I need help! Players are stuck in the well in Mbala(Tomb of Annihilation)...

[ImSAMazing]

Hey fellow D&Ders, I need your help. I am DM'ing Tomb of Annihilation with a 4 player party(they just reached lvl 3), and they stumbled upon Mbala. They didn't bring any dead bodies, so they just talked to Nanny Pu'pu(the green hag). One member casted Detect Magic, and detected Illusion magic around her. He bluffed and asked her why she was hiding her true self, and that distracted her a bit. Some party members walked through the ruins of Mbala, and found the well(with the treasure). They jumped into the water, stumbled their way through the murky water with their hands and found the tunnel to the room. The Hag noticed they were gone and called up her Flesh Golem to watch the other two characters. She walked to the well and the other two also jumped into the well; opportunity attacks all missed. Now they are all in the well, in the secret room, but what should I do now?

The flesh golem could easily kill them, but I thought: what if she has some mechanism to slowly heat the water until they are boiling? Or maybe she asks for one character to come up for her to sacrifice? I am just not sure what to do, so I would love to hear your advice and/or ideas!

For people who don't know about this location in Tomb of Annihilation: Mbala is a village now in ruins, with two remaining intact objects: a well(15' diameter, 15' down until the water, 40' of murky water where you are blind. 20' into the water there is a secret tunnel(which the party found), 20' down from there is the ground which is just bricks. I could put something there too, but normally just bricks(although I do not mind going off-book). As written, the tunnel leads to a 10' by 10' by 10' room with some loot, but no other exits than the well.... Nanny Pu'pu is someone first masquerading as a human, but is secretly a hag who uses illusion magic to hide that. She knows a ritual to bring alive dead players, which is why I mentioned earlier they didn't have any dead bodies. She has the command over a buried flesh golem.

[SirGraystone]

I would check first ToA pg 180 the part about the Cage (which I won't explain here because of spoilers) then without killing a player, Nanny Pu'pu could ask one (or all) of the player's blood or hair as part of a dealer to let them go, that would come back to haunt them back in the "Cage".

She could also ask them to retrieve one of the relics of the past (pg 189), maybe the Eye of Zaltec.

[Unoriginal]

Well, if you don't want to kill them, you could have another group distract the hag and her golem, allowing the PC to get out and run away/help in the fight.

I think there are Pterafolks in the same city, and that they're hostile to the hag. If she stays out waiting on top of the well long enough, they might decide to attack her.

Heck, if the PCs help the Pterafolks deal with the hag and the golem, the flying reptiles could even be friendly with them. I mean, they're evil, but it doesn't make them unable to be somewhat grateful.

Otherwise, you can Deus Ex any NPC(s) into showing up and help save the day. Even Faroul, Gondolo, and their dino.

The hag probably hasn't put her disguise back, so her and her golem being evil monsters is obvious.

[ImSAMazing]

Well, if you don't want to kill them, you could have another group distract the hag and her golem, allowing the PC to get out and run away/help in the fight.

I think there are Pterafolks in the same city, and that they're hostile to the hag. If she stays out waiting on top of the well long enough, they might decide to attack her.

Heck, if the PCs help the Pterafolks deal with the hag and the golem, the flying reptiles could even be friendly with them. I mean, they're evil, but it doesn't make them unable to be somewhat grateful.

Otherwise, you can Deus Ex any NPC(s) into showing up and help save the day. Even Faroul, Gondolo, and their dino.

The hag probably hasn't put her disguise back, so her and her golem being evil monsters is obvious.

Yeah I don't know if I should kill (at least one of) them, because it was kind of their fault to jump into the well, but then again they didn't and don't know it has no other exits. Of course it is still not a smart move, but I don't think they deserve a TPK. One person dying doesn't feel unfair though, so maybe some kind of sacrifice?
I also don't really feel like introducing a Deus Ex NPC, but maybe Artus. I am just not sure what to do here, so your advice is very much appreciated!

About the Pterafolk, I figured that since the nest didn't attack her before, why would they now suddenly? Shouldn't be the first time she went to the well since she saves her treasure there...

[Unoriginal]

I also don't really feel like introducing a Deus Ex NPC, but maybe Artus. I am just not sure what to do here, so your advice is very much appreciated!

Well, you could make it a comical rescue if it was Faroul and Gondolo, that's why I suggested them.



About the Pterafolk, I figured that since the nest didn't attack her before, why would they now suddenly? Shouldn't be the first time she went to the well since she saves her treasure there...

The difference here is that she's staying near it, probably cursing or trying to tempt the players, which makes her distracted. Plus she's probably not just next of her golem (to make sure the way of the adventurers is blocked, so some Pterafolk can figure they can take a shot at her. Even just pushing her in the well.

[ImSAMazing]

Well, you could make it a comical rescue if it was Faroul and Gondolo, that's why I suggested them.



The difference here is that she's staying near it, probably cursing or trying to tempt the players, which makes her distracted. Plus she's probably not just next of her golem (to make sure the way of the adventurers is blocked, so some Pterafolk can figure they can take a shot at her. Even just pushing her in the well.

Hm. Faroul and Gondolo will definitely make for a comical rescue, I will definitely think about it.

And true about the Pterafolk. I think if one of the players makes a loud sound above water, Pterafolk will come 'to the rescue'.

Great advice man, thanks. If you have any other ideas, I would love to hear them as well!

Same for you guys!