What should guard this bad guy's lair?

[NewJeffCT]

The players in my campaign are soon going to embark on a voyage to a remote island that is a haven for pirates. Access to & from this island is controlled by one man, who reigns over the island from his nearly impenetrable home/castle.

The only way into the home (the PCs are in the level 6-7 range, so no teleport yet...) is through a secret trap door in the ground outside the home. Once you get into the door, you go along an underground passageway and then into the castle.

The module I'm running has this castle-like home with this massive trap-filled maze underneath it after you go through the passageway. I'm not big into traps, but I'm looking for some sort of guardian for this home that could dwell in a chamber along the pass - maybe some sort of golem? Some sort of monster bound there by the ruler of the island? (the ruler would have some sort of way of avoiding the monster/creature)

The guy that runs the island isn't particularly powerful himself - just very wealthy - and would pay to have a powerful evil mage or cleric create a golem or bind a demon/devil there, or to have some adventurers capture an exotic monster or something. The most common threat would, of course, be pirates.

Any ideas or suggestions for this guardian?

Thanks

 

[Rechan]

Nothin' wrong with an oldie: A minotaur. Just give it some more potent capacity; a level or two in Barbarian, some spell like abilities (Wall of Stone, Passwall, 1/day Maze), maybe an axe that can attack people through walls (sort've like having a phasing ability). The maze itself has tricks built into it - this wall can be shoved over onto the people behind it. The floor and wall of this section can be spun around (so the minotaur can separate two people from the group). Add in a trap or two and bam. If you want to spice it further, give the minotaur a Huge strength composite longbow, and let him fire at the PCs before slipping away and doubling back.

Harpies: Have the maze be on the floor of a large cavern. The ceiling/walls of the cavern are where some harpies live, and they can swoop down and attack anyone in the maze, along with singing.

A Gorgon. Nuff said.

Half-submerge the maze, and it's home to an aboleth and some skum.

Final thought: Either a black pudding, or advance the HD of an Invisible Stalker.

Edit: If you want to spice the minotaur further, give him a Huge strength composite longbow, and let him fire at the PCs before slipping away and doubling back.

 

[fba827]

I'm digging the flavor of a minotaur in the maze (with some monster advancement / class levels).

Or for a slight spin, make it a golem that is shaped like a minotaur. It will obviously _not_ be a minotaur and will be a golem by anyone close enough to be in combat with it, but it might be fun to describe the first distant-shadowy description as a 'bull headed humanoid running towards you from the shadows ..." pausing "but as it draws nearer into the light it appears to be more of a living construct, a statue or a golem of sorts.... (depending on the type of golem anyway).

other random ideas for that terrain: oozes (or Oozemaster PrCed NPCs), big insects or burrowing creatures, a highly advanced dwarf NPC that is bound there by some compulsion spell (or just really thinks of it as his home and has an arrangement with the owner).

 

[demiurge1138]

I got to agree to the Big Ol' Minotaur suggestion. If not...

Vrocks are awesome guardians. They don't need food or water, and have a nice suite of offensive and defensive capabilities.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

If the passageway/maze is built in such a way as to be partially submerged at high tide, the "guard" could be any number of things:

1) The sea itself- IOW, the danger of drowning.

2) Predatory fish (a marine analog to Piranha, barracuda, etc.), poisonous invertebrates (box jellies, cone snails), or even marine aberrations.

3) Sentient marine life with whom the BBEG has made a bargain, like sahuagin.

4) Drowned Sailors- aka zombies & skeletons.

 

[Rechan]

If the passageway/maze is built in such a way as to be partially submerged at high tide

The only problem with this is if the PCs decide to wait for low tide when the water is gone.

Otherwise, really cool idea.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

First, they have to know about this feature for them to take it into their calculations. Second, some of the critters- like Sahuagin- can spend time out of the water.

Still, the passageway only has to be a challenge to the party once in a typical adventure. Even if they do know about the water, imagine if they go in at low tide, then find that they have to retreat...only to find the passageway out flooded...and inhabited by something hostile!

And besides...

Third, the passageway could be below the surface of the water at all times, with manually controlled floodgates and drains. That way, the "fearsome guard" could be a single man who has his hands on the geared wheel that controls them.

 

[pawsplay]

A zombie monkey swarm
An animated steel statue that looks like an armored knight, filled with alchemist's fire
A monstrosity created by combining three dretches with a crocodile's tail
A Jann with a big falchion

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

If all or portions of the passageway remain partially submerged 100% of the time, it could support a trained largish predator...kinda like Sonny Crockett had his 'gator Elvis guard his boat.

To leave the waterway theme...

In one of the various stop-action monster movies of the 1970's, there was one (a Sinbad* one, as I recall) in which the party had to pass monster that was on a chain leash that had to be retracted. When retracted, the creature was held close to the wall, and couldn't attack anyone. Otherwise, the slack in the chain gave the beast enough room to be a terror in the confined space.

*The one with the sword, not the jokebook.

 

[Soel]

A zombie monkey swarm
An animated steel statue that looks like an armored knight, filled with alchemist's fire
A monstrosity created by combining three dretches with a crocodile's tail
A Jann with a big falchion

I like all of these!

If you go with the minotaur idea, maybe try using the blue minotaur from MMV (its got some nifty spell-like abilities like Rechan suggested.)