Drow Temple Fight

[SirVladamir]

My players have been tasked with helping take out a drow temple/stronghold. A large cohort of dwarves will be engaging in a frontal assault, while the PCs are suppose to keep the enemy spell casters occupied so the dwarves arn't bombarded by AoE spells.

Party is 8 lvl 9-10 characters (yes big party, fights take a long time, but thats how we like it) I am interested in getting some ideas about what you think appropriate lair actions for a Drow Priestess in a temple of Lolth would be. The first one is obvious, webs spring up in places. What other ideas do you all have. The PCs will have an opportunity for some recon before hand, so they might be getting some inside knowledge of the abilities.

[Unoriginal]

Poison Mist only the priestess can see through?

[Brotherbock]

If I'm gonna be mean, I have those webs spring up, and then I have either a trap or some minions douse the webs/trapped people with gasoline-equivalent to increase the fire damage from burning them off. Then maybe just have the minions set fire to them in the first place, before the players can break free.

Already in place invisible webs are a good idea too. Particularly in places like over the pits that have to be jumped over in the tunnels--then you get players stuck in webs hanging directly over pits, and a good moment or two of figuring out how to get out of the web but not fall in the pit. While some minion through a crack in the ceiling pours lamp oil on you. :)

Cave-ins. Triggered cave-ins. Both from above, and below. Indiana Jones Last Crusade leap from the Lion's Head cleverly painted rocks--except this is a pit where the far wall is painted to look from the near side like there are rock bridges across the pit, but there aren't. Or just illusionary bridges in place across the pits. Or mundane real bridges rigged to collapse. Or a mix and match.

Is the party going to be engaging the spellcasters from range, or in melee? If the party is also going to be out of melee, the occupying force needs to have handy and easy stuff to disrupt the party's own spellcasting. Catapults that launch waves of super-heated sand at the party, for example (big area of effect, maybe a dex check to avoid, only a couple of points of damage if you fail, but a disrupted spell).

What about getting really nasty, and throwing charmed/brainwashed captured children/townspeople at the party as cannon fodder? You'd like to take out that Drow spellcaster, but there's a magically entranced innkeeper running at you with a sword. In fact, you know her, you've stayed at her inn... :)

[Erys]

My players have been tasked with helping take out a drow temple/stronghold. A large cohort of dwarves will be engaging in a frontal assault, while the PCs are suppose to keep the enemy spell casters occupied so the dwarves arn't bombarded by AoE spells.

Party is 8 lvl 9-10 characters (yes big party, fights take a long time, but thats how we like it) I am interested in getting some ideas about what you think appropriate lair actions for a Drow Priestess in a temple of Lolth would be. The first one is obvious, webs spring up in places. What other ideas do you all have. The PCs will have an opportunity for some recon before hand, so they might be getting some inside knowledge of the abilities.

If you are just looking for a couple more Lair Actions, how about:
-- A Swarm of Spiders springs at the feet of one player, player take 3d6 poison damage and is poisoned till the end of their next turn; successful Con save halves damage and negates the condition.
-- A Giant Spider enters the fight. Spider stays until killed. Cant use this Lair Action again until the other two Lair Actions have been used. Spiders are cumulative. Spiders maintain their initiative at 20, and go right after the Lair Action for any new round.