Suggestions for fun EL 18 encounters (John, Mike, Avi stay out!!!)

[shilsen]

I'm going to be running a two-session high-level planar adventure for my players before we get back to our regular Eberron game, with them running 18th lvl PCs. This is meant to be a change from our normal type of game, with an emphasis on pure hack and slash and mindless, albeit fun (hopefully), action. Since I haven't got any personal experience of gaming at this level, I was wondering if any of you had suggestions for interesting encounters in the EL 17-19 range that I can throw at the PCs. I'd prefer to use mainly core material (MM, DMG, PHB), perhaps with some stuff from the Complete books.

Any suggestions?

 

[Poster Bard]

Cooperative Dungeon 01 - Terror and Blasphemy was built for a somewhat lower level but is a tough, site-based adventure (free) that might be bulked up and adapted to your purpose. At the least, there are some creature/NPCs you could pull from it and put them "on the roam" in your game to help give you more options.

 

[Nightfall]

Run them through the last level of Rappan Athuk. That's always fun.

 

[shilsen]

Cooperative Dungeon 01 - Terror and Blasphemy was built for a somewhat lower level but is a tough, site-based adventure (free) that might be bulked up and adapted to your purpose. At the least, there are some creature/NPCs you could pull from it and put them "on the roam" in your game to help give you more options.

Ooh, nice suggestion - I've got that sitting on my hard drive. Time to go check.

Run them through the last level of Rappan Athuk. That's always fun.

So I've heard Alas, I don't own the module.

Anyone else?

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Sounds cool!

My take would be to pick a theme for the encounters. Evil outsiders would seem a classic choice... But what's going to be fun/easy/challenging is likely to be somewhat dependant on the party composition... Any idea what that's likely to be?


IME, one problem you are likely to see with characters not used to this level is a lack of awareness of their own abilities. For an initial encounter, I'd run something pretty easy - just to give them a chance to guage what they can do. Possibly pit them against a sizable group of somewhat weaker creatures.


If you go with outsiders, then for the first encounter I'd pick one of the 'melee brute' type... possibly level them up a little. Herzous or Vrocks, perhaps. Some nasty abilities, but nothing too OTT. Possibly use some evil humanoids instead. Serve as a good warm up?

One idea I've toyed with is having a party try and stop a rampaging Nightcrawler. Unfortunately your game may be too high level for that - they could probably fry the 'default' version quite quickly...

 

[hexgrid]

One thing you can do is set the encounters in extremely hostile environments. Constant hurricane-force, sanity draining winds in the lower levels of Pandemonium, for example.

Send them to places that would wipe out lower-level characters in a few rounds.

 

[shilsen]

Sounds cool!

My take would be to pick a theme for the encounters. Evil outsiders would seem a classic choice... But what's going to be fun/easy/challenging is likely to be somewhat dependant on the party composition... Any idea what that's likely to be?

I think there's going to be a Barbarian/Frenzied Berserker, a dual-wielding Ftr/Rog and a Clr for the first session, and the same three with a Wizard/Alienist for the second session.

IME, one problem you are likely to see with characters not used to this level is a lack of awareness of their own abilities. For an initial encounter, I'd run something pretty easy - just to give them a chance to guage what they can do. Possibly pit them against a sizable group of somewhat weaker creatures.

Actually the FB and Ftr/Rog have been part of a game for half a dozen or so sessions, so the players have a fair amount of experience with them. The other two will be all new for this adventure.

If you go with outsiders, then for the first encounter I'd pick one of the 'melee brute' type... possibly level them up a little. Herzous or Vrocks, perhaps. Some nasty abilities, but nothing too OTT. Possibly use some evil humanoids instead. Serve as a good warm up?

For the first session I'm shooting mainly for encounters which are tough but comfortably beatable, giving them a chance to strut their stuff and me to see exactly how effective they are. I think for the final encounter of the first session I'll be using a bunch of demons with class levels. Hezrou barbarian, vrock fighter, babau rogue, etc. I have the second session all planned out and I expect to seriously be bringing the pain.

One idea I've toyed with is having a party try and stop a rampaging Nightcrawler. Unfortunately your game may be too high level for that - they could probably fry the 'default' version quite quickly...

Funny - I've thought of doing a nightcrawler too, or maybe a couple of nightwalkers. Unfortunately, since this group was set up for a catch-up game over the summer while I was gone, the PCs were allowed a whole lot of stuff I wouldn't normally use. Very high stats, for one. I also believe they're all walking around with Rings of Blinking, permanent Death Ward items (Soulfire armor, I think), etc. So any undead are going to be at a significant disadvantage.

That's also partly the aim behind this little exercise. I want to see if I can give the players an interesting challenge despite their PCs' overpowered nature, and esp. do so while using encounters of a reasonable CR (it's no challenge to roll them over with more powerful enemies).

Now that I come to think of it, nightwalkers and nightshades can both use greater dispel magic at will, and they'd automatically succeed at supressing the Soulfire armor. Hmmm...

 

[shilsen]

One thing you can do is set the encounters in extremely hostile environments. Constant hurricane-force, sanity draining winds in the lower levels of Pandemonium, for example.

Send them to places that would wipe out lower-level characters in a few rounds.

Good idea. I hadn't really considered making much use of troublesome environmental conditions, but that's a good option to keep in mind.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Never mind the targeted greater dispels... what about Crush Item and Magic Drain . Now that'd put the fear of god into many players I've seen...

Down the same line of thinking. Bebeliths can also rend armour. Not sure whether those tactics might cause too much upset though?


I think you can definitely challenge them with CR apt encounters... by the sound of it, things would be all be about how smart you use the bad guys. A 'demonic party' would be great - wide scope for unpleasant tactics. And Int scores to justify that kind of thing.

Sounds like a fairly balanced out party. Frenzied Beserker is sure to be fun... Wonder if he will cause more casualties than the encounters. That's an interesting challenge for you to deal with. Powered up 18th level PCs. Yikes!

The only other thought I had was the old high level classic... A Dragon hunt! IIRC, there are plenty of planar environment dragons in print?

Edit: Did think of something else! As the Cleric and Wizard are being created especially, I'd eyeball what scrolls they pick up... Pretty cheap for a one shot game and could have all kinds of 'interesting' effects?

 

[Mark CMG]

Add in a time factor, too. All too often even standard encounters of an appropriate level seem less-than-challenging because the PCs have all the time in the world. A time factor keeps everyone honest and on their toes.