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View Full Version : DM Help SIGIL's maze - advice 2



KQMOLLE
2018-10-23, 01:59 PM
Hi I hope you can help me with som ideas of how play out The Maze in Sigil
The Party of 5 PCs (6-7th level) have to enter the Maze to find som ancient being hiding in there.
Here are som details that I have had fledged out for the characters:
- The maze is a prison that has existed for millennia
- The maze is under control of the Lady of Pain
- It is a copy of Sigil, ever changing, grey and windy, barren and dry
- Overgrown with Razorvine (the only thing you can eat)
- All creatures exist in their own "layer" of the Maze, condemned to eternal loneliness and the tiny spark of hope to find the way out.
- The Party have undergone som psionic ritual by a maze-seeing Githyanki that has involved the players getting to now each other better - involving som really roleplaying background storytelling. The idea is that this will make them able to "see" each other wile in the maze.

I plan for the maze to be 2-3 sessions that in game time maybe could result in them being in there for years.
- It's a cruel place, they have to eat razorvine
- magic doesn't come back when expended (it takes weeks)
- I will

What criminals will they meet? ideas for both social- and battle encounters?
What creatures?
What environments?
Any advice for using the Insanity-rules from pathfinder or other sources?
How do they navigate the maze.
How do they find the ancient creature? (som puzzle?)
How do they get out?

All ideas are appreciated.

weckar
2018-10-23, 02:26 PM
I mean, by your own definitions they cannot encounter anything...

Man_Over_Game
2018-10-23, 03:03 PM
Hi, me again from the previous thread. I'd really recommend expanding on the title a little bit so it'd draw some attention. Something descriptive that people would naturally be drawn to.

"Help me design Planescape Sigil's creepy Maze! Need advice for monsters, encounters, puzzles, etc."

As of right now, not many people will understand what you're trying to convey with the title.

SunderedWorldDM
2018-10-23, 03:22 PM
I don't know the lore of the Maze, or much about Planescape, but from what little knowledge I do have, I have a few ideas:

-Some form of protected arcane gate or the like that allows the jailers to get in, but a crafty player could use it to cause all sorts of teleporting mayhem...
-Any number of creatures trapped in the maze: a nightmare elemental, a half-githyanki, half-githzerai, even a fallen god wanting just a shred of their power back... any number of terrifying enemies could provoke your players in the maze!
-Broken-down and abandoned locales that they frequent in Sigil, encounters inside as you see fit...
-Maybe some form of trap that capitalizes on antimagic? I mean, if you have a big enough pit and no fly or feather fall, well, kiss your sorry little mage's behind goodbye...
-The personal jailers of the Lady of Pains choice patrolling the maze. If the players are seen or caught, their mission becomes much more difficult...

Is this the sort of thing you're looking for or am I way off-track?

KQMOLLE
2018-10-24, 08:40 AM
Thanks for the constructive criticism Man_Over_Game - English it not my native language and I'm not that experienced on boards. Thank you, I will heed your advice.

weckar - hmm yeah you are right! My plan makes a reason for them to "see" each other, but not how they will be able to encounter others - I'll fokus on that. Thanks

SunderedWorldDM - Thank you very much for your reply, that is exactly the kind I'm hoping for.

The Fallen God idea is great - maybe some aspects of The God of Portals Aoskar. Maybe they could free him or make him an ally...

Nightmare elementals are also awesome: Manifested through time as mental aspects of the suffering of the imprisoned... Do you have statistics on such monsters? Suitable for 5PC's 6-7 level?

BabuPC
2018-10-24, 08:42 AM
Nice post.

SunderedWorldDM
2018-10-24, 09:21 AM
I don't have statistics for Nightmare Elementals, but I could whip something up relatively quickly. Do you want the PCs to fight one at a time or multiple? How hard do you want the encounter to be?

More ideas!
-A doorway to something that looks deceptively like the Infinite Staircase. This is actually some form of living creature who was imprisoned, and the farther the characters travel, the more likely they are to be eaten...
-A creature camouflaged in razorvine: when the PCs want a snack, it jumps out and attacks!
-A defunct planar model, unused for centuries or more. It can be used to accurately track one thing wherever it is in the multiverse of the player's choice, but they have to deal with its guardian first...
-A broken statue of the Lady of Pain, words in Primordial scratched on the base. Any number of encounters could happen here!
-A meteor strikes the maze not a mile from the players! Do they go towards it or away? What mysteries does it hold?

I can feel myself running out of good ideas. I'll quite while I'm ahead. Still good, or do you need something different?

KQMOLLE
2018-10-25, 01:41 AM
I don't have statistics for Nightmare Elementals, but I could whip something up relatively quickly. Do you want the PCs to fight one at a time or multiple? How hard do you want the encounter to be?

More ideas!
-A doorway to something that looks deceptively like the Infinite Staircase. This is actually some form of living creature who was imprisoned, and the farther the characters travel, the more likely they are to be eaten...
-A creature camouflaged in razorvine: when the PCs want a snack, it jumps out and attacks!
-A defunct planar model, unused for centuries or more. It can be used to accurately track one thing wherever it is in the multiverse of the player's choice, but they have to deal with its guardian first...
-A broken statue of the Lady of Pain, words in Primordial scratched on the base. Any number of encounters could happen here!
-A meteor strikes the maze not a mile from the players! Do they go towards it or away? What mysteries does it hold?

I can feel myself running out of good ideas. I'll quite while I'm ahead. Still good, or do you need something different?


Off course the Lady of Pain would have a mark of a sort - A giant statue that becomes visible in the mist as a silhouette with her blade surrounded face - that is a good idea. I think I will make that the center of the maze. That way, they can walk for days, weeks and come back to the same place.

The razorvine can be a modified Assassin Vine - noted

The defunct planar model - that is an awesome idea. That way imprisoned ones can get glimpses of their loved ones. But it will always show them in pain and agony.

I will really appreciate if you would make some Nightmare elementals statistics! - thanks - I prefer full party combat, and a difficult battle.

Eldan
2018-10-25, 04:33 AM
Actually, I wouldn't put a statue of Her Serenity in there. At least not an intact one. That's one of only three rules She has always enforced: She is not to be worshipped. A statue looks suspiciously like worship.

SunderedWorldDM
2018-10-25, 07:15 AM
Actually, I wouldn't put a statue of Her Serenity in there. At least not an intact one. That's one of only three rules She has always enforced: She is not to be worshipped. A statue looks suspiciously like worship.

If they're already in the maze, they broke a rule, so there's no need to fear quite as much. And is it worship? Who put it up? What are the marks in primordial around the base? Is there more than meets the eye to this statue?

Nightmare elementals: Got it. I'll whip up a CR 8 elemental devoted to dealing psychic damage and incapacitating characters. What edition? If it's not 5th, I'm afraid someone else is going to have to do it, as that's not my area of expertise, but you could always put up a request in Request a Homebrew (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?408530-Request-a-Homebrew-Thread-3).

KQMOLLE
2018-10-31, 05:34 PM
Hi again - sorry I haven't responded. I thought I did it monday from the train wifi off for work, but I guess it didn't work!
I would love if you could sample up a nightmare creature 5th edition. Thanks in advance:-)