The Dungeon of Light. How do I make and fill it?

[Agrippa]

I'm thinking of a light based dungeon. I don't mean good aligned, just light. I'm thinking about a temple dedicated to vicous, cruel and self-righteous god of light. In addition to his mortal worshippers their would be numerous Evily-aligned light based monsters, like Will-o'-Wisps. I just need help on temple design and other light-based monsters to use. Even if it mean taking a pre-existing monster and tweaking the flavor a bit.

[Heliomance]

One of the Zelda games must have something you can steal and adapt.

[cdrcjsn]

You can add powers and details to all the inhabitants that fit around your theme:

* Glass, both clear and stained glass.
* Hellcat's (the cat devil) power of being invisible in normal light.
* Prismatic effect (refracted light).
* Visible Force effects (you can treat any force spell as a light spell, basicallly just by changing the name and descriptors, i.e. Force Bolt -> Bolt of Light).
* Light so intense that everyone is effectively blind.

[Katrascythe]

Why don't you take the 10 million temple maps from BGII and use? That would at least give you something to play with for appearance.

For monsters... I would suggest having some Justice Archons and Justicators and all that jazz. You could probably get away with using some water elementals if you have a fountain or something.

[Ent]

A couple of well placed illusionary traps and monsters?

[Agrippa]

Why don't you take the 10 million temple maps from BGII and use? That would at least give you something to play with for appearance.

For monsters... I would suggest having some Justice Archons and Justicators and all that jazz. You could probably get away with using some water elementals if you have a fountain or something.

First, I don't have Baldur's Gate II, so unleess you have a link to those maps, it doesn't help me at all. Second, I said light not good. I don't like the idea of anything with the [Good] subtype being evil. If it becomes evil it should have the [Good] subtype changed to [Evil]. It could still look just the same after it's fall as before it.

[afroakuma]

Will-o'-wisp's, visilights, bezekiras and xag-yas come to mind in 3.X, but not much beyond that.

[erikun]

This is supposed to be high level, right? :smallbiggrin:

Dungeon

Make it crystal - walls, floor, ceiling, everything. Hey, if Psionics can have crystal as strong as steel, then light magic certainly can. The crystals can be transparent, but the light emminating from them prevent PCs from looking straight through them. Canny PCs will probably try to dispell the light, to see what's beyond the wall/floor/ceiling - let them, it's creative thinking, after all.

Have one "room" that is just an empty column. The "floor" in the basement is a massive light crystal that projects light strong enough to "carry" anyone above it in place. Basically, while it's on, you can walk on the upper floors in the room as if there was a solid floor, but if it's off, you drop down into the basement. Should be interesting to see how the PCs make use of that.

The dungeon has no shadows - obviously - but the radiance from the walls is bright enough that someone can still "hide" by sticking near a wall. Basically, if they duck behind a wall and peek out, you can't see them because the light emminating from the wall keeps you from noticing.

Random, minor Prismatic effects in some rooms. Perhaps some others, like Hypnotic Pattern, to trap people who aren't supposed to be there. Traps should probably be full-blown Prismatic Sprays, assuming that the party is that high of a level.

Creatures

Oddly enough, I'd suggest blind creatures - perhaps even priests who have blinded themselves. They'd probably have blindsense to compensate, but it would make them naturally immune to most of the traps in the dungeon. (particularly the Hypnotic Patterns) You can explain it as a "refuses to see any but the Grand Holy Light" cultist mindset.

Take the Crystal Golem (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/psionKiller.htm) and rework it with anti-magic rather than anti-psionics. Perhaps even get rid of the dispell/immunity and fit it with Prismatic Spray, a continuous Hypnotic Pattern, and (if you like prismatics) even applying a random bonus damage type every time it hits with an attack. It fits well with the other ideas I've presented.

[overduegalaxy]

The Glimmerfolk in Dragon Mag 321 (I think) are a race with no level adjustment which would be perfect for throwing class levels onto. They've got little orbs of light that follow them around that they can dismiss for various spell like abilities.

As for monsters, the only thing I think of off the top of my head is a stained glass golem or the clockwork horrors, both from Monster Manual 2.

Or living spells, from Eberron. Make a living Prismatic Spray, Orb, or what-have-you. Or Colorspray. Anything like that.

[Katrascythe]

I can't find really any online maps of those areas. I could try to extract the images from the game files if you were really interested.

[SurlySeraph]

Illusionist wizards - hey, what they're doing is all with light.
Stained Glass Golems.
Spell turrets or Clerics with the Sun and Glory domains, with Bolt of Glory, Searing Light, Sunburst, and Sunbeam.
Positive-dominant areas, where the characters have to damage each other to avoid exploding from positive energy. Having to do this while fighting Ravids would be good (especially if you have its positive energy attack heal them instead of just harming undead).
And, of course, blind them and make them navigate a maze full of pitfalls. And monsters.

[Agrippa]

I can't find really any online maps of those areas. I could try to extract the images from the game files if you were really interested.

Yes, I'd really like that.

[Agrippa]

Illusionist wizards - hey, what they're doing is all with light.
Stained Glass Golems.
Spell turrets or Clerics with the Sun and Glory domains, with Bolt of Glory, Searing Light, Sunburst, and Sunbeam.
Positive-dominant areas, where the characters have to damage each other to avoid exploding from positive energy. Having to do this while fighting Ravids would be good (especially if you have its positive energy attack heal them instead of just harming undead).
And, of course, blind them and make them navigate a maze full of pitfalls. And monsters.

Perfect. Would you like the honor of helping to design the main villain. He's going to be a demigod wizard of sorcerer with levels in some martial class if not getalted with it. Maybe swordsage with Fax Celestia's Falling Star dicsipline instead of Shadow Hand.

[SurlySeraph]

Well, I'm not the best in the world at designing characters, but I enjoy it and I've got a nice shiny Tome of Battle right here. Sure, I'll go for it.

[Toliudar]

Force effects would seem to work well with this. A dungeon that was a slightly unpredictable mix of very-solid crystal, indestructible walls of force and very fragile walls of glass could be a lot of fun. There are areas that the permanent inhabitants know can be broken through easily, but the PC's don't.

Funhouse mirror maze? effectively, every creature in it has mirror image cast on them.

[Agrippa]

Yes erikun, it is meant to be a high-level dungeon. I'm also using your crystal golem suggestion.

[Chronos]

I'm thinking about a temple dedicated to vicous, cruel and self-righteous god of light.You mean like Pelor? (http://forum.zaister.de/viewtopic.php?id=5)


As for the main boss, you could make him an Initiate of the Seven Veils.

[Agrippa]

The main boss is more of demigod than full fleged god at this point. That means he has maximum hit points per die, doesn't automatically fail on a one, has rather good ability scores and energy resistance, to some forms of energy, but he can't grant spells yet and he's a Native Outsider. Though his cultists are rather nasty in their own right. I'm picking out a few Latin names to chose from.

[Shpadoinkle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSJgI6vviLU
This came to mind. If you want to work something like that into a D&D game, you might want to draw up some overlays or something for a map so you don't have to change the map every time the players change something.

[SurlySeraph]

On the Latin names, here's a decent generator (http://www.ahtg.net/namegen.html) if you can't think of enough.


You mean like Pelor? (http://forum.zaister.de/viewtopic.php?id=5)

http://1d4chan.org/images/4/43/Heresy_meter.jpg

[Agrippa]

I already decided on his name. It's Apollonius, from the Greco-Roman god Apollo. While he can be cruel and vicious toward those who oppose him he is a rather benevolent boss and treats all of his guests with courtesy and honor, provided they don't fight him. He may attempt to convert the party with elloquence and reason but will not forcibly convert them or anyone else nor will he attempt to contain them if refuse to convert. He plans to become a god to bring the world under what he belives will be his benevolent rule, even if it means the death and displacement of thousands or millions. Physical description later.

[Zaq]

The Lumi (MM3 or 4, I'm 90% sure 3) are a race of LN and easily pissed-off dudes with a strong light theme (just look at the name!). The Visilights from the same book also have something of a light theme, but I don't remember their deal.

Bubbles of the Positive Energy Plane would be appropriate and deadly. Either use the actual Planar Bubble spell or just kludge an approximation together. This would make an especially deadly trap if the doors are locked. (Enter a room, suddenly you feel healthier despite being COMPLETELY BLINDED BY THE LIGHT OH GOD MY EYES... but you start feeling a little TOO good, and a K:The Planes check reveals that if you don't leave soon, you're gonna be in bad shape, and the doors are locked behind you. Good luck!)

Radiant Dragons are traditionally LG, but there are always exceptions, or you could mind control one. I think they're from the Draconomicon.

Asherati (Sandstorm) can glow like lamps at will, so they'd make good minions, foot soldiers, whatever. Since they're LA 0 humanoids intended as player races, you can use them for creatures you want to have class levels but don't want to make overpowered.

Since so many (certainly not all, but many) light-using creatures are Good aligned, a palette-swapped Malconvoker would be fun. Just take every reference to "fiend" and replace it with "celestial;" every reference to "evil" and replace it with "good." Who says that good guys are the only ones who can trick the other side into battling themselves? I like the image of an evil dude who summons celestials and tricks them into fighting for him. You can get your Lantern Archons and radiant golems and other cool light-energy things that way.

Sandstorm has rules for harsh sun exposure. I don't think it would be too strange to apply some of them here.

Also, when I think light, I often think mirrors. There are a handful of fun mirror-type enemies in the various books out there, so you might want to look into them.

Finally, giant lenses focusing beams of light onto the PCs like ants under a magnifying glass would be really fun. I don't know if they'd be a trap or a secret weapon or what, but it's something to think about.

[adanedhel9]

If you've got Spell Compendium, wall of light would let you actually construct a dungeon out of light...

A Master of Radiance (light-based divine caster from Libris Mortis) certainly wouldn't be out of place.

Puzzles with mirrors or colors come to mind, if your group doesn't find that sort of stuff corny.

[Thurbane]

Some Searing Light, Color Spray and/or Prismatic (X) based traps might fit in well.

There was also a Mirror Mephit in a book somewhere (maybe Demonweb Pits?) that would fit in well...

[Enlong]

If you want, you could reflavor some otherwise Good light-element creatures. Maybe some Lantern Archons that are under the thrall of the aforementioned cruel god.

[dspeyer]

There's a "Radiant" template (DR321) -- you can apply it to pretty much anything.

There's also a lot of light- and color-related spells out there. You could easily fill a sorcerer with them.

One other thought: the brighter the light the deeper the shadow. All this light might punch a hole to the elemental plane of shadow, which the denizens of the dungeon guard zealously lest their intrinsic enemies come through and gain a foothold.

[ChaosDefender24]

Sunwyrms from the Fiend Folio seem perfect for this. From the same book, any Nerra or Aoa could work.. Positive Energy Creature from the Planar Handbook is good for a twist. I also like the Quesar from the Book of Exalted Deeds for this.

[Randel]

A few ideas:

I think in the Dungeon Masters Guide 2 there is a list of artifact things (more like things that the bad guys want to use, not things the players can use). And one of them is a lens made of purest diamond that when placed at the top of a mountain creates a death-ray of light that can burn down cities.

Also, I read an Alan Moore comic series called Supreme. In it there is a villain called optilux (who is very similar to braniac, but made of light). His ultimate goal is to convert the entire universe into pure light, sometimes converting entire planets and their inhabitants into creatures of light and imprisoning them in crystals. His natural form is a shapeless light but when he has access to special floating mirrors or a suit he can take on a humanoid shape (he's pretty much impervious to harm unless his mirrors or suit are destroyed in which case he gets slowed down enough where he might get trapped somehow.)



The gods 'dungeon' could be a massive complex of mirrors and crystals which is designed to amplify and control his powers, possibly turning into some kind of doomsday device (imagine a city of glass or Dr. Manhattans crystal structure floating above the ground... amplifying the light of the sun to melt away all shadows along with the people who make them... or just burn the world). The city of crystal however was struck down by the other gods, crashing to earth and then being buried under dirt, mud and soot to keep the mirrors and such from working. The Light God himself is trapped in the center of it, the perfect mirrors keeping him trapped and contained but some of his radiance escapes to form lasers or illusions.

Somebody else might be working through the dungeon, tying to realign the mirrors and prisms to harness the light gods power for their own use. If he manages to get the crystal city operating enough to fly, or free the light god then it would spell doom for the world.

[archmage45]

Fire elemental creatures could easily be reflavored to radiant elementals.

This actually sounds like a really cool idea!

[SydneyLosstarot]

/\
Archmage's userpic has given me a thought: lightsabers.
those cultists could very well be jedi-style blindfighters (the idea of willfully blinding oneself as not to get distracted by mundane events is pure awesome)

also floors that only function when the lamp is on/off are great

a puzzle with mirrors to direct a beam of light just pleads for itself to be included

also glass/force walls polished to the state when you only notice them with a spot check - and slam into them if you don't
the same goes for floors: who'd guess there's a pit down that corridor?

and the place where the PC's shall fight the BBEG: a great hall with a giant lens in the ceiling, blasting a huge bolt of light time after time (or triggered to work on someone passing under)

[Fishy]

It seems to me like it would be really simple to make a dungeon where every surface glows intensely. And then your PCs are blinded, and then it's not a light dungeon anymore.

Now, if your light god designed the place from the ground up, then of course he's going to turn the place into a neon nova monstrosity that the players can't navigate around in, but that's no fun. Maybe set the players up with a handy but extremely awkward generator that produces a sphere of 'Shadowy Illumination' that the players can survive in without being burned to a crisp. (Stealing directly from Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles)

Alternatively, make it the Tomb of Light where the dead god lies imprisoned, but the seals are breaking and lethal radiant power is piercing through cracks in the walls. Or make it specifically a Sun god- his temple is non-extant at night, impenetrable during the day, and the PCs have only a few hours either side of dawn or dusk to run through it? Then you have a legitimate reason for there to be both light and shadow, which you need in order to do the fun things with mirrors and lenses and walls that don't exist in the dark.

[Tyrmatt]

First, I don't have Baldur's Gate II, so unleess you have a link to those maps, it doesn't help me at all. Second, I said light not good. I don't like the idea of anything with the [Good] subtype being evil. If it becomes evil it should have the [Good] subtype changed to [Evil]. It could still look just the same after it's fall as before it.

I'll have to dig into the back of my wardrobe for it but I've got the Prima Strat guide for BG2 which has all the maps, particularly the temple of Amaunator which could be well adapated for this sort of thing.
In the meantime go here (http://mikesrpgcenter.com/bgate2/maps/ar1401.html) for a low res map pic to fill the concept.