Need some good "guardian" monsters for a treasure vault (4th lvl group)

[Dralnu]

Backstory:
Rune's Hollow used to be the headquarters of the Thunderaxe clan, wild dwarves running a profitable business in the mountain ranges of Chult. Their treasure vault was stored safely here, a gathering of untold riches, with a powerful artifact called the Myststone as the cherry on top. Rumored to be a fragment of the dead goddess of magic, Mystryl, the Myststone had the power to imbue mundane items with magic, and is said to have been the superior prototype to the mythallar constructs and the Spellforge in Phandelver. These priceless treasures were hidden away in a secret section of Rune's Hollow, protected by vicious guardians to ensure the clan's treasures remain safe.

During the events of the Spellplague, massive earthquakes caused Rune's Hollow to cave-in, and blue flame flared up deep within the mountain, incinerating nearly all the inhabitants. The survivors fled for their lives. Hundreds of years later, when the calamities of the Spellplague finally settled down, kobolds now inhabit the ruins of Rune's Hollow. However, the treasure vault -- and its guardians -- remain hidden and intact.

I'm looking to build a sweet encounter for four characters of 4th level. I need some guardian(s) that will protect an ancient dwarven treasure vault. The dwarves would've spared no expense to keep their treasure safe. Any suggestions for what could be suitable guardian(s) would be greatly appreciated as my brain is currently running blank!

[PracticalM]

Some ideas.

Monsters that don't need to be maintained
Earth Elementals
Earth and Salt Mephits
some type of archon
some kind of statue guardian using gargoyle as a basis
some types of oozes (especially if contained)
xorn

Might be too powerful

Some type of Sphinx
Lammasu
stone golem
shield guardians
naga?

[B]Would need some kind of maintenance
Blink Dogs
smaller Hydra
shocker lizards and a lot of metal strips on the floor to carry some shocks

Traps that separate or confuse party
rotating rooms or corridors that are hard to detect
Sliding walls that can separate the party
mazes with subtle elevation changes so the party maps look like they cross but they don't
traps that summon monsters (especially fun if there are multiple traps that summon monsters and the party moves around and starts triggering too many)

Monsters that might have moved in after the builders left
Rust Monsters (hanging around the dwarven metal works)
spiders
harpy nest
undead looking for a safe place to hide
umber hulk

[Dralnu]

Fantastic suggestions, thank you! I also love the inclusion of traps, they make battles far more interesting when there's an environmental dynamic to it.

[DrLemniscate]

Since the theme is a huge treasure room, you could include cursed treasure relatively close to the entrance.

There are some ideas for entertaining cursed items here (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/cursed-items), just scroll down a bit.

[beforemath]

From Horde of the Dragon Queen online suppliment:

Helmed Horror (Challenge 4)
Rug of Smothering (Challenge 2)

From the DM D&D Basic Rules PDF:

Animated Armor (challenge 2)
Flying Sword (Challenge 1/4)



Encounter Suggestions:

The characters spring a trap! A large section of the wall with an intriguing mosaic (Rug of Smothering) detaches and attempts to wrap around and crush a character. Two whirling spiked spheres (Flying Swords) drop from holes in the ceiling and attack, to make matters worse.

Two broad dwarves made entirely out of a dark metal (Animated Armor) guard a room. They have silver spheres (Flying Sword) inset in their chests, which detach, pop out spikes, and whirl through the air menacingly.

A great set of dwarven armor with a large shield and stern metal dwarven face (Helmed Horror) reacts to the party's presence. It points at them silently, with a clear message for them to leave. It draws a black metal sword indicating that it will force them to leave, if need be.


You could probably also change some giant vermin (scorpion, spider, centepede) into robo-vermin, if that fits your dungeon thematically.

[Mr.Moron]

Maybe the treasure could guard itself. The final monster being an enchanted object or environmental effect that brings it to life, a sort of coin construct. Attacking it directly can destroy it, but risks damaging the treasure.

You either have to deal with the environmental effect (runes on the wall, other smaller monsters, whatever) or attack weak point that's harder to harm or needs more specific tools, to take it down and still get all the booty intact.

[INDYSTAR188]

I had my characters fight in a treasure vault and it had piles of treasure so high that enemies and players could be knocked into them and then covered by gold and gems. They would take damage at the start of each turn and were restrained.

[Composer99]

Maybe the treasure could guard itself. The final monster being an enchanted object or environmental effect that brings it to life, a sort of coin construct. Attacking it directly can destroy it, but risks damaging the treasure.

You either have to deal with the environmental effect (runes on the wall, other smaller monsters, whatever) or attack weak point that's harder to harm or needs more specific tools, to take it down and still get all the booty intact.

Kind of like this fellow (http://www.d20monkey.com/2014/08/12/dungeon-run-the-hoard/), perhaps.

[Mr.Moron]

Kind of like this fellow (http://www.d20monkey.com/2014/08/12/dungeon-run-the-hoard/), perhaps.

Yeah, that's roughly the idea. I mean maybe not that big..and..dragony for a 4th level party, but that's the sort of thing I was thinking of.

[CyberThread]

How about an earth elemental stats made out of the rooms gold coins. You want the treasure? Then go kill the treasure.

[Inevitability]

How about a dwarf ghost? If so many died, it is only logical to assume a couple of dwarves came back from the dead to guard the treasure. It could also make for some nice roleplaying, especially if the ghost isn't evil (and may even be helpful) but just doesn't want people to take the treasure.

[Logosloki]

Two tiny white dragons (look for a resource called the sunless citadel for the stat block and change as needed to fit with 5th ed). They are curled up in niches looking intently at a chest that is in an alcove, they are under a flesh to stone spell that dispels when the chest is [mechanism for triggering something on the chest or around it].

You could go ahead and make a stepping stone puzzle here and award the party xp if they can figure out the puzzle for some variety. Or you put a giant gold egg there, int check to notice it is Iron Pyrite instead of gold or some other check you can think of. It means you can describe some nice backdrop for an alcove, you could put a puzzle there so that if they are low on resources they can solve that instead and they wont suspect flesh to stoned beings (if you can play it cool), they'll be thinking undead, constructs or something else that doesn't need to eat.

[Inevitability]

[QUOTE=Logosloki;18103574]Two tiny white dragons (look for a resource called the sunless citadel for the stat block and change as needed to fit with 5th ed)./QUOTE]

I don't think homebrewed monsters is something the OP is asking for.

[Logosloki]

Two tiny white dragons (look for a resource called the sunless citadel for the stat block and change as needed to fit with 5th ed).

I don't think homebrewed monsters is something the OP is asking for.

I said change to fit as needed but looking at both the sunless citadel (cr1) and the PRD (cr2) neither needs any significant changes to be brought in, in fact they are probably on the weak side.

The only change that is needed to make an action category such as this:

Actions
Multiattack - The dragon makes three attacks one with her bite and two with her claws

Bite - melee weapon attack +4 to hit, 10ft reach. Hit one target 1d4 piercing damage.

Claw - melee weapon attack +4 to hit, 5ft reach. Hit one target 1d3 slashing damage.

Cold Breath (recharge 5-6)- The dragon exhales in cold in a 30ft line that is 5ft wide. Each in the line must make a DC11 dexterity save taking 2d4 cold damage on a failed save or half that if successful.

[Beige]

related to the aforementioned treasure elemental, howsabout some animated armour and weapons? always a fun fight and one of the hardets guardians to spot :smallbiggrin: