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I'm da Rogue!
2007-07-19, 08:48 AM
Hi everyone.:smallsmile:
I'm running a campaign for one month. I 've made a whole world (maps, cities etc) and it took several sessions for the two parties to meet and become a single party. (Each player has a different story and goal, so we role-play a lot)
Now the 7 players (maybe 5) are prepared to cross a desert, in order to go to Kashmir, the city of Sorcerers (imagine a city which reminds of Babylon, Egypt and Arabian nights).
They will spend 10 days to 2 weeks to cross the desert, so it'll be really hard for them. They will also have a side-quest, maybe find a cave in the desert, sth like Ali Baba's story (I'll think on it during holidays).

What I don't know is what kind of monsters can be found in this terrain.
The players' levels and classes, races and (genders) are:

A human fighter 2/ rogue 1 (m)
A elf druid 3 (m)
A human rogue 2 (f)
An elf priestess 2 (f)
A dwarf fighter 2 (m)
An elf wizard 1 (f)
A half-elf ranger 1 (m)

So, the CR can't be too high. I usually use CR 3 or 2 for this party.

Do u have any ideas for the monsters I could use?
I thought the giant desert worms from Dune would be a nice idea, but they're gigantic.
Any suggestion welcome
thanx in advance :smallsmile:

Nevar
2007-07-19, 08:52 AM
There is a book out there for each climate time and there is one for the desert. I suggest checking it out. Other then that check each MM for apporpiate CR and check thier climate type. It's listed for each monster.

mudbunny
2007-07-19, 08:55 AM
Check the D20 SRD, there are some useful ones there.

Large Monstrous Scorpion (CR3) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/monstrousScorpion.htm)
Large Monstrous Spider (CR2) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/monstrousSpider.htm)

Are a couple I found.

B!shop
2007-07-19, 08:56 AM
Cannot remember CRs, but the options are many: bandits (NPCs with same levels of the party), scorpions, maybe a very smalla earth (or air) elemental.

You can also use some high CR monster and give them some help (maybe a nomadic tribe come in help during the fight, or a caravan).

mudbunny
2007-07-19, 09:05 AM
Medium Earth Elemental (CR3) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elemental.htm#earthElemental)

Medium Fire elemental (CR3) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elemental.htm#fireElemental)

Hyenas (CR1) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/hyena.htm)

Rat Swarm (CR2) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/swarm.htm#ratSwarm)

Also, like mentioned above, NPCs. Bandits, people who live there. ALso, if you have some oasi, you can greatly expand the number of creatures that would make sense.

Human Paragon 3
2007-07-19, 09:06 AM
In a memorable desert encounter I had once, we were attacked by Sand Monsters, beings made completely out of sand. You can stat them up to be as strong or as weak as you need, just give them the abillity to fly and a slam attack. Or they can try to grapple you. If they succeed on their grapple they suck up the PC and he has a few rounds to escape or be rescued before he runs out of air.

The important thing about them (what makes them a great encounter) is that they have damage resistane 20/-. All attacks made against them from any source is basically meaningless. The trick to beating them is that they are created from one enchanted grain of sand that must be attacked. You can use a sunder, dissarm, grapple, ranged dissarm etc. to take it out, but it has its AC as a Fine (or whatever the smallest size catagory is) object so it's a tough shot. To make matters worse, the sand monsters also have a very high spell resistance (arbitraraily high, they are immune, more or less). BUT, when their spell resistiance activates, the one grain of sand lights up for one round. Then you can make a spot check (as a free action) to notice the grain of sand and hit it. This makes the encounter interesting for Melee'rs and spellcasters. Give the players lots of room for creativity and make sure not to make the monsters' attacks too punishing or you might kill the PCs before they can figure out how to hurt the monsters. Lastly, allow knowledge: arcana checks or knowledge: history, or even knowledge: local (if the PC is fomr the dessert) to let the give the PCs access to the knowledge of how to beat them. Alternatively, you could have several encounters with the sand monsters, one where they get summoned away and then one where the PCs actually have to beat them. This gives the PCs time to research the monsters, and gets them to The Library (a great place to have this battle).

When I fought this encounter, it was in a Library of Alexendria type setting. It was a three-dimensional encounter with flying sand monsters, many floors of a central room with balconies etc. The sand monsters made it interesting for us by tipping over book cases onto us and stuff like that. We had PCs climbing up book cases, diving through the air and snatching up grains of sand. We even had an archer roll 3 criticals in a row to snipe three individual grains of sand. It's a great encounter and I highly recomend it.

Funkyodor
2007-07-19, 09:07 AM
Well, I can think of some for 2nd edition. I'm not sure if the monsters made it into 3.X.

For your Dune-esque worms, use the Bullette. It's like a land shark that can dig through the earth. We played them kinda like that movie Tremors. Have one infest a village (which gives you plenty NPC's to kill off and mitigate some of the higher DC as required) at an oasis or something.

Giant snakes/scorpions are good in almost every desert situation.

Um, if you enjoy roleplaying you can put some emotional situations involving normal humans. Like kidnapping, thievery, slavery, drugs, etc... You can disorient them by making some of the above legal, or have some extreme control measures (like the punishment for thievery being removal of a hand in town square at noon).

Uhhh... I can't really think of more at the moment.

I'm da Rogue!
2007-07-19, 09:31 AM
Wow... all these are much better than I hopped.
You guys helped a lot. I've got the whole thing in mind: the monsters where great, the caravan/bandits idea and the town idea was pretty good too.
I'm gonna write it down right now, inspiration's coming! :smallbiggrin:

draca
2007-07-19, 09:35 AM
Don't forget the Ant Lion

(Final Fantasy IV fan for life ;)

Serpentine
2007-07-19, 09:51 AM
Damn. There was a Dragon magazine some time ago that had a section of "Arabian Nights" monsters, but I can't find it and it's too late for a proper search. Lets see... there were flying monkeys, golems that lived in the walls, the King of Birds, and a gigantic thing with heaps of eyes and several arms and legs. Character levels in mind, I think the flying monkeys would probably be your best bet if you can track them down. There's also salt and dust mummies, but I'm not sure about their CRs.

Inyssius Tor
2007-07-19, 09:52 AM
Don't forget the Ant Lions

(Half-Life 2 fan for life ;)

Human Paragon 3
2007-07-19, 09:53 AM
If you do sand monsters, post how it went on this thread. I'd be interested in seeing how others enjoy the encounter.

Morty
2007-07-19, 09:56 AM
In addition to above, some ancient tomb full of undead wouldn't be bad. You'd have to somehow guide to players to it, though.

I'm da Rogue!
2007-07-19, 09:58 AM
You have to wait till August (that's when we're playing) but I can pm it to you. I think it will be really interesting.
Thanx, Serp, I'll search for the monkeys

I'm da Rogue!
2007-07-19, 10:08 AM
Mixing some of the ideas above, I have in mind something like a curse that has to be removed from the city/area. An ancient demon, too hard to be fought, is heading to the town near the oasis. (on their way there they might meet a caravan and face together some encounters).
The key to break the curse is to do sth (solve a riddle, find a magical/holy object that will turn the demon away etc) lies in a dark, ancient tomb (yep, it's pretty full of undead, sand mommies and stuff)

And they can use for a guide one of the bandits.
Oooh I have a whole story for city! there will be a tyrrant! And the bandits were forced to leave the city for crimes they never commited, become illegal and steal from caravans. After they save the city, they can return and the tyrrant will lose his power (haven't figured out how this is going to happen).
is it too much?:smallconfused:

bigbaddragon
2007-07-19, 10:12 AM
You could create an oasis along the way and populate it with a few snakes and yuan-ti pureblood (challenge rating 3, MM1 page 263).

Driderman
2007-07-19, 10:25 AM
The weathered, sandblown animated skeletons and corpses of those who died crossing the desert might make for good opponents. Also, deserts are notorious for crawling with all manner of insects, perhaps there are larger and more dangerous variants of these, or maybe even humanoid ones, like Formians and such.

Camels can be pretty vicious too, you know...?

But in a desert setting, the desert itself can be a dangerous opponent. Sandstorms and such, both makes for terrible encounters and wiping clear all tracks. Perhaps some unlucky bastard went and died in the water source at the nearest oasis, contaminating it, perhaps the desert is so huge and trackless that it's impossible to find ones way in it. Also, remember at night the desert becomes a very, very cold place... I know from experience, I caught a cold in a desert once :D

horseboy
2007-07-19, 10:26 AM
Gila monsters. Poisonous snakes in bed rolls. Sand storm. It's the desert, every day is a fort save. The environment itself can be a CR.

Inyssius Tor
2007-07-19, 10:40 AM
The weathered, sandblown animated skeletons and corpses of those who died crossing the desert might make for good opponents. Also, deserts are notorious for crawling with all manner of insects, perhaps there are larger and more dangerous variants of these, or maybe even humanoid ones, like Formians and such.

Heck, you could even combine the two and pit your party against the weathered, sandblown corpses and shells of giant insects...

Mike_Lemmer
2007-07-19, 01:57 PM
I'd give them a caravan to travel with across the desert. Not only does it let you up the CR of the encounters without killing the party, but you can show just how far they've advanced later, when they can cross the desert alone and survive.

Seffbasilisk
2007-07-19, 01:59 PM
The entire 'Sandstorm' book is made just for this.

Telonius
2007-07-19, 02:00 PM
Are any of your players familiar with Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series? This just screams "The Gunslinger" to me.

Hopeless
2007-07-19, 02:21 PM
Try the "Desert of Desolation" series, I believe it might be available as a paid download from Paizo.

You might want to think about Greyhawk's Rary The Traitor supplement where they talked about a culture of Centaur's living in the Bright Sand Desert trying to fight off the Wizard and his henchmen.

Okay for encounters there's always raiders but for a REAL oldie have you ever seen the d&d cartoon series?
There's an episode entitled "City on the Edge of Midnight" which has a great arabian theme.
Even had an older hero who reminded me of Sean Connery when i watched it again recently.

Ultimately it depends on what you want from it, encounters you can use practically anything just remember your PCs might not survive such things as living sand although have you thought about "The Mummy"?
What if they're lured inside a necropolis for the simple matter of releasing some great evil and later on discover the mummy needs them to restore itself and if you need THAT explained I recommend watching the movie with Brendan Fraser...
Take care and all the best!

nerulean
2007-07-19, 02:23 PM
You've had a lot of monster suggestions already, but the easiest way to find environment-specific monsters if you don't have the specific book for it is right here (http://www.penpaperpixel.org/tools/d20monsterfilter/). Just set the Terrain option to Deserts et voilą.

I'm da Rogue!
2007-07-19, 04:37 PM
This is just gonna be the coolest campaign ever!
I feel like I'm going to write a book. Every single post was interesting, and I think I'm going to use all your ideas :smallsmile:
And Telonius... Dark Tower? I almost feel sorry for your players! Bad,bad,evil and exciting! Oh and bad too!

Driderman
2007-07-19, 04:46 PM
Of course, there could also be the gallant Afghani rebels, those proud horseriding Taliban :smallbiggrin:

Disclaimer: Not trying to start a political discussion here, just remembered Rambo III

I'm da Rogue!
2007-07-19, 04:59 PM
Of course, there could also be the gallant Afghani rebels, those proud horseriding Taliban :smallbiggrin:

Disclaimer: Not trying to start a political discussion here, just remembered Rambo III
Well in my campaign Rambo's skeleton will be found hanged in the darkest dungeon of them all.

Diggorian
2007-07-19, 05:37 PM
I'd agree that if you're planning to spend alot time in the desert, it mayu be worth it to get Sandstorm (http://www.amazon.com/Sandstorm-Mastering-Dungeons-Roleplaying-Supplement/dp/078693655X/ref=sr_1_23/103-0020917-6208646?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184884819&sr=1-23). Good stuff there.

Also, FYI: a party that big should be able to take on CR 4 encounters. If newbies, CR 2-3 should suffice.

Stormcrow
2007-07-19, 07:02 PM
Ankheg :P

Also you might want to look at the Calim Desert in the Forgotten Realms. There are two powerful being a djin and an efreet bound in the desert and the desert itself attacks you. Escaping is worth xp.

Serpentine
2007-07-19, 09:13 PM
I found those flying monkeys. Dragon 334, page 36, CR 1/2. Your party might be able to take on the clockwork eunuch (CR 4), too.

Grug
2007-07-19, 09:21 PM
I have an old Kiingdoms of Kalamar module. So as not to violate the OGL, the PCs had to cross a desert, and one of the encounters were Vampire Cacti that shot little needles on strings and sucked the life out of you. Probably the first thing that will tip the players off all is not right is the dead body with treasure laying beneath them. Or it might be that there is a cactus in a sandy desert (no water at all), as opposed to a rocky desert like the American Mid-West (some water).

Leicontis
2007-07-19, 09:25 PM
What about some kind of sandboat-sailing bandits? The biggest reward for handling the encounter carefully could be a functional sandboat, with the added challenge of figuring out how to operate it (slightly easier if the PCs take a bandit alive and get him to instruct them.

Matthew
2007-07-22, 12:39 PM
There are a couple of 'Arbabian Nights' (Al-Qadim) supplements form Second Edition available for free on the Wizards Website Old Edition Downloads (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads) page. As was recently pointed out to me, you can buy all the other supplements for that Campaign Setting for about $40 total from Paizo (10 Supplements, $4 a download). Worth a look, I would say (though Sandstorm should be the first place you look).

Leon
2007-07-22, 01:30 PM
Another for the Sandstorm Vote

And you can do Worms - Ashworms, CR 2 (found in Sandstorm)

Anxe
2007-07-22, 01:43 PM
Harrsaf are relatively low too if you have MM 3. Or was it in MM2? I forget. It's a desert people race. There's also a desert lizard race in Monsters of Faerun.

evisiron
2007-07-22, 01:58 PM
Mixing some of the ideas above, I have in mind something like a curse that has to be removed from the city/area. An ancient demon, too hard to be fought, is heading to the town near the oasis. (on their way there they might meet a caravan and face together some encounters).
The key to break the curse is to do sth (solve a riddle, find a magical/holy object that will turn the demon away etc) lies in a dark, ancient tomb (yep, it's pretty full of undead, sand mommies and stuff)

And they can use for a guide one of the bandits.
Oooh I have a whole story for city! there will be a tyrrant! And the bandits were forced to leave the city for crimes they never commited, become illegal and steal from caravans. After they save the city, they can return and the tyrrant will lose his power (haven't figured out how this is going to happen).
is it too much?:smallconfused:

Just be careful. 4 out of 7 cities are burned to the ground by PC's dependant on how nice the tavern owner was to them! :smallbiggrin: