The prisoner in amber

[Dioltach]

How literally do you want to apply the description "amber field of force"? Amber burns, and if rubbed becomes static. Perhaps you can do something with that. (The druid or the ranger in the party might be given a Knowledge check for this information.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm definitely comfortable with riffing off of (even unwitting) suggestions. Since the campaign base is a barony populated with the descendants of refugees of the dwarf fortress, the players had the idea of questioning old timers about what to expect. Once I saw what they were worried about, I made sure to give it to them.

So we had a Village of Homlett-style moathouse attack by giant frogs (including a half-green-dragon dire frog) on the bridge leading to the fortress, an Indiana Jones-style entry way where they had to perform the steps of a dwarven folk dance to not have the murderholes overhead unleash a rain of acid, had to learn a password to stop a statue from animating and killing them (long since destroyed, just to make them not too comfortable about the value of their intel) and more.

I like the idea of the heads turning on each other, merely blocking the heads or using Draconic code words to turn it off. (The ranger learned Draconic early on in the campaign, once it became clear that the kobold army that used to serve the dragon was going to be a persistent problem.) The amber thing I'll also keep in mind, since the ranger and druid players like using their wildnerness knowledge, and one of them running out to the nearby forest for some amber is just the kind of thing they'd think of.

Thanks for your help, guys. I feel I'm now prepared for the group to find this long-lost NPC. (He's been in the wiki on the baron's family tree page for five years, waiting to be found!)

 

[Umbran]

Acid is the most difficult, I think. Maybe something that doesn't corrode/burn? Like a healing potion or salves/lotion thingie?

Oh, that one is easy - gold.

And that's only easy conceptually. Actually getting the gold into place should be appropriately difficult.

 

[Wik]

Why not go with the five metallic dragons? For example, the gold dragon cancels out the red dragon, the copper cancels out the white, etc.

Or, to be a bit more obvious about it, the breath weapon of each of the metallic dragons would cancel out the field of effect on the corresponding chromatic. Or rather, the element of that dragon's breath weapon.

this could get very fun, as players find a way to redirect things like acid and fire breath weapons to the corresponding dragon, and then find other ways to mimic metallic dragon breath weapons. Of course, there should be a part where they have to talk a dragon into helping out... and all the fun that entails.

Perhaps more interestingly, maybe the current baron already has the key to free his long gone uncle. Maybe his father bought the key from the imprisoning dragon long ago, and hasn't freed "Dear Uncle" due to fears of being replaced, but figures he'll use it as a last-ditch defence or something. And really, holding onto the key doesn't have to be really that "evil", especially if the baron doesn't know that his ancestor is still conscious while trapped in amber (btw, if he's experiencing one second out of every minute, that still means he's been trapped in amber for a year in his perspective, which would make anyone at least a little nutty).

 

[TarionzCousin]

This thread is going to be one of those where the OP says "Okay. Thanks. I got all the info I need," and everyone just keeps posting more good ideas.

It makes me want to post a thread with some weird situation/problem just to see what kind of responses I could get.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

This thread is going to be one of those where the OP says "Okay. Thanks. I got all the info I need," and everyone just keeps posting more good ideas.

I'm always open for more good ideas!

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Perhaps more interestingly, maybe the current baron already has the key to free his long gone uncle. Maybe his father bought the key from the imprisoning dragon long ago, and hasn't freed "Dear Uncle" due to fears of being replaced, but figures he'll use it as a last-ditch defence or something. And really, holding onto the key doesn't have to be really that "evil", especially if the baron doesn't know that his ancestor is still conscious while trapped in amber (btw, if he's experiencing one second out of every minute, that still means he's been trapped in amber for a year in his perspective, which would make anyone at least a little nutty).

I love the idea of the baron holding the key to his uncle's release! Adversaries who are still good guys are the best!

 

[TarionzCousin]

I'm always open for more good ideas!

Don't try to stop us, Whizbang! We're going to keep creating whether you need it or not!

So he basically exists as a powerful wizard the group can free to help them in the upcoming war with the dragon's former followers, although releasing a rival to their liege -- even a good-aligned one -- might cause them problems later on.

I like this. He's helpful up front but could be a hassle later. It seems like a nice touch of realism to me.