How would you prep as a 14th level party to storm the bbeg castle?

[DanMcS]

DanMcS I'm not sure what you mean by "special" Dungeon?

I think your saying that I am somehow "Screwing" my players to take away their powers. I am not sure I understand that just because they can teleport that as a 5th level spell it should work absolutely everywhere. Its a concept I don't get. The world has high magic in it and to think for a second that someone wouldn't take advantage of that is sort of Silly to me. I really dislike the insinuation that I am constraining my players somehow.

A special dungeon, one which has qualities not typically found. You're not screwing them, it's just different. You are constraining them, but constraints force creativity. We've all promptly started working around them.

It wasn't particularly a value judgement on you. Read piratecat's story hour, his last long series of updates has consisted of the PCs being in a big dungeon (the underdark) where teleports don't work and then a thing happened to mess up divinations too.

They don't need to retrieve things but some characters would like to. Namely the Children who are being forced to help the BBEG.

It's always children; that part I will make a value judgement on. Using child hostages is an attempt to get a quicky emotional rise out of the players. Some DM someday is going to run into problems because his players don't care about the children and let them get eaten by the bad guys. Use some fluffy bunnies or kittens or something, whydoncha.

Throwing an earthquake may open the gate that the players are trying to close.

The spell has a smallish area of effect compared to the size of the mountain, I assume. And that's something they could use divination on. "If I throw an earthquake over here, will it affect the gate on the other side of the mountain."

 

[rogueattorney]

A wheelbarrow and holocaust cloak...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

R.A.

 

[Shallown]

Sorry DanMcS Didn't mean to overreact I have caught flack in other threads concerning this plot line about "nerfing" my players abilities. As some have pointed out the "restrictions" work both ways.

"It's always children; that part I will make a value judgement on. Using child hostages is an attempt to get a quicky emotional rise out of the players. Some DM someday is going to run into problems because his players don't care about the children and let them get eaten by the bad guys. Use some fluffy bunnies or kittens or something, whydoncha."

Well the only reason it was children is becuase they are the only ones who possess spellfire whichis used to fuel the story. Well the only ones except the PC who wanted spellfire after I had plotted out the history to that point. Luckily his background fit perfectly into his being a bastard child of the king. The PC is only 15 himself the children 13 and 10.

True to some extent it is to get an emotional rise but I have let the players know through shared visions and such that the children are well cared for evenif hostages. I haven't used them to torture the players.

I thought story wise the king killed in a seige and the children missing would provide the atmosphere of the post war setting I was introducing the players into. Somethng sort of dark that allowed the players be drawn together but not so dark to be depressing.

I wouldn't do that to a bunny and Kitten well unless their starting feat was spellfire channeler.

BTW the Spellfire ability passes through the royal line with only the recognized king/queen able to pass it along. So the 3 kids have it but only one will be able to pass it along. So it is sort of sick to suggest I could use a cute animal... Yuck

Unfortunately this thread isn't to lay out the whole history of the game world or what meta game decisions I made to balance out the higher level play I knew would occur. To say the least it has been more a design to challnge the players inguintity than to nerf whatpowers they have.

Later

 

[Ovinomancer]

Sorry FreetheSlaves... This group never has an escape plan or even back up plans of any sort. No reason to start now

Later

I take offense at being included in this generality. Just because no one else listens to my back up plan doesn't mean that I don't have one.

 

[Shallown]

You can be offended all you want. It still is a correct sttement, the GROUP doesn't have back up contingency plans. The individuals sometimes do sometimes don't. So if they don't listen to you that means the GROUP doesn't have a backup plan.


Later

 

[Shallown]

Darn double post...

There have been some useful ideas presented. There must be more. Sunday (game day) should reveal a lot more to the characters as every one giving pieces of the puzzle come together.

later

 

[Rayne Blythewood]

I will admit to not having a back up plan set up. My character is interested in the attack and once we have that planned his A.D.D kicks in and he starts daydreaming about the woods, or flying around on his mount.


The earthquake spell might could work on an area away from the gate, but risking the opening of it is scary.

I really like the earth elemental and umberhulk idea. I'll look into that. The druid is the cohort of the wind rider, so maybe he can talk him into doing it.
I will definately have summon swarm memorized, if not to go in and pester things inside, they can bother and annoy enemy casters outside.

 

[Toras]

The trick with this is not so much the lack of divinations or teleports, but the "hostages" that are the problem. However if this can be over come with some planning and some basic logic.

1. The villian is most likely going to keep the children in a secure location very close to him. The reasons for this are numerous. It allows him to have instant access to the spellfire that he needs, allows him to make a personal bond with the children (stockhome syndrome or sadism), and it saves the children from the dangerous or damage predation of what ever he is using for a power base (Undead, Humaniods, even Men have dangers as one might have sympathy for them or might take a shine to them in a far more disgusting sense).
2. The Villians sanctum is located at the most advantageous point with in the fotress itself, Either as the most central, most fortified, most plush or most easily evacuatable. Get in side your villians head (figuratively speaking) and try to figure out which of those is most important to them.
Also it is likely that the room will be located either at the center of the base or towards the top or bottom . Bottom is for fortification, top is ventalted and convenient for communications. Under no circumstances, will the villian ever bunk near or with his power base, (Treachry is an evil hallmark)

3. After you have located the villian, discover the path to the altar and gate. From this point on, everything else is expendable.

4. Stoneshape, Walls of Force, or a number of more conventional means can cut off tunnels. A decater of Endless Water can promise a slow and horrible death to anyone caught in the underground as it floods. (stoneshape it in to place and make sure its hidden so they don't just plug the hole.)

5. Major and Minor creation can create quantities of Black powder, which when lit with fuses and rolled down stairs in barrells makes for a bad day for all.

6. The narrower the hallway, the more likely one of your party can hold off several of their group. Remember that they have the strength of numbers but not of quality, so use narrow passages to prevent flanking.

7. Summoning may not be possible inside, but summon before for tons of fun.


As for defending an open platform, Walls of force then covered in antimagic fields can keep out all but the most determined intruder. Also, any good rogue can set up razor wire and taggle trapsa in the entrances leading to that area.

Hope this helps.

ps. No your enemy. Any information about the villian and his hordes, (especially vices, habits, and cultures can be important) And sentries are always the first to die (preverably from far away and silently)

 

[Sir Whiskers]

Off the top of my head:

1. Who are the bbeg's minions?
Maybe a few alter self and polymorph spells will allow the party to infiltrate the lair.

2. Even if the party finds the kids, how does it get them to a safe place? IOW, what's the stop the bbeg from capturing the all over again?

3. Does it require everyone to perform the ritual? Will the bbeg automatically know when the ritual is started? Can the ritual be faked?
Maybe the party storms the lair while someone attempts to perform the ritual. If the bbeg goes to disrupt the ritual, the guy at the altar bugs out and meets the party later. If the bbeg tries to stop the party, then he can't be outside stopping the ritual. At the very least, you force him to divide his forces.
Also, if you know the bbeg will try to stop the ritual, set up a trap to nail him when he does.

4. Much as I hate to say it, the party may not be strong enough to both rescue the children and close the gate. I'm assuming closing the gate is more important, in which case the party has to be willing to withdraw if the rescue attempt goes wrong. Decide on your priority, stick to it, and only change it based on new information. Awfully trite advice, but it's easily forgotten in the heat of battle.

 

[Voadam]

Consider going in in full stealth/invisibility mode and setting yourselves up defensively at the gate where you will do your ritual then split into those working on the ritual and those working on defense.

Scrolls are a cheap way to get some extra spells you might need.

Walls of fire are a great defense, particularly if you have resist fire going in which case you can be in the fire zone. Depending on the DM these can be opaque disrupting line of sight for spell attacks.

Webs to clog up tunnel entrances, they can be burned but it takes time to do so and a lot more time to force your way through.

Walls of stone to seal off tunnel entrances is another good one.

Illusory walls are a great 4th level spell for setting up an ambush. Once the party disbelieves them they can hide behind them but see through the now translucent to them wall to launch their ranged attacks. We did this on a mixed group of mind flayers and ogre magi and other nasties to great effect.

Illusions of creatures will distract your opponents for a round buying you some time. Precast 6th level programmed or permanent illusions can work well but get expensive. Permanent illusion of a writhing wraith tied to a coin so you can bring the coin with you and place it in the area. Since they are expecting incorporeal it works well.


Caltrops. An oldie but a goodie.