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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crust" data-source="post: 4482700" data-attributes="member: 22330">Thanks for the feedback.  I still want more, so if anyone has anything to add, I'm dying to hear from you.  Let me respond after each paragraph (I know it's a lot...  I'm sorry, but you make some interesting points and raise more questions):Right.  Charon is the name I might use for fluff reasons, but what I really mean is the marraenoloth from MMII, though the guys might make the connection to Charon from ancient myth.  If they pay him enough and don't attack, I'd like to have him take them right to Stygia, though the yugoloth might ferry them right into the midst of a horde of gelugons.I'm not using the Fiendish Codex, but I am using the MM, MMII, BoVD, Manual of the Planes, and the Monsters of Faerun book (for abishai in the latter case).  I'm also using the Geryon build from EnWorld's Creature Catalogue (he's not in BoVD), but I'm reworking him as well, removing his ability to cast spells as a 20th level cleric and sorcerer, replacing feats, and I'm dropping his posted CR of 31 to about 25 or 26 depending on the PCs' levels when they try this.  Amon also comes from the Creature Catalogue.  I updated his feats and equipment, giving him a wolf-headed +6 large silver unholy icy blast warmace.OK.  This is my rationale (please bear with me):  If you've ever read Ed Greenwood's Elminster in Hell (where Elminster is captured and tortured by an arch-devil named Nergal), there's a scene where Mystra, the goddess of magic in Faerun, descends upon Avernus in search of her most-beloved wizard, hollering, "Where is he? What have you done with him?"  Hell itself becomes aroused, and in the midst of that mad chaos, as what appears to be the entire populace of Avernus converges on Mystra, one particular sentence reads: "In the heart of a million devils and more, Mystra glared and slew, glared and slew..."  That's right: a million devils and more.  The scene is absolutely unbelievable, with black clouds of devils throwing themselves at Mystra while pit fiends erupt from the very mountains and massive dragons and other unmentionable horrors are called into service.  How it ends... well, read the novel.  It's awesome to put it mildly.That's part of my inspiration.  Also, keep in mind that I'm using least and lesser devils here, so they can either attack the party or suffer the wrath of their superiors.  Either way, they die.  Forever.Once the PCs enter Avernus, I suspect they'll go invisible and either fly across the landscape or teleport-hop from pinnacle to pinnacle in search of the Styx.  However they move, a dread linnorm (MMII) will spot them as it lies baking in the blistering heat of Avernus.  Due to its curiosity, it will use a Mord's disjunction on them, and as they plummet, the linnorm will try to drag one of them, preferably the wizard, to its side using telekinesis, hitting him with a dimensional anchor and a forcecage if possible.  If the PCs avoid flashy spells and battle, the linnorm will try to geas one of the PCs and send them on a hopeless errand.  I doubt they'll allow that.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />  I suspect a massive battle will ensue, and once the PCs start hurling spells about, Hell will become aroused, distant horns will blare, and clouds of least and lesser devils will be spurred onward, leaping from distant mountains like swarms of bees, being whipped to the attack by malebranche captains.If the PCs manage to slay the mighty linnorm, Tiamat will take notice, though not immediately.  I don't plan on her just appearing out of nowhere.  I'll let the PCs lay waste to the minor devils, thinking they're owning Hell, then I'll describe a colossal+ five-headed dragon winging toward them accompanied by a half-dozen massive dragons of various colors.  Tiamat is broken down in the Manual of the Planes, and with other great wyrm dragons accompanying her, the PCs should see their doom.  If they don't flee by then, then they deserve the TPK.  Long story short: if they wait around and try to hold their ground in Hell, they will most-definitely suffer a TPK.  Various epic-level mentors will tell them this in no uncertain terms, insisting that the PCs are insane to assault Hell in any way.  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" />I might have misspoke.  The prison is located in the midpoint between Stygia and Malbolge.  If the PCs move through the prison and exit the other end, they'll traverse a winding tunnel that goes on for miles, eventually exiting in Malbolge.  Of course, if they dilly-dally there, they'll suffer a TPK.  I want this to be fast-paced and deadly, and the only sight-seeing they do might be to witness a hamatula impaling a spinagon on a pike or a pit fiend gorging itself on larvae.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />The NPC in question (a human female cleric of Selune) was captured and imprisoned by a 27 HD paeliryon devil (Fiend Folio) and placed here out of jealousy, thinking the NPC pompous, arrogant in her faith, and overly beautiful.  She'll be tortured and maimed, acting as bait for the PCs, drawing them to Hell and certain torment and death.  I'm not really interested in where.  The module Paladin in Hell takes the PCs to Stygia and that waypoint between Stygia and Malbolge in search of a paladin's spirit, so I switched the spirit for the living NPC cleric.Well, you can purchase A Paladin in Hell in pdf form right <a href="http://paizo.com/store/downloads/wizardsOfTheCoast/aDAndD2/adventures/v5748btpy7mfi&source=top" target="_blank">here</a> for only $4.  I've always wanted to run it, and I only recently finagled things at the table so that it's now possible.  I'm excited as hell (forgive the pun) to take the group to Hell and beat the tar out of them and maybe watch them lay waste to some devils, including Geryon, Amon, and other unique arch-devils I'm working on.Thanks again!  Keep the responses coming, please!  Help me make this experience better for my players!<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devil.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":devil:" title="Devil    :devil:" data-shortname=":devil:" /></blockquote>

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