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View Full Version : Stranded at level 3 - too soon?



ILM
2011-11-23, 04:35 AM
Usual disclaimer: if you live in Paris and are level 3, GTFO. :smallsmile:




So I have this opportunity, in my campaign, to get my party stranded on the Plane of Shadows. They'd basically get sucked in, so to speak, and would stay there for a couple of sessions, side-questing for an exit. At level 3, they have no means of extradimensional travel, so basically I'd need to cook up a quest that makes sense and culminates in some kind of way of getting back. My question is: is level 3 too soon? Should I rather hold back on the idea until they're a bit higher level so they can face different challenges?

Also: does anyone have an idea for a quest that lets them find a way out? I have plenty of deux ex machina available but I'd rather avoid one of those, and having them quest for a scroll sounds kind of 'meh'.

Reluctance
2011-11-23, 04:59 AM
If you don't have anything set in stone, it's a popular trope that there are certain times when the lands of the living and the dead draw near to each other. Whatever toy got them to the shadow side only has enough juice left to punch back through if they get to a suitable location by one of those times. Ideally you'd have a temple to a neutral death god, a large and important graveyard, and one other appropriate site all introduced before you kick them over.

You'll have to be careful with monsters, since most planar monsters are balanced on the assumption that you have to be high level to get there. Shadowy versions of material threats should be simple enough, and players shouldn't be upset if you fluff them well enough.

GodGoblin
2011-11-23, 06:59 AM
Look up the Diabolus race from Dragon Compendium- purple skinned, horned and hooved shadow plane denziens. They look pretty awesome and are only LA+0, could drop the PCs into a city of them or something, if not then its a lower level threat to use :smallsmile:

ILM
2011-11-23, 08:08 AM
If you don't have anything set in stone, it's a popular trope that there are certain times when the lands of the living and the dead draw near to each other. Whatever toy got them to the shadow side only has enough juice left to punch back through if they get to a suitable location by one of those times. Ideally you'd have a temple to a neutral death god, a large and important graveyard, and one other appropriate site all introduced before you kick them over.
How do I let them know where to go, though? I'd like to keep the Plane of Shadow as a dark and alien mirror of the Material Plane, so having denizens come up and say 'hey you guys, you can probably get out over there' doesn't really fit the atmosphere, nor does their mysteriously finding a text with that information.

GodGoblin
2011-11-23, 08:15 AM
How do I let them know where to go, though? I'd like to keep the Plane of Shadow as a dark and alien mirror of the Material Plane, so having denizens come up and say 'hey you guys, you can probably get out over there' doesn't really fit the atmosphere, nor does their mysteriously finding a text with that information.

The denziens could still be untrusting and even downright aggressive, they probably wouldnt speak Common either. That could all help it feel wrong and alien, then towards the end they may find someone/thing that helps them off the plane.

Or my favorite way to have people taken off a plane is SUDDENLY GITHYANKI PIRATES!!!

bloodtide
2011-11-23, 10:49 AM
How do I let them know where to go, though? I'd like to keep the Plane of Shadow as a dark and alien mirror of the Material Plane, so having denizens come up and say 'hey you guys, you can probably get out over there' doesn't really fit the atmosphere, nor does their mysteriously finding a text with that information.

3rd level is fine for this. After all, another couple levels and some players won't even play the game anymore(''The vortex sucks you into the Plane of Shadow, where your lost and trapped------''We can't plane shift and go home'' end of adventure)

To let them know where to go:

1.Visual clue. Have something like a bright light on top of a mountain. The bright light is, of course, the portal back to the real world.

2.Have some 'shadow raiders', that jump to the real world to loot. The character can join or just follow them.

3.Let the characters make a 'deal with a shadow devil', they help out and get a ticket home.

ILM
2011-11-23, 11:41 AM
3rd level is fine for this. After all, another couple levels and some players won't even play the game anymore(''The vortex sucks you into the Plane of Shadow, where your lost and trapped------''We can't plane shift and go home'' end of adventure)

To let them know where to go:

1.Visual clue. Have something like a bright light on top of a mountain. The bright light is, of course, the portal back to the real world.

2.Have some 'shadow raiders', that jump to the real world to loot. The character can join or just follow them.

3.Let the characters make a 'deal with a shadow devil', they help out and get a ticket home.
Oooh, I really like... well, all three, really. Thanks so much! :smallsmile:

Mastikator
2011-11-23, 12:09 PM
One thing that may be relevant depending on how much realism you are applying: Is there any food and water available in the plane of shadow that is consumable by mortal beings? Considering that you can phase through objects in the plane of shadow (right?) it probably doesn't interact with you in the same way normal matter does, so if you try to eat anything from the plane of shadow it should pass through you.
Being stuck in the plane without LOTS of food and especially water could be lethal for them, in a way that isn't a fun challenge (especially since it's not even their fault they're stuck in the plane of shadow).

If not then it's fine.

ILM
2011-11-23, 12:52 PM
One thing that may be relevant depending on how much realism you are applying: Is there any food and water available in the plane of shadow that is consumable by mortal beings? Considering that you can phase through objects in the plane of shadow (right?) it probably doesn't interact with you in the same way normal matter does, so if you try to eat anything from the plane of shadow it should pass through you.
Being stuck in the plane without LOTS of food and especially water could be lethal for them, in a way that isn't a fun challenge (especially since it's not even their fault they're stuck in the plane of shadow).

If not then it's fine.
True; it's quite a new group (new to D&D, I mean) so I don't think I'll be too harsh on them regarding supplies just yet; plus I don't intend them to stay very long in there, a couple days should be enough to get out (unless they decide otherwise, but that's on them). In contrast, considering the entire campaign so far has been built around it being constantly night all of a sudden, I fully intend to make them suffer for not once thinking about getting reliable sources of light last time they were in town. I've been emphasizing the point every chance I got and dropped god knows how many hints ("nah, I think I've got enough torches" said one of them to my not-so-subtle invitation to hunt for lanterns or whatever magical means of illumination - and let's not talk about the caster, who's so busy grabbing all the cookie-cutter spells he completely glossed over Light, Continual Flame or Ebon Eyes). Now it's time to learn the hard way...

The Glyphstone
2011-11-23, 12:55 PM
One thing that may be relevant depending on how much realism you are applying: Is there any food and water available in the plane of shadow that is consumable by mortal beings? Considering that you can phase through objects in the plane of shadow (right?) it probably doesn't interact with you in the same way normal matter does, so if you try to eat anything from the plane of shadow it should pass through you.
Being stuck in the plane without LOTS of food and especially water could be lethal for them, in a way that isn't a fun challenge (especially since it's not even their fault they're stuck in the plane of shadow).

If not then it's fine.

You're thinking of the Ethereal Plane. Shadowstuff is 'real' to material beings, it's why Illusion spells with the [Shadow] descriptor can hurt you.

bloodtide
2011-11-23, 01:32 PM
One thing that may be relevant depending on how much realism you are applying: Is there any food and water available in the plane of shadow that is consumable by mortal beings?


I'd like to keep the Plane of Shadow as a dark and alien mirror of the Material Plane,

Well....of course mortal beings can eat shadowstuff food..mummahahh. But what effect does that have on them..well it could be anything. You could go with the simple 'shadow food is 1/10th real food', so they would need to eat 10 meals to equal one. You could have shadow food make each character's own shadow stronger or such. You could give each character an effect from the shadow food, as if the food was a potion..so they could cast a 1st level shadow effect or such...and get a draw back too.

And you could always have 'real' food on the shadow plane too...after all that is one of the things they go out and raid for...

PetterTomBos
2011-11-23, 01:57 PM
You could play it sort of like "the walking dead". The inhabitants don't care all that much for the players, but if they pick a fight they'd better know what they are doing.. If one player falls, however, that is a free pass out for the others...

nedz
2011-11-23, 04:44 PM
You could go for the mystereous door which just opens into a dark alley; either no obvious or useful way back.
If thats a but DexM for you, you could have them encounter a shadowy figure who scurries off, leading them to it.
Another option in the same vien would be to have a mid level Wiz/Sorc cast Shadow Door and appear near them. After chatting with him a bit they can return into a mid level fight - which hopefully they will run away from.

Another option is to have them encounter some shadow creatures whose bite is poisonous to the extent that if they fail the save they get returned. Of course you have to keep the actual damage low, as it may take several goes. Bonus points if they don't get to find out that this is the effect: their friends just fail the save and disappear.

A third option would be to run some Fey type encounter, which leads them through some strange paths back to the real world. This could be very cool - if you like this sort of thing, though not every one does.