Creating Protections for a custom Dungeon (ED 3.5)

[flappeercraft]

So right now im designing a dungeon that is supposed to be heavily protected with creatures and spells as it contains a small part of a powerful Wizards body which he used for the Hide Life spell. The characters this must protect against are all 20-24 level and there are 8 of them. To the moment on creatures there are 3 12-headed cryohydras, 5 dread wraiths, 1 mithral Golem, 3 Half dragon Vampire Half orcs with 16 fighter levels each (possible due to human heritage feat) and a winterwight. On traps there is a permanent Symbol of death and a couple spiked pit traps that are poisoned. Any Ideas on what should I add? This is supposed to be protected enough to dettain them and possibly kill 1 or 2 of them and leave the others decently injured.

Edit: To those saying that the pit traps will do nothing to high level adventurers I know that its just that no one will expect a spiked pit trap at that level so I just put the spikes with purple worm poison just to make them expend restoration spells and maybe a healing spell. We play with spell points so that would just get rid of some other spell they might use for combat or something else.

[Eladrinblade]

You shouldn't be playing at that high a level, frankly. I get the feeling that you're somewhat new to the game. For instance, a spiked pit trap is of no danger whatsoever to epic-level characters, and I think anybody with some experience would know that.

I think that's why you're not getting replies. I don't mean to sound rude.

[Name1]

Ok, first off, forget any non-mobile protection. At this high a level, it's pretty much monster-defenses only. There are SOME traps that still work, like Mirrors of Opposition, or if you're feeling cheeky, let a Runecaster prepare Gate-runes and pit them against each other if they fail to notice the proximity-rune (provided they are not on the material plane).

Most things at that high of a level won't sell though: I have yet to see an Epic-Level character falling into a run-off-the-mill pit-trap. Ice Assassins ALWAYS work, and they don't even have to be those of the Adventurers. In fact, I'd assume that the primary means of defense will be things with Class Levels, though I'll do my best to give a few non-Class options.

If you really want, check out the Villainous Competition (especially "Henchmen are Villains too!") for the things you could put in.

The Half-fiend-Template is your friend in this, because a hexad of Half-Fiendish Ogre Mage Were-Battletitans is simply impressive, especially on the off-chance of them getting a Blasphemy off (you should have them take some Fast-Healing though...).

If you want, you could also include a Lernaean-Eight-Headed Tarrasque, because it is always a nice touch if the dungeon has a sufficiently big room, but that is just to impress, not to cause actual damage.

If you want some monsters, the easiest solution would probably be to take... I don't know, any +0 LA race will do, and have them be Swordsages, because then you can give them items of continious Shapechange and a +1 Shock weapon, which will allow them to become Shambling Mounds. Then they stab themselves to exploit the Shamblers Immunity to Electricity (Ex) and make them focus primarily in Diamond Mind Maneuvers, which ofte depend on your Concentration check, which said Immunity will help you with.

Shaedling Entropomancers with the Tomb-Tainted Soul feat are also good defenses, since they can use their Shadow Gossamer ability to create any item, which includes Spheres of Annihilation and Asmodeus Ruby Rod and all theoretically possible epic and/or use-activated magic items.

But even this only works for when they are level 20 (and underprepared/low Tier 2). When they reach level 21, these tactics will probably cease working, since that's where Epic Spellcasting starts, at which point you probably have to fight fire with fire and gate in Solars.

EDIT: Actually, make that Swordsage 18/Deepwarden 2 Dwarves. You should also focus on getting it things that allow it to hit things better, since it's to-hit is sorta low (maybe add some clerics in the back that specialize in the Surge of Fortune Spells and wield Vorpal Weapons).

[DarkSoul]

It would really help to know what the classes are of the group that will be going through this dungeon. All anyone can tell you right now is that with 8 PCs of levels 20-24, you're going to have your hands full.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Couple -really- obvious things on the chek-list:

A) Line the whole dungeon, or at least key areas, with lead.

B) Every key area -must- be warded with one of forbiddance, dimension lock, or hallow keyed to dimensional anchor. Use forbiddance if you want them to take damage just for entering the area, dimension lock if you just want to lock it down from being teleported or gated into or out of, and use hallow with dimensional anchor to let the teleport in but not out.

After that, pick up a copy of the dungeonscape PDF and setup some encounter-traps.

I'd be more concerned if I got the feeling this were a high-op group but I'm not getting that if you expect pits to do anything but have them say "cute. That's nostalgic" and float right by them.

[flappeercraft]

You shouldn't be playing at that high a level, frankly. I get the feeling that you're somewhat new to the game. For instance, a spiked pit trap is of no danger whatsoever to epic-level characters, and I think anybody with some experience would know that.

I think that's why you're not getting replies. I don't mean to sound rude.

Yeah I know they are no threat at that level but I threw them in just because who is going to expect a spiked pit trap at that level, no one. Also it has purple worm poison and they are just before a fight so they will have to expend a few resources. More than to kill them its to make them expend their resources and also to make them think WTF is a pit trap doing here

[flappeercraft]

It would really help to know what the classes are of the group that will be going through this dungeon. All anyone can tell you right now is that with 8 PCs of levels 20-24, you're going to have your hands full.

There is a Dread necromancer, a Paladin, a Duskblade, Champion of Corellon, Favored soul, a Wizard with various prestige classes and a Fighter who focuses on archery

[Kelb_Panthera]

That brown quote mark button next to "reply with quote" is the multi-quote button. Select it for each post you wish to reply to then click reply to thread to quote them all in one post.

[Telok]

I've always liked the thought of mixing greater dispelling, reciprocal gyre, reverse gravity, and antimagic traps in a room.

A 10' high room half filled with magic lava and a bunch of bog standard iron golems is nice if you can get the party to pass through it.