Old keep in the forest

[Daddison]

Hey everyone,

Would you guys take a look at this scenario and tell me what you think? Maybe toss some good ideas my way...

I have 6 PCs (ECL 6) that are on the edge of a big clearing in a massive forest, staring at an old ruined keep. The clearing is there because of a nasty horrid wilting/curse that was cast on the land surrounding the keep, decades ago. Inside the keep resides a necromancer of Nerull. His defenses are bolstered by a large host of Orcs (more like Uruks) as well as a sizeable regiment of human fighters, etc.

To put it in a nutshell, the linear timeline is for them to get into the keep, kill the necromancer (or chase him off at least) and find a link to the tunnels below, which will lead to the next part of the campaign.

The party is split with two of them coming in from the east and the other 4 from the northwestern side. The Necromancer is level 9 and has 2 dread wraith servants that are in the sub-levels of the old fortress. I don't want him to come in until the very end and be the big boss fight, you know? He has been watching the group via animals infected with necrotic cysts and they have encountered some of these furry little agents. I don't want that to be reason for him to know they're there.

I'm thinking maybe some gnarly traps that would be out and around the keep. One of the six characters has rogue levels but I don't know if they will be thinking about the trap-search checks. I've also considered using a guardian of sorts that's on patrol...like a beholder-type aberration.

Thoughts?

[NerdHut]

My thoughts are that this encounter sounds amazing!

Depending on the abilities you have available to this particular necromancer, you could have him scry on the party to know they're coming. It would allow him to know exactly what they have at their disposal and from there he could prepare for their attack.

Alternatively, Skull Watch is fun. Party members step into its sight, and now everybody knows they're there.

[Gildedragon]

Didn't you post this very thing near verbatim a couple days ago?

[Krazzman]

Thoughts: Nice scenario.

Advice:
Traps:
Some Pit Traps with [Undead] in them, mainly around the "withered" clearing surrounding the keep.

Standard keep defenses could include a small corridor with 2 heavy iron doors on each end. With archers in secred rooms that look into this corridor. leading to 8-16 Skeleton Archers attacking the party with 1d8+1 arrows. With 2 waiting above the last tiles infront of the doors at the end dumping burning embers on the party dealing a few d6 fire damage and maybe trigger burning.

Have old withered parts be red herrings that are not fortified on the first look but instead are heavily guarded, leaving the party in the disadvantage at them.

Hope these help.

[Daddison]

Didn't you post this very thing near verbatim a couple days ago?

I did. I wanted to re-post to see if I could get any more feedback.

[Daddison]

With 2 waiting above the last tiles infront of the doors at the end dumping burning embers on the party dealing a few d6 fire damage and maybe trigger burning.

I rather enjoy the 'dump' idea. However, I think I'll have the minions dump the party, by hitting levers that open the floor to a sublevel that is about 20' below and onto spikes covered in rotting organics and maybe some fecal deliciousness. Then dump the burning embers on them.

If the decay is sealed below and exposed when the floor swings open, should the embers then ignite the trapped gas?

How would you calculate all of that damage? What checks/saves would the group need to make?

[Theobod]

I rather enjoy the 'dump' idea. However, I think I'll have the minions dump the party, by hitting levers that open the floor to a sublevel that is about 20' below and onto spikes covered in rotting organics and maybe some fecal deliciousness. Then dump the burning embers on them.

If the decay is sealed below and exposed when the floor swings open, should the embers then ignite the trapped gas?

How would you calculate all of that damage? What checks/saves would the group need to make?

If you want it to, certainly, if the party is of a lvl that if they all fail, after the falling damage, it wont be a wipe, just scary. And explosions are usually Ref for half. Maybe they dump embers on the party who then fall, covered in embers down a shaft, igniting the gas on the way down.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/burningHands.htm
Good analogue for a directional fire blast.
So maybe Ref to avoid the embers then no save fall down the pit (if its big enough), ref half on ensuing boom on the way down then tumble checks to reduce falling damage on the landing... if you rule there is sufficient room to tumble on landing when you fall on spikes. (I usually dont unless the spikes are fragile.)

[Daddison]

What would the rules be at the bottom of a pit like this? Say a carrion crawler or two is at the bottom. What would the movement/combat penalties be? I'm never good at this technical side...what about infection from the bacteria at the bottom?

[Theobod]

What would the rules be at the bottom of a pit like this? Say a carrion crawler or two is at the bottom. What would the movement/combat penalties be? I'm never good at this technical side...what about infection from the bacteria at the bottom?

Depends on the size of the pit, if its too small for all the usual characters everyone is in crampt conditions -4AC and to hit. If the thing was expecting the drop in and isnt flat footed it also nabs AoOs on those falling into its space as usual for leaving a creatures threataned square (the one above it). As for bacteria at the bottom, pick a disease you like and apply it to anyone who gets injured by the spikes.