Monster Help

[LordOfCain]

I would like some help finding/making cool monsters/NPCs that can challenge a ECL 3 party of around 6-7 players. The setting is a Eberron/Spelljammer mix.

[Inevitability]

Slightly more information, both on the campaign and the characters, would be nice.

[LordOfCain]

Slightly more information, both on the campaign and the characters, would be nice.

I have characters ranging from a savage progression air elemental to a necropolitan elf bard searching for his lost wife's soul, to a wannabe air pirate. The intended tone is serious, but anything can happen. The players are trying to stop an evil offshoot cult of the Silver Flame and are mostly chaotic. I am currently preparing for the first session.

[John Longarrow]

Would several of these work for you?

CR 1
Race: Orc Bone Creature FI 1
Type: Medium Undead
Hit Die: 1d12+2 (9)
Init: +6
Speed: 40
AC: 24 (28) (+2 dex, NA +4, +3 studded leather, +5 Tower shield), Touch 12, FF 22 (26)
BAB/Grap: +1/+6
Attack: Short Sword +4 (1d6+5+1d6 cold) or javelin -1 ranged (1d6+5)
Full Attack: Short Sword +4 (1d6+5+1d6 cold) or javelin -1 ranged (1d6+5)
Space/Reach: 5/5
Special Att:
Special Qual: Dark Vision 60, undead, Immune cold, DR 5/bludgening
Saves: Fort +2 Ref +3 (+4) Will -2
Abilities: Str 21 Dex 15 Con – Int 8 Wis 7 Cha 6
Skills: Climb +9, Jump +13
Feats: Phalanx Fighting, Shield Wall (AC +4 & ref +1 if adj to other shield user)

They work together in tight groups (think Roman Legion) and are pretty hardy against anything that doesn't have AoE spells. They are cheap troops though, so anyone with some serious fighting should drop them easily.

[Inevitability]

Living spell of some Lawful spell?

Alternatively, a living Silver Dragonmail somehow kept controlled by the cult's leader. All its followers report to the leader every few hours to get engulfed, then walk out with some snazzy silver armor. At level 3, having all foes wear +1 mithril breastplates significantly changes combat. The best part: players can't loot it (though they should be able to capture the living spell for themselves).

As a last-ditch effort, the living spell could be used to annoy casters. Anyone hit by its spell takes a 15% spell failure chance, after all.

[John Longarrow]

Stirge,

Are you like minded in wanting the PCs to face something that isn't solved easily by "I run up and hit it"?

[Menzath]

Space adventure's must have abberrations.
Gricks and grells work pretty well, but nothing is meaner on your space boat than having a rust monster stow away and slowly eat your ship from the inside out.

And I really think every space fantasy just has to have some bizarre monsters.

[Inevitability]

Stirge,

Are you like minded in wanting the PCs to face something that isn't solved easily by "I run up and hit it"?

I believe monsters should present interesting challenges, or at least add to other challenges in a fun way.


I'm also not sure about your proposed monster. It seems to me that the Church of the Silver Flame, even its offshoots, won't be using undead.

[John Longarrow]

I didn't assume they'd be with it. I was figuring these would be guardians of <<Insert Mcguffin here>> that would help lead the party to their first mission against said villain. Course if its an evil offshoot of what is otherwise a purely good group all bets are off.

[Sheogoroth]

My personal favorite side-quest is the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Use the Puppeteer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/puppeteer.htm)or the Tsochar (http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/block/Tsochar).

Have it a recurring theme where the players keep getting attacked by deranged peasants frothing at the mouth, or screaming "Get it out, Get it out!" and clawing at their faces.

Everywhere they go, they keep meeting people acting very strange and deaf in one ear.
Have them initially on a very standard "quest to save the realm", with the backdrop(the part the players usually don't pay attention to) this din of ever increasing chaos and weirdness.

Then just throw a Sean of the Dead moment and completely break from the story in a jarring way- maybe the players are confronting the evil warlord or necromancer and as he's making his grand boast, his ears begin bleeding and he starts simpering on the floor as one of the parasites begin burrowing into his brain.

Then you just run it like a zombie apocalypse game.