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View Full Version : help with flesihing out a mission to Xen'dric [Eberron]



Kol Korran
2010-10-16, 08:33 AM
Tomer, Itay, Alon, Guy and Ariel, stay out!

if you're following the campaign log in my sig, this entire thread is a spoiler. be warned!

ok, i just realized that though i got the basic concept for the next adventure, but i don't have the details. so i'd like your help with that.

The basics: the party will be 5th level. they are following some villains who went to Xen'deric to get some "key". they follow them to find them laying siege to an old giant ruin, that is protected by a guardian naga (a modified version, following guide lines in the second link in my sig ECL 9 approximately) and a small tribe of half giants (maybe some other stuff?) The "Key" is some sort of an ancient giant's magic-technology (or so the party believe at first)

the villains resources are a drow tribe bent on destroying the "giantlings", and the powers of the leaders (about 9th level necromancer cleric, a rakshasa, and a twisted druid)

the adventure is more of a situation where the party tries to shift the balance of power. the enemy makes special attacks, the party takes their own special actions, and the Naga might have also some ideas. what i need the playground's help with is:

1) what is this minor artifact the naga guards? preferably it can't be ultimatey be taken by the players, but maybe it could be used by them for some purpose? currently i'm thinking of some sort of shrine that enables some sort of limited scrying/ divination/ foretelling. if it wasn't understood, the villains have no real interest in the artifact itself.

2) what sort of protections should the naga and it's allies have? i am thinking something like the floating citadel mentioned in the Explorer's handbook. but i'd prefer protections that can be used by both the naga forces, and the villains.

3) any other special or interesting allies or resources for the Naga forces? I'm thinking gargoyles (again, modified version as in my link. think gargoyles as protectors of buildings and holy places), and maybe some sort of a healing apparatus. unsure of this though.

4) questions 2 & 3, but for the villains: what protections that have, what resources they have, what unique allies?

5) what sort of missions can the naga send the party for (in case they don't get the idea of working by themselves). the only one i thought was to try and get the help of a small tribe (10-16) stone giants that leave nearby. (the traveling through dangerous area, with the drow following, and conversing with the stone giants ain't easy either)

please, i'm having a DM's block. any help would be appreciated.

Kol Korran
2010-10-16, 02:33 PM
not a reply? anything that i can clarify that might assist you? :smallfrown:

Greenish
2010-10-16, 02:57 PM
1) what is this minor artifact the naga guards? preferably it can't be ultimatey be taken by the players, but maybe it could be used by them for some purpose? currently i'm thinking of some sort of shrine that enables some sort of limited scrying/ divination/ foretelling. if it wasn't understood, the villains have no real interest in the artifact itself.

2) what sort of protections should the naga and it's allies have? i am thinking something like the floating citadel mentioned in the Explorer's handbook. but i'd prefer protections that can be used by both the naga forces, and the villains.

3) any other special or interesting allies or resources for the Naga forces? I'm thinking gargoyles (again, modified version as in my link. think gargoyles as protectors of buildings and holy places), and maybe some sort of a healing apparatus. unsure of this though.

4) questions 2 & 3, but for the villains: what protections that have, what resources they have, what unique allies?

5) what sort of missions can the naga send the party for (in case they don't get the idea of working by themselves). the only one i thought was to try and get the help of a small tribe (10-16) stone giants that leave nearby. (the traveling through dangerous area, with the drow following, and conversing with the stone giants ain't easy either)1: An Eldritch Machine that grants wishes (but every time it grants you a wish, one is also granted to your worst enemy).

2: Long rail-less stairs where anyone who approaches has to be out in the open. Unmarked Reverse Gravity fields. Moving dead magic zones.

3: Ancient, giant-made Warforged (and warforged chargers and titans), who obey the orders of the holder of a mini-McGuffin (and gain free will if said item is destroyed: give a clear indication that it's robbing the sentient warforged of their free will, and watch as the alignment conflict blooms :smallcool:).

4: Undead! More undead! Trees! Swarms (the twisted druid is a child of winter?)! House Vadalis* elite troops with magebred beats!

*What has House Vadalis to do with anything? Well, they're there to puzzle your players!

5: How about not making it a quest? I mean yeah, it's traditional, but…

The players can't take the McGuffin with them - why is the naga guarding it? Does it have a reason to stop the PCs from using it?

not a reply? anything that i can clarify that might assist you? :smallfrown:Everyone is obviously reading your journal, and were scared away by spoilers. :smallwink:

Kalirren
2010-10-16, 03:13 PM
1) Maybe the key isn't an object. Maybe the naga -is- the key? Or some piece of information that the naga knows is the key?

5) How long has the naga -been- there? Maybe it has some obligation or duty to some group of people that don't reside there anymore, (thank you, Traveler's Curse)? Maybe the PCs need to find some scion of its former master(s) to convince it to reveal the key to them?

Kol Korran
2010-10-17, 02:11 PM
1: An Eldritch Machine that grants wishes (but every time it grants you a wish, one is also granted to your worst enemy).
hhmmm... no, i prefer to stay away from wishes, mess the game way too much, but thanks.


2: Long rail-less stairs where anyone who approaches has to be out in the open. Unmarked Reverse Gravity fields. Moving dead magic zones.
i love the idea of the long stairs. will use that if i don't go for the flying citadel idea. the other two seem a bit too high magic and too deadly for what i have in mind. i like to keep random high powered magic effects to areas that fit the bill, like the Mournland. but maybe they could fit here too. i'll think about it.

3: Ancient, giant-made Warforged (and warforged chargers and titans), who obey the orders of the holder of a mini-McGuffin (and gain free will if said item is destroyed: give a clear indication that it's robbing the sentient warforged of their free will, and watch as the alignment conflict blooms :smallcool:).
hmmmm.. i do love the idea of putting ancient warforged in here, give them something to think about. and maybe a sort of an extended complex challenge to fix the controling device or warforged? not too many though, or they'll stomp over the enemies, and will steal the thunder from the PCs. remember, we're dealing with 5th level characters here.


4: Undead! More undead! Trees! Swarms (the twisted druid is a child of winter?)! House Vadalis* elite troops with magebred beats!
Undead are a shoe in with the necromancer cleric. about half of their power is undead, amongstthem quite a few Karrnathi undead. the Druid can't mcuh call on nature's help other than a twisted form of "summon creature" spells. but maybe he can capture and subjugate beasts? magical beasts?


5: How about not making it a quest? I mean yeah, it's traditional, but…
maybe you have a point. focus on the siege. i'll think about this as well. good point.


The players can't take the McGuffin with them - why is the naga guarding it? Does it have a reason to stop the PCs from using it?
if i had a better idea of what the McGuffin was, i could answer your question better. I don't want the players to be able to move it, since then they would take it and run away, and instead of a small siege, we'll run a chase (or not, as you may or may not read later). but so far i think it may be part of the structure (the shrine in my example) or maybe it has some religious or other significance to the half giants or naga guarding it. maybe it can become unstable when moved or something like that. i haven't decided yet. it might be that after the ordeal here, they may be able to move it, or a diminished part of it.

Thanks for the Reply Greenish! you gave me something to think about.

if you do follow the log, know that what follows is a spoiler!


1) Maybe the key isn't an object. Maybe the naga -is- the key? Or some piece of information that the naga knows is the key?

Sshhhh! you're spoiling my surprise. the naga IS the key. the characters are to be duped to think that the object she protect is important enough (the naga herself doesn't suspect the truth), and perhaps at one climactic battle they are divided, finding that the naga is captured and the enemies retreat not caring for the "key".

but i still need something to POSE as the key, and hopefully also be interesting enough, and have interesting options for the players.


5) How long has the naga -been- there? Maybe it has some obligation or duty to some group of people that don't reside there anymore, (thank you, Traveler's Curse)? Maybe the PCs need to find some scion of its former master(s) to convince it to reveal the key to them?
The naga has been there for quite some time, probably decades, as Nagas age slowly, (or not at all in my campaign, but i digress) she was assigned to guard the place by a dragon companion, it is her line of naga's duty to guard the object. the dragon doesn't suspect the naga being the key either, he just knows about a key, and suspect that is what is at stake (the dragon won't get into the picture, yet)

thanks kalliren!