Please Help me Defend Darkhold

[twofalls]

I just finished a session last night where the PC's settled a fight between the Battlehall (a temple of Tempus) and the Dark Fane (a temple of Bane) through combat. The Baneites were defeated (but not disastrously so), and their Devil allies were returned to their infernal demesnes. The Temple is associated with the Zhentarim fortress of Darkhold, but is seperated by about 100 miles of wilderness. Now the PC's are advancing upon Darkhold itself with the intention of freeing three slaves that were taken from Shadowdale at the start of this campaign (well over 3 years of play time ago). I have to figure out a way to make Darkhold seem almost impenetrable and daunting, and yet allow them the possibility of completing their mission. There has been a lot of buildup over this throughout the campaign and its the climax of the entire game. If I don't make it damnably tough, it's going to be a severe letdown.

So help me if you would with ideas on how to make Darkhold a mighty fortress of evil in the face of seven powerful PC's. There are seven PC's involved all ranging from lvl 11 to 14 (one character is 14th). Party composition is a stealth specialist fighter, three more fighter types, two priests and a mage. The Mage has access to Passwall, Anti-Magic Feild, and Teleport, while the PC's have all commissioned Hats of Disguises to be created in order to conceal their Identities. There is a proliferation of magic in the group typical of such high level PC's. and they are tough hombre's in a fight. The Wizard also has an amulet of friendship attuned to the other PC's for emergency extractions.

Darkhold contains over 1000 Zhentarim soliders (warrior class), has several high level commanders (the Pereghost, a cadre of wizards, priests of both Bane and Cyric), a platoon of Hill Giants armored in plate, and unknown to the PC's, an old enemy of thiers, an Adult Blue Dragon. I have access to the Stronghold Builders Guidebooks (keep in mind this is a 3.0 campaign) and a huge library of non-Core books. I'm considering having Manshoon there in addition to everything else (Forgotten Realms Epic Zhent Anti-Hero).

I have four weeks to prepare Darkhold for this event. Their intention is to sneak in, find the slaves and sneak out without upsetting the garrison and without getting caught, but they all fully expect it to turn into bloody mayhem.

 

[dungeon blaster]

As far as I know, Manshoon lives in Darkhold, so it wouldn't be surprising if he was there.

Why not let them in...only to discover that it's a trap. Make it just difficult enough that they don't suspect anything. But if you don't like that idea, here's a few more:

Of course the walls are magically protected against passwall, move earth, earthquake, etcetera (as any major fortress would be in a world of high magic). Also there's a teleport redirect that causes anyone who tries to teleport without a special token to end up in the dungeon (or just really far away). You can bet Darkhold is astrally and ethereally protected as well.

Now to protect against stealth. First you can have greater dispelling fields placed on the entrances to the fortress. How about a beholder with a lens of true seeing? (a big monocle would look pretty interesting). Anyone who enters must present their papers and identification, which should stop them from waltzing in. Possibly they must stand in a permanent zone of truth while they talk to the gate guards. Also, a wizard with a crystal ball with ESP scrys on anyone who seems suspicious. If they are mind-shielded, the guards will demand that the mind-shield be dropped before they are let in. All of these precautions will make those hats of disguise near-useless.

Next you need to prevent them from hacking their way in. This is actually the easiest for you. 1000 1st level warriors aren't going to do much, but those hill giants might. Give them a few fighter levels to toughen them up. Back them up with wizards who can dispel magic and force the PC's into a melee fight with the giants. Use the warriors to aid each other and overbear the PC's.

Honestly, I can't see how a group of mid-high level PC's could take on Darkhold.

 

[twofalls]

These are great ideas. Few hitches, the Giants are used as thugs by the commanders of Darkhold and are garrisoned in an enlarged natural cave about half a mile from the Stronghold itself. They are close to a fortified wall that closes the only gap in the young and rocky Sunset Mountains that an overland army could use to assault the Fortress (from the west). The wall is garrisoned by 200 soldiers and a rotation of Wizards and Clerics of Bane. Trade passes through the wall, so access is possible, however the PC's are probably going to opt to find an underground passage through the Sunset Mtns to bypass the defenses. I plan to use the Underdark supplement to make that an adventure in itself.

Once they have done that they will have left the Giants behind them, and unless they are seriously delayed in Darkhold they probably wont have to content with them at all. Next they have to navigate either the steep Sunsets to get close to the Fortress (all the Underdark passages that lead directly to the fortress having long ago been collapsed), of hide/disguise themselves to get through the army town erected outside the walls of the fortress. Then they have to figure a way into the place, find their targets, and get out again without being discovered. I want to make this seem nearly impossible without making it so.

Wall magic defenses are obvious, but thanks for bringing them up here in the thread. The beholder with the lens is a wonderful idea, I'd have never thought of that. There is a beholder clan allied with the Zhents, and they have already encountered and defeated a Zhent beholder so this is perfect idea. I was also thinking of a pair of statues before the gates that radiated continuous detect enemy and sounded when tripped, much like the statues before Cirith Ungol in Tolkien’s The Two Towers.

Please keep the ideas rolling, I really need the help on this one. Ideas for the Underdark adventure as well as the army camp are very welcome as well.

Thank you!

 

[dungeon blaster]

I'm a little confused about the underdark...do they need to go into the underdark to reach Darkhold? What stops them from flying/teleporting/wind walking straight to Darkhold?

Undead and constructs make great sentries because they never tire. That said, they are also generally easy to fool so it's best if they simply summon aid.

For defenses, how about a wall with a permanent contingency and evard's black tentacles spell. That would be pretty creepy and also effective.

Another possibility is a faerie fire spell on anyone within 300 ft. of the outer wall.

The difficult part is making it "seem" impossible without actually making it impossible.

For the two statues you could use stone guardians (from the 2ed Ruins of Zhentil Keep boxed set). Also, a magedoom or two should strike fear into any wizard's heart.

 

[twofalls]

I have the first Zhentil Keep boxed set, there were two?

Magedoom?

 

[dungeon blaster]

It's called Ruins of Zhentil Keep, a 2ed product. It describes the Zhentarim during and after the fall of the Keep. The magedoom was an aberration created by the Zhentarim to deal with enemy mages. It was a giant humanoid shaped ooze with a human head and an eyeball where its hands would be. I think if the eyeball touched a mage, he would lose a spell.

You can substitue a nishruu for the magedoom I suppose...or you can use one of my homebrew monster's called a Fane.

 

[twofalls]

The real reason they will be going throught he Underdark is because I want them to, I want to run an Underdark adventure. They have the option to do whatever they want naturally, I'm not a railroadig GM, but I've engineered rumors about how difficult it is to apporach the Fortress throughout the game. The sky is patrolled by Zhentrim Skymages on various mounts (for a while their arch nemesis was a Skymage so they have respect for this PrC). Overland travel is guarded, just as I've already mentioned, and magically gating in or teleporting in is also possible, but they are just paranoid enough that the idea makes them nervous. They have heard rumors of wards set about the countryside around the keep to detect such magics and alert the Mages there. When they reach Crom Ord they will be presented with an opportunity to find a guide who will offer then a "safer way" through the Underdark. I'm sure they will take him up on it.

 

[dungeon blaster]

Well, there ya go then. Sounds reasonable enough.

 

[Allandaros]

Manshoon's a rather powerful mage, and a crafty one.

What I am about to suggest will be a PAIN to DM, but also a pain to the players.

Manshoon creates a lot of illusions of the PCs (using Magical Device Of The Week), and sets the PCs with these surrounding them. Separate the PCs, and have one or two along with a bunch of dreamshadows. Nobody knows who's real, and who's dreamshadow.

((This is based off the Dragonlance modules, the time when the Companions are trapped in Lorac's dream in Silvanesti. If you can look that up, you'll see what I'm fumbling towards.))

 

[Torm]

Defend Darkhold?! Like hell!

I can only assume, sir, that you were not talking to Me.