Newbie DM with silly question (D&D 3.5)

[Redshark]

Hi everyone and Hail from Portugal
Sorry in advanced for any gramatical errors

So, I'm a newbie trying to dm and I want to create a scenario where my players will be hit by an avalanche. This avalanche will lead them to discover the entrance for a long lost temple. I wanted to know how would you experienced dungeon masters do this.
As I picture it in my mind, for example, I guess there's a chance for them to drop (and forever lose) their weapons, shields etc. So...shall I make them make a save, a check, or what?
Also, I'd love to read any cool ideas you might have for this kind of scenario

Thank you all oh great masters of the realms

[Kol Korran]

i would perhaps have them roll some spot/ listen checks to notice the avalanache (how hard you want to make it depends on you, but from some point onwards it should be damn obvious). then allow them 1- a few rounds to try and evade it's terrotory, or seek/ create cover. if they are still in it's path when it hits, and they have no special cover (bit rock, ledge and so on), then... i think a reflex save is in order for some damage. i don't think they'll lose weapons and such, D&D often doesn't go to that much detail.

if you do wish there to be a chance to lose equipment, ask yourself- how will the game's fun be served in doing so?

that's my opinion at least.

[Malak'ai]

Spot and listen checks are a certainty. Avalanches are large and noisy, VERY unlikely that anyone on the same mountain as one would miss it.
Also reflex saves for damage is also a good idea, as is the risk of them being trapped leading to fort saves against crushing damage/suffercation.
I wouldn't advice having the PC's lose equipment, escpecially if it's not just the basic equipment eg. Masterwork or Magical, they've generally gone to some length to gain the gold to purchase it.

[Pilo]

If you want them to loose some equipement, there is kind of rules for that.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#automaticFailuresandSuccesses

You may inspire yourself from it, even make the check harder regarding of the lost of item (in place of natural 1 chance, maybe you may extend it to people who fail their save by 5 or more against the avalanche).

[hewhosaysfish]

Here's the SRD entry for avalanches (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#avalanchesCr7) to give you a starting point to work from.

Do note that this is CR 7 so you're going to want to scale it down for a party that's more than a couple of levels below 7th.

I'm not sure about making the party lose gear - hitting the PCs in the wallet generally goes over worse actually hitting hitting them (because HP damage can be healed). It can work if the PCs feel that the loss was a result of a risk they chose to take but with an avalanche the only "choice" is to not go into the mountains in the first place (i.e. not go on the adventure at all).

[Redshark]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I shall explain myself better…I WILL HIT THEM with the avalanche but not very hard. I want them to get the feeling of “Oh crap, we’re screwed”, but this apparently bad luck will slide them to the entrance of the lost temple (that they are looking for by the way). I agree with you about losing their main weapons, after reading your posts, that does sound very harsh, but can/should I do something to difficult the rest of their journey? Like, cut them off from returning to the nearest village without their sherpas thus forcing them to enter the temple, etc? Or shall I just make them do the saves you both mentioned and make them discover the temple entrance in other fashion and/or maybe forget about the avalanche thing at all?

If it helps, they are level 8, a cleric of Pelor, a gestalt Wu Jen/Ranger and a Half-Orc Barbarian.

Thanks for your wisdom and patience

[Malak'ai]

I'd advise scaling the avalanche back to say CR 5 or 6, still enough to hurt them, but not enough to cripple them.
Have the snow block the trail they have just used but also have it uncover the Temple entrance as well as opening a previously blocked mountain pass so they have the option of exploring that as well as the Temple.
I still advise against having them lose equipment, but thats entirely up to you.

[King Atticus]

Spot and listen checks are a certainty. Avalanches are large and noisy, VERY unlikely that anyone on the same mountain as one would miss it.

This is a good idea. They would hear it long before they see it however. I would probably also throw in a Knowledge check to see if they know what that rumbling is that is growing ever louder. It adds a little drama to the situation if they catch on slowly.


Have the snow block the trail they have just used but also have it uncover the Temple entrance as well as opening a previously blocked mountain pass so they have the option of exploring that as well as the Temple.

I would make sure that you do implement this. Even though this has the potential to be a really cinimatically impressive situation it's also kind of a train tracking device to get them to be exactly where you want them. So making sure your players have other options as well as your intended result will keep it fresh for them and they'll have more fun since they know that their decisions are still impacting the game. It will also open up new areas for you for random encounters and other plot hooks that will come from them having to go around 'the other side of the mountain' since the pass they used to get there is now buried under a hundred feet of snow.