desert help: encounter planning

[killianh]

I need to put together a few encounters for a small stretch of a campaign that will be taking place in the desert, problem is I suck at planning things for the desert. I need:

A hook
1 EL 8
2 EL 7
2 EL 6
3 EL 5

all of which need to be in the desert (or desert oriented). The layout for is like that because with the group I'm running (6 level 6 characters) it will bring them to an even level 7

Any thoughts?

[Andorax]

I'm assuming you have them in (or on the edge of) the desert already? It's awfully hard to come up with a hook without some context (Where are they? Why?).

Available source material would also be of help. I'm going to stay fairly generic here, since I don't know what you have access to, but I am going to presume upon Sandstorm. If that's a no-go, perhaps some of the other suggestions would help. On account of the setup, it probalby won't matter if they're not particularly consistent or compatible.

Anyways, here's an idea that will work either in or out of the desert.


The Oasis of the High Princess Alieana, Most Precious Desert Flower.


PCs are traipsing along, going about their normal business, when a storm approaches on the horizon...boiling up suddenly. Knowledge (nature) 20 suggests it's not a natural storm, while Knowledge (arcana) 25 would reveal that it is an arcane storm...a magical effect travelling on the wind.

The storm swirls towards them...a massive dust cloud roiling across the terrain, and swallows them up. A detect magic aimed at it will reveal a strong conjurative aura just moments before...

...the PCs find themselves in the middle of (possibly another part of) the desert. No sign of the storm anywhere in sight. No familiar landmarks. If this happens in a non-desert setting and they don't recognize the arcane nature of it, they might even suspect (say, if they were travelling across the plains) that the storm just turned their surroundings INTO a desert instead of teleporting them to one.


A short ways in the distance is a small oasis, with a massive silk pavilion in bright, garish colors that clash. Palm trees provide shade, and, oddly enough, there appears to be several carved wooden statues of some sort...also brightly colored, outside of it.


The PC's attention is then taken up by a disturbance in the sand beneath their feet, as a pair of massive Anhkegs rise up from out of the dune they stand on.

Advanced Ankhegs (2) CR 4 / EL 6

N Huge Magical Beast
Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +8, Spot +4
------------------------
AC 19, touch 7, flat-footed 19
hp 67, 73 (6d10+36)
Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +3
------------------------
Spd 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +14 (2d8+15 plus 1d6 acid)
Special Attacks: Improved grab, spit acid
------------------------
Tactics: Each ankheg will focus on a single target, attacking it ravenously until the target is killed. They do not coordinate their efforts, and both fight to the death.
------------------------
Str 30, Dex 8, Con 21, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +6; Grp +24
Feats Alertness, Improved Toughness
Skills Climb +13
------------------------
Improved Grab (Ex): Start a grapple as a free action with a successful bite attack. An ankheg damaged while grappling will burrow back down into the loose sand (treat a PC that gets loose from an ankheg as if they were subsequently buried by an avalanche, see DMG 90).
Spit Acid (Ex): 30-ft line, once every 6 hours, damage 4d6 acid, Reflex DC 18 half. One such attack depletes the ankheg's acid supply for 6 hours. It cannot spit acid or deal acid damage with its bite attack during this time. Ankhegs do not use this ability unless desperate (under 35 hps) or frustrated (fails to grab an opponent after 2 rounds).



Soon after the battle with the Ankhegs, possibly while the PCs are trying to dig out someone dragged under the surface by one of them, they then have to contend with the approach of a Gibbering Mouther (hp 46; MM 126)

Gibbering Mouther (EL 5)



Of course, while the PCs are occupied dealing with the Gibbering Mouther, the corpse(s) of two huge ankhegs are sure to attract attention. Specifically, attention from a pair of Dire Vultures (hp hp 70, 73; SS 152)

Dire Vultures, 2 (EL 5)


As they approach closer to the oasis, a swirling cloud of sand arises from the desert ahead, approaching swiftly. At its center, is a Desert Devil (hp 62 ; SS 147)

Desert Devil (EL 6)


As the dust settles with the death of the desert devil, another cloud approaches, rising up from along the sides of the oasis pond...a cloud of locusts! Locust Swarms (hp 16, 18; MM 239)

Locust Swarms, 2 (EL 5)


Within the oasis itself, the nature of the wooden 'statues' become clear...they're all oversized carved wooden toys. A rocking horse the size of a prize stallion, several life-size 'dolls'.

Hiding among the statuary are two dust mephits (hp 9, 10; MM181) and two salt mephits (hp 16, 23; MM184)

Mephit Mob (EL 7)


The sound of battle (or even just of jeering insults) will attract the attention of a creature that rests just on the other side of the pavilion, and will fly up and over to attack the PCs...a Chimera (hp 77; MM34). The goat head, oddly, has small fancy bows tied around its horns.

Chimera (EL 7)


When they reach the pavilion, they hear a scream coming from within...not of terror as much as of anger (think an 8 year old brat throwing a massive tantrum).

The pavilion is occupied by only two individuals...an 8 year old girl dressed as a little desert princess, in all manner of silks and finery, and a bald scimitar-bearing man who appears to be teasing and tormenting the young lady, sarcastically calling her High Princess Alieana, Most Precious Desert Flower and asking if she is pleased with her fine new kingdom.

Al'fadari, the Efreet (hp 69, MM115, wishes already used up), did not expect that the PCs would find their way through the gauntlet surrounding the oasis, and is thus caught off guard by their approach (having not heard them, with his intentions focused on Alieana, unless they called out from outside). With them here, though, he wastes no time attempting to dispatch them. Alieana isn't sure what to make of it, at first thinking the PCs are desert raiders and yelling at Al'fadari for not "keeping his promise". If reassured, she comes to realize that the PCs are instead here to help her.

Al'fadari the Efreet (EL 8)


In fact, Alieana is the daughter of a goat herder who, though a combination of several unusual circumstances (the telling of which would, in its own right, make a fine tale), happened to obtain the services of an Efreet.

- The young lady wished for her own fine pavilion by an oasis, with lots of toys and pretty things.
- She then, concerned for the safety of her new finery, wished for a host of terrible monsters to defend the oasis from anyone who might come here and steal from her (hence the aforementioned encounters).
- Finally, realizing she was lonely, she wished that she wasn't alone out here anymore...cue the PCs teleporting in (so that's what being on the receiving end of a wish feels like).

Now, of course, she has learned her lesson and just wants to get home safely...home being in the direction the PCs just happened to have been in the first place. She absolutely wants to get away from Al'fadari the "big meanie" and the place of empty promises he made for her.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

This should be unbelievably relevant. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031208x)

[Ramshack]

I'm assuming you have them in (or on the edge of) the desert already? It's awfully hard to come up with a hook without some context (Where are they? Why?).

Available source material would also be of help. I'm going to stay fairly generic here, since I don't know what you have access to, but I am going to presume upon Sandstorm. If that's a no-go, perhaps some of the other suggestions would help. On account of the setup, it probalby won't matter if they're not particularly consistent or compatible.

Anyways, here's an idea that will work either in or out of the desert.


The Oasis of the High Princess Alieana, Most Precious Desert Flower.


PCs are traipsing along, going about their normal business, when a storm approaches on the horizon...boiling up suddenly. Knowledge (nature) 20 suggests it's not a natural storm, while Knowledge (arcana) 25 would reveal that it is an arcane storm...a magical effect travelling on the wind.

The storm swirls towards them...a massive dust cloud roiling across the terrain, and swallows them up. A detect magic aimed at it will reveal a strong conjurative aura just moments before...

...the PCs find themselves in the middle of (possibly another part of) the desert. No sign of the storm anywhere in sight. No familiar landmarks. If this happens in a non-desert setting and they don't recognize the arcane nature of it, they might even suspect (say, if they were travelling across the plains) that the storm just turned their surroundings INTO a desert instead of teleporting them to one.


A short ways in the distance is a small oasis, with a massive silk pavilion in bright, garish colors that clash. Palm trees provide shade, and, oddly enough, there appears to be several carved wooden statues of some sort...also brightly colored, outside of it.


The PC's attention is then taken up by a disturbance in the sand beneath their feet, as a pair of massive Anhkegs rise up from out of the dune they stand on.

Advanced Ankhegs (2) CR 4 / EL 6

N Huge Magical Beast
Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +8, Spot +4
------------------------
AC 19, touch 7, flat-footed 19
hp 67, 73 (6d10+36)
Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +3
------------------------
Spd 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +14 (2d8+15 plus 1d6 acid)
Special Attacks: Improved grab, spit acid
------------------------
Tactics: Each ankheg will focus on a single target, attacking it ravenously until the target is killed. They do not coordinate their efforts, and both fight to the death.
------------------------
Str 30, Dex 8, Con 21, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +6; Grp +24
Feats Alertness, Improved Toughness
Skills Climb +13
------------------------
Improved Grab (Ex): Start a grapple as a free action with a successful bite attack. An ankheg damaged while grappling will burrow back down into the loose sand (treat a PC that gets loose from an ankheg as if they were subsequently buried by an avalanche, see DMG 90).
Spit Acid (Ex): 30-ft line, once every 6 hours, damage 4d6 acid, Reflex DC 18 half. One such attack depletes the ankheg's acid supply for 6 hours. It cannot spit acid or deal acid damage with its bite attack during this time. Ankhegs do not use this ability unless desperate (under 35 hps) or frustrated (fails to grab an opponent after 2 rounds).



Soon after the battle with the Ankhegs, possibly while the PCs are trying to dig out someone dragged under the surface by one of them, they then have to contend with the approach of a Gibbering Mouther (hp 46; MM 126)

Gibbering Mouther (EL 5)



Of course, while the PCs are occupied dealing with the Gibbering Mouther, the corpse(s) of two huge ankhegs are sure to attract attention. Specifically, attention from a pair of Dire Vultures (hp hp 70, 73; SS 152)

Dire Vultures, 2 (EL 5)


As they approach closer to the oasis, a swirling cloud of sand arises from the desert ahead, approaching swiftly. At its center, is a Desert Devil (hp 62 ; SS 147)

Desert Devil (EL 6)


As the dust settles with the death of the desert devil, another cloud approaches, rising up from along the sides of the oasis pond...a cloud of locusts! Locust Swarms (hp 16, 18; MM 239)

Locust Swarms, 2 (EL 5)


Within the oasis itself, the nature of the wooden 'statues' become clear...they're all oversized carved wooden toys. A rocking horse the size of a prize stallion, several life-size 'dolls'.

Hiding among the statuary are two dust mephits (hp 9, 10; MM181) and two salt mephits (hp 16, 23; MM184)

Mephit Mob (EL 7)


The sound of battle (or even just of jeering insults) will attract the attention of a creature that rests just on the other side of the pavilion, and will fly up and over to attack the PCs...a Chimera (hp 77; MM34). The goat head, oddly, has small fancy bows tied around its horns.

Chimera (EL 7)


When they reach the pavilion, they hear a scream coming from within...not of terror as much as of anger (think an 8 year old brat throwing a massive tantrum).

The pavilion is occupied by only two individuals...an 8 year old girl dressed as a little desert princess, in all manner of silks and finery, and a bald scimitar-bearing man who appears to be teasing and tormenting the young lady, sarcastically calling her High Princess Alieana, Most Precious Desert Flower and asking if she is pleased with her fine new kingdom.

Al'fadari, the Efreet (hp 69, MM115, wishes already used up), did not expect that the PCs would find their way through the gauntlet surrounding the oasis, and is thus caught off guard by their approach (having not heard them, with his intentions focused on Alieana, unless they called out from outside). With them here, though, he wastes no time attempting to dispatch them. Alieana isn't sure what to make of it, at first thinking the PCs are desert raiders and yelling at Al'fadari for not "keeping his promise". If reassured, she comes to realize that the PCs are instead here to help her.

Al'fadari the Efreet (EL 8)


In fact, Alieana is the daughter of a goat herder who, though a combination of several unusual circumstances (the telling of which would, in its own right, make a fine tale), happened to obtain the services of an Efreet.

- The young lady wished for her own fine pavilion by an oasis, with lots of toys and pretty things.
- She then, concerned for the safety of her new finery, wished for a host of terrible monsters to defend the oasis from anyone who might come here and steal from her (hence the aforementioned encounters).
- Finally, realizing she was lonely, she wished that she wasn't alone out here anymore...cue the PCs teleporting in (so that's what being on the receiving end of a wish feels like).

Now, of course, she has learned her lesson and just wants to get home safely...home being in the direction the PCs just happened to have been in the first place. She absolutely wants to get away from Al'fadari the "big meanie" and the place of empty promises he made for her.


Quiet brilliant. I may just have to use this same time lol.

[Andorax]

Quiet brilliant. I may just have to use this same time lol.

Please feel free. In fact, I rather hope we get a few more posts in here, and have the makings for a whole mid-level desert campaign arc to those interested.