D&D General What's beyond the Gate?

[Jacob Vardy]

Help, i'm looking for inspiration. I made a mystery box without content and now the players want to open it.

There is a giant acacia tree on the edge of the savanna. In the hollow trunk there is a gate guarded by a sphinx. To pass the sphinx you must guess their riddle. If you fail, she eats you. If you try to sneak past, she eats you. The ground is littered with the gnawed bones of would be intruders. Otherwise,the sphinx is quite chatty.

The setting is very loosely based on the Swahili Coast, classical Islamicate cities, and the western plains of NSW.

This was meant to be throw away scenery. I didn't think the party would come back. But they made the acacia their stronghold. They keep asking about the gateway. And now they can probably defeat the sphinx. I assumed i would think of something. I'm writing plenty of stuff for them and other parties. But its been months and i keep coming up blank on this damn gate.

So i am asking for some suggestions that i can run with. So if anyone has any random ideas i would really appreciate them.

Thank you.

 

[Kromanjon]

The gate leads to a pocket dimension containing a large rainforest stretching along the inside of the tree. The rainforest is ruled over by a coven of witches that have been trapped there for centuries and they have passed the time by experimenting on the local flora and fauna creating all kinds of monstrosities and wonders.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A laughing JJ Abrams.

 

[aco175]

Could be a cool introduction to another plot arc. You might have a big bad that is a problem, but not the thing the PCs are dealing with, say the duke or ruler. This might be an opportunity to add and opposing force that is imprisoned or just far away. The whole inside might be a dungeon that is a prison or a portal to a land far away to an outpost island or another country where the good guy is out of the way.

It seems that this location is a forgotten place though instead of a place that gets visitors. It could be tied to a long ago prophesy or gate to another plane. Why would it have a guardian? Is the sphinx placed there or happen to use the location like a spider to catch people coming there? How often do people come there?

 

[Plaguescarred]

The Gate leads to a Demiplane of Monstrosities, where all Monster Summoning originate from and return to. All kind of inanimated creatures lie in dormant-state, waiting for the moment they will be summoned by a spell, power or magic items to magically be transported to the summoner's location, often bound to its will if not free of any constraint and able to act normally. Each spiecies are neatly parked at precise interval floating in 5, 10, 15 or 20 feet squares depending on size, going as far as the eye can see indefinitely in every direction. The place is sterile nonallergenic controlled environement completely inodore, maintaining creatures in ageless suspended animation in absolute silence only broken by artificial sound FTOUF when a specimen either exit or return the demiplane.

 

[AlViking]

It's a portal to the Shadowfell that sort-of mirrors the real world except it's populated with ghouls, werewolf jinns and vampire like creatures like the Mustadbae. The sphinx is forced to guard the entrance as punishment for an ancient crime, their heart is stored in a jar by a powerful force. If the characters can retrieve the jar the sphinx will be quite grateful either as an ally in a future conflict or gifting them magical items from the people she had eaten previously.

Because it's the Shadowfell it can use many of the same maps and locations you've been using previously, but like the Down Under in Stranger Things, it is now a dark and gloomy place of old decay and disuse.

 

[J-H]

Time travel to the past!

 

[Koloth]

1 The next campaign. Traveller. James Bond. Bunnies and Burrows. Doesn't really matter what. Just a way to get there.
2 A 10x10 room with nothing in it. The prior owner of the tree used the tree as a home(sound familiar?), the sphinx as a guardian and the room as a safe. The prior owner died and left instructions to her family on how to bypass the sphinx and access the safe. The family cleaned out the safe and abandoned the tree. (maybe the family each had their own trees....)
3 A console with a red button. What the button does is up to you as GM.
4 Now in the adventure. Whatever is happening on the other side of the gate is Now in the adventure. (Inspired by Spaceballs)
5 Alternative Spaceballs thought. The gate is to the opening scene in Spaceballs 2, the Quest for More Money. Of course, you will need to fast forward in real time to discover that scene as the Instant Cassette program has been cancelled. No cheating!
6 Terminator style gate(Trap?) Anyone stepping through arrives safely in the new place, but naked. No way back, one way trip. (Useful if your party has too many items. After all, they have been bugging you about it!), Or a way to start a new campaign without having to worry about how current items work in the new setting. Can combine with #1.

 

[sevenbastard]

Obviously it leads here....

 

[General_Tangent]

The Rabbit of Caerbannog