I like being inspired... :D

[Scribble]

So my PCs just hopped on a boat that took them from one demi plane, back to manland (as they've been calling it.)

The boat of course, got knocked off course by a crazy storm created by a worldfalling island the captain didn't expect to encounter. The boat was attacked by an angry giant squid, and badly damaged... Up ahead an island seems the perfect spot for them to do repairs...

I was originally thinking I'd do an isle of dread inspired thing, but then this weekend I went to the King Tut exhibit at the deYoung here in SF...

And now I want to do something with pyramids, and mummies.

Particularily inspiring, I learned of these things called Shabti, that I'd never heard of before. (despite their apparently being a big part of Egyptian death rights...) They're these little figurines that have spirits attached to them so they can perform duties in the afterlife.

I can see a mess of them throughout the pyramid. Maybe a lich like concept- To really destroy the spirit you have to first destroy the little statue...

I love being inspired!

 

[Crothian]

You can place a pyramid on the Island of Dread.

 

[Bumbles]

Why stop there?

Gilligan's Pirate-Skull Pyramid of Dread brought to you by the Dharma Initiative!

 

[fba827]

Gilligan's Pirate-Skull Pyramid of Dread brought to you by the Dharma Initiative!

That made my head hurt...

 

[Scribble]

You can place a pyramid on the Island of Dread.

Yeah there is definitely going to be a pyramid...

I'm thinking perhaps the ancient power did some sort of ritual to give himself ultimate power, eternal life in the afterlife sort of thing... made himself a mummy and surrounded himself with the fineries of life, and his servants... yada yada, it caused the island to rift into a pocket dimension, only world falling every so often. The power made lemon aid out of lemons and has existed on said island as a "living god" for eons...

PCs have to find and destroy said power or be trapped on the island. Once they destroy it though, the island remains in manland... Possibly giving them an island they can call "home" if they want...

Maybe I should make the island a Domain of Dread?

 

[Herschel]

Or a Desert of Desolation-type scenario.

 

[darjr]

There is this idea that the Mayans are descendant from long lost Egyptians. I don't ascribe to it irl, but it is an interesting idea.

The Isle of Dread could be A cross themed place where the Egyptians left their living dead Pharaoh god on their way to a new world.

 

[Rechan]

I really dig the South American style pyramids. If you really wanted to, you could also change up the mummification; the corpses were mummified via salt.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Pyramids make for excellent dungeon crawls based on traps and player ingenuity. Break out the book of traps, but also don't be afraid to throw some in that require pure skill checks or player - not character - creativity.

As for the statue spirits, if you really want to have fun with them, don't have the spirits ressurect immidiately. They spirits die, describe the statues as treasure, giggle quietly to yourself as your party decides "HEY LET'S JUST TAKE THE PHYLACTERIES WITH US." Then later laugh at "WHAT WHY DO THESE UNDEAD KEEP REAPPEARING RIGHT NEXT TO US?! D8"

 

[JeffB]

You can place a pyramid on the Island of Dread.

This was my first thought

Maybe I should make the island a Domain of Dread?

And this was my second thought I'm not terribly familiar with RL- but I recall one of the old early 90s SSI D&D computer games- it was an Egyptian/Desert based domain in RL- good stuff.

But I was also wondering: doesn't the 4E MOTP discuss the Isle of Dread as domain style plane instead of it's historical roots as a "normal" island south of The Known World? Not that it really ties in with the egyptian theme you want, but perhaps the 4E MOTP could provide some more inspiration**




**I just ordered a copy myself (along with Open Grave) and cannot wait to dig into it-especially the Isle of Dread part -tomorrow night when it arrives.