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Rogozhin
2017-04-03, 03:03 PM
So I had an npc mention to my party that a powerful necromancer was going to be hung in a prison just out of town. This was to set up the prison being full of death and haunted when (and if) they follow a lead to there later on in the campaign. While RPing the NPC I goofed and mentioned the necromancer had a tower outside of town and now they want to go explore it. I have nothing planned!

Anyone have thoughts on things to populate the tower? Undead, aberrations, etc... I think it would be nice to fill the dungeon with all kinds of arcane traps and puzzles as the party has been doing a lot of heavy combat...

For reference we're playing 5e and the party just hit level 3 and consists of a human OOTA paladin, Tabaxi storm sorcerer, half-elf assassin rogue, half-orc life cleric, and human lore master wizard.

LordCdrMilitant
2017-04-03, 03:39 PM
I would, in general, go with a moderate number of skeletons and/or zombies as the general population of a tower of undeath. As a whole, I think a level 3 part might have trouble with anything bigger, and I generally treat necromancers as people who believe in quantity over quality. Of course, they don't have to be, and there might be one really nasty undead in there.

Though it's worth asking:
Why does the necromancer chose to live in a tower just outside of town?
How did she come to be in control of this tower?
What is she doing in this tower?

Perhaps she's the prison's warden and doing dark experiments on her charges? Maybe the party would face mutated undead, something like a Hell Pit Abomination, or Frankenstein's Monster.
Perhaps it's just her home, where she lives in quasi-exile because the townsfolk fear her? The party might see some skeletal servants doing mundane tasks, like tending the lawn and cooking dinner.
Perhaps she's paranoid, and barricaded herself in a fortified tower to keep our her greatest fear? The party might have to deal with a slew of traps, and her minions in prepared defensive positions.

VoxRationis
2017-04-03, 03:49 PM
The tower is made of (or at least heavily decorated with) bones. Some of these bones count as "skeletons", such that the doorways, window frames, staircases, and certain other structural elements attack intruders (and flat-out don't function for people other than the necromancer who controls them). Others are just decorative, but may be used for spare parts later if needed.

UndeadArcanist
2017-04-03, 06:47 PM
Since the tower is recently abandoned, one level could still contain living prisoners, not yet turned to undead.

Additionally, defective/failed/incomplete experiments could make for interesting encounters.

Slipperychicken
2017-04-03, 07:02 PM
Some town militia stand guard to forbid entry and discourage looters. They want to keep the evil magic from falling into the wrong hands while the visiting bishop forms a plan to safely dispose of it. A pile of destroyed zombie parts festers beside the tower, as a team of workmen dig a hole for a mass grave. Some families pore through the pile hoping to identify ancestors and loved ones for a proper burial.

Inside the tower, an assessor flanked by three guards is composing an inventory of items and his estimate of their cost. The town plans to auction the necromancer's belongings, or at least the pieces that the bishop will allow them to sell. On occasion the assessor will "misplace" a bauble or pouch of coins into his own bag, and "forget" to record that item on his list.

In a nearby tavern, several ne'er-do-wells plot a heist to loot the necromancer's spellbook before town officials can find it. They plan to enter the tower through a secret catacomb that the government hasn't found yet. That catacomb contains several powerful undead that are growing very hungry without their master.

Gravitron5000
2017-04-04, 08:14 AM
I think it's a trap!

Last time I was "asked" to help build a necromancer's tower I was bludgeoned to death, raised as a zombie, and forced to stack stone blocks. A decidedly negative experience.

On a positive note, it has really helped me lose weight. I am now a skeleton.

Fable Wright
2017-04-04, 11:16 AM
So, first and foremost, remember that the tower is a place to live before it's a stronghold. There shouldn't be several levels of undead, because wading through an army of servants every time you go to the main foyer to host your guests is a pain. Additionally, the necromancer probably shouldn't be the only living humanoid in the tower. He'll need friends, company, and someone with a real, functioning brain around him at times. Maybe he has a butler, an apprentice, and a few living maids to direct the skeletal help and feed the various pets/maintain the various displays. They politely ask the PCs not to loot, as the master will be back 'soon enough' and he'd prefer things the way he left them. They're free to admire the exhibits with (human) supervision to make sure they don't take anything, because what's a display without someone to observe it?

There's the saikei display, with trees and vines wrapping around animated bones to make a fascinating landscape. He's particularly proud of that, because the skeletons can regulate the trees' growth to turn them into bonsai without uprooting them. There are, of course, the automatic doors that open or shut by built-in skeletal hands on the maids' commands and are otherwise nearly impossible to break through. Can't forget the thaumovore in the basement, who's beloved by the household staff for cleaning up the magical mess left by the master's experiments sometimes. There's the game room in the sub-basement above that, complete with a few bowling lanes, a dart board, pool tables, and more. At the top, in the observatory, he's rigged his crystal ball to a Major Image projector to turn it into a home theater; he uses it to catch local all the best drawing and hangings, as well as scry on the stars at night to show his comrades the wonders of the universe. Oh, and over there is the reanimated beholder we use to disintegrate the trash and various burglars. We named him Steve.

In short, necromancers are humanoids first, wizards second, and necromancers third. They still want human company, do their best to keep things neat and orderly, and if they wanted to turn their place into a fortress, it would be far beyond the powers of level 3 PCs to storm.

Besides. The necromancer isn't going to die in a hanging. Worst comes to worst, they cast Magic Jar before the hanging, possess a bystander in the crowd, cast Magic Jar again from that body, and dispel the first Magic Jar, then the original. They get a completely new body that no one recognizes, know the old passwords to let their staff know it's them, and can pick up life just where they left it. Or reanimate themselves as an undead, if they're getting old and don't feel like getting a replacement bod. Or just use the ol' tetrodotoxin/harness under the robes trick to not die. It's all about smoke and mirrors; it's important to let the townsfolk 'kill' you once in a while to assure them that you're not a threat, but staying dead is a pain. The hired help actually comes from the village, mind you, and rather enjoy their jobs; they're some of the best-paid people in town, the benefits are top-notch, the work is fairly undemanding, they get to see cool wizardly dignitaries from across the globe, and there's an excellent retirement package.

It's an encounter, but not one of the combat variety, which I think would make a good change of pace. It's to flesh out the world and make them realize that not all 'bad guys' are there to be fought. Make it clear that the PCs can get a decent hunk of roleplaying XP even without fighting or stealing things going into the tower to reward them for exploration; I think it could add a lot to your game.

redwizard007
2017-04-04, 02:27 PM
I like some of the suggestions so far, but I think the social aspects are being over hyped. Well adjusted socialites don't generally specialize in necromancy.

So let's think layout for a sec.

Ground floor: entryway. Even necromancers have occasional visitors and accept deliveries from local merchants, so this needs to be a functional welcoming area. A few chairs and possibly a couch. A fireplace. A table. Probably an adjoining kitchen. There probably aren't any overtly magic things here unless this is a very high magic setting. The apprentice is probably stuck on this level, afraid to confront the guardians on other levels without his master to bolster his commands.

Sub level 1: larder. We are going to buck a trend here. Necromancy does not need to be done in the basement. Storage of food and drink however, does work better underground. This level is largely for storage and is filled with crates, barrels and sacks. If it were a videogame, there would be some minor loot in random crates, but in our RPG we are going to fill the barrels with beer, wine, oil, and perhaps embalming fluid.The sacks are full of turnips, apples, carrots, and potatoes and the crates have glass vials, lightning rods, rolls of parchment, etc. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a skeleton or 2 down here. Normally they would be porters, now they default to aggressive defenders.

Sub level 2: apprentice quarters. Yep. Our apprentice can live down here until he proves he's worth more than a fresh corpse. Part of this is to psychologicaly break him down so he will learn better, but mostly it's because we have more important things upstairs near our necromancer's quarters. Expect a decent bed and a chest as well as a desk and chair. A few creeping claws could be an interesting encounter and can tie in as the apprentice's creations. Another possible spot for the apprentice to hole up. Villagers and undead beyond his ability make other options less appealing.

2nd floor: library. Yep books, because wizard. There are a good number of volumes on shelves along the walls. A sturdy table and several well stuffed leather chairs are ideal for entertaining visiting clients or fellow wizards in more comfortable style than the entryway provides. The well stocked liquor cabinet has been well used. We also begin to see signs of the magical here. An astrolabe, star charts, glass domes preserve a mummified hand and a vampire's skull. Mounted trophies of winterwolf, displacerbeast, and owlbear heads adorn the walls above the bookshelves. Four skeletons hold unlit candelabras around the room. If you want combat encounters, have the skeletons attack with the candelabras (as clubs.)

3rd floor: living quarters. This floor is split unevenly into two bedrooms. The smaller is furnished with a large feather bed, chest, dresser and armoire, as well as a small desk and chair. The room is well maintained but needs a light dusting. The larger room is locked with a spell. If the PCs gain access, it is immaculate. A large feather bed is heaped with pillows and boasts a heavy comforter. An ornate oak desk with inkwell and feather pen sits near one of three windows. The necromancer's diary and spellbook both rest on the desk. The chair is made of human bones with a leather seat and back. A well carved wardrobe and two chests house the wizard's fine clothing. A single skeleton stands next to the door, ready to attack Intruders or empty the chamber pot. Another polishes the furniture endlessly. The chair could be an animated object (for variety,) or a skeleton of some sort. The necromancer's familiar might also be here. A third chest could be added with an undead folded up inside (ghoul,ghast?) In one of the chests (trapped with a poison needle?) is the bulk of the necromancer's liquid wealth, probably in neat bags of 50 pieces. The floor is carved with runes to disrupt scrying.

4th floor: laboratory. This wizard locked door is of heavy oak and is banded with steel. Beyond it is the necromancer's work space. Along the east wall, a stained stone slab rests on thick stone legs, with a partially finished flesh golem lying on top. Runes cover the walls, floor and ceiling, glowing blue if a spell is cast in the room. A stone basin rests on the west wall, stained a dark brown. Four large zombies (replace as needed,) stand against the walls awaiting instruction hungrily. The flesh golem could be active if you want to freak out your players. (Partial HP, limit his attacks and immunities.) There is a good chance that the apprentice died here rather than hiding on a lower level. The opportunity to use the master's lab without oversight might have been to tempting to pass up. Or, he could be switching things up and summoning a minor demon when the PCs show up. Just because his master is a necromancer doesn't mean he must be.

Roof: the battlements of this tower host a telescope under an oiled skin, and a collection of animal skeletons (number as needed for appropriate difficulty.)

oudeis
2017-04-04, 03:42 PM
I would second essentially everything in this thread. Slipperychicken's solution seems the neatest and quickest way to preclude exploration for the time being, and the various other suggestions have lots of excellent details should you decide to allow the PCs to access the tower. I would make one slight change to the floor plan above, and that would be to move the master's chambers to the top of the tower. That way he wouldn't have to climb up and down as much if he has to go from his laboratory to the (corpse) storeroom, the apprentice's workroom, or the grand dining room.

redwizard007
2017-04-04, 03:53 PM
...I would make one slight change to the floor plan above, and that would be to move the master's chambers to the top of the tower. That way he wouldn't have to climb up and down as much if he has to go from his laboratory to the (corpse) storeroom, the apprentice's workroom, or the grand dining room.

I considered that, and it's not a bad move. I felt that the Necromancer would send his skeleton minions for stuff, probably with apprentice oversight and that having the various living spaces tighter together would simplify life. It also simplifies restricting access of visitors to the lab. Personal preference I suppose.

LordCdrMilitant
2017-04-04, 07:07 PM
I like some of the suggestions so far, but I think the social aspects are being over hyped. Well adjusted socialites don't generally specialize in necromancy.

Tell that to some of my characters! You can be a perfectly well adjusted socialite and specialize in necromancy. Skeletons don't demand payment and can work the fields by day and night without needs such pesky things as food or rest. They also can't unionize, protest, or revolt. And you don't have to ever soil your dignity by having to see peasants!

redwizard007
2017-04-04, 08:45 PM
Tell that to some of my characters! You can be a perfectly well adjusted socialite and specialize in necromancy. Skeletons don't demand payment and can work the fields by day and night without needs such pesky things as food or rest. They also can't unionize, protest, or revolt. And you don't have to ever soil your dignity by having to see peasants!

One of those moments that I wish we had a "like" button

Anderlith
2017-04-04, 08:50 PM
You need at least one hallway or room where the floor is covered in grasping hands that hold the characters while a trap or other monster attacks.
Also a basement full of failed experiments

LordCdrMilitant
2017-04-05, 01:03 AM
One of those moments that I wish we had a "like" button

Thank you. I've had two necromancers, one a dread vampire sorceress [pathfinder], one a human wizard [5e]. The latter is actually assumed but not explicitly stated to be a descendant of the former.

The former used a legion of skeletons and thralls and robots for all her mundane tasks because she couldn't abide lesser creatures inside her extraplanar space fortress. It was in vacuum anyway.

The latter isn't a extraplanar space super vampire, but is a noblewoman, and constantly treats the common folk of the kingdom [and her minions party members] like dirt, while managing the party funds and never paying anyone but herself. The rogue doesn't get payment because the part she looted ahead of time counts as her cut, the druid doesn't get paid, because she's a druid, the barbarian doesn't get a cut, because the cost of damages caused comes directly out of his theoretical pay, the ranger doesn't get a cut because she makes enough gambling in the bar, and the fighter doesn't get a cut because the value of her assigned equipment comes out of her pay. As players, we all do get along both in and out of character, so I'm not actually being nasty to them out of character. We all laugh at it.