Sunless Citadel dm:s: I need help - my players stay out!

[Asmo]

Hello all!
My players will face a troll ( and it will be a real troll, not the tuned down version) in area 12.

The party is all lvl 3: a rogue, a cleric, 1 dwarwen barbarian and 1 dwarwen fighter, a wizard and Meepo ( 3 lvl Monte sorcerer).
I´ve run this module by the book, so they doesn´t have that much money and almost no magic items.

This will be the last session of the module, and since it has been a blast both for me and the players I want them to have some good items.

The module states that the troll "once possessed over ten levels in the cleric class" and that he " was "interred" with his most prized possessions". The treasure hardly indicates that.

So, what I want you to help me to do is figure out some treasure that would be logical (but not unbalancing) to find in this burial tomb. ( A level 10 elf/cleric that has "mucked with magic" -turned himself into a troll-and therefor buried alive with his most prized possesions)

My plan was that everyone in the group should have one thing that was specially for him/her.
I use the DMG, all WOTC splat-books and Relic & Rituals 1 (the party has a Bloodstone from R&R 1).

Please help me out on this one, glad for any constructive help.

Asmo

 

[RangerWickett]

Dunno. What would a 10th level cleric have? Check in the DMG under the default stats of a 10th level cleric. Then remove everything that you think the cleric's followers would have stolen for themselves (basically anything that's just a one-shot item; I doubt King Tut would've been angry if his priests had eaten some of the candy he owned, since it wouldn't last long in a tomb anyway).

I don't have the book with me, but it shouldn't be too hard. Some sort of nice scroll, a nice defensive item (perhaps something related to his troll-dom), a nice weapon. How hard is it? What would your players like?

 

[Rhianni]

Here is what the DMG has for a 10th lvl cleric:
+1 full plate mail
+1 large metal shield
masterwork morningstar
potions spider climb, fly, levitate, blur
cloak restistance +1
Ring of protection +1
wand of hold person
pearl of wisdom +2
scroll raise dead, ethereal jaunt

 

[Plane Sailing]

You'd probably be better off thinking about what would suit the characters and be within their wealth limits, then just adding those things into the mix.

Although if it is a full troll expect to see at least one death amongst your 3rd level party - the rend is almost guaranteed to kill someone!

 

[Asmo]

Thanx for the answers guys!
And Plane Sailing,that exactly what I will do.

I grabbed their character sheets and I found that everybody exept Meepo has the recomended wealth for their level. I belived that that they were under-equipped,but I guess that I was wrong.

And about the troll: we don´t play until Thuesday,so I got some time left to think things over. I know it´s going to be a hard fight,but with the proper planning they should be able to defeat the troll.

Anyone who knows- Nightfall maybe- what the marketprice of a Bloodstone is?

Once more: thanx

Asmo

 

[Douane]

...
Anyone who knows- Nightfall maybe- what the marketprice of a Bloodstone is?
...

Well, I'm not exactly Nightfall , but it should be 500 GP.

[At least according to the Relics&Rituals I Magic Item Prices.]


Hope this helps!

Folkert

 

[Fast Learner]

As mentioned, the rend will kill at least one character, and in my opinion has a strong possibility of a TPW. At 3rd level the average character has, what, maybe 22 hp or so, with a high-con fighter having maybe 30.

If the troll connects with both claws, the rend is automatic, for an average of 35 points of damage (19 avg points at a +9 to hit with 16 avg more automatically), plus a possible additional 6.5 avg points at a +4 for the bite.

Minimum damage if he hits with both claws is 25 points (max of 45), plus another minimum 4 for the bite if it hits (max of 9).

Trolls are serious business. If they don't finish the combat within 4 rounds or so, it's very likely they'll all die.

 

[Asmo]

Thanx for the info,Douane!

Isn´t that horrible underpriced? A medium Wonderous Item with healing powers that you can recharge after 5 uses?!? (Albeit only 2 d4, but yet?) Have I missed something?

And Fast Learner, maybe you´re right. I really have to decide if I´m going to used that tuned down version or go for the real stuff...
Well, I´ll keep you posted

Asmo

 

[drakhe]

Maybe not helpfull as answer to your question, but I just wanted the tell y'all what happend when I ran the module.

My players ran into the troll very early into the module (even before finding any of the kobolds and goblins) and decided to fiddle a bit with it as I wanted to avoid player death (let alone TPK). I ended up playing the troll as being "so called clever and cleric" and had him trying to bluff the players with magicky moves while I had decided to allow the troll no actual magic. In the end the danger came not as much from the troll (who sadly failed to connect a single time-sorry no rend) but from the players themselves. After hitting it for ages with regular (but rather puny weapens, remember, the players were only just second level and had not yet had time to upgrade their weaponry) damage and not realy getting past the regeneration, they realised fire was the way to go and promptly started burning ... each other (throwing flaming bottles of oil arround and missing the troll completely) In the end they did get to kill the troll with some players narry escaping death and a round-trip to the surface to recover after only their first couple of rooms of the citadel...

I certainly enjoyed myself, and the players -well and truly 5th level and on their way to Hommlet- now look back on this "troll cleric" as an educational kinda fun encounter ;-)

 

[Kamard]

When I ran the Sunless Citadel for a party of five characters, one got killed in the first encounter by a dire rat.

Take that as you will.

Later when they found Mr. Troll, they did what the wise adventurer does. They closed the door behind them as they fled its rather massive claws and suchlike. Then team fighter and team cleric held the door while the others got all the various rubble and such, and piled it up in good shape, until the door wasn't moving anymore. Then they wandered off, whistling a happy tune.

And they haven't seen that troll since.