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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Upper_Krust" data-source="post: 2502572" data-attributes="member: 326">Hi there Aluvial! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Okay, quick question. Do you possess the Epic Level Handbook? Or even the epic SRD?The Epic Level Handbook has 100 Epic Adventure ideas and an Epic Adventure called "Kerleths Tower"...although to be fair the adventure itself is not great. Considering the strength of your party I can see why, especially if you are not yet using epic monsters. I second the idea of the Quicksilver Hourglass adventure (its very good). Also there is an epic adventure (21st-level characters) in Dungeon #93 as well called "The Storm Lords Keep".Greyhawk has more than enough epic villainy to accomodate your needs.My first suggestion is to make the villains proactive, give them a game plan, act on their goals and then see how the PCs react to it. Don't have the world revolve around the PCs.Main Greyhawk Epic Villains:1. Iuz. Chaotic Evil. North Western threat. Demons (inc. Balors, possibly some minor demon lords). The Boneheart (Greater Boneheart C27 x2, W27 x3). Lesser Boneheart (W23, C22, Vampire W21, C23, W25, C22). a. Massive humanoid army, bolstered by many demons.b. Iuz is hoping to rebuild the Temple of Elemental Evil.c. Trump card(s): Iggwilv and Zuggtmoy2. Scarlet Brotherhood. Evil (works best as Neutral Evil). South Eastern threat. Yugoloths. Lots of Assassins and Monks.Eldest Brother Mk26.a. Corrupt existing armies from within and take them over. Bolstered by Daemons.b. The Brotherhood want the cone of power (one of the Theorparts...which may be powering Jazirians floating castle?)c. Trump card: Slerotin (W40), the Last Suel Mage of Power (whose body is found and resurrected).3. Ivid. Lawful Evil. Eastern threat. Devils (Pit Fiends, perhaps even Bel from the Book of Vile Darkness?). Church of Hextor.Ivid could be C7/W23.a. Large Undead army, bolstered by Devils.b. Ivids devils are still creating evil artifacts from the meteor site.c. Trump card: Avatar of Hextor.PCs could destroy the gates to the Hells.4. Rary the Traitor. Neutral Evil. Centralised threat. Robilar.Incidently, Robilar ascended 9 levels between Rary the Traitor and the Epic Level Handbook. Its possible Rary has also went up levels since then and would now be 32nd-level assuming the same rise. I'll assume a similar rise in levels for most of the main NPCs.a. Rary is building an army of Constructs to bolster his humanoid forces.b. If he gains the Scorpion Crown he can control all manscorpions of the Bright Desert.c. Trump card: Mithril (Golem) Dragon Construct.PCs could disrupt Rarys mining operation and cut down the supply of mithril, or destroy the Scorpion King.5. Sevvord Redbeard. Chaotic Neutral. North Eastern threat. Barbarian Horde.Redbeard could now be a 28th-level Barbarian. He has over 100 sons, many of whom would be high-level Barbarians.a. Redbeard summons a contingent of Dragons (perhaps he has one of the Orbs of the Dragon King?) to spearhead his barbarian army.b. Searching for the shards of Fraz-Urb'luu's staff.c. Trump card: Fraz-urb'luu (See Dragon #333) is now the power behind the throne.PCs could weaken Redbeard by stealing the Orb of the Dragon King and turning the dragons against the barbarians, or uncover the true power behind the throne, causing many of the barbarians to lose faith in their leader.6. Jazirian; the Mage of the Vale. Neutral (Evil tendencies). Western threat. First Protector (Drow W18). The Necromancers (evil adventuring party). True Gargoyles.As with Rary you could probably assume that Jazirian has ascended a few levels (W28 now maybe?), as have the Necromancers (W18, W19, W21, W14/F7, C16, F22)a. Jazirian is gathering a vast army of Giants and Ogres.b. Jazirians Castle now flies, you could tie this in with the Storm Lords Keep adventure.c. Trump card: Jazirian has uncovered a spell that can summon and control the Tarrasque.PCs could weaken Jazirian by causing dissension amongst the different giant tribes, or by destroying the artifact which keeps his castle aloft.Other potential major villains: Accerak the Demilich, Pazuzu (Dragon #330); Wastri, the orc general from the Bone March, someone with the artifacts of Vecna etc.Secondly, don't just concentrate on one villain, pick out five or six (see above), this gives the PCs a choice, giving them a greater sense that their destiny is in their own hands.Thirdly, make sure the ultimate villain is (for now) beyond the PCs reach. The PCs may be able to take on a lone dragon of great power, but they won't be able to just waltz into Iuz throne room and take him out because he will have resources to call upon that would ultimately crush such a bold move. This way the PCs will have to be a bit more circumspect, indirectly weakening the villain sufficiently before they could even contemplate direct action. Even if they kill the main villain, its possible some subordinate may escape and try to rebuild things over time, learning from past mistakes.The PCs may only be able to stymie villains with their actions, if they concentrate on one villain too long, others, left unopposed, may grow in power. So they might defeat Jazirian after a lengthy campaign of adventures, but the Brotherhood forces may wax in power (gaining their artifact). If they defeat Redbeard its possible some of the barbarians may ally with Iuz, swelling his armies.</blockquote>

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