SangoProduction
2015-02-27, 12:43 AM
Foreknowledge: These wizards will be leveling relatively quickly, and the challenges should last about 1.5 hours at longest (ignoring player incompetence), as that is the length of our sessions. They are all wizards, so they can do stuff that a regular group just couldn't (like covering every spell in the phb, and have at least one use for every situation). Combat is second priority. Interesting puzzles or challenges are higher. Oh, did I forget to mention that the area that the campaign takes place in is an area linked to the plane of chaos?
What I'm asking for: Reviews/suggestions for what I already have. Other cool and interesting ideas (don't even need to be fully formed, just the basic idea). Some ideas for resources the players could get their hands on to learn about the challenge before confronting it could be nice.
For the first challenge: They will be in a courtyard which will be filled with small fire elementals in the shape of gigantic fire ants, and have all the quirks associated with fire ants. They also are extremely single-minded as a whole, focusing the entirety of the small group (compared to ant colonies) of fire ants on their first target (whatever they sense first). As well, they are deterred by cold, and attracted to heat that isn't from the elementals. Damaging these ants does nothing, as the players have been warned.
In this courtyard, there are 2 platforms, 80 feet across from each other. These will be free of the fire ants at all times. The players will start on one, and on the other lies the set of keys that each of them must obtain. In the same platform as the keys, there's a statue of a minotaur.
It has fiery rubies for eyes (symbolic of evocation). Turquoise skull cap (for divination). I don't know what would be appropriate for illusion, abjuration, and necromancy. Perhaps a mirror shield for illusion/abjuration, and an obsidian bone (wielded as a club) for necromancy. I also don't know what exactly I'm going to do with it exactly. I might have it animate if they solved it too quickly, or I might just have a part of it light up when the associated characters nab their keys just to freak them out.
Do you guys have any better ideas for this, particularly with regards to the minotaur?
For the second: (after which, the game will become much more open, so general ideas are needed from this point on) During a caravan trip to deliver food to a town, a chaos storm erupts and creates 3 tornadoes that go around the town, inexplicably (at least until the PCs find more out). Their goal is to complete the delivery and get out without harm, and without losing the food. I figure there would be multiple ways of defeating this challenge, but I kind of feel like the illusionist and necromancer might feel a bit left out (especially if they stuck to their specialization, as I encouraged, though didn't rule).
I can't really think of a way to make an illusionist very relevant to this, as these are mindless tornadoes, same with necromancy. Any ideas as to how to make those 2 relevant in this challenge?
For the rest that I nabbed from one of my previous campaigns (not with this group): A couple of logic puzzles, such as a maze with a clue somewhere along the lines "the right side will guide the way" and stepping of the safe areas would result in a minor shock (increasing in intensity the longer they are off the path). The safe areas would be to the right side of angel statues scattered around the room. There would also be a row of demon statues on the right and left side of the room just to screw with the initial logic of the clue.
As well as a puzzle where the clue is "arrange the squares to get across". With a table that looks like the room it is in. From this table, they can move ..7 platforms I think. The lake they are trying to get across is the width of the 7 platforms. However, the area across the lake has a semi-transparent wall that prevents teleportation, that is only opened if the puzzle is solved (which made for a hilarious Windex commercial last time it was used and the druid shape shifted into a crow). As well, the lake's water level rises with each movement of these platforms, and it's full of piranhas just because. The platforms also flip violently if they aren't in the correct pattern, and someone stands on them (with all feet). Unlike what you'd think at first, you actually need to arrange the squares into "a cross" instead of anything else. At which point, the invisible wall drops, and covers the lake allowing free passage. (Possible to change it so that the water level drops every time a platform's been flipped, if your party can't figure it out in enough moves.)
From replies
FightStyles The party walks up to a door inscribed with Silent Image+Silent Image+True Strike+Crown of Madness. *I am unsure of the actual use of these spells so bear with me*
They walk inside and they immediately realize they are in a theater. All of the chairs are empty and the curtains are closed. The curtains won't open completely, however, the players are allowed behind to the stage. Once back, they see a golden door and above it the words "Et tu, Brute?" on the lower portion of a plaque with two other empty spots. The door is locked by magical means and cannot be dispelled. Once any of the PCs look back to the chairs, the room is now filled with ghostly people dressed fancy and all in their seats. The PCs are then grabbed by magical restraints pulling them backstage, leaving their hands free but no effort will release them. Then, the curtains open as an anonymous announcer beckons, "Let the show begin!". The characters are suppose to work together to form the scene of Brutus murdering Ceasar using the combo effect of the spells, Silent Image=Caesar, Silent Image=Brutus, True Strike on Brutus, Crown of Madness on Caesar. If they get it right, the crowd cheers, throwing treasures on stage (loot). If not, they throw fruit and vegetables which end up being creatures they must defeat (blights). Once defeated, they hear a ding coming from above the door and see now the description "The death of Caesar" on the upper portion of the plaque. Once again they must try to form the scene. Same succes and failure, except less treasure from the succes and harder monsters from the failure. Then another ding, but this time a picture of the scene shows on the plaque in the remaining blank spot. Success is even less, failure is hardest yet (probably deafeating Caesar himself who must be stabbed in the back to be defeated). Once defeated, the door unlocks.
What I'm asking for: Reviews/suggestions for what I already have. Other cool and interesting ideas (don't even need to be fully formed, just the basic idea). Some ideas for resources the players could get their hands on to learn about the challenge before confronting it could be nice.
For the first challenge: They will be in a courtyard which will be filled with small fire elementals in the shape of gigantic fire ants, and have all the quirks associated with fire ants. They also are extremely single-minded as a whole, focusing the entirety of the small group (compared to ant colonies) of fire ants on their first target (whatever they sense first). As well, they are deterred by cold, and attracted to heat that isn't from the elementals. Damaging these ants does nothing, as the players have been warned.
In this courtyard, there are 2 platforms, 80 feet across from each other. These will be free of the fire ants at all times. The players will start on one, and on the other lies the set of keys that each of them must obtain. In the same platform as the keys, there's a statue of a minotaur.
It has fiery rubies for eyes (symbolic of evocation). Turquoise skull cap (for divination). I don't know what would be appropriate for illusion, abjuration, and necromancy. Perhaps a mirror shield for illusion/abjuration, and an obsidian bone (wielded as a club) for necromancy. I also don't know what exactly I'm going to do with it exactly. I might have it animate if they solved it too quickly, or I might just have a part of it light up when the associated characters nab their keys just to freak them out.
Do you guys have any better ideas for this, particularly with regards to the minotaur?
For the second: (after which, the game will become much more open, so general ideas are needed from this point on) During a caravan trip to deliver food to a town, a chaos storm erupts and creates 3 tornadoes that go around the town, inexplicably (at least until the PCs find more out). Their goal is to complete the delivery and get out without harm, and without losing the food. I figure there would be multiple ways of defeating this challenge, but I kind of feel like the illusionist and necromancer might feel a bit left out (especially if they stuck to their specialization, as I encouraged, though didn't rule).
I can't really think of a way to make an illusionist very relevant to this, as these are mindless tornadoes, same with necromancy. Any ideas as to how to make those 2 relevant in this challenge?
For the rest that I nabbed from one of my previous campaigns (not with this group): A couple of logic puzzles, such as a maze with a clue somewhere along the lines "the right side will guide the way" and stepping of the safe areas would result in a minor shock (increasing in intensity the longer they are off the path). The safe areas would be to the right side of angel statues scattered around the room. There would also be a row of demon statues on the right and left side of the room just to screw with the initial logic of the clue.
As well as a puzzle where the clue is "arrange the squares to get across". With a table that looks like the room it is in. From this table, they can move ..7 platforms I think. The lake they are trying to get across is the width of the 7 platforms. However, the area across the lake has a semi-transparent wall that prevents teleportation, that is only opened if the puzzle is solved (which made for a hilarious Windex commercial last time it was used and the druid shape shifted into a crow). As well, the lake's water level rises with each movement of these platforms, and it's full of piranhas just because. The platforms also flip violently if they aren't in the correct pattern, and someone stands on them (with all feet). Unlike what you'd think at first, you actually need to arrange the squares into "a cross" instead of anything else. At which point, the invisible wall drops, and covers the lake allowing free passage. (Possible to change it so that the water level drops every time a platform's been flipped, if your party can't figure it out in enough moves.)
From replies
FightStyles The party walks up to a door inscribed with Silent Image+Silent Image+True Strike+Crown of Madness. *I am unsure of the actual use of these spells so bear with me*
They walk inside and they immediately realize they are in a theater. All of the chairs are empty and the curtains are closed. The curtains won't open completely, however, the players are allowed behind to the stage. Once back, they see a golden door and above it the words "Et tu, Brute?" on the lower portion of a plaque with two other empty spots. The door is locked by magical means and cannot be dispelled. Once any of the PCs look back to the chairs, the room is now filled with ghostly people dressed fancy and all in their seats. The PCs are then grabbed by magical restraints pulling them backstage, leaving their hands free but no effort will release them. Then, the curtains open as an anonymous announcer beckons, "Let the show begin!". The characters are suppose to work together to form the scene of Brutus murdering Ceasar using the combo effect of the spells, Silent Image=Caesar, Silent Image=Brutus, True Strike on Brutus, Crown of Madness on Caesar. If they get it right, the crowd cheers, throwing treasures on stage (loot). If not, they throw fruit and vegetables which end up being creatures they must defeat (blights). Once defeated, they hear a ding coming from above the door and see now the description "The death of Caesar" on the upper portion of the plaque. Once again they must try to form the scene. Same succes and failure, except less treasure from the succes and harder monsters from the failure. Then another ding, but this time a picture of the scene shows on the plaque in the remaining blank spot. Success is even less, failure is hardest yet (probably deafeating Caesar himself who must be stabbed in the back to be defeated). Once defeated, the door unlocks.