Rabbitbait
Adventurer
Nice write up. The entrance to the black earth temple is blimmin hard. My players had to make a frantic retreat as well.
D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse campaign recaps
Rabbitbait
Adventurer
Here's the next installment in my game. My game is currently in winter, so I've used a snowstorm to force the party to stay in one place so that I can sew some seeds and give the adventure a bit more depth. I also decided that they needed a bit of advice about how to tackle to various areas. I have plans about some events that will come up so this also gave me a chance to foreshadow some of it.
This session had very little to do with PoTA as written, but it is part of PoTA as I run it. All of this was done via e-mail, which is a good way to change the pace - and a way to keep the story going over Christmas when it is too hard to co-ordinate our schedules.
https://deathgrind.obsidianportal.com/adventure-log/snowed-in
This session had very little to do with PoTA as written, but it is part of PoTA as I run it. All of this was done via e-mail, which is a good way to change the pace - and a way to keep the story going over Christmas when it is too hard to co-ordinate our schedules.
https://deathgrind.obsidianportal.com/adventure-log/snowed-in
Last edited:
Nebulous
Legend
Rabbitbait
Adventurer
Rabbitbait
Adventurer
I had four 5th level characters. Quite a bit lower than yours. They were lucky to survive. They were lucky to not have a TPK.
Uller
Adventurer
So...as I said, my group has killed Marlos and gotten a hold of Ironfang. In their first foray into the Temple of Black Earth they managed to use the Spider Staff from LMoP to sneak around the cavern and got into Marlos's lair. They fought him and he fled then they had to fight their way OUT. One of the cult priests helped them escape and gave them the big info dump similar to what Nebulous did with Windharrow. They sent her to Vale of Dancing Waters with the dwarf NPC cleric to keep her safe (hehehehehe....they have no idea about what is there...that's two dead NPCs....)
In their second foray (after leveling up to 8th) they fought their way into the front door by polymorphing the monk into a T-Rex. It was a pretty epic fight that included 2 hobgoblins (two were killed before), a bullette, a bunch of cultists, the mud sorcerer and his automaton (I used earth elemental stats for it rather than Stone Golem stats). The next session as they holed up in the mud sorcerer's lab, Marlos, an Ogre (under a stoneskin spell from Ironfang...see below) and two black earth guards attacked. The Ogre and the guards smashed in the door and Marlos came in through the walls and dropped Transmute Rock on the party. The feared he'd transmute the mud back to rock so that scattered them. Then he isolated the paladin from the rest of the party with Wall of Stone. So the Paladin had to fight off two black earth guards and Marlos with his eyes closed while the T-Rex/monk, Warlock and wizard tried to bash through the wall....in the end it was a good fight. No one turned to stone, though. After a long rest they explored the rest of the temple, met the Dao and such and then moved on to the water temple and fought through a couple guard rooms.
The highlight is they have Ironfang. I statted it as a sentient artifact as follows (feel free to critique). It really make Marlos more interesting to let him be slinging some spells and makes it all the more interesting an item. The party warlock wants to use it. Everyone else is terrified of it.
Ironfang: Warpick +2
Attuned:
Earth Mastery: While wielding Ironfang you gain the following:
Speak Terran
Resistance to acid damage
tremorsense 60’
The effects of Investiture of Stone
Spells (8 Charges, regain 1d4+1 at dawn each day):
DC 17
Shatter - 1 Charge
Erupting Earth - 2 charges
Meld into Stone - 2 charges
Stoneskin* - 2 charges
Stoneshape - 2 charges
Transmute Rock - 3 charges
Communication: Empathy
Senses: Tremorsense through wielder 60’
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Purpose: Destroyer
Abilities: Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16
Once per day Ironfang can attempt to control its wielder (it must be equipped). DC 15 Cha save to avoid. Effect: The wielder is charmed for 1d12 hours and effected as per Dominate Person. If the wielder takes damage he may make another save to break the effect. This counts as a level 5 spell for the purposes of Dispel Magic and other spells. Remove Curse functions as Dispel Magic against this spell. While under this effect, the weapon is treated as if it is attuned, even if not. If the initial save is failed 3 times in a row (on three different attempts), the wielder is permanently under the influence of Ironfang and becomes the new “prophet” of Ogremoch. His alignment is changed to Chaotic Evil and will willingly do the will of Ogremoch (as communicated through Ironfang via empathy and dreams and visions). This can only be broken via a wish spell (and if it is a PC he or she becomes an NPC).
In their second foray (after leveling up to 8th) they fought their way into the front door by polymorphing the monk into a T-Rex. It was a pretty epic fight that included 2 hobgoblins (two were killed before), a bullette, a bunch of cultists, the mud sorcerer and his automaton (I used earth elemental stats for it rather than Stone Golem stats). The next session as they holed up in the mud sorcerer's lab, Marlos, an Ogre (under a stoneskin spell from Ironfang...see below) and two black earth guards attacked. The Ogre and the guards smashed in the door and Marlos came in through the walls and dropped Transmute Rock on the party. The feared he'd transmute the mud back to rock so that scattered them. Then he isolated the paladin from the rest of the party with Wall of Stone. So the Paladin had to fight off two black earth guards and Marlos with his eyes closed while the T-Rex/monk, Warlock and wizard tried to bash through the wall....in the end it was a good fight. No one turned to stone, though. After a long rest they explored the rest of the temple, met the Dao and such and then moved on to the water temple and fought through a couple guard rooms.
The highlight is they have Ironfang. I statted it as a sentient artifact as follows (feel free to critique). It really make Marlos more interesting to let him be slinging some spells and makes it all the more interesting an item. The party warlock wants to use it. Everyone else is terrified of it.
Ironfang: Warpick +2
Attuned:
Earth Mastery: While wielding Ironfang you gain the following:
Speak Terran
Resistance to acid damage
tremorsense 60’
The effects of Investiture of Stone
Spells (8 Charges, regain 1d4+1 at dawn each day):
DC 17
Shatter - 1 Charge
Erupting Earth - 2 charges
Meld into Stone - 2 charges
Stoneskin* - 2 charges
Stoneshape - 2 charges
Transmute Rock - 3 charges
Communication: Empathy
Senses: Tremorsense through wielder 60’
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Purpose: Destroyer
Abilities: Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16
Once per day Ironfang can attempt to control its wielder (it must be equipped). DC 15 Cha save to avoid. Effect: The wielder is charmed for 1d12 hours and effected as per Dominate Person. If the wielder takes damage he may make another save to break the effect. This counts as a level 5 spell for the purposes of Dispel Magic and other spells. Remove Curse functions as Dispel Magic against this spell. While under this effect, the weapon is treated as if it is attuned, even if not. If the initial save is failed 3 times in a row (on three different attempts), the wielder is permanently under the influence of Ironfang and becomes the new “prophet” of Ogremoch. His alignment is changed to Chaotic Evil and will willingly do the will of Ogremoch (as communicated through Ironfang via empathy and dreams and visions). This can only be broken via a wish spell (and if it is a PC he or she becomes an NPC).
Nebulous
Legend
They were 7th but now they're talking about leveling to 8 before they try it again. I'm sure they can beat it at 7th but it would be harder no doubt.
Similar Threads
