Request for some Ideas (my players please avoid)

[WizarDru]

So is the machine crab a variant of something we came up with here, or a new creation of yours? Also, now that you have a better idea where the party is going, will you be needing anything for it? Is this Tomb of Horrors direction related to the Madness Horse, evil valley elves, or other potential plot hooks or a new direction entirely?

Actually, I'm hoping you can give me an evaluation of the earlier submissions in general. Did you ever get a chance to look at Xetich, the Hihoca, the Consumers, and even the Hive Birds? What did you like or dislike?

Sorry, it's been crazy the last few weeks. This weekend, we completely tore up the front yard and put in a new retaining wall...which is why I was only half-awake during this week's game. A bad combination, all thing considered, when you're the DM.

The crabs are Siege Crabs from the MM III. I need to template or advance them from their CR 18 variety, to make them a signicant challenge for the meepites. Scorch is doing up a whole swamp set, so it should be pretty spectacular, methinks.


As for previously listed beasties: the Hihoca are swell, and will see use when the party travels to the Vale of the Mage (which I expected them to do right now, but they didn't). The Hihoca Enforcers, in particular, will see use. In point of fact, I intend to use pretty much all of them (at least the high-level versions)....but I had no idea that the group would be dealing me a whammy and charging headlong to the Tomb of Horrors....which I now need to rejigger for epic-level fun.

 

[LordVyreth]

I have the MM3, so I hopefully can whip up something in the next day or two. But I don't have the ToH in any of its incarnations, so I'm not sure what kind of nasties inhabit it. Anything you might need from us in that area? I'm also a little concerned about how the party will take it. I remember they were frustrated with earlier trap-heavy dungeons with an emphasis on easy player deaths (like the Nightfang Spire incident.) Now, we're talking epic-level characters here who have more than enough ways to steamroll traps, but I'm still interested in your plans for this situation.

 

[LordVyreth]

Hmm, I'm having a bit of a mental block w/ the crabs. Could you tell me a bit more about what you want for them? What CR are you aiming for? How many are there? And what about the owners? Do they have any particular race, class, alignment, elemental aspect, or something ability to help me pick the template? Who's currently riding inside the crabs?

 

[LordVyreth]

Uh-oh, I was afraid of this. It sounds like Zad at least is apprehensive about this upcoming adventure. Care to share with us how you altered the ToH for epic-level characters? Is the lethality level anywhere near what Zad is thinking?

 

[WizarDru]

That's because I'm tweaking him. Zad is a more cautious player, and Bruce Cordell modules (Nightfang Spire, Bastion of Broken Souls) have never gone over well, ultimately, because of Cordell's tendency to make modules unneccesarily deadly.

I'm pulling a bait-and-switch: I'm not really using the ToH AT ALL. I'm modifying Crypt of the Devil-Lich by Goodman Games. But he doesn't know that.

He has good reason to fear Return to...it features a BlackBall at one point, and lots of arbitrarily nasty (and not always very logical) deathtraps. I found it to be a very disappointing product, actually....I mostly picked up the PDF (for $4!) for the copy of the original module embedded within. I might cherry-pick little bits, but overall, it highlights all the things I don't like about Cordell's style, and just isn't our style.

It will still feature nasty deathtraps (with increased DCs from the original, and will incorporate some of the module conversions here on ENworld's conversion archive, as well as my own fevered brain.

My first priority, however, is to make the three spellcasters from the scarlet brotherhood who are occupying the siege crabs, which I may get done this afternoon, or tonight. I'll prolly make them 20th-22nd level human spellcasters...wizards and a cleric, most likely.

 

[LordVyreth]

Ugh, high-level spellcasters. I usually just copy-paste the stats from earlier ones I used and change a couple spells at this point.

So what did you end up doing to the siege crabs?

 

[WizarDru]

Just advancing them. With the combination of three of them and three high-level spellcasters, it's a pretty potent battle. While in the siege crabs, they'll have total cover and total concealment, but can make ranged attacks without penalty.

 

[WizarDru]

And here's what the advanced Siege Crabs look like:

Scarlet Siege Crab, Greater; Greater siege crab, Advanced; CR 22; Size C; HD 48d8+480; hp 653; Init -2; Spd 60 ft, swim 60 ft.; AC 38, touch 18, FF 38; BAB +36/+31/+26/+21/+16; Grapple +67; Melee Claws +51/+51/+51/+51 (2d10 + 15); SA Constrict 2d10+14, improved grab, trample 2d8+21; SQ Amphibious, damage reduction 15/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., force carapace, shielded compartment, vermin traits; AL N; SV Fort +44, Ref +22, Will +24; Str 40, Dex 6, Con 30, Int 0, Wis 10, Cha 2.
Languages spoken: None
Skills and Feats: Swim +23; Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack, Trample

 

[the Jester]

He has good reason to fear Return to...it features a BlackBall at one point, and lots of arbitrarily nasty (and not always very logical) deathtraps. I found it to be a very disappointing product, actually....I mostly picked up the PDF (for $4!) for the copy of the original module embedded within. I might cherry-pick little bits, but overall, it highlights all the things I don't like about Cordell's style, and just isn't our style.

Bein' the cruel bastard I am, I ran my epic party through this (well, most of them weren't epic yet- the 1st two pcs had reached 21st when they entered the Black Academy). I really turned it up mercilessly, too. I found that a smart nigh-epic group that makes good use of divinations can avoid all those dirty deathtraps (I warded the whole tomb vs. find the path and teleportation between areas, but they used auguries to avoid nasty mist-filled arches, probed carefully before stepping through big black holes, etc).

It was very challenging, but to my surprise, despite a couple of very-near tpks, the party triumphed utterly. I have a bunch of conversion stuff if you're interested in any of it- it was ruthless challenge after ruthless challenge, I tell ya.

Actually, come to think of it, just a few games ago Ferranifer, Ngise and Drake appeared at a conference of spellcasters. (It's actually the current goings on in one of my story hours).

 

[Sandain]

Here are 2 mages and a cleric from the Lesser Boneheart. These NPC's are not my work, I stoleded the pixels!

Cranzer of Riftcrag, Male Human Wiz19: CR 19; Medium Humanoid; HD 19d4+95; hp 144 (Disabled -5/Dying -21/Injury 21); Init +10; Spd 30; AC 29 (FF 23, Touch 21); Base Atk +8/+3 base melee, +15/+10 base ranged; Grapple +8; Full Atk +12/+7 Melee (+4 dagger 1d4+3/crit 19-20/x2); +4/-1 Melee (unarmed strike 1d3-1/crit 20/x2); SQ permanent spells (arcane sight, protection from good, tongues); Class Features: Wizard: Scribe Scroll, Summon Familiar, Spells, Spellbooks, Bonus Feat (3); AL NE; SV Fort +22, Ref +21, Will +22; STR 8, DEX 22, CON 21, INT 28, WIS 14, CHA 12.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +27, Craft (Alchemy) +29, Decipher Script +24, Knowledge (Arcana) +31, Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) +14, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +14, Knowledge (Forbidden Lore) +14, Knowledge (Geography) +14, Knowledge (History) +15, Knowledge (Illithid Lore) +12, Knowledge (Local) +14, Knowledge (Religion) +19, Knowledge (The Planes) +24, Knowledge (Underdark) +14, Speak Language +2, Spellcraft +32; Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Extend Spell, Great Fortitude, Heighten Spell, Improved Counterspell, Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell, Reach Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Penetration.
Languages: Common, Abyssal, Draconic, Giant, Ignan, Orc, Undercommon.
Spells Known (Wiz 4/7/6/6/6/6/5/5/4/4): 0 – 5th – Cranzer knows all the spells from the Player’s handbook up to level 5 and several others from other sources; 6th -- bear`s endurance, mass, bull`s strength, mass, cat`s grace, mass, contingency, disintegrate, dispel magic, greater, eyebite, mislead, symbol of persuasion, true seeing; 7th -- banishment, control undead, finger of death, hold person, mass, insanity, plane shift, spell turning, symbol of stunning, teleport, greater; 8th -- clone, create greater undead, horrid wilting, polymorph any object, protection from spells, symbol of death, symbol of insanity, trap the soul; 9th -- dominate monster, gate, hold monster, mass, power word, kill, prismatic sphere, wail of the banshee, wish.
Spells Prepared (Wiz 4/7/6/6/6/6/5/5/4/4): 0 - detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, touch of fatigue; 1st - expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile, protection from good, ray of enfeeblement x2, shield; 2nd - bull`s strength, false life, invisibility, mirror image, spectral hand, spectral hand, touch of idiocy; 3rd - dispel magic, displacement, extended spectral hand, hold person, protection from energy, slow; 4th - charm monster, charm monster, dimension door, evard`s black tentacles, globe of invulnerability, lesser, stone shape, stoneskin, wrack; 5th - break enchantment, cloudkill, dragon breath [evil], extended stoneskin, magic jar, mind fog, symbol of pain; 6th -- bear`s endurance, mass, disintegrate, dispel magic, greater, mislead, symbol of persuasion; 7th - banishment, control undead, finger of death, spell turning, symbol of stunning; 8th - create greater undead, horrid wilting, quickened charm monster, symbol of insanity; 9th - dominate monster, power word, kill, quickened mind fog, wail of the banshee.
Possessions: +4 dagger: (unholy), ring of freedom of movement, +5 ring of protection, wand of greater invisibility (CL 7, charges: 50), staff of fire (charges: 23), +6 amulet of health, winged boots, ghastrobe (Grants wearer +8 Armor Bonus; +4 profane bonus on all saves. When worn by a evil spellcasting class, corporeal undead will not attack), +6 gloves of dexterity, +5 cloak of resistance, brazier of commanding fire elementals, rod of metamagic, quicken, greater, +6 headband of intellect, potion of bull`s strength x2(CL9), potion of displacement (CL5), bonerod, spellbooks, spell component case.