My PCs are in a swamp. Now what?

[Terry Edwards]

BOG MUMMY(S) lizardfolk with character levels. Not necesarily as a combat encounter either. They could be guided to the sacred peat bogs by their divination where the lizardfolk "ancients" rest. The mummies serve as an oracle of knowledge to the lizardfolk of the swamp but are willing to aid the PCs for a price.

 

[Thetford]

Evil trap

I would first make the swamp inescapable, Doesn't this clearing look just like the last one? Every once and a while the PCs take a turn and end up at the same rock or clearing they swore they left. While running around the inescapable swamp they meet someone that is suposedly lost and can't escape either. In reality this person is cursed and can't leave the swamp and wants to keep the PC's there for companionship. This scenario could go anywhere, could be a fight, might be some negotiation, but one thing is for sure it is not a dungeon.

 

[Drago]

You could also go 50's B-movie style "creature from the black lagoon" or
dinosaurs as main encounters .

Dave

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

Rodents of unusual size perhaps...?




*hoping he hasn't screwed up his Princess Bride quotes*

 

[James Heard]

Cajun dwarves

"Hoodat?"

 

[DragonLancer]

Actually, I was kind of hoping for some kind of role-playing encounter.

Its a swamp, they tend to lend themselves better to combat/exploration than RP.

Try Lizardmen or Bullywugs. Perhaps rescue prisoners from a large settlement?

Something simple.

 

[conanb]

Tribal Conflict

Have them stumble into a conflict between multiple Lizardman tribes. The tribes themselves are vying for control of the swamp. The players arrive and are immediately attacked by one of the tribes, but perhaps the other two begin to vie for their help in hopes of capturing control of the swamp. Throw in some bullywhugs that are moving about changing alliances to keep the swamp from falling into anyone tribe's control, and some hag's that possibly are behind the war between the tribes because they themselves want the swamp.

 

[krichaiushii]

A vampiric lizardman, or perhaps the lizardman druids need a vampiric member put down. Creatures (like vampires) in gaseous form are hard to see in a fog...

Lizardman druids with pet shambling mounds and dire crocodile animal companions can get ugly.

Perhaps the PCs encounter some type of swamp elemental, ala' Swamp Thing, who would like the unnatural undead removed from the swamp.

Perhaps some ooze and water mephits are having a debate, and ask the PCs to answer some questions for them.

 

[Nifft]

The Obvious:

- Half-Black Dragon Hydra (regenerates, immune to acid, and underwater)
- Half-Black Dragon Pyro-Hydra (regenerates, immune to fire and acid)
- Half-Red Dragon Trolls (regenerates, immune to fire)
- Half-Fiend Trolls (regenerates, resists fire and acid)
- Ghouls. They're smart (Int score), they don't need to breathe, and they can track you by scent. Let them be led by a Ghast Ranger.


One Level of Deviousness:

- Shadow Hags vs. Unseelie Nymphs (both are evil, but one side is cute) -- Hags want to raise shadow kobolds, but the kobolds keep eating the Shadow Nymph's orchid farms -- granted, these magical orchids must be watered with fresh blood, but they're very pretty. ("Shadow" is a template in Manual of the Planes. Use Umbral Banyans in this region, too.)

- LN Black Dragon Druid, just hanging out.

- Ghoul Rangers and Shadow Rogues led by a Vampire Blackguard. Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!



Paladin Smacks Head:

- CG Elves protect a group of LE Vampire Clerics, because the Elves are cursed by their God to never gain access to Divine power. They are outcasts (that's why they live in the swamp), but are trying to atone for the sins of their parents. (It's a "7-Generations" kind of divine curse.) The Vampires require regular feeding, and the elves are low in Con (blood) to begin with, so "visitors are alvais velcome". Elves will fight to protect their only source of Raise Dead spells unless the party can provide a permanent elf-lifespan-long replacement.

- NE Aquatic Lizardman/Crab Lamias rule NG Lizardman slaves. The Lizardmen are unaware of their slavery due to their very low Wisdom scores (thanks to repeated draining by the Lamias).

- LN Formians are attempting to re-build a sunken Temple of Law using an artifact of some sort. To this goal, their taskmasters may have "borrowed" a couple of CN locals (ogres, orcs, halfling barbarian/druids). Hillarity ensues.

-- N

 

[Len]

The party's pack mule has to fall into the swamp, of course. Spoiling the trail rations it was carrying and forcing the party to subsist on catfish and arrowroot.

Actually that sounds more appropriate for my hapless low-level party. But if a 12th-level cleric casts Heroes' Feast, the table and chairs should sink into the swamp.