MichaelSomething
Legend
Can we have a fight against a dozen T-Rexes? I want a fight against a dozen T-Rexes.
D&D 5E (2024) Let's Write A High Level Adventure
- Thread starter Reynard
- Start date
kigmatzomat
Legend
I'm partial to making the "big bad" someone who is not a direct, personal threat. Like, what if the equivalent of Tallryand or Cato the Elder who spent a non-trivial amount of effort engineering everyone they can get to listen to view the party as a threat, casting their every accomplishment in the worst possible light, and maneuvering for a coalition powerful enough for "the menace to be destroyed."
A nearby country has declared them all criminals, a vindictive church (one at odds with the PC cleric/paladin) accuses them of stealing a magical relic, the rogue is blamed for not paying bribes while stealing a magical relic, the wizard reportedly violated some "mage guild code" so no one will so much as sell him spell ink, the druid was supposed to have burned a forest to build luxury housing, etc, etc.
So various groups have been paid and/or incented to attack them PCs. Pirates, fey assassins, couple of demons, maybe a celestial.
Each attack is then publicized in the way most harmful. "They consort with demons, make deals with the fey, are in league with pirates and even the Heavens seek to smite them!"
Sure, the PCs could squash this person like a bug but in the words of Obi Wan " strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
So they have to "right" all the wrongs of which they are accused.
A nearby country has declared them all criminals, a vindictive church (one at odds with the PC cleric/paladin) accuses them of stealing a magical relic, the rogue is blamed for not paying bribes while stealing a magical relic, the wizard reportedly violated some "mage guild code" so no one will so much as sell him spell ink, the druid was supposed to have burned a forest to build luxury housing, etc, etc.
So various groups have been paid and/or incented to attack them PCs. Pirates, fey assassins, couple of demons, maybe a celestial.
Each attack is then publicized in the way most harmful. "They consort with demons, make deals with the fey, are in league with pirates and even the Heavens seek to smite them!"
Sure, the PCs could squash this person like a bug but in the words of Obi Wan " strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
So they have to "right" all the wrongs of which they are accused.
Paul Farquhar
Legend
T Rexes are a good example of something that are total pushovers for a high, or even mid level party. Expect them to be Hypnotic Patterned then killed one at a time.
EzekielRaiden
Follower of the Way
Full support on this project. I am happy to volunteer time on any combination of brainstorming, storyboarding, writing, editing/revision, and number crunching. I don't have much in the way of graphic design skill, but if there are ways I can support that, then full steam ahead.
I think as a preliminary step it would be wise to set out a design...ethos, we might say. Portions of it were already defined in the OP, such as prioritizing ease of use, low GM overhead, flexibility, and displaying the breadth of high-level play not just any one specific part (with combat being, most obviously, the biggest "don't focus only on that" element.)
I think as a preliminary step it would be wise to set out a design...ethos, we might say. Portions of it were already defined in the OP, such as prioritizing ease of use, low GM overhead, flexibility, and displaying the breadth of high-level play not just any one specific part (with combat being, most obviously, the biggest "don't focus only on that" element.)
AnotherGuy
Hero
I would agree with you if larger battles included significant
- terrain and/or environment changes continuously via monster and/or lair attacks
For example
- green dragon lets out poisonous dragon breath which noxious gas remains in the area for a while causing continuous damage,
- the latent magical energies of transmutation spells cast in a the cloud giant's flying fortress create a reverse gravity effect for a
- amendments to monsters and rules
For example
- in order to avoid the melee attacks by huge or gargantuan opponents you require 5 or 10 feet of movement respectively or you're unable to avoid the blow. If you do have the movement to spare (i.e. you never used it all during your turn, you get to decide where you move your character on the grid - with no opportunity attacks).
- non-corporeal opponents ignore all forms of bonuses to AC gained from armour and shields enchantments bonuses and the Shield spell (force effects) still work though.
This works well...
Rescue/protect the innocent/s
Stop/perform the ritual
Close/open the portal
Talk down/up the neutral party
Sunder/disable an item
Repair/destroy a structure
Solve a puzzle
In our recent two-player game the beared devil realised he could not defeat the PCs and therefore attempted to kill the prisoners in the cells which he had been guarding. His spiteful idea being to eliminate the possibility of the PCs obtaining any information from them...so he used his glaive attack to reach and hurt/kill the prisoners while "readying" his snake-beard for any PCs attempt to attack him thus forcing the cleric to amend tactics by focusing on reviving and stabilising the hurt prisoners.
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aco175
Legend
As part of an encounter/fight. Splitting the party from just attacking and have one disable a door that prevents the others from advancing. Having another dispel wards that are making the monsters more powerful and so on. Create trade-offs that matter.
Kill one of the prisoners and have them explode as their soul gets sucked down into Hades. This might show the cleric that he cannot simply raise dead on the them later and concentrate on the bad guy.
AnotherGuy
Hero
I get you.
In this specific instance I was referring to
- The cleric was not high enough level for Raised Dead
- Raise Dead, Resurrection...etc has been ring-fenced to specifically the Healing and Death Domain only.
- The current campaign storyline* reflects an extreme shortage of diamond dust (necessary component for the Raise Dead spell) as all diamond dust and residuum is being redirected to create Teleportation Circles in haste, therefore greater amounts of diamond dust is demanded to circumvent the 1-year requirement for construction of these circles.
*Tyranny of Dragons storyline has the Council creating Teleportation Circles 1-2 days march from the Well of Dragons in order to facilitate a faster and more efficient way of travel for the Faction armies to arrive (around the same time) to battle the Cult of the Dragon and Tiamat. These Teleportation Circles are being created in a fraction of the time hence the high demand and resultant shortage of diamond dust in the Sword Coast. Magical items are also being "melted down" to source residuum which is also an acceptable ingredient.
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Stormonu
NeoGrognard
An idea from a visual novel video game I recently played:
Recently, the God of Death has had a soul-shaking experience that has left them now longer willing to cull the living. This manifests during the party's next encounter (which should start out as fairly minor), when after reducing foes to 0 hit points, they don't die (that also happens to go for PCs...). Regardless of the amount of damage, the undying's body gain a bit of supernatural resistance so that short of special effects like Disintegrate (which just turns the poor victim into a ghost), no one can any longer die and the body is fairly indestructible (though those at 0 hit points become ravening killers hateful of those alive). The two sides will need to find a cunning way to end the fight. Note - returning an individual to 1 or more hit points removes the undying status, though each time permanently reduces max hit points; some sort of nasty side effect if max hit points drops to 0 (unconscious? incapacitated?)
Thereafter, after a couple more similar incidents (fights, encountering an individual who is unable to end their suffering and move on to the afterlife, witnessing an accident that >should< have killed the individual or even someone begging the PCs to return someone from death now that Death seems to sidestep their "duty") and a long rest, a cabal of the other gods contact the party, with a proposition - visit Death, convince them to return to culling the dead or slay them and replace them. The gods cannot perform this task themselves because it is beyond their sphere of influence, Death has denied them access to the underworld and they really don't want to risk being the target of opportunity if/when Death decides to pick up their old habits of culling individuals.
Of course, before visiting the House of the Dead, the gods have three trials to put the PCs through. These are both to see if the party is up to the task, as well as grant them boons/items to help them in the next part of their quest.
(Don't have ideas at this time for the trials, or the specific items/boons)
After completing the trials, the PCs must make their way to the underworld, which may be aided by the gods. The trip shunts the PCs into a labyrinth section of Death's house, as of course they don't like unwelcome visitors. After running the gauntlet, the party eventually comes to Death's den. The PCs then need to persuade, cajole, threaten(!?!), or otherwise convince Death to take up their duties - or dethrone Death and take their place. One of the most extreme options may be to enrage Death to the point they kill a character, restarting the cycle. Once their task is complete, the party needs to find a way back - Death does not so easily relinquish visitors to their realm.
POSSIBLE OPTIONAL COMPLICATIONS
- The God of Life/Rebirth's hand is stayed until Death resumes their tasks. No new life can be created; offspring cannot be conceived nor birthed until Death resumes their task.
- Food sources become scarce as animals cannot be slaughtered, crops resist harvesting and the like.
- One of the cabal of gods wants to use the PC to rig Death's future cullings so a disproportionate number of souls are directed to them, increasing their power.
- The gods have a backup plan and have tapped a rival group to complete the task if the party isn't up to it. The rivals might even be formal nemesis of the party. (This could get really complicated if the PCs don't want to stop Death themselves and decide they want to become undying).
- Those who cannot die are prone to rampage; between trials the PCs need to intercede in various events of the undying being out of control
- A simple Orc or other raiding force's attack is complicated when the village they raid can't die. The orcs can't die either, but they're stronger and can make the unfortunate (undying) villager's lives a living hell. Furthermore, once Death resumes their task, all the undying villagers will die for good...
- A demagogue-led cult preaches the benefits of becoming undying, converting believers via ritual suicide (or slaughter) and targets the PCs to stop them from completing their task.
Recently, the God of Death has had a soul-shaking experience that has left them now longer willing to cull the living. This manifests during the party's next encounter (which should start out as fairly minor), when after reducing foes to 0 hit points, they don't die (that also happens to go for PCs...). Regardless of the amount of damage, the undying's body gain a bit of supernatural resistance so that short of special effects like Disintegrate (which just turns the poor victim into a ghost), no one can any longer die and the body is fairly indestructible (though those at 0 hit points become ravening killers hateful of those alive). The two sides will need to find a cunning way to end the fight. Note - returning an individual to 1 or more hit points removes the undying status, though each time permanently reduces max hit points; some sort of nasty side effect if max hit points drops to 0 (unconscious? incapacitated?)
Thereafter, after a couple more similar incidents (fights, encountering an individual who is unable to end their suffering and move on to the afterlife, witnessing an accident that >should< have killed the individual or even someone begging the PCs to return someone from death now that Death seems to sidestep their "duty") and a long rest, a cabal of the other gods contact the party, with a proposition - visit Death, convince them to return to culling the dead or slay them and replace them. The gods cannot perform this task themselves because it is beyond their sphere of influence, Death has denied them access to the underworld and they really don't want to risk being the target of opportunity if/when Death decides to pick up their old habits of culling individuals.
Of course, before visiting the House of the Dead, the gods have three trials to put the PCs through. These are both to see if the party is up to the task, as well as grant them boons/items to help them in the next part of their quest.
(Don't have ideas at this time for the trials, or the specific items/boons)
After completing the trials, the PCs must make their way to the underworld, which may be aided by the gods. The trip shunts the PCs into a labyrinth section of Death's house, as of course they don't like unwelcome visitors. After running the gauntlet, the party eventually comes to Death's den. The PCs then need to persuade, cajole, threaten(!?!), or otherwise convince Death to take up their duties - or dethrone Death and take their place. One of the most extreme options may be to enrage Death to the point they kill a character, restarting the cycle. Once their task is complete, the party needs to find a way back - Death does not so easily relinquish visitors to their realm.
POSSIBLE OPTIONAL COMPLICATIONS
- The God of Life/Rebirth's hand is stayed until Death resumes their tasks. No new life can be created; offspring cannot be conceived nor birthed until Death resumes their task.
- Food sources become scarce as animals cannot be slaughtered, crops resist harvesting and the like.
- One of the cabal of gods wants to use the PC to rig Death's future cullings so a disproportionate number of souls are directed to them, increasing their power.
- The gods have a backup plan and have tapped a rival group to complete the task if the party isn't up to it. The rivals might even be formal nemesis of the party. (This could get really complicated if the PCs don't want to stop Death themselves and decide they want to become undying).
- Those who cannot die are prone to rampage; between trials the PCs need to intercede in various events of the undying being out of control
- A simple Orc or other raiding force's attack is complicated when the village they raid can't die. The orcs can't die either, but they're stronger and can make the unfortunate (undying) villager's lives a living hell. Furthermore, once Death resumes their task, all the undying villagers will die for good...
- A demagogue-led cult preaches the benefits of becoming undying, converting believers via ritual suicide (or slaughter) and targets the PCs to stop them from completing their task.
Zardnaar
Legend
Razing of Redshore. Level 20 3.0. I ran this one back in tbe day.
Water plus depth pressure to deal with.
The main NPCs are low level 20's. Archmage is CE 12 so probably CR12-14 in 5E.
Xp budget lvl 20
6400
13200
22000
Per PC.
Archmage is 8000 xp.
5 PCs could encounter 7 or so as a medium encounter.
More likely say 5 CR12-13 plus support and sprinkle in some traps, terrain or whatever. You could have in effect a party of evil adventurers as foes.
Colossus and 3 archmages or equivalent is also a high encounter.
Probably need to update sone 5.0 monsters. Archmages can be joined by cultists, champions, archpriest etc.
You can also bury the PCs in multiple NPCs wielding counterspells and dispel magic.
Water plus depth pressure to deal with.
The main NPCs are low level 20's. Archmage is CE 12 so probably CR12-14 in 5E.
Xp budget lvl 20
6400
13200
22000
Per PC.
Archmage is 8000 xp.
5 PCs could encounter 7 or so as a medium encounter.
More likely say 5 CR12-13 plus support and sprinkle in some traps, terrain or whatever. You could have in effect a party of evil adventurers as foes.
Colossus and 3 archmages or equivalent is also a high encounter.
Probably need to update sone 5.0 monsters. Archmages can be joined by cultists, champions, archpriest etc.
You can also bury the PCs in multiple NPCs wielding counterspells and dispel magic.
