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View Full Version : Quest Finale - need advice (4e)



Lycan 01
2010-03-26, 01:11 AM
So my DnD group went on a hiatus for about two months, since personal issues distracted me from DMing and good ideas. Things have gotten better, so this Sunday I want to wrap up the quest I had them on for about 2 months.

The party - all level 5
Half-Ork Paladin
Half-Elf Sorcerer
Tiefling Bard
Dragonborn Cleric
Shifter Ranger
Shifter Druid

Basically, they finally got to the top of the wizard's tower after killing the dragon guarding the top of the forsaken castle. There are two Big Bad Evil Guys - a young man who made a deal with Tzeentch to become a Sorcerer, and a Warlord of Khorne who's serving as his bodyguard. (Yes, I know, 40K dieties. Long story, but all the evil gods except Tiamet have been replaced by the Ruinous Powers.) The Sorcerer has been building an undead army, while the Warlord has been providing Khorne berserkers and cultists for strength and body reaping.

The Warlord previously challenged and stomped the Paladin during a short plot-driven mini-encounter, so the Paladin wants to show the Warlord how much he's improved. Likewise, the Warlord doesn't care about the rest of the party, just the Paladin.

So, here's what I've been thinking:

They get to the top of the tower. They enter a room, and the Warlord is standing in the middle of it, hands on his hips proclaiming how the Sorcerer is upstairs, and all but the Paladin may proceed. He claims he wants to fight the Paladin, and see if he can prove his skull worthy sacrifice to the Skull Throne. The Paladin will accept the challenge, and hopefully everyone else will head on to the Sorcerer.


I'm thinking the Warlord will be a level 6 Elite, with plenty of small stat bonuses and a vicious weapon & powers. If he only fights the Paladin, at least. I think I'll give him a special Mark and Reaction combo - he marks the person he wants to duel, and if somebody else attacks, he gets to make a free attack with bonuses and extra-damage since they earn all his hate and rage in that instant. Should get the point across that its an honor duel, not a free for all... :smallamused:

As for the Sorcerer... I'm thinking he'll either be a lvl 6 Elite with a few lvl 4 and 5 elites guarding him, or he'll be a weak lvl caster with a few low-level elites guarding him, but once defeated he turns into a level 5 solo daemon-host. :smalleek: Before the battle, though, they'll get a chance to be diplomatic, and they can (if lucky) convince him to give up his dark powers and atone for his sins, or (if sadistic) tell him the woman he loved and turned evil to impress has been killed by his creations (they randomly found her and took her to safety, actually) thus driving him insane, and possibly to suicide. Both possibilities involve lots of Bluff/Diplomacy rolls and GOOD roleplaying, though...

So yeah, should the Sorcerer be a lvl 6 elite with a trio of elite lvl 4 Khorne Berserkers and a pair of elite lvl 5 Warp Spawn? Or should they all be weak, and once killed his body is possessed and turned into a lvl 5 solo encounter? Also, any advice for the Warlord? :smallconfused:

Thomo
2010-03-26, 01:46 AM
Sounds cool.

First off, why is a Champion of Khorne guarding a champion of Tzeentch? They are enemies, if I remember rightly. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. It is a cool idea though.

I would go with him being possessed by somthing similar to a Lord of Change. And I wouldn't make him a push over either. Sure, make his mortal body physically weak, but don't forget that Tzeentch is not only the changer of ways, but also the lord of knowledge. Give him bonuses to Will and Reflex, but make his fortitude lower. Start some wierd stuff happening when he gets below bloodied. Random magical effects (that don't do a great deal of direct damage), maybe force a saving throw to avoid being dazed or slowed or stunned even - make it random stuff, but save ends.
Then when he gets to 0HP burst out the Greater Daemon - not sure what to use exactly - but give him wings and a staff. The staff can have prismatic like effects, or even at-will castings of the afore-mentioned effects.

I'll think of something else later

Lycan 01
2010-03-26, 01:57 AM
They're working together for one very good reason. Two words: Black. Crusade. :smallamused:


A Lord of Change? Nah, they'd get stomped. I'm saving those for later, like in the Paragon Tier. A very powerful Daemonhost, for example, or the Chaos Lord leading the Black Crusade would be around level 9-10 or so.


I was thinking about giving either the Warlord or the Sorcerer a Daemon-weapon. The Warlord's would basically be Soul Edge - a big fleshy sword covered in spikes with a bulbous eye in the center of the blade. If he slays an enemy with it, it devours their soul - no Resurrection. :smalleek: And if a PC picks it up, it either deals a ton of damage and then dissappears, or slowly drives them mad and shifts their Alignment to Chaotic Evil over time.

I was thinking the Sorcerer might have a staff that gives him a power to create an undead servant, with a 5-6 recharge. So once the players kill the Khorne Berserkers, they might just get back up. :smallbiggrin: Or, if he goes Daemon-possessed on them, he gains a Daemon-weapon that has strong recharge attacks and a soul-devouring encounter power. :smalleek:

Thomo
2010-03-26, 03:37 AM
What about giving the warlord a dip into Barbarian - or at least some rage abilities - it fits Khorner afterall.

And I'm picturing him with a huge, Brutal, axe.

tcrudisi
2010-03-26, 03:55 AM
Go with "the sorcerer is possessed" route. The players can either just try to kill him, at which point he turns into a level 9 or 10 solo after death (make it a challenge!), or they can attempt a skill challenge. The first couple of rolls are to convince him that he's turning evil. The next one or two is to notice that something is off and realize he's possessed. The next few are to get rid of the offending demon. However, the smaller elites (bodyguards) are in on this, and when they see the big demon get expelled, they will attack. However, this is sort of a moot point, as it will quickly be over since the Sorc and big demon are no longer in play.

Lycan 01
2010-03-26, 09:55 PM
A lvl 9 or 10 solo would DESTROY the party, since they're all going to be lvl 5. :smalltongue:


Any other suggestions for enemies/equipment? :smallconfused: How should the bad guys be organized? A wall of muscle comprised of Berserkers and Warp Spawn, with the Sorcerer attacking from behind? A phalanx of berserkers and a pair of lesser daemons hurling magic from the back with the sorcerer? Or should it be all casters and daemons wreaking havok with spells and Warp powers?

tcrudisi
2010-03-27, 04:55 AM
A lvl 9 or 10 solo would DESTROY the party, since they're all going to be lvl 5. :smalltongue:


Any other suggestions for enemies/equipment? :smallconfused: How should the bad guys be organized? A wall of muscle comprised of Berserkers and Warp Spawn, with the Sorcerer attacking from behind? A phalanx of berserkers and a pair of lesser daemons hurling magic from the back with the sorcerer? Or should it be all casters and daemons wreaking havok with spells and Warp powers?

A level 10 solo is (barely) within the acceptable range for a 5-person party of level 5 adventurers. If they have any basic understanding of tactics, it's a challenge, but one they can overcome.

Lycan 01
2010-03-27, 12:34 PM
Maybe lvl 7. 8 max. But I really dunno if lvl 10 would be... fair. :smallfrown:

So, he should be a really weak punk with a few tough bodyguards, so that they think its an easy encounter? And then once they're all dead, the room begins to crackle with Warp energy as his dead body writhes and convulses, before exploding as a lesser daemon rises from the gore? NOT a Lord of Change - those are for the Paragon/Epic Tier. :smallwink:


Also, what should I do about the Warlord? What level should he be? Should he be an Elite or Solo? I'm expecting it to just be a one-on-one with the Paladin, but I wouldn't be surprised if somebody tried to but in... The Paladin is level 5, with about half his surges and stuff left. So I figured a level 6 elite, to provide a tough challenge but a decent chance of victory.