Scheming plots (my players stay out!) - necromancers, dragons, paladins and alienists
- Thread starter Olive
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humble minion
Legend
Glad to help!Olive said:
In terms of pure power, spellstitching a skeleton isn't really an optimal choice. Its Charisma is just too low for you to get value out of it. You might want to look at something like a wight, or a mummy (Ravenloft's Ancient Dead preferably) or something odd out of MMII or the FF. If that's not to your taste, sticking a half-iron golem template on it before animating it as a skeleton is a nice trick...
Olive
Explorer
humble minion said:
Yeah, upon looking at the rules, I suspect he'll be havign a small mob of spellstitched undead around his keep, including a outer ring of mindless uncontrolled ones.
The red dragon might be something bigger, like a expensive material component for a incantation of some sort, perhaps to make him an animus?
Does anyone have any ideas for his home? I think it will be in a conquered dwarven watch tower, but siginificantly enhanced in the perevious 20 years since he first took up residence.
Inconsequenti-AL
Breaks Games
Olive said:
A dwarven watchtower could be fun, why not give it with a forge/foundry? More of a forward base/staging area than just a watch tower. Perhaps he's got the thing back 'online'... have pots of bubbling, molten metal... Undead dwarves working away at 'stuff'. Possibly even programmed to 'work' mode rather than fight. Can make for a creepy scene.
Make for an interesting and dangerous environment to fight in. Telekinetic tipping of molten metals. Fire immune skeletons lurking in the forges. And so on.
Perhaps even make it swelteringly hot - undead won't be bothered by the heat, (even if the smell of heated, rotten flesh might force a few fortitude saves vs vomitting)
The Necromancer can get some simple magic item to protect him from the effects... however it might upset the PCs!
Last edited:
humble minion
Legend
I really like Inconsequenti-Al's idea there. It even ties in nicely with the red dragon undead thingy - certain undead retain their elemental immunities after animation, and Ugrob would definitely want his grand creation to be something along those lines if his lair is full of molten metal...
Or perhaps Ugrob is working on creating some powerful fire-related item? The dwarves foundry could be on a volcanic rift of some sort (which explains why Ugrob selected it as his lair in the first place), and red dragon parts are a natural item creation ingredient for such an artifact.
Regarding the layout, if the dwarves built it they would have made the corridor ceilings only about 5ft high, to hinder invaders. Ugrob has probably remedied this in the areas he frequents, but doubtless keeps a couple of Reduce spells memorised so he can move through the more obscure parts of the tower unhindered. There are probably massive stone slabs set to drop, to seal off strategic doors for defensive purposes, although some of these would have been triggered when the tower fell in the first place. You'll have to have a small shrine of Moradin, or another dwarven god, hideously desecrated and now a haven for undead. The whole tower will be Unhallowed, of course, and all convenient pointy objects, traps, etc, will be coated in poison or diseased slime - undead are all immune, of course, and an orcish True Necromancer is hardly going to have problems with his Fort saves, and can heal himself even if he does. Another cool trick for a follower of Orcus is the Bloodsucker Bomb - a glass sphere with a long-starved vampire/vampire spawn, in gaseous form, trapped inside. Useable as missile weapon, or set to drop when a tripwire is triggered, etc. There's probably a vile, filthy pit, perhaps an old mineshaft, where Ugrob throws his excess body parts, failed experiments and so on. It will naturally be full of carrion crawlers, ghouls, an ooze or two.
I'm making this pretty gruesome and lethal here. Lethal it has to be - an 18th level spellcaster doesn't mess around when defending himself - but the gruesome might be a problem. It would depend on your society, and how Ugrob interacts with the world. Mourne is obviously paying him a visit - does this sort of thing happen often? Is Ugrob a member of wizard society at large, and if so, will they put up with so much gore and rot when they come to call? You know better than me...
Or perhaps Ugrob is working on creating some powerful fire-related item? The dwarves foundry could be on a volcanic rift of some sort (which explains why Ugrob selected it as his lair in the first place), and red dragon parts are a natural item creation ingredient for such an artifact.
Regarding the layout, if the dwarves built it they would have made the corridor ceilings only about 5ft high, to hinder invaders. Ugrob has probably remedied this in the areas he frequents, but doubtless keeps a couple of Reduce spells memorised so he can move through the more obscure parts of the tower unhindered. There are probably massive stone slabs set to drop, to seal off strategic doors for defensive purposes, although some of these would have been triggered when the tower fell in the first place. You'll have to have a small shrine of Moradin, or another dwarven god, hideously desecrated and now a haven for undead. The whole tower will be Unhallowed, of course, and all convenient pointy objects, traps, etc, will be coated in poison or diseased slime - undead are all immune, of course, and an orcish True Necromancer is hardly going to have problems with his Fort saves, and can heal himself even if he does. Another cool trick for a follower of Orcus is the Bloodsucker Bomb - a glass sphere with a long-starved vampire/vampire spawn, in gaseous form, trapped inside. Useable as missile weapon, or set to drop when a tripwire is triggered, etc. There's probably a vile, filthy pit, perhaps an old mineshaft, where Ugrob throws his excess body parts, failed experiments and so on. It will naturally be full of carrion crawlers, ghouls, an ooze or two.
I'm making this pretty gruesome and lethal here. Lethal it has to be - an 18th level spellcaster doesn't mess around when defending himself - but the gruesome might be a problem. It would depend on your society, and how Ugrob interacts with the world. Mourne is obviously paying him a visit - does this sort of thing happen often? Is Ugrob a member of wizard society at large, and if so, will they put up with so much gore and rot when they come to call? You know better than me...
Olive
Explorer
The reasoning behind the dwarven watch tower is that the mountain range is above a vast dwarven empire, but the dwarves have lost control of the mountains above ground.
I want this encounter to be compromising for all involved. The paladin's code is at risk, even mourne's ethics should be challenged. Ugrob of course is also compromised - if Karondrax finds out, he's going to have some difficulty, although he could probably win in the long run. He needs to be useful enough to be worth going to, but hideous enough for it to be a last resort.
As a result, this is all good. I like Inconsiquential-Al's ideas about sweltering flesh etc.
As far as wizard's IMC work, see Sep's SH. If you aven't read it, basically there is a loose, informal wizard's society. Not in the sense of an organisation, but in the sense of a culture. Wizard's are aware fo each other, trade info etc. As long as they don't break an injunction against interference in politics then they leave each other alone. Obviously necromancers, diabolists etc are distructed by society at large, but wizards in general see them as taking unpleasant routes to the power they all essentially seek. This is why alienists are more or less ok as well. Most peopel don't see maddness as a price they are willing to pay, but can understand why someone WOULD pay that price.
So Ugrob would be visited occasionally by other wizards who required his services. He's noticablly willing to undertake commissions for magic items (most wizards don't like to drain their resources for others), and this earns him a level of tolerence that wouldn't otherwise be granted. He performs a role in the wizarding economy. He can be as disgusting as he likes, as long as he is useful, and doesn't break the injunction.
As a result of the injuction, Ugrob doesn't concern himself with conquest. He lieks to learn more about death, but he is careful to only study the corpses or orcs and the like, who are too unorganised to mobilise against him. He doesn't fly in, pick up elvish villages and go home, or he'd be dead.
With that in mind, he's got a dwarven tower.
The building will be surrounded by a moat, empty ofwater but filled with zombies, formerally orcs and dwarves. There's no need for them to be under the control of Ugrob. They can't escape the moat, but they will ravage anythign that falls it. The smell rising from the moat is hideous.
The PCs will be greated by a spellstiched wight, dressed in the clothing of an orc chieftan. After letting them across the moat, he will guide them within the walls. There is a forge, of course, with a smith who will make the weapons etc that he needs to make magical items out of. The smith is undead of course, a wight of the dwarven mastersmith who worked here originaly. The smith can be see directing other assorted wights, his spawn, to pump the ballows etc as he makes armour.
The PCs are led to a throne room where they meet an orc, ravaged by age, dressed head to foot in black robes. This isn't Ugrob himself, but a servant, bound witha permenant rary's telepathic bond. The room itself is filled with zombies, including several formerly beautiful females of various races (Ugrob has the lichloved feat). A symbol of orcus decorates one side of the wall, with an altar beneath it.
That's the idea so far. The traps etc, are unliekly to come into play this time, but there will need to be heaps of them. I aprticularly like the 'bloodsucker bomb', and I suspect that will be a key aspect of the defences.
One of the problems with necromancy is that there isa fairly small number of undead that can be controlled at any given time - commanded plus created. I suspect that a necromancer would formulate it so that eh could release most fo them, to control just those required as he needs to. Esp. given the lichloved feat which allows him to pass by undead as if one of them.
Anyway, any ideas/critiques much appreciated!
I want this encounter to be compromising for all involved. The paladin's code is at risk, even mourne's ethics should be challenged. Ugrob of course is also compromised - if Karondrax finds out, he's going to have some difficulty, although he could probably win in the long run. He needs to be useful enough to be worth going to, but hideous enough for it to be a last resort.
humble minion said:
As a result, this is all good. I like Inconsiquential-Al's ideas about sweltering flesh etc.
As far as wizard's IMC work, see Sep's SH. If you aven't read it, basically there is a loose, informal wizard's society. Not in the sense of an organisation, but in the sense of a culture. Wizard's are aware fo each other, trade info etc. As long as they don't break an injunction against interference in politics then they leave each other alone. Obviously necromancers, diabolists etc are distructed by society at large, but wizards in general see them as taking unpleasant routes to the power they all essentially seek. This is why alienists are more or less ok as well. Most peopel don't see maddness as a price they are willing to pay, but can understand why someone WOULD pay that price.
So Ugrob would be visited occasionally by other wizards who required his services. He's noticablly willing to undertake commissions for magic items (most wizards don't like to drain their resources for others), and this earns him a level of tolerence that wouldn't otherwise be granted. He performs a role in the wizarding economy. He can be as disgusting as he likes, as long as he is useful, and doesn't break the injunction.
As a result of the injuction, Ugrob doesn't concern himself with conquest. He lieks to learn more about death, but he is careful to only study the corpses or orcs and the like, who are too unorganised to mobilise against him. He doesn't fly in, pick up elvish villages and go home, or he'd be dead.
With that in mind, he's got a dwarven tower.
The building will be surrounded by a moat, empty ofwater but filled with zombies, formerally orcs and dwarves. There's no need for them to be under the control of Ugrob. They can't escape the moat, but they will ravage anythign that falls it. The smell rising from the moat is hideous.
The PCs will be greated by a spellstiched wight, dressed in the clothing of an orc chieftan. After letting them across the moat, he will guide them within the walls. There is a forge, of course, with a smith who will make the weapons etc that he needs to make magical items out of. The smith is undead of course, a wight of the dwarven mastersmith who worked here originaly. The smith can be see directing other assorted wights, his spawn, to pump the ballows etc as he makes armour.
The PCs are led to a throne room where they meet an orc, ravaged by age, dressed head to foot in black robes. This isn't Ugrob himself, but a servant, bound witha permenant rary's telepathic bond. The room itself is filled with zombies, including several formerly beautiful females of various races (Ugrob has the lichloved feat). A symbol of orcus decorates one side of the wall, with an altar beneath it.
That's the idea so far. The traps etc, are unliekly to come into play this time, but there will need to be heaps of them. I aprticularly like the 'bloodsucker bomb', and I suspect that will be a key aspect of the defences.
One of the problems with necromancy is that there isa fairly small number of undead that can be controlled at any given time - commanded plus created. I suspect that a necromancer would formulate it so that eh could release most fo them, to control just those required as he needs to. Esp. given the lichloved feat which allows him to pass by undead as if one of them.
Anyway, any ideas/critiques much appreciated!
Olive
Explorer
Meant to post this the other day, here's the ackground write up of Ugrob
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Ugrob is an aging orc, almost skeletally thin with no hair and dark Grey skin. A grinning skull has been branded onto his neck. He wears black and silver robes, and his weapons, wands and rods hang from a belt around his waist. His mace is crafted in black, with a skull head, in honour of his patron Orcus’s Wand. Ugrob’s eyes glow a dark blue from the arcane sight spell that is permanently upon him.
Ugrob was born into the Death Tusk Clan of orcs, deep in the Locura ranges. Sickly and weak, he was abandoned and left to die, but managed to sneak back to the camp. He survived by stealing food and clothes, and eventually traveled north, through the Great Forest of the elves. Ugrob stowed away on a boat, and escaped at the small island of Eóin in the Scair Archipelago. He was found by the necromancer Denry, and sought to use him as a slave. It soon became apparent to Denry that Ugrob was much smarter than the average orc, and sought to train him, both as a wizard but also in the worship of Orcus. Ugrob learned quickly, mastering a combination of divine and arcane magic, and unlocking secrets that were beyond Denry’s abilities. Ugrob soon overthrew Denry, sacrificed him to Orcus and burned his tower. He then abandoned Eóin, leaving the undead that Denry had created to roam freely around the isle. Ugrob returned to the Locuras and sought out his former clan. He unleashed the power of the abyss upon them, slaying many and raising them as undead under his command. The Blood Tusks no longer exist as a clan, but the Deathtusk undead serve Ugrob for eternity in his cavernous palace.
“The only of the savage humanoids to be among the great wizards, Ugrob is a known crafter of magical items, and is tolerated by the others of this fraternity primarily for his willingness to undertake commissions and to trade. He is also amongst the most powerful of the great, being nearly able to work spells of the highest power. He has been known to protect himself by requiring geases preventing harm to him to be placed upon those he considers a threat as part payment for his work. His tower is nestled in a valley deep in the Locura Mountains. He does not associate much with his kin, but he is served by a number of the undead that, among their other duties, protect his manse. Rumours of unmentionable depravities are common place but without the employment of divinations one cannot be sure of their truth, and I am reluctant to tax His gifts to me for such purient ends. He is also known to have developed a method of enhancing the undead known as ‘spellstitching’.” – Jucocius the Learned, The Arcanists of the West
-------------
Ugrob is an aging orc, almost skeletally thin with no hair and dark Grey skin. A grinning skull has been branded onto his neck. He wears black and silver robes, and his weapons, wands and rods hang from a belt around his waist. His mace is crafted in black, with a skull head, in honour of his patron Orcus’s Wand. Ugrob’s eyes glow a dark blue from the arcane sight spell that is permanently upon him.
Ugrob was born into the Death Tusk Clan of orcs, deep in the Locura ranges. Sickly and weak, he was abandoned and left to die, but managed to sneak back to the camp. He survived by stealing food and clothes, and eventually traveled north, through the Great Forest of the elves. Ugrob stowed away on a boat, and escaped at the small island of Eóin in the Scair Archipelago. He was found by the necromancer Denry, and sought to use him as a slave. It soon became apparent to Denry that Ugrob was much smarter than the average orc, and sought to train him, both as a wizard but also in the worship of Orcus. Ugrob learned quickly, mastering a combination of divine and arcane magic, and unlocking secrets that were beyond Denry’s abilities. Ugrob soon overthrew Denry, sacrificed him to Orcus and burned his tower. He then abandoned Eóin, leaving the undead that Denry had created to roam freely around the isle. Ugrob returned to the Locuras and sought out his former clan. He unleashed the power of the abyss upon them, slaying many and raising them as undead under his command. The Blood Tusks no longer exist as a clan, but the Deathtusk undead serve Ugrob for eternity in his cavernous palace.
“The only of the savage humanoids to be among the great wizards, Ugrob is a known crafter of magical items, and is tolerated by the others of this fraternity primarily for his willingness to undertake commissions and to trade. He is also amongst the most powerful of the great, being nearly able to work spells of the highest power. He has been known to protect himself by requiring geases preventing harm to him to be placed upon those he considers a threat as part payment for his work. His tower is nestled in a valley deep in the Locura Mountains. He does not associate much with his kin, but he is served by a number of the undead that, among their other duties, protect his manse. Rumours of unmentionable depravities are common place but without the employment of divinations one cannot be sure of their truth, and I am reluctant to tax His gifts to me for such purient ends. He is also known to have developed a method of enhancing the undead known as ‘spellstitching’.” – Jucocius the Learned, The Arcanists of the West
humble minion
Legend
I thought I recognised another one of Sep's loyal readers! We can only wish our games were that good, hey?
A few bits and pieces:
Glad to hear that you're not going to let the paladin off too easy here.
The moat. Why bother having it empty? The zombies aren't going to drown, after all, and fighting submerged zombies (with a chuul or something as backup) is a nasty ask. Alternatively, you could have the moat empty, but with a Persistent Image of water cast across the top, so it appears to be full. The illusion should look nice and stagnant, to explain the smell.
The spell General of Undeath, from Magic of Faerun, could be very handy for Ugrob. I forget the exact details, but it's an 8th level cleric spell with a pretty useful duration that dramatically increases the number of undead you can control.
Since you're in a foundry, there's no reason why even the zombies shouldn't have a decent chain shirt at least. +4 to AC isn't much against high level characters, but it can be very frustrating on that last iterative attack...
A worshipper of Orcus has almost certainly got a very nasty Greater Planar Ally or similar hanging around. I have a penchant for bebiliths or class-levelled vrocks myself, though you may prefer something with more spell-like abilities.
Is Ugrob a specialised Necromancer? If so, what is/are his barred school(s)?
It sounds like Ugrob largely just wants to be left alone. He might have some sort of Sequester effect over the entire tower, just so people (at least, everyday average people who aren't wealthy, powerful paying customers) won't generally know it's there. In the tunnels below the tower, he's probably set up multiple permanent antipathy effects, to keep the dwarves in the empire below from bothering him.
Ugrob or his flunkies are likely to try to find some way of inflicting a minor injury on the PCs - perhaps a handrail with a sharp burr, or a ring with a hidden pin? No poison or anything, but a necromancer never knows when a blood sample from a fairly powerful wizard or paladin might be handy. Perhaps to orchestrate this Ugrob invites the PCs to dine with him? Or even to enjoy the 'favours' of his undead concubines? Polite hospitality is probably considered a virtue in the society of wizards, after all...
A few bits and pieces:
Glad to hear that you're not going to let the paladin off too easy here.
The moat. Why bother having it empty? The zombies aren't going to drown, after all, and fighting submerged zombies (with a chuul or something as backup) is a nasty ask. Alternatively, you could have the moat empty, but with a Persistent Image of water cast across the top, so it appears to be full. The illusion should look nice and stagnant, to explain the smell.
The spell General of Undeath, from Magic of Faerun, could be very handy for Ugrob. I forget the exact details, but it's an 8th level cleric spell with a pretty useful duration that dramatically increases the number of undead you can control.
Since you're in a foundry, there's no reason why even the zombies shouldn't have a decent chain shirt at least. +4 to AC isn't much against high level characters, but it can be very frustrating on that last iterative attack...
A worshipper of Orcus has almost certainly got a very nasty Greater Planar Ally or similar hanging around. I have a penchant for bebiliths or class-levelled vrocks myself, though you may prefer something with more spell-like abilities.
Is Ugrob a specialised Necromancer? If so, what is/are his barred school(s)?
It sounds like Ugrob largely just wants to be left alone. He might have some sort of Sequester effect over the entire tower, just so people (at least, everyday average people who aren't wealthy, powerful paying customers) won't generally know it's there. In the tunnels below the tower, he's probably set up multiple permanent antipathy effects, to keep the dwarves in the empire below from bothering him.
Ugrob or his flunkies are likely to try to find some way of inflicting a minor injury on the PCs - perhaps a handrail with a sharp burr, or a ring with a hidden pin? No poison or anything, but a necromancer never knows when a blood sample from a fairly powerful wizard or paladin might be handy. Perhaps to orchestrate this Ugrob invites the PCs to dine with him? Or even to enjoy the 'favours' of his undead concubines? Polite hospitality is probably considered a virtue in the society of wizards, after all...
Olive
Explorer
humble minion said:
Indeed.
But of course!
Hmmm, but wouldn't having it obviously full of zombies be more hidous and scary?
Worth considering, I don't think he can cast it. I think he casts as a quite low level cleric (5th), and a very high level necromancer (15th)
Good idea. Tougher with otu breaking the feel of the world.
I was thinking of something like this. Although of course he can't ally them, as he can't cast the cleric levels. But he doesn't care if he's forcing them I'd imagine.
Enchantment and illusion, but I can't remember why I chose those. Enchantment probably because he's not that interested in the living. llusion... not sure.
Good ideas, especially the antithapy. That will make it exciting to find, as Mourne isn't sure exactly where it is.
I like this last bit. Creepy. He has blood from the paladin (how he scried on them originally), but it's ALWAYS useful to have a rival wizard's blood or hair. Thanks HM, these are great!
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