Harpy Mountain (DM Help)

[SMac8988]

Hello fellow playgrounders, and good morning to passer bys. I was wondering if any of you fine folks could offer me some minor assistance with my session for later tonight.

Firstly the set up: The group has been marooned on an island, stuck with a badly damage ship and have been spending their days rescuing those tho made it to shore, and exploring the island. Over the several days, nearly a week now, they have also learned there is a cult functioning on the island that is attempting to raise a god through blood sacrafice; they haven't figure out the God's name yet either. At the end of last session they ran into a Sea Hag (Buffed up a good deal) that has been keeping the massive storm that destroyed the parties ship from sinking the island. She has offered, in a backwards threatening kinda of way, to give the party information and possibly help them if they are willing to retrieve a few things. She had explained that her sister had been taken and eaten by a group of harpies to the north, and she wants them to get back her sister's spell book, and wand (Two magic items the party could keep if they so desired.)

Current Goings on: They party has made it to the mountain ridge, there they found a Harpy who was badly injured and about to be eaten by trolls. The Party rescued her and learned she was a disgraced member of the Roost, what I have been calling a group of Harpies, and offered to guide the party to the nest if they would allow her to get her revenge.

Where I need some help: I have a multi tiered, different angle and elevation battle map build for the final fight a the nest. Thinking I will, to make the fight a challenge, give most the Harpies in the final fight Cunning action disengage and have them be flying to all the different points. Making it difficult to pin them down and end them. I am having a hard time building the exploration/more RP/Adventure side of getting up the mountain prior to just a big fight. I know my players love a good hard fight, but I have a few that would much rather a challenging series of puzzles or RP situations. So anyone have any suggestions of some Adventure or Puzzles I can place on the mountain on the way up?

Party Comp:

Anya - Assiamar Tempist Cleric - Level 7
El Giante - Golith Luchador (Level 2 Rogue, Level 5 Bear Totem Barb)
Tristen - Kenku Monk of Tranquility - Level 7
Bambi - Firblog Twilight Druid - Level 7 (We changed some to allow her to use her twlight dice on damage from wildshape, she like changing into things)
Estaban - Dwarven Artificer Wizard - Level 7 (He uses a puppet to cast his spells, Similar to Zach Bell, and has been using an axe more than his spells lately.)



Thanks for reading that big mess. And thanks in advance for all the help!!!

[Specter]

Well, harpies can fly, so the players will need to climb the mountain. Make an Athletics check; if one of them fails, he falls a little and bangs himself up on the rocks, taking 2d6 damage. Maybe a player can come up with a spell to help the climb, in which case he doesn't need to make checks.

Puzzles in a mountain, huh? You could have them stumble upon an old vault of arcane knowledge, safeguarded by a nine-piece puzzle. The players would have to know where to put each piece, and at what angle. Inside the vault would be some scrolls, pearl of power, gem of seeing, etc. Even if the harpies knew about this, they would be too stupid to figure out the puzzle.

[hymer]

Be very wary of using multiple harpies. Each has a wide AoE crowd control. If they all start singing, the party will need to make a whole bunch of saves, and are likely to all end up affected.

[Armored Walrus]

Maybe a logistical/tactical puzzle having to do with the terrain and the fact that there are harpies above them? ie. they are following a relatively covered path that offers little chance of being detected and then they come to a long, wide open area with harpies wheeling above, how do they get across without alerting the Roost?

Or, they come upon a chance to take out a couple of the harpies while on the way up, if they can do it without alerting the rest, or without letting one of them get away to warn the nest, then they will have gained an advantage in the big fight, if not, then they end up fighting most of the nest while exposed on the face of the mountain.

Or, their harpy guide proves to be not much use, since she normally just flies up to the roost, rather than walking. She leads them into a box canyon, or a large chasm stops their progress, how do they find their way out?

Maybe they come across an opening in the side of the mountain, guarded by a pair of kobolds. If the party is persuasive, or has something valuable to trade, they might be guided to an opening at the peak of the mountain, where they can look down on the Roost and plan their battle without being seen.

[SMac8988]

I love the idea of her getting them lost. And using the kobald thing. I could even do both, have it be a locked door into a small kobald chamber, and if they open the door and talk to kobald they could trade for assistance above the harpies thought the mountain, saving them some fights and failed climb checks.

Could have them roll checks, and I'll roll for the harpy on the path to get up, and if she rolls bad they get lost. But I know some may get tired of her, and already don't trust her, so may cause them to kill her...

Another idea is, the leader of the cult is a half dragon, I was thinking to form a pact with one another the half dragon and harpy mated, and the queen will have a son whom fights with her, like a cr 3 mob. And make him a terrible monstrosity of feathers scales and flesh. And then the queen a cr 5 and a few, 3 or 4, regular harpies for the final fight?