Need a Short Dungeon for a Ranger's Tomb

[pukunui]

[MENTION=6855149]Prakriti[/MENTION]: That's awesome! Thank you. Maybe what I'll do is make it so that, if the PCs succeed in dealing with the Zhent mercs, then one or more villagers will reveal the location of Mornbryn's tomb, at which point I'll run your suggestion.
[MENTION=6804070]LordEntrails[/MENTION]: Thanks for the links. Unfortunately, it looks like I can't view the maps without a Fantasy Grounds account.

 

[LordEntrails]

[MENTION=6804070]LordEntrails[/MENTION]: Thanks for the links. Unfortunately, it looks like I can't view the maps without a Fantasy Grounds account.

Really? Huh, I did not know that. I assumed anyone could see the posts. Or is it just the attachments you can't see?

Oh, sometime attachments don't show if you are viewing the mobile site. Make sure you are viewing the full site, and if you can' see them, switch the theme (bottom left corner) to FG Responsive. Vbulletin default doesn't show them for some reason

 

[Staccat0]

There is a theory that Ghengis Khan’s tomb was hidden by rerouting a river over top of it.

It might be interesting to have the tomb hidden under a river that changed course shortly after the Ranger died.

Maybe the Zhents are looking for someone with a specific name but some research could lead one to realize that was the name some called the river before it changed course or something.

 

[pukunui]

Really? Huh, I did not know that. I assumed anyone could see the posts. Or is it just the attachments you can't see?

Oh, sometime attachments don't show if you are viewing the mobile site. Make sure you are viewing the full site, and if you can' see them, switch the theme (bottom left corner) to FG Responsive. Vbulletin default doesn't show them for some reason

It's just the attachments I can't see. I can view the posts they're in, and I can click on the links, but it just takes me to a page saying I either don't have permission or need to log in. I am accessing them on my desktop computer, and the theme was already set to FG Responsive.

 

[LordEntrails]

It's just the attachments I can't see. I can view the posts they're in, and I can click on the links, but it just takes me to a page saying I either don't have permission or need to log in. I am accessing them on my desktop computer, and the theme was already set to FG Responsive.

Ah, sorry, I didn't know that

Ok, these are both maps from Aubrey Hodges. He released them for non-commercial purposes so I think it should be ok to repost here.

 

[pukunui]

Cool. Thanks!

 

[hbarsquared]

I love the idea of a race to the tomb against the Zhentarim.

Not a fan of the one guy who happens to know the 400 year secret. How has it not been discovered/exploited in all that time?

I prefer the Indiana Jones style mystery-puzzle with recently discovered artifacts, a la Raiders and Last Crusade.

Perhaps a scrap of lore leads to a secret passage in the temple? Or the pommel of the ranger's sword inexplicably is the key that unlocks that secret passage?

 

[pukunui]

I want to keep it super-simple, so here's what I'm most likely going to do:

1) Make it obvious that the Zhents are throwing their weight around in town because they want to find the tomb.

2) If the PCs stop the Zhents from finding the tomb (either by killing them all or running them out of town), then an old man dressed like a woodsman will show up and take them aside, thanking them for protecting the secret of the tomb. He'll warn them not to seek the treasure for themselves, and if they agree, he'll bestow on each of them a charm of the hunter,* as well as give them a quiver with some magic arrows** in it.

I want there to be some mystery surrounding the man. Is he merely a descendant of Mornbryn, or could he be the man himself (or just his spirit)? Maybe he's even a disguised celestial tasked with guarding the tomb.


*The charm of the hunter lets you cast hunter's mark once as a bonus action. I just made it up.

**The magic arrows will be 5 x bursting arrows, 5 x grasping arrows, and 5 x piercing arrows (all based on the Arcane Archer Arcane Shot options of the same names).

 

[LordEntrails]

Only problem with what your doing is chasing the Zhents out won't be enough. Somebody sent them, and it means they will just send more right? And probably a stronger group next time.

So, how to make the Zhents believe it's not there or that it has already been discovered and looted or some other way to keep them from coming back?

Maybe a two-stage tomb. i.e. a false front that makes people believe it has been looted.
Maybe a lead to anther place?
Someway to "prove" the lead the Zhents were following is wrong?

 

[pukunui]

The way it’s written, it seems like the Zhent leader was acting on his own. He wasn’t sent by anyone higher up. He just seized an opportunity that presented itself (that is, he used the excuse of offering the town protection from marauding fire giants in order to set up camp so he could pursue a personal quest).