Afgncaap5
2016-09-21, 03:47 PM
So, I'm running through a brand new Eberron campaign, and I really want to play up the over-the-top nature of the world. I started running through some of my favorite set pieces from movies and TV shows and such, along with a few things of my own devising in an attempt to pull out lots of things that'd feel exciting. I was wondering if anyone had any that I might be able to borrow (or might just enjoy adding to the list). So far a few of the ones I've used in this campaign and elsewhere include...
-Waking up at the start of the campaign moments after Amnesia Dust has been blown in their face by a villain in the latest business garb, realizing they're tied to a chair, and that said villain is going to leave the room that they're in while a Clockwork Bomb (a 4e Eberron item) is about to go off in the room they're in with no memory of how their group came to get on this villainous aristocrat's bad side.
-Realizing they're on an air ship piloted by Karrnathi undead, fighting them (often by just bull-rushing them off the side) but not making it in time to prevent the Karrnathi Zombie piloting the ship from crash-landing them all into the middle of the blade desert.
-Being used as a training lesson by a dwarfish ninja instructor, first sending in eleven first level ninjas, then when they were down to roughly half of their collective health sending in five or six third level ninjas, then three eighth level ninjas, followed by joining the fight himself, all while in a back alley that had magical gas billowing from candles that acted as a solid brick wall to humanoids.
-A three(?)-way standoff between a Cannith Wand Adept wielding two wands, a gnomish assassin with two glowing crossbows, and a wizard with a single wand flanked by his intelligent flesh-golem-esque companion with a shortbow, getting to the tensest moment in the standoff just as the players walk in on them.
-The dart-room trap from Dungeonscape.
-The elevator down to the lowest levels of Kundarak's bank and having to guess their way around all the security questions
-The invisible bridge that only exists at the lowest levels of Kundarak's bank if you use the appropriate key
-Having to choose between three vault doors after the invisible bridge just as the ironwyrm golem starts coming to life (vaults make good temporary protection from those things, but eventually you'll start being baked alive...)
A few other "classics" that I want to use...
-Fight scene on top of a racing lightning-rail train with obligatory tunnel.
-Running along a collapsing bridge, trying to keep ahead of the collapse behind them (with run speeds being what they are, this tends to require a *really* long bridge to be as fun as I want, I think...)
-Something involving a fast-moving mine cart through a mine.
-The phrase "Spell Station Sigma." I don't know what it is, I don't know WHY it is, but something should be titled that.
-Drop-Bear Attack: a recurring antagonist is a wizard who has a koala for a familiar that spends all of its time just clutching the wizard's pointy hat. However, since it's a high-enough level to communicate with other creatures of its kind, I want the players to run through a forest, enter a clearing with the koala, and have the koala issue a bellowing call that signals all of the drop bears to begin raining from the tree branches above.
-Sword-fight on a narrow walkway or bridge over a volcano's caldera.
-"You may be able to defeat me... but WHICH ME IS THE REAL ME?!?!" followed by something similar to Mirror Image but a lot more satisfying.
-Long hallway that acts as an obstacle-course and deathtrap, bonus points if it's as initiation to some exclusive group or something being spectated by an audience.
-Being in a floating tower at Arcanix or Sharn when it just... stops floating.
-A riddle, chess, or Conquer competition that's not boring for all but one or two players (this last one might not be doable...)
So... that's a few. Any old favorites that you've done over time? Or similar set pieces that you've been looking forward to incorporating?
-Waking up at the start of the campaign moments after Amnesia Dust has been blown in their face by a villain in the latest business garb, realizing they're tied to a chair, and that said villain is going to leave the room that they're in while a Clockwork Bomb (a 4e Eberron item) is about to go off in the room they're in with no memory of how their group came to get on this villainous aristocrat's bad side.
-Realizing they're on an air ship piloted by Karrnathi undead, fighting them (often by just bull-rushing them off the side) but not making it in time to prevent the Karrnathi Zombie piloting the ship from crash-landing them all into the middle of the blade desert.
-Being used as a training lesson by a dwarfish ninja instructor, first sending in eleven first level ninjas, then when they were down to roughly half of their collective health sending in five or six third level ninjas, then three eighth level ninjas, followed by joining the fight himself, all while in a back alley that had magical gas billowing from candles that acted as a solid brick wall to humanoids.
-A three(?)-way standoff between a Cannith Wand Adept wielding two wands, a gnomish assassin with two glowing crossbows, and a wizard with a single wand flanked by his intelligent flesh-golem-esque companion with a shortbow, getting to the tensest moment in the standoff just as the players walk in on them.
-The dart-room trap from Dungeonscape.
-The elevator down to the lowest levels of Kundarak's bank and having to guess their way around all the security questions
-The invisible bridge that only exists at the lowest levels of Kundarak's bank if you use the appropriate key
-Having to choose between three vault doors after the invisible bridge just as the ironwyrm golem starts coming to life (vaults make good temporary protection from those things, but eventually you'll start being baked alive...)
A few other "classics" that I want to use...
-Fight scene on top of a racing lightning-rail train with obligatory tunnel.
-Running along a collapsing bridge, trying to keep ahead of the collapse behind them (with run speeds being what they are, this tends to require a *really* long bridge to be as fun as I want, I think...)
-Something involving a fast-moving mine cart through a mine.
-The phrase "Spell Station Sigma." I don't know what it is, I don't know WHY it is, but something should be titled that.
-Drop-Bear Attack: a recurring antagonist is a wizard who has a koala for a familiar that spends all of its time just clutching the wizard's pointy hat. However, since it's a high-enough level to communicate with other creatures of its kind, I want the players to run through a forest, enter a clearing with the koala, and have the koala issue a bellowing call that signals all of the drop bears to begin raining from the tree branches above.
-Sword-fight on a narrow walkway or bridge over a volcano's caldera.
-"You may be able to defeat me... but WHICH ME IS THE REAL ME?!?!" followed by something similar to Mirror Image but a lot more satisfying.
-Long hallway that acts as an obstacle-course and deathtrap, bonus points if it's as initiation to some exclusive group or something being spectated by an audience.
-Being in a floating tower at Arcanix or Sharn when it just... stops floating.
-A riddle, chess, or Conquer competition that's not boring for all but one or two players (this last one might not be doable...)
So... that's a few. Any old favorites that you've done over time? Or similar set pieces that you've been looking forward to incorporating?