Invading Darkhold

[twofalls]

I'm idea mining here. A while ago I put up a thread asking for ideas on how to challenge my adventure group as they infiltrate the Zhentarim Stronghold of Darkhold. I recieved several ideas that were very cool, one being a beholder who wears a monicle of Truesigt over one eye working as a doorwarden. Another was approaching the Stronghold from the underdark, which I am going to use, to bypass some of the more pesky aboveground defenses, like the Zhentish army camped around the fortress.

I'd like some ideas on enchantments to lay on the fortress. Here are a couple I've thought of or have had suggested to me,

Teleportation redirect - to a 40' pit that drops the PC's into a magic dead zone if they try to teleport into or out of the fortress. They have a friendship charm bracelet... think that should work the same way?

Perm Glitterdust/Fey Fire - any invisible creature in the fortress is automatically affected by a glitterdust effect until the enchantment is dropped, and then is affected by Farie Fire for 1 hour per level (dispel at 18th level).

Walls Immune to Transmute/Desintigrate spells.

Magical Tracking team situated inside fortress to hunt down suspected intruders... what would such a team be composed of?

The underdark route is going to have to be clever... as all Underdark access points are tightly controlled. I'm thinking of having the PC's meet an NPC who has an agenda... he wants to free his demon lord master from a prison in the underdark. One of the PC's is exaulted, so he wont tell them his masters true nature'. This NPC will however promise them help if they assist him by telling them how to contact the shade of Lord Gusban, a Hill Giant Chief who once ruled from Darkhold. He will claim Gusban knows a secret and undiscoverred means to access the fortress dungeon. Ideas? Suggestions?

 

[twofalls]

Wow... not a single person could come up with any additional input? Thats a bit dissapointing.

 

[werk]

Wow... not a single person could come up with any additional input? Thats a bit dissapointing.

How could a beholder use a specacle on it's center eye. Wouldn't it cease function when the eye is open?

I'd start with unhallow and the spells that can be used in it, and go from there.

 

[Munin]

I feel your pain, brother. I got a similar response from a recent thread of mine searching for ideas...I wish the admins would reconsider adding the old plots&places forum back, the general forum cycles much to quickly for threads like this to have a chance at being seen by enough people.


Anyways, what level is your party?

As a general rule, as a DM I'm against anything that will arbitrarily remove a player's ability for what sounds like a multi-session adventure. If they have teleport or invisibility, by all means let them use it. Invisibility only lasts for a little while anyways, and you can't teleport somewhere if you don't know where you're going, so it shouldn't mess with your plot development.

That's not to say that the Zhents don't have countermeasures for those abilities, but give the players the satisfaction of defeating or subverting those countermeasures on their own. The npc sounds like a good idea, but again, I wouldn't give the players much, make them earn it.

This reminds me of Shelob from the Lord of the Rings. Gollum knew about this 'backdoor' to Mordor, but he neglected to tell Frodo about the little lady guarding it for his own selfish reasons. Maybe your 'shelob' has something the npc wants? Likewise, the Zhent commanders also know about this back door to darkhold, but figure anyone foolish enough to use it will end up as a tasty treat for [insert really really nasty monster here].

If the party defeats the monster, by all means reward them with undetected access to Darkhold!

 

[Mystery Man]

It has been a while but at one point in my campaign my players had to infiltrate Darkhold, find what's-his-faces room steal an item and get out alive. It was here that I discovered the joy of reverse gravity traps. I had a reverse grav trap on the floor that went off and reset, as they hit the ceiling they touched off another reverse grav trap which slammed them down to the floor (which was nice and ready to go off again), they got smacked around pretty good.

 

[twofalls]

How could a beholder use a specacle on it's center eye. Wouldn't it cease function when the eye is open?

It's a a monicol, and it's on the telekinesis eyestallk, not the central eye.

...what level is your party?

Its a party of six PC's, average level is 12th. It's obviously a FR campaign and the party is magically rich. They are like demigods walking the earth, which is fine, but makes for a fine balance between challenging them and killing them outright. Scenario's in which I think they are going to barely scrape by they manage to overcome handily either through luck, or more typically through clever use of resources. It's difficult to anticipate them.

As a general rule, as a DM I'm against anything that will arbitrarily remove a player's ability for what sounds like a multi-session adventure. If they have teleport or invisibility, by all means let them use it. Invisibility only lasts for a little while anyways, and you can't teleport somewhere if you don't know where you're going, so it shouldn't mess with your plot development.

I'm trying to be logical in a high magic world as well as challenge the party. Teleportation countermeasures, as well as magic agains't invisibility/transmutations like passwall, and other magics only makes sense. Particuarly in a fortress run by an epic level wizard and cleric. In addition, this is the pinnacle of a 4 year campaign, and will mark it's end, so I want it to be very memorable.

This reminds me of Shelob from the Lord of the Rings. Gollum knew about this 'backdoor' to Mordor, but he neglected to tell Frodo about the little lady guarding it for his own selfish reasons. Maybe your 'shelob' has something the npc wants? Likewise, the Zhent commanders also know about this back door to darkhold, but figure anyone foolish enough to use it will end up as a tasty treat for [insert really really nasty monster here].

This is kinda the idea with the "Demon Master" and the spirit of Hill Giant Lord Gusban, in a slightly different way. The party will defintaly fight the Demon Lord once they figure out what it is... but I will have to arrage that fight to happen after they recieve the info on the Hill Giant's shade. I want the party to feel that they have really accompished something by just gaining entrance to Darkhold undetected.

 

[twofalls]

It has been a while but at one point in my campaign my players had to infiltrate Darkhold, find what's-his-faces room steal an item and get out alive. It was here that I discovered the joy of reverse gravity traps. I had a reverse grav trap on the floor that went off and reset, as they hit the ceiling they touched off another reverse grav trap which slammed them down to the floor (which was nice and ready to go off again), they got smacked around pretty good.

I like this, thanks!

 

[evildmguy]

Okay, obviously you need to tailor this to your own group, what they like to do and what they know of the Zhentarim.

Having said that, there are a LOT of things to think about.

I agree that the Semmemnon would protect the fortress as well as he can. However, would he trust the priests? If no, there is no faerie fire, unless he has an arcane equivalent to it. Further, if it is only himself that he trusts, there might be only a few areas that are very well protected with the rest of the place the reason there are "mundane" troops.

What about the general politics of the Zhentarim? Do they work together? Or fight among themselves? Would the group consider approaching one guard, saying they want to steal from X and can help him by doing something for him? (Whether or not they do is up to them.) Are there any other traitors? What about Harper spies or other such spies? Wouldn't it be funny that as they are infiltrating and going to silence someone, he claims to be a Harper agent?

How are the walls immune to disintegrate? What is the cost of that? I don't remember how well Darkhold is stated, but if it is really expensive to do that, would it be the whole hold? Or merely select parts that were that well protected? (I know there is question as to how good the Stronghold Builder's Guide is but it could give a baseline.)

Tracking team - Hmmm. Again, this could touch politics. Is one a spy? What if one is a spy from Fzoul? "Who watches the watchers?" What if they don't care if the PCs succeed and help them?

If money is no object, and the walls are protected, what about creatures that are tough because of magic? For example, trolls with rings of fire resistance and some item that allows them to polymorph into a human (or kobold) but retains troll abilities? Illusionary wall that merely blocks golems who attack any in the area, if it is restricited, or any without a token? What if the golem had an illusion cast around it to make it look like a troll? Or, an iron golem that looks like something only affected by lightning. (Or which ever is healed by lightning.)

Specially grown enlarged stirges that can go invisible? (hints can be given on this but it could look like something else drained them.)

Werewolves that stay in wolf form? No clue that silver would help.

Young dragons that look like another type. Imagine if a blue looked like a bronze and said its breath weapon was taken by some ritual? Then, the dragon attacks at the best point for it. Again, why is it there? To help? Or against its will?

Again, depending on money, there are a lot of things mundane to detect intruders. Guards who have keys that must activate something every ten minutes at certain points or an alarm sounds at a guard station. Perhaps the items are attuned to the guard, so it can't be stolen or used by anyone else. Perhaps only sargeants have them, and the rest of the patrol will be punished if the sargeant can't use it. Then, some sargeants use fear or loyalty with this. If the sargeant is killed, maybe the others think they could get the promotion or they are better off with the PCs.

(Do you have maps from the FR Atlas?)

What if they have added portcullis' to close off sections? Heck, what if all sections are always closed off and it requires the key from above to open and then reclose it? Again, if a portcullis goes up without the key, an alarm sounds somewhere. Could be that an apprentice is then supposed to scry and see what is happening. (Thinking Stargate SG-1 here but it could work.) Again, an open lock and a dispel could get them past one but do they have enough for four there and four back?

What if, truly random, you have guests arriving? Is it a festival or holiday time? (This might give PCs a reason to try a more direct approach to entry.) What if some of those guests would gladly see the Zhents hurt? Or want to help to rub it in the Zhents noses? What if some of those guests are merely nearby cities nobles, who will be killed by such an attack? (Depends on how you view the Zhentarim and their relationship with nearby cities.)

What if, for fun, someone else is infiltrating in front of them?

Perhaps a local ogre tribe is there for negotiations of moving into the area and actings as guards? Again, what would they do when the PCs show up?

Maybe the plot works that Semmemnon is about to hand something over to Manshoon, who is there personally. Now the PCs have to worry about him as well! Of course, their spells shouldn't completely reflect combat, but they will probably have some good ones and items.

A pack of beholders is there for some reason? Diplomatic reason?

I hope these help!

Have a good one! Take care!

edg