to be risking her life... and I can't imagine a necromancer risking her life for some stupid kid who's probably going to end up in the 'labor pool'.

So sure, male & female necromancers, but disproportionately female love & reproduction slaves.

I wonder how a Ghoul would see in obscuring mist

Maybe ghouls can track by scent If not, I dunno, can ghouls see in the dark? Permanent Darkness is good, too.

Alright, here's the most evil thing I've ever thought of, and they'd be right at home in a necromancer's swamp:

Half-Fiend Rust Monsters

-- Nifft