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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crust" data-source="post: 4481173" data-attributes="member: 22330">Hey, folks,I'm preparing for my group's possible decent into the Nine Hells.  I won't be running this for a good while if ever, and it might very well be the final module of this campaign.Preferably, I'd like to start things in Avernus, eventually taking them along the River Styx to Stygia and into Malbolge for a bit (I'm augmenting Paladin in Hell, in short).  I wanted to clear some things up about how they get there, and offer you folks the chance to give me some experienced feedback.  Plane shift will drop them right into Avernus, right?Can I get away with them being forced into Avernus even if they try to use gate to start at a specific level?  Couldn't one of the Lords of the Nine (perhaps Asmodeus himself) bar entry into the lower levels by thwarting gate (as is hinted at in the spell's description)?They'll be hunting a captured NPC cleric (similar to Paladin in Hell, though not anywhere near identical), and I plan on housing her in a diabolical prison in Malbolge.  They'll have to find Charon in Avernus, pay him, travel to Stygia, dive below waters and infiltrate Geryon's stronghold (as per Paladin in Hell), and move into Malbolge where the prison, and the tortured, mentally broken cleric, will be located.I don't plan on giving them any direct information on the whereabouts of the cleric.  A cryptic response to a legend lore or contact other plane might clue them into Hell's icy waters, and if that gives them any indication that their destination is Stygia, I want to start them in Avernus nonetheless.  The most direct info I plan on giving them will come from NPC mentors suggesting that perhaps Charon the Boatman could "steer" them in the right direction (though making it very clear that a descent into Hell will most-certainly amount to suicide).Honestly, I expect the campaign to end here in some horrible way.  If they dilly-dally on Avernus, legions of spinagons, abishai, malebranche, advespa, etc. will converge on them (making heavy use of mob rules from DMGII), and if they don't move fast, a dread linnorm (MMII) will attack, and if that is killed, Tiamat herself will take the field attended by her great wyrm chromatic servants.  That will be a TPK.Fighting Geryon and Amon in Stygia might be a TPK.Fighting through hordes of cornugons and pit fiends in the prison stronghold of Malbolge could be a TPK.Any pointers, thoughts, or areas I'm going wrong?</blockquote>

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