Where would a lich have gates to?

[hong]

The toilet.

Oh, hang on. Lich. No bodily functions.

Well, maybe he looks at the bowl and thinks, "I could take a dump, I just choose not to". Or "Ha! I'm leaving the seat UP and NOONE CAN STOP ME!"

 

[Winternight]

If you have the Book of Eldritch Might 3, one gate could lead to the Nexus, or perhaps one of the planes the Nexus reaches.

Definitvly
a gate to gates
a METAGATE!

 

[Toj]

Hmm, I never even thought about other planes.... duh drrr...

I like the idea of a gate to the Negative Material Plane, as well as the gate to either Hell or the Abyss. Also a gate to a treasure/training room of sorts would be a good idea as well.

Now, where can I find information on what is in the Negative Material Plane, Hell, or the Abyss? I believe I still have the boxed set for Planeescape; is it in there? Is there a website?

Thanks!

 

[grodog]

Toj said:

Hmm, I never even thought about other planes.... duh drrr...

For some excellent ideas on lots of variations on what to do with gates, read Ed Greenwood's "From Dead Orc Pass... to the City of Brass ... in One Small Step: The Theory and Use of Gates" in The Dragon 37 (May 1980).

I like the idea of a gate to the Negative Material Plane, as well as the gate to either Hell or the Abyss. Also a gate to a treasure/training room of sorts would be a good idea as well.

If you're interested in some Greyhawk-specific gate analysis for an evil sorceress/conjuror (a good analogue for your lich), see Roger E. Moore's "Gates in the World of Greyhawk" at http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Greyhawk/WoGgates.rtf and pay particular attention to the materials about S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth.

Now, where can I find information on what is in the Negative Material Plane, Hell, or the Abyss? I believe I still have the boxed set for Planeescape; is it in there? Is there a website?

I have a hearty love for the lower planes myself. If you're interested, check out some of my articles there on Hades, the Abyss, etc. at www.canonfire.com (plug grodog into the search link at http://www.canonfire.com/htmlnew/modules.php?name=Search and you should be good to go).

I don't know of any good books on/about the Negative Material Plane: the plane of shadow is much more interesting to me personally (perhaps it's a borderland to the Negative Material Plane??).

Ed Greenwood's Hell articles in Dragons 74, 75, and 91 are definitive, in my mind. I don't know PS stuff at all, though; I'm sure others will be able to help you out there

 

[Jhamin]

Toj said:

Ed Greenwood's Hell articles in Dragons 74, 75, and 91 are definitive, in my mind. I don't know PS stuff at all, though; I'm sure others will be able to help you out there

And if your gaming library starts after 1985, check out The Manual of the Planes. 3e is still in print, but any edition will do.

 

[Arkhandus]

The Negative Energy Plane, the Abyss, and others are found in Manual Of The Planes. Blue book, like the DMG. Describes all planes of the standard D&D cosmology, plus some optional alternates like the plane of time, the plane of mirrors, the plane of dreams, the plane of faerie, and the far realm. Includes rules on creating new cosmologies and planes, and stats/descriptions for around one or two dozen planar creatures, like inevitables, astral dreadnaughts, githyanki, bariaur, mercanes, energons, etc. Also has planar prestige classes, new spells, new creature templates (like the half-fire elemental, or the wood element creature, or the anarchic creature, or the shadow creature) and so on. A decent book, but not really a complete book for 3E Planescape, and no actual 3E Planescape book has been released yet. Sigil hardly has maybe 4-5 sentences of description, period.

 

[7thlvlDM]

If I were a dragon, I would not forget about a portal into my lair! We're talking genius intellegence here.

Given that dragons live for 1000+ years, 35 years is like 2 years for it. Red dragons especially wouldn't forget; they're greedy and obsessively (sp?) protective of their hoard. If I didn't hear from the lich, I'd booby trap the portal and put a rock slide between it and my coin collection!

If a lich created a portal somewhere, I think he would have to have a reason. Someplace where he can pull undead servants is good. Or a place for getting a rare magical reagant. Or some place of power where he can enhance his dark rituals. Or a secret inner santuary where he stores his clone.

-7th

 

[Ashrum the Black]

Options I'd have are:

1) Plane of Shadow (allows him to study the shadows and the negative without
special magics, slightly safer and he can use his living minions here as well)

2) Negative material Plane (heals him and kills the living, wonderful place)

3) A one way gate to a safe haven on the prime. Perhaps a under ground
cavern that he could gate to and is gaurded by his most trusted minions.
This place is essentially one giant death trap that is a closed cavern. A
riddle tells the PC's that the way out is at the end of the maze, but when
you get to the end the mocking lich's programmed illusion tells them, Oop's
so sorry. I lied. They must find their own way out. Possibly a breach in the
maze by some burrowing underdark critter that they found earlier. Could lead
into a "we just want to get home" adventure easily in the underdark. Heck
the PC's may even believe themselves to be on the plane of earth at first
which could complicate things nicely.

4) A gate to the plane of water. He's lich, he didn't need to breathe and it
makes a wonderful place to put a backup lair whith a few choice items
squirreled away if he's ever driven form his home. This one would also be a
one way gate with another seperate gate taking him back home form a
different portion of his hide away. Drowns all those pesky adentures and
keeps things quite around the ol' homestead.

Hope this helps, and I have more idea's if you want them.

(edit: fixed format)

-Ashrum

 

[diaglo]

you could modify the Door to Everywhere adventure from Dungeon Magazine.

 

[MarauderX]

Or a gate opens to... one of the other gates. As long as they get the password pronunciation incorrect, that's all it does. Some other places:

* The Trap: A sun-lit field of rolling meadows where soft kittens play with other fluffy critters in undeniably cute fashion... locking the PCs in a trance for the next 100 years until they become liches themselves.

* A throne where the lich once perhaps ruled, and the fallen kingdom has long been abandoned by any sane creature, but the lich likes to go there and bark orders to his imaginary servants once more. Would be good for a haunted keep-type adventure.

* Treasure room: Could be a portal to a gigantic room carved out of the heart of a mountain, in which something nasty guards the apparent treasure. When the PCs go to pick any of it up, mimics galore assault them.