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Serious inquiries only please - 100th level adventure hook and module in development
- Thread starter DM-Rocco
- Start date
Sage
Explorer
Well, I may be a fan but I haven't actually played much planescape.Yair said:
Anyway, if we are going with the defy the gods approach, stealing power from the Lady of Pain would be a great plotline. This could be done in some way at 20th level probably by some ancient ritual or clause or something that noone else has ever tried, possibly by following a clue that's subtly there in all her mazes.
Reaching the top of the spire might actually be the way to take her power.
Anyway, once the PCs have usurped the Lady of Pains power, they can't control the portals, and all portals in the multiverse simply opening without any obvious way of closing them could agruably be the beginning of the unraveling of the mutliverse.
Of course this is very rough, but what do you think?
And again, the players gain a power boost instead of going the straight way, but it could be done at 100th level with the players gaining no real power (or a very limited amount anyway) by taking the Lady's power, but still lose control.
DM-Rocco
Explorer
Yair said:
I too love Planescape, we have that in common
I didn't like my order on things either, but it was late at night when I posted it and I just wanted to get it on the thread fo ryou guys to review. The best thing to do when writing is to post whatever you have, otherwise you never get anywhere. We can easily move stuff around, but it is not complete. We need to include some rules on Epic spells and other things for the DM.
I was going to remove the personal comments for final post. They are my merger attempt to be funny, which never seems to go as planned
I didn't add in flavor text like you did, I was using the Age of Worms module as a template for creating the begining and they just did a quick paragraph as an over view. I love flavor text, it is my most favorite part of Magic the Gathering, reading the flavor text, so we will use some for sure.
As for starting point, Sigil is all apart of the plan and the only way to get to the top of the Spire is by climbing or finding a beast to fly you there. Both are hard. Creature will not want to fly there, even with a powerful need, you'll see later when I write that, and climbing will be easy for those who have ranks in climb, but at over a 1000 miles in height, you will find it harder than you think.
Anyway, I attached the Dungeon magazine writer's guidelines. I'll try to cut back on my humor that only I get and stick the facts Joe.
CRGreathouse:
It is a bit heavy handed in DM instructions, but you really need it otherwise you can't run the game. Without giving the DM some realistic guidelines, you open a can of worms that they can't close.
DM-Rocco
Explorer
Okay, I tracked down the two different stories. I don't think Turnil is reading anymore. Too bad, he had some very good and creative ideas. Hope he comes back and finishes the Castle in the Void for us, but I think he is out unless we do everything his way.
I have included a brief summary of what I wrote up and then the longer version and then Turnil's proposal, which is very simular to mine, in a brief version and then his longer version. this is a very mong post, be warned.
I like the idea of the creator God, but I am partial to my idea more as I only want Gods to play a small role in the over all theme of the module. A chapter or two kind of thing, not an every encounter kind of thing.
I also like the idea of two beings who have power more powerful than the 100th level characters and a child's perspective on things. Makes for some great role-playing. Anyway, everyone look over the two different ideas and see what you like. We can break it down and build a third version as well.
As for making it to be played at any level, I don't think you can do it. In 1st edition you could, but not 3.5. That is, however, why I originally came up with the idea of having the party start out as 20th level (or higher) characters and then get elevated to 100th level by the magical event. It solved the problem of not having "really" got XP for 100th level and still offered a way for players to take their own characters into the module and fit in any campaign. It was only a spur of the moment thing that I put in the beinging info about defying the Gods. Either way, doesn't bother me.
Here is the plot ideas:
Chapter one - the Gods in peril
role-playing adventure hook and climbing the Spire
Chapter 2 - Strange Days
Create 100th level guys (hours in-and-of-itself) and then figure out how to reverse the effects of the Magical Event. Also, reminder for the DM in an ongoing campaign that they can adlib at this point and have enemy be friends and friends now enemies
Chapter 3 - The Ajah Armory
Encounter with Ajah, who let's you use his armory, and then Ay-Gax. Encounters with Ay-Gax can be open ended or just the one or two events we put there, namely stopping the Blood war. He eventually teleports to Sigil
Chapter 4 - Iy-Xeg
Iy-Xeg is the Xeg-Yi in human form. Again, open ended enough to allow for a creative DM to add what he wants. He can have the PCs chase him across the cosmos with his own ideas of mischief or just have him take Iy-Xeg to the 9 heavens where he casts out the angels as we will have an encounter for. He eventually teleports to Sigil.
Chapter 5 - The Wizard’s madness
Basically just room for one or two or three really tough encounters in a total dream realm
Chapter 6 - the Cleric redemption
Cleric tries to make friends with the PCs in one encounter and then we leave it open for the DM to have encounter with mass amounts of Gods. I did also want to have one massive encounter where the PCs can truly go nuts and flex their considerable might, like facing an army.
Chapter 7 - The Lady of Pain’s Revenge
I wanted to use the Lady of Pain cause she is a 210 EC. Even if it is a one sided fight and ends quickly, other than that, leave it open ended for a creative DM to have fun with the PCs chasing the Energons around Sigil, really two encounters.
Chapter 8 - Crating the Epic Spell of Reseeding
Crafting and defending those who are making the epic spell.
Chapter 9 - Assault on the Castle in the Void
Most likely the biggest part of the adventure as we have to make a castle. Doesn't have to be big or traditional. But I suspect at least 10 encounters
Okay, I propose you in more detail my shortened / streamlined version of this adventure:
Okay, 100th level module proposal.
First thing is first, the first chapter of the module is for 20th level characters. I figured out a way to use normal high level characters in a 100th level adventure, so you can use it as part of your current game, you’ll see.
Chapter one - the Gods in peril
The story starts with the party receiving a warning from there Gods so strong that it wakes your character, whether you are sleeping, in a coma or even from the grave. A wizard and cleric of surprising power have evaded the premonitions of the Gods by plotting and planning events for a powerful magical event. They evaded the divine power of the Gods ability to see into the future by planning for this event at the base of the Spire in the Outlands where the God cannot see. They have climbed to the top of the Spire and began their magical event by creating a Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra. For those of you not familiar with Magical Events, see chapter 3 of the DMGII.
The Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra is just the beginning, but they have also started a new magical event, an Elemental Swarm (new one I made up for this adventure) that prohibits magic from those not protected in a certain way, and as it is a unique event, only the wizard and the cleric have this power, not even the Gods understand it. The top of the Spire is also the site of a circle with the Spirit of Nature’s Rage. The burning eye is slowly growing, so those who teleport to Sigil find the city in flames and also discover that the Lady of Pain is occupied trying to hold the city together from the vast amount of magical energy forming on the Spire tip.
No way can be found from Sigil to get to the top of the Spire, you have to go to the Outlands and travel from the outer most part of the plane towards the center to the Spire. Every God is concerned and has called a truce of sorts, so every race is represented and all of the Gods have gathered in the Outlands to try and come to a solution. The progressive failings of magic as you get closer to the Spire means that most won’t get to close and most of the Gods will not come closer than 301 miles from the spire as they will lose their divine ranks. A few will deem this threat powerful enough to venture to the top of the Spire itself, however.
Once the party over comes the problems to get to the top of the Spire, should be fun without magic, a third magical events begins. The party sees the wizard and the cleric standing under the Burning Eye of Al-Ghantra on either side of a Sphere of Annihilation . There may or may not be an encounter where the evil doer’s can monologue and/or fight, but before the party gets to crazy, the wizard and cleric complete the next magical event and open a Consuming Vortex of Traal right behind the Sphere of Annihilation. The area if flooded with Negative and Positive energy. Once a few of the Gods enter the area, something unexpected occurs, the Magical event of the Elemental Swarms falters and an Elder - Mega Xag-Ya and an Elder - Mega Xeg-Yi, (energons page 168 of the MotP), enter the area and once they see each other they converge on each other and explode, causing the wizard and the cleric to lose control of the Sphere of Annihilation which gets sucked into the Consuming Vortex of Traal and then pulls in the Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra, causing a massive explosion across the cosmos.
Confused yet? It really isn’t that complicated, just sounds like it.
Chapter 2 - Strange Days
The party is flooded with power, both from the Gods and the energy of all the planes combined. Basically they are recreated, atom by atom, but on the plus side, for the time being, they have the power of 100th level characters, yeh . They can also temporarily be a different race, remember they are parts of many different races, but no divine ranks. Now they make their 100th level character. Please no leadership feats
The Wizard and Cleric were trying an experiment but with the Gods interfering, they created a rift in the cosmos and destroyed the whole of the current cosmos, throwing everyone, or mostly everyone, into an alternate cosmos.
Adventure hook, you must figure out how to reverse the effects of the Magical Event and restore your old Cosmos or have the deaths of a googolplex beings on your conscious. Deal with that. Parts of this chapter can deal with some fun differences between the old Cosmos and this one, like some old enemies are now your friends and your best friend is a back stabber.
Chapter 3 - The Ajah Armory
As a 100th level guy, you have the same gear you did when you were 20th level, plus a few extra items, but we will have rules for continuing to pimp out your current 20th level gear, this will reduce the massive power or way to much disposable income of a 100th level character, some anyway. Also, you will have access too The Ajah Armory. In this chapter you have a run in with Ay-Gax, a small child, is wondering around the planes, or other location. He is really the Xag-Ya, but he does not know it, and the party should not at this point either. He is healing the sick and curing maladies in Limbo and forces the demons and devils to stop the blood war. He eventually teleports to Sigil
The Ajah Armory
Created under the working name of recursive co-terminal multi-functional all terrain interdimensional closet of useful things by Mizledorf, the Patron Saint of Gnomes Everywhere, Founding Liege of Kirpah Nasmong- a Gnomish Utopia (Male Celestial Gnome/Bard 33, Illusionist 33, Tinker 33/N). One day Mizledorf realized the name was too long (everyone else would just tune him out when he started to say "recursive"), and he said "Ah hah!" with great triumph. However, his yiddish accent made it sound like "ajah!" And thus his culturally bankrupt allies dubbed the armory the Ajah. Convinced it was flawed, Mizledorf gave it to his friends (the 100th level party) as a gift, and set about improving its design. That's Mizledorf for you, one parts gnome, two parts perfectionist.
How it works: Once attuned to the Ajah, a character need only concentrate as a standard action and whatever piece of equipment they desire appears equipped on them. They make a requisition check: d20 + Concentration. The check is made against the purchasing DC of the requisitioned item. Items worth 35,000 gold or less (DC 40) have no effect on the Ajah. Items (or collective "purchases") worth more cause the Ajah's new wealth to decrease until said items are returned. The wealth loss for a single requisition equals = 1/3 (purchase DC - wealth bonus) rounded up. The Ajah has a base wealth bonus of 40.
Chapter 4 - Iy-Xeg
Iy-Xeg is the Xeg-Yi in human form and he has just slew an epic dragon and is picking through the remains with a stick, like a creepy kid would a dead cat. The PCs encounter him starting an over throw of the heavens and other such suggested encounters for the DM. He eventually teleports to Sigil.
Chapter 5 - The Wizard’s madness
Originally Posted by Philip
Unknown to the players when they try to teleport they are thrown into a dream plane of the Wizard’s mind and has split up into multiple personalities who are battling each other across his own mindscape. Unknown to them the PCs are pulled into his mind and must battle the personalities across an ever-changing landscape.
Without warning the PCs are suddenly the only living creatures left in an utterly barren universe. They have to find out what happened. Perhaps one of them did it inadvertently or they have a traitor amongst them?
The Cleric saves the party at the last minute, as she is trapped in here as well, but not before the PCs have many tribulations and trails.
Chapter 6 - the Cleric redemption
The Cleric knows that things have gone wrong and wants to help make things right, but the Gods don’t know this and they have surprises in store for the cleric, and now the PCs.
Originally Posted by Ozmar
I think this is a good time to introduce the Gods for the PCs to fight and also to have them face mass assaults from armies and such. A good chance for them to really flex their massive abilities by slaying hoards of demons and devils and angels and undead and whatever else we choose.
Chapter 7 - The Lady of Pain’s Revenge
The child incarnations of the Energons have been playing with the PCs throughout the module, playing tricks on them and healing their enemies and starting fights. They are pure energy from the positive and the negative plane and have no emotions, they are, for the first time, free to experiment and they are very good at it, whether it is stopping the blood war or killing all the angels in the heavens, they are just children having fun, without a peer or parent to stop them.
If the PCs attack them, consider them only to have 6 in all stats, but they have the knowledge and power of 1000th level characters, and can cast any spell, including epic spells and they don’t need others to do a ritual with them, so, even if they die, they come back in a single round and can and will use a powerful effect on the PCs. Most of the time however they just act like children, carefree and only thinking of themselves. It should also be noted that bringing the two together simply won’t reverse events, in fact, it gives them purpose. Where before they were content with minor experiments, now they feel whole when together (remember, alternate cosmos, things working backwards) and they begin to terrorize the cosmos.
The Energons are now in Sigil and the Lady of Pain has forced the PCs into Sigil to deal with them. Whatever happens, the PCs must fight the Lady of Pain, even if it is only for a few rounds. She will most likely overwhelm them, but the PCs might get the jump on her, either way she forces or begs the PCs to act and get the Energons out of her city. The Energons are not willing to leave such a fun city, unless the PCs can find a new place for them to have fun.
From Sigil, you can see the massive castle of the Wizard and Cleric that has formed in the center of the ring of Sigil. Actually, all you can see is a giant black sun which seems to absorb light, and everything else, it is a very large sphere of annihilation growing from the top of the Spire. It is so massive that it can almost be reached with very tall ladders from the streets of Sigil, no wonder the Lady of Pain is so upset.
Chapter 8 - Crating the Epic Spell of Reseeding
One of the places the PCs can offer the Energons to play in is the Observatorium. From here, and also with the help of the Library of Lore (Boccob’s Library), the PCs can create an Epic Spells to recreate the cosmos. While there are hard at work, the PCs can slowly see the warriors of the Ex-Blood War slowly taking control of the cosmos. The demons and the devils, without wasting energy on each other, have grown very powerful, enough of a challenge for 100th level PCs and from time to time they try to invade the Observatorium, or wherever the PCs are.
Chapter 9 - Assault on the Castle in the Void
Basically, everyone seemed to like the storyline by Turanil but I wanted something that made everyone happy, so while it may have to be scaled down a bit from your original idea, here is where you get to add your castle/dimension/epochs thingy. The wizard and the cleric however are in the castle, not just a Chronomancer, but the wizard can be a Chronomancer in addition to a wizard . Note, the Castle in the Void is actually inside a sphere of annihilation, which should make for some great fun in-and-of-itself. Also, the PCs must face the Lady of Pain and get her to let the Gods in the city so they can temporarily open a way into the sphere of annihilation.
Once the cleric and the Wizard are defeated, and they can and do summon some terrible stuff to deal with the PCs, the PCs can then place the energon children at the center of the Castle in the Void and cast the Epic Spell to reseed the time stream. Pretty much the end at that point.
What do you guys think?
Here is the rest of Turanil's idea:
Synopsis: A Chronomancer* (who was but 20th level), using wishes and chronomancy spells, created major time paradoxes which resulted in himself becoming a demi-god, but also creating a mess of dimensions and epochs. Now (inspired from the Amber novels), he resides in a castle at the junction of four planes and a dozen timelines. The world is slowly destroyed by this mess however, and is going to be soon obliterated in a giant sphere of annihilation (due to the time paradox and what not, this sphere is now growing fast, and if not stopped soon enough will devour the planet).
So the PCs will first have to figure out what happens, then get to the mighty castle at the junction of planes and epochs. Of course, other epochs mean they will have to fight villains from the future (with modern weapons) as well as from the past.
The World's End - 100th Level Adventure
Thanks for integrating everyon's ideas, but in the end it makes for a very long and complicated story (several gaming sessions). I would streamline much of this; for me the important parts would be:
1) Two villains of surprising power do a ritual that opens a rift into the universe. As a result, some creatures are infused with incredible energies and powers (so PCs become 100th level, but also a Xag-Ya and some demon-princes that happened to be in Sigil are likewise greatly improved). However, the rift has created a sort of gigantic growing sphere of anihilation that threatens to eventually destroy the world as it was a black hole.
2) PCs must travel to the Observatorium to create a couple of epic spells that will let them fix all of this mess. First, they must find a way to go inside the sphere of anihilation without being destroyed; requiring the creation of an epic spell. During this time, some improved demon-princes (see above) who want to get to the sphere for their own benefit try to attack the PCs.
3) Castle in the Void: This is in fact the horn of the Creator god, on an island in the void which actually is his mind. The two villains actually control the mind of the Creator god (insane, I know) and make him create hideous things (traps and monsters) to combat the PCs. Nonetheless, the two villains are themselves at a loss and losing control. Anyway, the castle in the void is the head/horn and mind of the Creator god. The castle is thus a living entity and a changing landscape. Also, the only reason a castle may exist into a sphere of anihilation is because it is the Creator god, who is greatly weakened and in tortured agony by this nonetheless.
4) Final: PCs eventually learn that the Creator god was at the origin of all the pantheon gods who then created the multiverse. However, the pantheon gods rebelled and locked the Creator god away. Yet, the Creator god managed to free himself in creating a "Cleric and a wizard of surprising powers" who were but manifestations-avatars of himself. So when the PCs are in the castle in the void, in the Creator's god mind controlled by the "Cleric and a wizard of surprising powers", etc., this is indeed: "a dream plane of the Wizard’s mind and has split up into multiple personalities who are battling each other across his own mindscape. Unknown to them the PCs are pulled into his mind and must battle the personalities across an ever-changing landscape."
5) To succeed the PCs must re-unify the whole Creator god's personnality. Thereafter well... no need to tell if everything is back to normal (PCs sent back into their own world by the Creator god, while he himself remains into the void), or if the Creator god kills all the pantheon gods, and now everywhere will only exist monotheistic religions dedicated to him...
1 - Introduction
Some obscure legends have hinted that before the dawn of time was a god so vile and so horrific, that all of the deities, good and evil, lawful and chaoric, united their powers to banish him into the void. The vile deity was so powerful in fact, that all the gods of all pantheons hadn't united, they would never have defeated him.
However, the truth is slightly different from the almost forgotten legend. The truth is that the multiverse was born from the thought of the "Creator God". It was he who gave birth to the first deities who in turn created all what exists in the universe. The "Creator God" wasn't evil, neither good. But he was nearly omniscient and omnipotent. Hence, all the ancient deities of the dawn of times united their efforts and banished him into the void to get rid of his rule.
Eons later, more and more people got the idea to create monotheistic religions. Then, their combined faiths and prayers eventually awoke a tiny spark of consciousness in the slumbering Creator God, far away in the void where he had been banished. As such, he was able to incarnate two minuscule sparks (and maybe also a third) of his mind into two humans (and also maybe a gnome...). These three character grew and evolved, and lived long enough so they would ventually become 100th level characters: a gnome, cleric, and wizard. Note that it is hinted that they were the only characters in all history of the multiverse to achieve this "impossible" level.
Finally, the cleric and the wizard met, and went to the Outland's spire to perform an event of ritual magic of unthinkable scale... However, before they would finish their work, a group of 20th level adventurers was led there by their deities, obscure prophecies, or what not, in order to investigate.
2 - The Multiverse in Peril
The story starts with the party receiving a warning from there Gods so strong that it wakes your character, whether you are sleeping, in a coma or even from the grave. A wizard and cleric of surprising power have evaded the premonitions of the Gods by plotting and planning events for a powerful magical event. They evaded the divine power of the Gods ability to see into the future by planning for this event at the base of the Spire in the Outlands where the God cannot see. They have climbed to the top of the Spire and began their magical event by creating a Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra. For those of you not familiar with Magical Events, see chapter 3 of the DMGII.
The Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra is just the beginning, but they have also started a new magical event, an Elemental Swarm (new one I made up for this adventure) that prohibits magic from those not protected in a certain way, and as it is a unique event, only the wizard and the cleric have this power, not even the Gods understand it. The top of the Spire is also the site of a circle with the Spirit of Nature’s Rage. The burning eye is slowly growing, so those who teleport to Sigil find the city in flames and also discover that the Lady of Pain is occupied trying to hold the city together from the vast amount of magical energy forming on the Spire tip.
No way can be found from Sigil to get to the top of the Spire, you have to go to the Outlands and travel from the outer most part of the plane towards the center to the Spire. Every God is concerned and has called a truce of sorts, so every race is represented and all of the Gods have gathered in the Outlands to try and come to a solution. The progressive failings of magic as you get closer to the Spire means that most won’t get to close and most of the Gods will not come closer than 301 miles from the spire as they will lose their divine ranks. A few will deem this threat powerful enough to venture to the top of the Spire itself, however.
So the PCs have to climb the spire. See it as a gigantic mountain that reaches beyond the sky. During their travel they should ride Rocs. Then they must make at least one encounter: they are not alone on this quest, as other groups have been sent by other deities! One interesting and useful encounter: a group of powerful fiends with their leader being somewhat a demon prince. Here they are normal (not taking into account the anti-magic nature of the place); they must be fought, but some must escape as later they will encounter the PCs again, but having beng improved themselves by the magical event as the PCs will.
Once the party over comes the problems to get to the top of the Spire, should be fun without magic, a third magical events begins. The party sees the wizard and the cleric standing under the Burning Eye of Al-Ghantra on either side of a Sphere of Annihilation . There may or may not be an encounter where the evil doer’s can monologue and/or fight, but before the party gets to crazy, the wizard and cleric complete the next magical event and open a Consuming Vortex of Traal right behind the Sphere of Annihilation. The area if flooded with Negative and Positive energy. Once a few of the Gods enter the area, something unexpected occurs, the Magical event of the Elemental Swarms falters and an Elder - Mega Xag-Ya and an Elder - Mega Xeg-Yi, (energons page 168 of the MotP), enter the area and once they see each other they converge on each other and explode, causing the wizard and the cleric to lose control of the Sphere of Annihilation which gets sucked into the Consuming Vortex of Traal and then pulls in the Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra, causing a massive explosion across the cosmos.
3 - The PCs Are Reborn Phoenixes
The Wizard and Cleric were trying to bring back the Creator God, but with the gods, the PCs, and others interfering the magical ritual went wrong and opened a rift in the multiverse. In addition, the PCs (and unknown to them the demon-prince and his fiends, plus maybe yet others) were flooded with power from the Creator God.
As such, the PCs are basically recreated, atom by atom, and on the plus side, for the time being, they have got the powers of 100th level characters, yeah! (They can also temporarily be a different race, remember they are parts of many different races, but no divine ranks. Now they make their 100th level character. Please no leadership feats.) Otherwise, as 100th level characters, they still have the same gear they did when they were 20th level, this will reduce the massive power or way to much disposable income of a 100th level character.
4 - The Observatorium
Because of the event there is now above the spire a rift that lets sip into the world a growing sphere of anihilation that begins to suck everything into it like it was a black hole. Even if they are 100th level, the PCs cannot enter the sphere of anihilation without being instantly destroyed. They must find help or prepare themselves, or whatever. But in the end it becomes clear they need special magic, and to get it they will have to seek it into the fabled and legendary "Observatorium".
It happens that here has waited for centuries a gnome of incredible power...
The Ajah Armory
Created under the working name of recursive co-terminal multi-functional all terrain interdimensional closet of useful things by Mizledorf, the Patron Saint of Gnomes Everywhere, Founding Liege of Kirpah Nasmong- a Gnomish Utopia (Male Celestial Gnome/Bard 33, Illusionist 33, Tinker 33/N). One day Mizledorf realized the name was too long (everyone else would just tune him out when he started to say "recursive"), and he said "Ah hah!" with great triumph. However, his yiddish accent made it sound like "ajah!" And thus his culturally bankrupt allies dubbed the armory the Ajah.
How it works: Once attuned to the Ajah, a character need only concentrate as a standard action and whatever piece of equipment they desire appears equipped on them. They make a requisition check: d20 + Concentration. The check is made against the purchasing DC of the requisitioned item. Items worth 35,000 gold or less (DC 40) have no effect on the Ajah. Items (or collective "purchases") worth more cause the Ajah's new wealth to decrease until said items are returned. The wealth loss for a single requisition equals = 1/3 (purchase DC - wealth bonus) rounded up. The Ajah has a base wealth bonus of 40.
So, the PCs must convince the gnome to aid them. If successful, he will give them his armory that will be invaluable to create the two or three mighty epic spells of ultimate power that will bring everything back to normal. They can also craft a few epic magical items while they are there...
I think this is a good time to introduce the Gods for the PCs to fight and also to have them face mass assaults from armies and such. A good chance for them to really flex their massive abilities by slaying hoards of demons and devils and angels and undead and whatever else we choose. The trick is to let them fight "normal" powerful critters to see how munchkin they have become...
5 - The Castle In The Void
Thus, with the first of the three epic spells, the 100th level PCs are able to teleport into the huge growing sphere of anihilation (without being instantly erased from existence and memory). They land on a rocky island in a black sea under a pitch black sky. On top of the island they see (at 100th level they have got the mean to see through the darkness, otherwise they are blind) a strange tower resembling a horn 300 fet tall.
What the PCs don't know, is that they are in the Creator God's mind and dreams. Being inside his mind, they are protected from the anihilating void's destruction. Note however, that the Creator God barely resists utter anihilation himself, and thus create things (the whole dungeon) that are puny and insignificant with regard to what he was able to do originally. The island in the black sea is in fact the top of his head with his left horn. This symbolically represents the last spark of his immense powers that resists utter anihilation inside the great void.
The PCs enter the tower. If they choose the underground instead of the tower's entrance, they arrive into a huge cavern almost entirely filled with water. Place is furthermore equivalent to an anti-magic shell. Inside are four advanced half-fiend krakens, plus an aquatic advanced half-fiend tarrasque. So, unless having artifacts or ways to circumvent anti-magic, they must swim and fight the monsters below. This is made especially difficult because halfway through the flooded dungeon they encounter a elder water elemental who uses its power to create a whirlpower and tries to pins the party with its force. It is extremely powerful to pin such high level PCs, but the Krakens and the Tarrasque should be large enough that they would be uneffected.
Further into the dungeon and tower, it appears evident that the PCs are in the living and everchanging dreamscape of a powerful being with a split identity. Tow of these identities are the Cleric and Wizard who created all this mess. None of them can understand or remember that they are part of this place, and instead try to control it. It's like a much lesser aspect of the Creator God attempted to be himself with all his powers.
In any case, the PCs must battle various epic monsters and traps. In the end, they meet with the demon-prince and his fiends that they had met in the beginning of the adventure on the spire. They have been themselves improved, and thus are now a match for the PCs. They too want to destroy the cleric and wizard, to take over the Creator God and become master of the universe (or so they believe). PCs must eventually understand that they must not kill the cleric and wizard, bt unite them to the Creator God's remaining mind with the last epic ritual of magic. If they succeed, the Creator God regains some of his awareness and sanity.
6 - Epilogue
What happens thereafter also depends of the PCs' actions. Some possible outcomes:
-- The Creator God sends the PCs back to their world stripped of the undue power (levels), but in the meantime repairs the mess, and leaves the Universe to build another one beyond...
-- The Creator God slays all the pantheon gods and reshapes the multiverse. Magic disappears, and now the world awake as in real life. PCs are normal (20th level, but no more any magical equipment), but live on Earth during the middle ages. What it was before (D&D and wonder) is not entirely forgotten, but remains now only in legends. (Thereafter you begin a d20 modern campaign without magic.)
I have included a brief summary of what I wrote up and then the longer version and then Turnil's proposal, which is very simular to mine, in a brief version and then his longer version. this is a very mong post, be warned.
I like the idea of the creator God, but I am partial to my idea more as I only want Gods to play a small role in the over all theme of the module. A chapter or two kind of thing, not an every encounter kind of thing.
I also like the idea of two beings who have power more powerful than the 100th level characters and a child's perspective on things. Makes for some great role-playing. Anyway, everyone look over the two different ideas and see what you like. We can break it down and build a third version as well.
As for making it to be played at any level, I don't think you can do it. In 1st edition you could, but not 3.5. That is, however, why I originally came up with the idea of having the party start out as 20th level (or higher) characters and then get elevated to 100th level by the magical event. It solved the problem of not having "really" got XP for 100th level and still offered a way for players to take their own characters into the module and fit in any campaign. It was only a spur of the moment thing that I put in the beinging info about defying the Gods. Either way, doesn't bother me.
Here is the plot ideas:
Chapter one - the Gods in peril
role-playing adventure hook and climbing the Spire
Chapter 2 - Strange Days
Create 100th level guys (hours in-and-of-itself) and then figure out how to reverse the effects of the Magical Event. Also, reminder for the DM in an ongoing campaign that they can adlib at this point and have enemy be friends and friends now enemies
Chapter 3 - The Ajah Armory
Encounter with Ajah, who let's you use his armory, and then Ay-Gax. Encounters with Ay-Gax can be open ended or just the one or two events we put there, namely stopping the Blood war. He eventually teleports to Sigil
Chapter 4 - Iy-Xeg
Iy-Xeg is the Xeg-Yi in human form. Again, open ended enough to allow for a creative DM to add what he wants. He can have the PCs chase him across the cosmos with his own ideas of mischief or just have him take Iy-Xeg to the 9 heavens where he casts out the angels as we will have an encounter for. He eventually teleports to Sigil.
Chapter 5 - The Wizard’s madness
Basically just room for one or two or three really tough encounters in a total dream realm
Chapter 6 - the Cleric redemption
Cleric tries to make friends with the PCs in one encounter and then we leave it open for the DM to have encounter with mass amounts of Gods. I did also want to have one massive encounter where the PCs can truly go nuts and flex their considerable might, like facing an army.
Chapter 7 - The Lady of Pain’s Revenge
I wanted to use the Lady of Pain cause she is a 210 EC. Even if it is a one sided fight and ends quickly, other than that, leave it open ended for a creative DM to have fun with the PCs chasing the Energons around Sigil, really two encounters.
Chapter 8 - Crating the Epic Spell of Reseeding
Crafting and defending those who are making the epic spell.
Chapter 9 - Assault on the Castle in the Void
Most likely the biggest part of the adventure as we have to make a castle. Doesn't have to be big or traditional. But I suspect at least 10 encounters
Okay, I propose you in more detail my shortened / streamlined version of this adventure:
Okay, 100th level module proposal.
First thing is first, the first chapter of the module is for 20th level characters. I figured out a way to use normal high level characters in a 100th level adventure, so you can use it as part of your current game, you’ll see.
Chapter one - the Gods in peril
The story starts with the party receiving a warning from there Gods so strong that it wakes your character, whether you are sleeping, in a coma or even from the grave. A wizard and cleric of surprising power have evaded the premonitions of the Gods by plotting and planning events for a powerful magical event. They evaded the divine power of the Gods ability to see into the future by planning for this event at the base of the Spire in the Outlands where the God cannot see. They have climbed to the top of the Spire and began their magical event by creating a Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra. For those of you not familiar with Magical Events, see chapter 3 of the DMGII.
The Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra is just the beginning, but they have also started a new magical event, an Elemental Swarm (new one I made up for this adventure) that prohibits magic from those not protected in a certain way, and as it is a unique event, only the wizard and the cleric have this power, not even the Gods understand it. The top of the Spire is also the site of a circle with the Spirit of Nature’s Rage. The burning eye is slowly growing, so those who teleport to Sigil find the city in flames and also discover that the Lady of Pain is occupied trying to hold the city together from the vast amount of magical energy forming on the Spire tip.
No way can be found from Sigil to get to the top of the Spire, you have to go to the Outlands and travel from the outer most part of the plane towards the center to the Spire. Every God is concerned and has called a truce of sorts, so every race is represented and all of the Gods have gathered in the Outlands to try and come to a solution. The progressive failings of magic as you get closer to the Spire means that most won’t get to close and most of the Gods will not come closer than 301 miles from the spire as they will lose their divine ranks. A few will deem this threat powerful enough to venture to the top of the Spire itself, however.
Once the party over comes the problems to get to the top of the Spire, should be fun without magic, a third magical events begins. The party sees the wizard and the cleric standing under the Burning Eye of Al-Ghantra on either side of a Sphere of Annihilation . There may or may not be an encounter where the evil doer’s can monologue and/or fight, but before the party gets to crazy, the wizard and cleric complete the next magical event and open a Consuming Vortex of Traal right behind the Sphere of Annihilation. The area if flooded with Negative and Positive energy. Once a few of the Gods enter the area, something unexpected occurs, the Magical event of the Elemental Swarms falters and an Elder - Mega Xag-Ya and an Elder - Mega Xeg-Yi, (energons page 168 of the MotP), enter the area and once they see each other they converge on each other and explode, causing the wizard and the cleric to lose control of the Sphere of Annihilation which gets sucked into the Consuming Vortex of Traal and then pulls in the Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra, causing a massive explosion across the cosmos.
Confused yet? It really isn’t that complicated, just sounds like it.
Chapter 2 - Strange Days
The party is flooded with power, both from the Gods and the energy of all the planes combined. Basically they are recreated, atom by atom, but on the plus side, for the time being, they have the power of 100th level characters, yeh . They can also temporarily be a different race, remember they are parts of many different races, but no divine ranks. Now they make their 100th level character. Please no leadership feats
The Wizard and Cleric were trying an experiment but with the Gods interfering, they created a rift in the cosmos and destroyed the whole of the current cosmos, throwing everyone, or mostly everyone, into an alternate cosmos.
Adventure hook, you must figure out how to reverse the effects of the Magical Event and restore your old Cosmos or have the deaths of a googolplex beings on your conscious. Deal with that. Parts of this chapter can deal with some fun differences between the old Cosmos and this one, like some old enemies are now your friends and your best friend is a back stabber.
Chapter 3 - The Ajah Armory
As a 100th level guy, you have the same gear you did when you were 20th level, plus a few extra items, but we will have rules for continuing to pimp out your current 20th level gear, this will reduce the massive power or way to much disposable income of a 100th level character, some anyway. Also, you will have access too The Ajah Armory. In this chapter you have a run in with Ay-Gax, a small child, is wondering around the planes, or other location. He is really the Xag-Ya, but he does not know it, and the party should not at this point either. He is healing the sick and curing maladies in Limbo and forces the demons and devils to stop the blood war. He eventually teleports to Sigil
The Ajah Armory
Created under the working name of recursive co-terminal multi-functional all terrain interdimensional closet of useful things by Mizledorf, the Patron Saint of Gnomes Everywhere, Founding Liege of Kirpah Nasmong- a Gnomish Utopia (Male Celestial Gnome/Bard 33, Illusionist 33, Tinker 33/N). One day Mizledorf realized the name was too long (everyone else would just tune him out when he started to say "recursive"), and he said "Ah hah!" with great triumph. However, his yiddish accent made it sound like "ajah!" And thus his culturally bankrupt allies dubbed the armory the Ajah. Convinced it was flawed, Mizledorf gave it to his friends (the 100th level party) as a gift, and set about improving its design. That's Mizledorf for you, one parts gnome, two parts perfectionist.
How it works: Once attuned to the Ajah, a character need only concentrate as a standard action and whatever piece of equipment they desire appears equipped on them. They make a requisition check: d20 + Concentration. The check is made against the purchasing DC of the requisitioned item. Items worth 35,000 gold or less (DC 40) have no effect on the Ajah. Items (or collective "purchases") worth more cause the Ajah's new wealth to decrease until said items are returned. The wealth loss for a single requisition equals = 1/3 (purchase DC - wealth bonus) rounded up. The Ajah has a base wealth bonus of 40.
Chapter 4 - Iy-Xeg
Iy-Xeg is the Xeg-Yi in human form and he has just slew an epic dragon and is picking through the remains with a stick, like a creepy kid would a dead cat. The PCs encounter him starting an over throw of the heavens and other such suggested encounters for the DM. He eventually teleports to Sigil.
Chapter 5 - The Wizard’s madness
Originally Posted by Philip
Unknown to the players when they try to teleport they are thrown into a dream plane of the Wizard’s mind and has split up into multiple personalities who are battling each other across his own mindscape. Unknown to them the PCs are pulled into his mind and must battle the personalities across an ever-changing landscape.
Without warning the PCs are suddenly the only living creatures left in an utterly barren universe. They have to find out what happened. Perhaps one of them did it inadvertently or they have a traitor amongst them?
The Cleric saves the party at the last minute, as she is trapped in here as well, but not before the PCs have many tribulations and trails.
Chapter 6 - the Cleric redemption
The Cleric knows that things have gone wrong and wants to help make things right, but the Gods don’t know this and they have surprises in store for the cleric, and now the PCs.
Originally Posted by Ozmar
I think this is a good time to introduce the Gods for the PCs to fight and also to have them face mass assaults from armies and such. A good chance for them to really flex their massive abilities by slaying hoards of demons and devils and angels and undead and whatever else we choose.
Chapter 7 - The Lady of Pain’s Revenge
The child incarnations of the Energons have been playing with the PCs throughout the module, playing tricks on them and healing their enemies and starting fights. They are pure energy from the positive and the negative plane and have no emotions, they are, for the first time, free to experiment and they are very good at it, whether it is stopping the blood war or killing all the angels in the heavens, they are just children having fun, without a peer or parent to stop them.
If the PCs attack them, consider them only to have 6 in all stats, but they have the knowledge and power of 1000th level characters, and can cast any spell, including epic spells and they don’t need others to do a ritual with them, so, even if they die, they come back in a single round and can and will use a powerful effect on the PCs. Most of the time however they just act like children, carefree and only thinking of themselves. It should also be noted that bringing the two together simply won’t reverse events, in fact, it gives them purpose. Where before they were content with minor experiments, now they feel whole when together (remember, alternate cosmos, things working backwards) and they begin to terrorize the cosmos.
The Energons are now in Sigil and the Lady of Pain has forced the PCs into Sigil to deal with them. Whatever happens, the PCs must fight the Lady of Pain, even if it is only for a few rounds. She will most likely overwhelm them, but the PCs might get the jump on her, either way she forces or begs the PCs to act and get the Energons out of her city. The Energons are not willing to leave such a fun city, unless the PCs can find a new place for them to have fun.
From Sigil, you can see the massive castle of the Wizard and Cleric that has formed in the center of the ring of Sigil. Actually, all you can see is a giant black sun which seems to absorb light, and everything else, it is a very large sphere of annihilation growing from the top of the Spire. It is so massive that it can almost be reached with very tall ladders from the streets of Sigil, no wonder the Lady of Pain is so upset.
Chapter 8 - Crating the Epic Spell of Reseeding
One of the places the PCs can offer the Energons to play in is the Observatorium. From here, and also with the help of the Library of Lore (Boccob’s Library), the PCs can create an Epic Spells to recreate the cosmos. While there are hard at work, the PCs can slowly see the warriors of the Ex-Blood War slowly taking control of the cosmos. The demons and the devils, without wasting energy on each other, have grown very powerful, enough of a challenge for 100th level PCs and from time to time they try to invade the Observatorium, or wherever the PCs are.
Chapter 9 - Assault on the Castle in the Void
Basically, everyone seemed to like the storyline by Turanil but I wanted something that made everyone happy, so while it may have to be scaled down a bit from your original idea, here is where you get to add your castle/dimension/epochs thingy. The wizard and the cleric however are in the castle, not just a Chronomancer, but the wizard can be a Chronomancer in addition to a wizard . Note, the Castle in the Void is actually inside a sphere of annihilation, which should make for some great fun in-and-of-itself. Also, the PCs must face the Lady of Pain and get her to let the Gods in the city so they can temporarily open a way into the sphere of annihilation.
Once the cleric and the Wizard are defeated, and they can and do summon some terrible stuff to deal with the PCs, the PCs can then place the energon children at the center of the Castle in the Void and cast the Epic Spell to reseed the time stream. Pretty much the end at that point.
What do you guys think?
Here is the rest of Turanil's idea:
Synopsis: A Chronomancer* (who was but 20th level), using wishes and chronomancy spells, created major time paradoxes which resulted in himself becoming a demi-god, but also creating a mess of dimensions and epochs. Now (inspired from the Amber novels), he resides in a castle at the junction of four planes and a dozen timelines. The world is slowly destroyed by this mess however, and is going to be soon obliterated in a giant sphere of annihilation (due to the time paradox and what not, this sphere is now growing fast, and if not stopped soon enough will devour the planet).
So the PCs will first have to figure out what happens, then get to the mighty castle at the junction of planes and epochs. Of course, other epochs mean they will have to fight villains from the future (with modern weapons) as well as from the past.
The World's End - 100th Level Adventure
Thanks for integrating everyon's ideas, but in the end it makes for a very long and complicated story (several gaming sessions). I would streamline much of this; for me the important parts would be:
1) Two villains of surprising power do a ritual that opens a rift into the universe. As a result, some creatures are infused with incredible energies and powers (so PCs become 100th level, but also a Xag-Ya and some demon-princes that happened to be in Sigil are likewise greatly improved). However, the rift has created a sort of gigantic growing sphere of anihilation that threatens to eventually destroy the world as it was a black hole.
2) PCs must travel to the Observatorium to create a couple of epic spells that will let them fix all of this mess. First, they must find a way to go inside the sphere of anihilation without being destroyed; requiring the creation of an epic spell. During this time, some improved demon-princes (see above) who want to get to the sphere for their own benefit try to attack the PCs.
3) Castle in the Void: This is in fact the horn of the Creator god, on an island in the void which actually is his mind. The two villains actually control the mind of the Creator god (insane, I know) and make him create hideous things (traps and monsters) to combat the PCs. Nonetheless, the two villains are themselves at a loss and losing control. Anyway, the castle in the void is the head/horn and mind of the Creator god. The castle is thus a living entity and a changing landscape. Also, the only reason a castle may exist into a sphere of anihilation is because it is the Creator god, who is greatly weakened and in tortured agony by this nonetheless.
4) Final: PCs eventually learn that the Creator god was at the origin of all the pantheon gods who then created the multiverse. However, the pantheon gods rebelled and locked the Creator god away. Yet, the Creator god managed to free himself in creating a "Cleric and a wizard of surprising powers" who were but manifestations-avatars of himself. So when the PCs are in the castle in the void, in the Creator's god mind controlled by the "Cleric and a wizard of surprising powers", etc., this is indeed: "a dream plane of the Wizard’s mind and has split up into multiple personalities who are battling each other across his own mindscape. Unknown to them the PCs are pulled into his mind and must battle the personalities across an ever-changing landscape."
5) To succeed the PCs must re-unify the whole Creator god's personnality. Thereafter well... no need to tell if everything is back to normal (PCs sent back into their own world by the Creator god, while he himself remains into the void), or if the Creator god kills all the pantheon gods, and now everywhere will only exist monotheistic religions dedicated to him...
1 - Introduction
Some obscure legends have hinted that before the dawn of time was a god so vile and so horrific, that all of the deities, good and evil, lawful and chaoric, united their powers to banish him into the void. The vile deity was so powerful in fact, that all the gods of all pantheons hadn't united, they would never have defeated him.
However, the truth is slightly different from the almost forgotten legend. The truth is that the multiverse was born from the thought of the "Creator God". It was he who gave birth to the first deities who in turn created all what exists in the universe. The "Creator God" wasn't evil, neither good. But he was nearly omniscient and omnipotent. Hence, all the ancient deities of the dawn of times united their efforts and banished him into the void to get rid of his rule.
Eons later, more and more people got the idea to create monotheistic religions. Then, their combined faiths and prayers eventually awoke a tiny spark of consciousness in the slumbering Creator God, far away in the void where he had been banished. As such, he was able to incarnate two minuscule sparks (and maybe also a third) of his mind into two humans (and also maybe a gnome...). These three character grew and evolved, and lived long enough so they would ventually become 100th level characters: a gnome, cleric, and wizard. Note that it is hinted that they were the only characters in all history of the multiverse to achieve this "impossible" level.
Finally, the cleric and the wizard met, and went to the Outland's spire to perform an event of ritual magic of unthinkable scale... However, before they would finish their work, a group of 20th level adventurers was led there by their deities, obscure prophecies, or what not, in order to investigate.
2 - The Multiverse in Peril
The story starts with the party receiving a warning from there Gods so strong that it wakes your character, whether you are sleeping, in a coma or even from the grave. A wizard and cleric of surprising power have evaded the premonitions of the Gods by plotting and planning events for a powerful magical event. They evaded the divine power of the Gods ability to see into the future by planning for this event at the base of the Spire in the Outlands where the God cannot see. They have climbed to the top of the Spire and began their magical event by creating a Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra. For those of you not familiar with Magical Events, see chapter 3 of the DMGII.
The Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra is just the beginning, but they have also started a new magical event, an Elemental Swarm (new one I made up for this adventure) that prohibits magic from those not protected in a certain way, and as it is a unique event, only the wizard and the cleric have this power, not even the Gods understand it. The top of the Spire is also the site of a circle with the Spirit of Nature’s Rage. The burning eye is slowly growing, so those who teleport to Sigil find the city in flames and also discover that the Lady of Pain is occupied trying to hold the city together from the vast amount of magical energy forming on the Spire tip.
No way can be found from Sigil to get to the top of the Spire, you have to go to the Outlands and travel from the outer most part of the plane towards the center to the Spire. Every God is concerned and has called a truce of sorts, so every race is represented and all of the Gods have gathered in the Outlands to try and come to a solution. The progressive failings of magic as you get closer to the Spire means that most won’t get to close and most of the Gods will not come closer than 301 miles from the spire as they will lose their divine ranks. A few will deem this threat powerful enough to venture to the top of the Spire itself, however.
So the PCs have to climb the spire. See it as a gigantic mountain that reaches beyond the sky. During their travel they should ride Rocs. Then they must make at least one encounter: they are not alone on this quest, as other groups have been sent by other deities! One interesting and useful encounter: a group of powerful fiends with their leader being somewhat a demon prince. Here they are normal (not taking into account the anti-magic nature of the place); they must be fought, but some must escape as later they will encounter the PCs again, but having beng improved themselves by the magical event as the PCs will.
Once the party over comes the problems to get to the top of the Spire, should be fun without magic, a third magical events begins. The party sees the wizard and the cleric standing under the Burning Eye of Al-Ghantra on either side of a Sphere of Annihilation . There may or may not be an encounter where the evil doer’s can monologue and/or fight, but before the party gets to crazy, the wizard and cleric complete the next magical event and open a Consuming Vortex of Traal right behind the Sphere of Annihilation. The area if flooded with Negative and Positive energy. Once a few of the Gods enter the area, something unexpected occurs, the Magical event of the Elemental Swarms falters and an Elder - Mega Xag-Ya and an Elder - Mega Xeg-Yi, (energons page 168 of the MotP), enter the area and once they see each other they converge on each other and explode, causing the wizard and the cleric to lose control of the Sphere of Annihilation which gets sucked into the Consuming Vortex of Traal and then pulls in the Burning Eye of Al-Ghautra, causing a massive explosion across the cosmos.
3 - The PCs Are Reborn Phoenixes
The Wizard and Cleric were trying to bring back the Creator God, but with the gods, the PCs, and others interfering the magical ritual went wrong and opened a rift in the multiverse. In addition, the PCs (and unknown to them the demon-prince and his fiends, plus maybe yet others) were flooded with power from the Creator God.
As such, the PCs are basically recreated, atom by atom, and on the plus side, for the time being, they have got the powers of 100th level characters, yeah! (They can also temporarily be a different race, remember they are parts of many different races, but no divine ranks. Now they make their 100th level character. Please no leadership feats.) Otherwise, as 100th level characters, they still have the same gear they did when they were 20th level, this will reduce the massive power or way to much disposable income of a 100th level character.
4 - The Observatorium
Because of the event there is now above the spire a rift that lets sip into the world a growing sphere of anihilation that begins to suck everything into it like it was a black hole. Even if they are 100th level, the PCs cannot enter the sphere of anihilation without being instantly destroyed. They must find help or prepare themselves, or whatever. But in the end it becomes clear they need special magic, and to get it they will have to seek it into the fabled and legendary "Observatorium".
It happens that here has waited for centuries a gnome of incredible power...
The Ajah Armory
Created under the working name of recursive co-terminal multi-functional all terrain interdimensional closet of useful things by Mizledorf, the Patron Saint of Gnomes Everywhere, Founding Liege of Kirpah Nasmong- a Gnomish Utopia (Male Celestial Gnome/Bard 33, Illusionist 33, Tinker 33/N). One day Mizledorf realized the name was too long (everyone else would just tune him out when he started to say "recursive"), and he said "Ah hah!" with great triumph. However, his yiddish accent made it sound like "ajah!" And thus his culturally bankrupt allies dubbed the armory the Ajah.
How it works: Once attuned to the Ajah, a character need only concentrate as a standard action and whatever piece of equipment they desire appears equipped on them. They make a requisition check: d20 + Concentration. The check is made against the purchasing DC of the requisitioned item. Items worth 35,000 gold or less (DC 40) have no effect on the Ajah. Items (or collective "purchases") worth more cause the Ajah's new wealth to decrease until said items are returned. The wealth loss for a single requisition equals = 1/3 (purchase DC - wealth bonus) rounded up. The Ajah has a base wealth bonus of 40.
So, the PCs must convince the gnome to aid them. If successful, he will give them his armory that will be invaluable to create the two or three mighty epic spells of ultimate power that will bring everything back to normal. They can also craft a few epic magical items while they are there...
I think this is a good time to introduce the Gods for the PCs to fight and also to have them face mass assaults from armies and such. A good chance for them to really flex their massive abilities by slaying hoards of demons and devils and angels and undead and whatever else we choose. The trick is to let them fight "normal" powerful critters to see how munchkin they have become...
5 - The Castle In The Void
Thus, with the first of the three epic spells, the 100th level PCs are able to teleport into the huge growing sphere of anihilation (without being instantly erased from existence and memory). They land on a rocky island in a black sea under a pitch black sky. On top of the island they see (at 100th level they have got the mean to see through the darkness, otherwise they are blind) a strange tower resembling a horn 300 fet tall.
What the PCs don't know, is that they are in the Creator God's mind and dreams. Being inside his mind, they are protected from the anihilating void's destruction. Note however, that the Creator God barely resists utter anihilation himself, and thus create things (the whole dungeon) that are puny and insignificant with regard to what he was able to do originally. The island in the black sea is in fact the top of his head with his left horn. This symbolically represents the last spark of his immense powers that resists utter anihilation inside the great void.
The PCs enter the tower. If they choose the underground instead of the tower's entrance, they arrive into a huge cavern almost entirely filled with water. Place is furthermore equivalent to an anti-magic shell. Inside are four advanced half-fiend krakens, plus an aquatic advanced half-fiend tarrasque. So, unless having artifacts or ways to circumvent anti-magic, they must swim and fight the monsters below. This is made especially difficult because halfway through the flooded dungeon they encounter a elder water elemental who uses its power to create a whirlpower and tries to pins the party with its force. It is extremely powerful to pin such high level PCs, but the Krakens and the Tarrasque should be large enough that they would be uneffected.
Further into the dungeon and tower, it appears evident that the PCs are in the living and everchanging dreamscape of a powerful being with a split identity. Tow of these identities are the Cleric and Wizard who created all this mess. None of them can understand or remember that they are part of this place, and instead try to control it. It's like a much lesser aspect of the Creator God attempted to be himself with all his powers.
In any case, the PCs must battle various epic monsters and traps. In the end, they meet with the demon-prince and his fiends that they had met in the beginning of the adventure on the spire. They have been themselves improved, and thus are now a match for the PCs. They too want to destroy the cleric and wizard, to take over the Creator God and become master of the universe (or so they believe). PCs must eventually understand that they must not kill the cleric and wizard, bt unite them to the Creator God's remaining mind with the last epic ritual of magic. If they succeed, the Creator God regains some of his awareness and sanity.
6 - Epilogue
What happens thereafter also depends of the PCs' actions. Some possible outcomes:
-- The Creator God sends the PCs back to their world stripped of the undue power (levels), but in the meantime repairs the mess, and leaves the Universe to build another one beyond...
-- The Creator God slays all the pantheon gods and reshapes the multiverse. Magic disappears, and now the world awake as in real life. PCs are normal (20th level, but no more any magical equipment), but live on Earth during the middle ages. What it was before (D&D and wonder) is not entirely forgotten, but remains now only in legends. (Thereafter you begin a d20 modern campaign without magic.)
Yair
Community Supporter
I am not really familiar with Planescape, but I'm reading the stuff from planescape.com right now, and I reread the bit in Manual of the Planes too. I find it an odd mixture of things I like and things I most certainly don't, especially the website content.
One thing I liked in the fan version was that the Spire was infinite in height, so climbing it won't be an option and magic is not an option, leaving only more DM-controlled solutions to drive the plot. I was thinking a political adventure in Sigil to uncover the secret portals and keys that lead to the spire's top.
If we go with the Man Against God theme, Sage's idea about usurping the Lady of Pain does sound interesting. I'm thinking of setting up the prelude as an adventure to unseat the gods with one fell swoop by striking at the center, and the PCs succeeding only to find out the universe is falling apart without gods - and it's all their fault.
In this case the prelude should be designed for both level 20 and level 100.
I do not, however, see how this fits with the Mad Creator God theme of the original storyline. Or how to mesh them well.
But I'm tired. I'll sleep on it.
DM-Rocco: I actually found your first-person style more direct, engaging, and yes, funny, then my dry third-person attempt at a "professional" style. It does make it seem more amaturish (but then again - it is).
I'm not quite sure what style is most approriate, I suspect the writing should best lie somewhere in the middle.
One thing I liked in the fan version was that the Spire was infinite in height, so climbing it won't be an option and magic is not an option, leaving only more DM-controlled solutions to drive the plot. I was thinking a political adventure in Sigil to uncover the secret portals and keys that lead to the spire's top.
If we go with the Man Against God theme, Sage's idea about usurping the Lady of Pain does sound interesting. I'm thinking of setting up the prelude as an adventure to unseat the gods with one fell swoop by striking at the center, and the PCs succeeding only to find out the universe is falling apart without gods - and it's all their fault.
In this case the prelude should be designed for both level 20 and level 100.
I do not, however, see how this fits with the Mad Creator God theme of the original storyline. Or how to mesh them well.
But I'm tired. I'll sleep on it.
DM-Rocco: I actually found your first-person style more direct, engaging, and yes, funny, then my dry third-person attempt at a "professional" style. It does make it seem more amaturish (but then again - it is).
I'm not quite sure what style is most approriate, I suspect the writing should best lie somewhere in the middle.
Sage
Explorer
Yair: The minor inconvenience of the spire being endlessly high shouldn't stop epic characters from reaching its top
DM-Rocco: First off, I've only read the first proposal and like how there are many good opportunities for roleplaying, however, my main critique is from the player's perspective: It seems like they are being thrown around at a whim and are constantly meeting beings much more powerful than them. This ultimately leads to a sense of loss of control (which may be intentional?), but also, I belive that a player playing a 100th-level character would overall like more control and less confrontation with beings much-more powerful. Otherwise, what's the point of playing super-powered characters?
Of course, I might be wrong.
I'll read the other proposal later.
DM-Rocco: First off, I've only read the first proposal and like how there are many good opportunities for roleplaying, however, my main critique is from the player's perspective: It seems like they are being thrown around at a whim and are constantly meeting beings much more powerful than them. This ultimately leads to a sense of loss of control (which may be intentional?), but also, I belive that a player playing a 100th-level character would overall like more control and less confrontation with beings much-more powerful. Otherwise, what's the point of playing super-powered characters?
Of course, I might be wrong.
I'll read the other proposal later.
DM-Rocco
Explorer
Yair said:I am not really familiar with Planescape, but I'm reading the stuff from planescape.com right now, and I reread the bit in Manual of the Planes too. I find it an odd mixture of things I like and things I most certainly don't, especially the website content.
One thing I liked in the fan version was that the Spire was infinite in height, so climbing it won't be an option and magic is not an option, leaving only more DM-controlled solutions to drive the plot. I was thinking a political adventure in Sigil to uncover the secret portals and keys that lead to the spire's top.
If we go with the Man Against God theme, Sage's idea about usurping the Lady of Pain does sound interesting. I'm thinking of setting up the prelude as an adventure to unseat the gods with one fell swoop by striking at the center, and the PCs succeeding only to find out the universe is falling apart without gods - and it's all their fault.
In this case the prelude should be designed for both level 20 and level 100.
I do not, however, see how this fits with the Mad Creator God theme of the original storyline. Or how to mesh them well.
But I'm tired. I'll sleep on it.
DM-Rocco: I actually found your first-person style more direct, engaging, and yes, funny, then my dry third-person attempt at a "professional" style. It does make it seem more amaturish (but then again - it is).
I'm not quite sure what style is most approriate, I suspect the writing should best lie somewhere in the middle.
The only thing that I found that was infinite in the Manual of the Planes was the Abyss. I was going on the diagram in the MotP that shows a picture of the Spire. Climbing the Spire was one of the things I really liked. I was going to put titans, and maybe other creatures, throw rocks at the party as they are climbing and try to kick them from the wall. I have things in mind for flying to the top as well.
Just re-read what you wrote about the spire being infinite as part of the fan based stuff. We should try to stick to what the offical rules say as much as possible, it is the proper thing to do.
Anyway, I like the idea of having them climb the spire, it was apart of the ogiginal plot. Perhaps there are portals on the spire itself that allow you to move up and down the spire and one actually leads to the top.
As to the lady of pain, she won't let Gods into her realm, so 100th level characters would be pushing the boundries of what she would allow. I really want to have a scene in Sigil, and a fight with the Lady of Pain, but such a fight will be one sided, she is a DC 210 creature after all. You could have 100 100th level characters fight her and she should be able to wipe the floor with them.
DM-Rocco
Explorer
Sage said:Yair: The minor inconvenience of the spire being endlessly high shouldn't stop epic characters from reaching its top
DM-Rocco: First off, I've only read the first proposal and like how there are many good opportunities for roleplaying, however, my main critique is from the player's perspective: It seems like they are being thrown around at a whim and are constantly meeting beings much more powerful than them. This ultimately leads to a sense of loss of control (which may be intentional?), but also, I belive that a player playing a 100th-level character would overall like more control and less confrontation with beings much-more powerful. Otherwise, what's the point of playing super-powered characters?
Of course, I might be wrong.
I'll read the other proposal later.
Well, who asked for your opinion anyway
J/K Well, I did want to have some situations that they had to face where they were over powered and had to think their way through rather than just bully their way through with overwhelming power. Thanks to CRGreathouse and UpperKrust we have access to CR creatures of over 100 and might as well use them now since they most likely won't ever be played again.
I was going to add in parts in each chapter where the characters can flex threir cosiderable might and boost their egos. Perhaps even including everyone's favorite, small orphan boy, 3rd level rogue, tries to pick the parties pockets. Yes he will get caught, or he should, but then what are you going to do? I know of an Epic party that hunted him down, ransacked his meger dwelling and broke his fingers, and they where a epic level good party.
Anyway, I was trying for a couple of over powering encounters with a few ego boosting underpowered encounters and a couple, at least, regular challeneging situations in each chapter. My outline was more of an over view of the story in each chapter than an exact encounter-by-encounter overview.
Hope that helps
Yair
Community Supporter
Actually, the Outlands are also described as inifnite but are effectively about 1200 feet in radius.DM-Rocco said:
I agree that we better stick to the official version of things as much as possible, though, and that the spire-climbing scene can be great; ditch the infinite spire shtick.
WELLL....
The Lady of Pain does not allow deities (and proxies etc) into her realm. I haven't read anything that will lead me to believe she places any limit on the power level of those who enter per se, I don't see why she would have a problem with level 100 characters walking in. Nothing in canon, I think, indicates she will even know.
I am not sure why you're saying she is a CR 210 creature. I know there is the dicefreaks version of her as a CR 208 being, but this is a fan site and as you noted fan-based material is not cannon material, we want to stick to WotC cannon as much as we can in this project. I am not at ALL inclined to believe the CR 208 estimation of dicefreaks: our level 100 characters have ~3,000 hp, do you think they will have ~15,000 at level 200?! I don't. I likewise don't believe many of her other statistics, like AC or overcoming immunities or being able to develop any epic spell immediately at no cost, are approriate for a CR 200 or for that matter for any creature. At any rate, at the power level she is presented at dicefreaks there is absolutely no point in using her statistics in the adventure, she might as well (and more simply) be left as effectively all-powerful within her demense.
I agree with Sage, on rereading the plot suggestions, that they seem to push the PCs too much. I think we should do the prodding a little more gently.
Specifically, I think encounters with overpowering opponents should be kept down to a minimum. This is a LEVEL 100 adventure, no one is going to play at these power levels normally so the characters need to be POWERFUL. The challenges should mostly lie in figuring out when and how to flex their power, and they should not be feeling overpowered as that diminishes the whole idea of playing at such a high power level. A few overpowering encounters/creatures are fine, but they really should be taken down a notch.
If I were to stat the Lady of Pain, for this adventure, I would make her about equal in power to the PCs in combat ability, so the PCs could take her if they united forces and acted wisely. Just to open up options; I'm a strong believer in giving the PCs options and not letting NPCs overshadow them.
I would also give her some unique powers the PCs don't have and won't have even if they killed her, such as the ability to control the portals in the City of Doors. That way the Lady may need their aid (as she can't leave her city, for example), and the PCs may need her aid (for getting those portals working like they want them to), and there is room for maneauvering.
Ozmar
First Post
DM-Rocco said:
There are many infinities in the planes. The Abyss has an infinite number of infinite planes. Most planes are infinitely large - I think the exception is to find a finite plane. And the Spire is infinitely tall, but Sigil apparently floats on top of it (even though it has no top). The Planes are full of these kinds of paradoxes. At least, that's the way they are described "officially" in the Planescape setting, which is an AD&D setting (and which is one I am pretty familiar with).
That being said, I think it would be cool to have the characters resolve the paradox of climbing an infinitely tall spire to reach an unreachable summit. Perhaps by resolving a logical paradox, or by creating a counter-paradox that suggests a solution. (i.e., wherein they find themselve necessarily at the top of the Spire in order to resolve another paradox...)
Just some thoughts. Personally, I love the logical contradictions and have found that, (at least for me), they evoke the wonder and mystery of the planes. "You see a spire in the distance that stretches up into the sky without limit. Your mind reels trying to comprehend the infinitely tall structure. And at the top of the spire floats a ring." "Wait a minute! How does an infinitely tall spire have a top?" "You're not sure. And you begin to get a head-ache thinking about it..."
Fun.
Ozmar the Contradictory DM
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