Releasing Linia from the Vault of Heresies

[Elfshire]

I just finished running Crypta Hereticarum for my group (as part of chapter 4), and it was awesome! But there's one problem...

They want to go back.

Specifically, they want to release Linia, and they have at least two ideas to do so (possibly more that they aren't telling me):

• Use the Scepter of Negation on the chains, since nothing in the item text says it can't be used against higher-level magic than itself.
• Use the alchemical acid called Stone Eater to melt away the concrete below her (the stone of the Vault has proven to be normally destructible, given the massive sinkhole in room 9 and other damages to the architecture). She'd still be in chains, but they could take her out of the Vault.

Now I think it's pretty clear that if they go, they have to do it without RHC support. There's no way Delft would authorize a rescue that might jeopardize the otherwise VERY stealthy recon mission the party just got back from, certainly not when there's bigger fish to fry... though it'd be har for him to make that case when there's two whole months of the party just sitting around between Chapters 4 and 5. But I think they would.

So I have a two-part question:

Firstly, what happens if Linia is released? Secondly, is it even possible?

Also they MAY end up freeing Giovanni just to hassle the Clergy, though I'm hoping the more level-headed in my group will deter that. If he got out, what would he do?

 

[hirou]

I assume that you're playing 4ed, cause I only have 4ed version right beside me.

1. Rod of Negation dispels a magic phenomenon if you beat Charisma check with DC equal to 10+the level of the effect's creator. I think it's safe to assume that enchanters of Crypta were at least level 10. If you're feeling particularly nasty, consider that Clergy was likely throwing everything they could to create this vault; in this case it should be level 20, with DC 30 total. Note that this is raw ability check, not skill check. It's not unbeatable, but pretty hard.
2. On the other hand, Rod of Negation has some pretty nasty curse effects. Can they really survive without having any beneficial magic long enough to return to the vault? Or did they identify the rod before using it and therefore nobody is cursed yet?
3. Personally, I decided beforehand that Linia is imprisoned in extradimensional space filled with some harmful substance, to increase her suffering (think of it as the Rope Trick ritual, with indestructible chains instead of rope). When someone enters the hall, she drops down through the portal in the ceiling, then chains slowly bring her back (for maximal impression of the viewers, her shouts abruptly cut off once she is inside). Ritual is bonded to chains themselves as focus. Once again, they can try dispelling all and everything... but have fun with 7 separate dispel attempts, one for each chain.
4. If you already established that chains end up just in stone... Actually, the above-mentioned setup can still work. Consider that each chain ends in separate Rope Trick dimension, perhaps slightly below the stone surface. Feel free to add some contingency traps and curses against heretics who try to dispel them.
5. Clergy is likely to increase the security on the island after the break in (see adventure 8), don't forget about it. At least their attempt definitely won't stay unnoticed.

Considering the consequences of such actions...Hm, immortal angel with thousand years of anger, pain and madness, released right besides Crissilliur, what could possibly go wrong? I'd imagine that a week later your party will be thinking about "how do we capture The Angel of Death" and "let's be friends with Clergy from now on". Honestly, this can create dozens of plot interactions, it all depends on your own decision.

EDIT: just to clarify: if your group manages to do this, it will still be awesome. Which doesn't mean it's safe or clever I'm a bit behind you (train just arrived in Trekhom), but I can see my party doing exactly the same...

 

[Elfshire]

1. That is true; it's only a daily power so even if they were to try again and again, it'd likely take many days.
2. Combined with #1 above, it's quite likely someone might die before successfully breaking those chains. No one in the party has actually used the Rod (I call it a scepter because a rod is something totally different in 4e) yet, so while they know what it's intended function is, they have no idea it's cursed.
3+4. I had been considering things along those lines; after talking with someone else IRL, it was suggested I either make the end of the chains function like Immovable Shafts, or have them gradually pass into the Bleak Gate, making it necessary to come back to a possibly much WORSE version of the Vault in order to find what the chains are attached to!
5. I do remember that; though I wasn't clear on whether or not someone in the Clergy was magically notified of intruders (like an alarm spell in 3.5), or what.
6. That actually sounds like a pretty cool consequence. I think I'll go with that if she does get out, unless RangerWickett has a better idea. [goes to look up/forge stats for a solo 4e angel]

 

[hirou]

It was also mentioned that Lidia is likely to be set free after adventure 9, when all the magic in the world starts working with the new set of base rules. So we may see her again in adventure 10, I'd guess...

On unrelated note, if you decide on making her a solo, I strongly advise you googling along the lines of "problems with solos in 4ed". I don't have a good summary at hand, but from experience and memory, the main problems are too few attacks and vurnerability to hard and soft control from players (especially in paragon, where PCs get some nasty debuffs).

 

[Elfshire]

Yeah, I've taken a lot of pointers from the ZG solos, I really love the three-stage format.