Designing a high level dungeon [3.5]

[Adam...?]

So I've been DMing this campaign, and I think it's time to run the next segment as a good old fashioned dungeon crawl. Unfortunately, the PCs are now around level 15, and this is my first time dealing with such a high level group. Now, I've designed my fair share of low level dungeons, but I don't think I quite get this high level stuff stuff yet. I was hoping I could tap you guys for some ideas.

Background info: the PCs are hunting down some powerful artifact. Long ago, it was used by an epic dwarven hero. Before he died, he expended his vast magical power to turn his tomb into well-fortified resting place, in order to ensure that the next wielder of the artifact is a worthy successor. I was thinking of using mostly constructs and summoned creatures for combats, and use traps that would force the PCs to use teamwork and prove their good intentions.

The only issue is, I really don't have any idea how to pull this off. I'm apparently really bad at designing dungeon encounters that can't be trivialized by using simple spells like fly or dimension door.

Random thoughts:
-I'd like to use at least one golem here. Yeah, about half the party would be nearly useless in combat against it, but I think that makes it a good candidate for a hybrid combat/trap encounter. Any thoughts on something important the rogue, monk, and magic-types could do to help the fight? Stop the slow death trap? Smash the crystals powering the golem?
-I like the idea of some sort of trial involving a summoned planetar, but I can't really think of any specifics.
-Are antimagic fields fair game? I feel that could be interesting in combination with something else.
-I'd like to have at least a few interesting encounters planned. Help?

[Deathra13]

Antimagic is the fastest way to avoid trivialized encounters. However flight is easy to overcome go with something big in a small room. Low cieling and tall monster. Dimension Door I believe can be countered using a trick from the tomb of horrors I think it was called. Have a massive supply of demons on the ethereal plane or wherever those kinds of spells use cant remember atm.

For the trap/golem thing, I reccomend going with something that is healing the golem during the encounter that can be shut down. There are other ways but thats the easiest I can come up with.

As for the Planetar Id have to look up details but I will definitely be back with more.

One final thought on the travel spell issue, an extended duration dimensional anchor might work not sure.

[Kasbark]

Make an encounter with a high-powered iron golem. Make it in a room with lots of hazards that the golem can ignore, but the players can't.
Add in a bunch of power crystals, that can be either disabled with Disable Device, Use Magice Device or Knowledge: Arcane, or destroyed by dealing lots of damage to them. Each crystal destroyed then weakens the golem untill it's killable.

The party should then all have something to do - disable/destroy power crystals, tank or kite the golem, og damage the golem depending on what they think they are best at.


Antimagic fields are completly fair game - if an entire area/encounter is inside an antimagic field however, you need to provide the wizard something else do to!