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Deme
2007-10-21, 10:09 AM
I'm planning on doing an adventure for 5 5th level characters that takes place at a volcano...I picture at least one collapsing lava-bridge, but beyond that...I have nothing but monsters. any ideas on how to make it interesting and exciting?

the party includes a sorcerer, a favored soul, a rogue, a fighter, and a bard

reorith
2007-10-21, 10:43 AM
tpks are always fun. so are chases. a chase ending in a tpk would be the best of both worlds.

Deme
2007-10-21, 10:52 AM
tpks are always fun. so are chases. a chase ending in a tpk would be the best of both worlds.

I think only I would find that fun, and only if it was amusing. so maybe I should add "fun that ought to be survivable as long as no one gets stupid"

TheLogman
2007-10-21, 11:06 AM
Maybe steam/lava vents? They can time their jumps to get a circumstance bonus to avoiding them, or just get Fire Resistance. Fun monsters include Azer warriors, Fire elementals/Fire Mephits, and Magma Mephits add a twist, since they heal when submerged in Lava.

Dragons are good, find a smaller sized Red dragon that is appropriate for their CR, have them fight it. However, then they discover a cavern below the dragon's lair into a subterranean area, and after fighting off some Drow patrols and other things, they discover a whole world down there, with DINOSAURS! That would be cool.

sikyon
2007-10-21, 11:08 AM
Maybe steam/lava vents? They can time their jumps to get a circumstance bonus to avoiding them, or just get Fire Resistance. Fun monsters include Azer warriors, Fire elementals/Fire Mephits, and Magma Mephits add a twist, since they heal when submerged in Lava.

Dragons are good, find a smaller sized Red dragon that is appropriate for their CR, have them fight it. However, then they discover a cavern below the dragon's lair into a subterranean area, and after fighting off some Drow patrols and other things, they discover a whole world down there, with DINOSAURS! That would be cool.

*cough lost world cough*

TheLogman
2007-10-21, 11:10 AM
I'd like you to come up with a better reason to put dinosaurs into a campaign. Besides maybe an Ice Age/Stone Age campaign.

Artemician
2007-10-21, 11:12 AM
#1: Monsters that try to pull the PCs under Lava. Might be a bit too dangerous though (20d6 per round is OUCH!).

#2: Create a Lake of Lava with only a narrow bridge to cross it. Have a really big, menacing evil badguy walk slowly across the bridge, shrugging off the PC's attacks effortlessly. Then have him incinerated by a jet of burning lava. Watch the PCs try to work up the courage to cross the bridge.

#3: Sharks. Lavaborn Sharks.

#4: Does the Favoured Soul have his wings yet? Having him frantically try to pull the correct lever while the rest of the party sinks slowly into the lava makes for a very high-tension puzzle

#5: Having the PCs row across Lava Lakes while fending off Sharks is great fun, too.

Just some random thoughts off the top of my head.

Dausuul
2007-10-21, 12:22 PM
I'm planning on doing an adventure for 5 5th level characters that takes place at a volcano...I picture at least one collapsing lava-bridge, but beyond that...I have nothing but monsters. any ideas on how to make it interesting and exciting?

the party includes a sorcerer, a favored soul, a rogue, a fighter, and a bard

Bridges. Ledges. Flying monsters that attack while the PCs are on said bridges and ledges. Ranged-attacking monsters that take advantage of the PCs' vulnerable position. Bull rushing monsters that try to knock the PCs off (beware, though, this is a very lethal tactic). Heat damage from crossing said bridges and ledges--even if you're 200 feet up, the hot air rising off the lava will be quite enough to cook you if you don't have fire protection, unless you're going the convection schmonvection (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConvectionSchmonvection) route. Sulfurous fumes that fatigue or nauseate the PCs. Hot winds driving them toward the lava; all that hot air rising off the surface is going to pull in cold air from the surrounding area to replace it, creating a gale that blows straight in toward the kill zone.

One of the best fight scenes I ever ran involved a double-hit-point marilith in the midst of a lake of fire. She used her telekinesis ability to bull rush PCs into the fire, threw up blade barriers, teleported all over the place, and generally made the PCs' lives hell. They lost half the party fighting her and considered it a good deal.


#4: Does the Favoured Soul have his wings yet? Having him frantically try to pull the correct lever while the rest of the party sinks slowly into the lava makes for a very high-tension puzzle

These are 5th-level characters. That ability happens at 17th. I'm thinking "no." :smallbiggrin:

Also, 20d6 damage a round will annihilate just about any 5th-level character instantly. "Slow sinking" isn't in it. Though a protection from energy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/protectionFromEnergy.htm) spell could provide a single round of survival--maybe enough to save the character somehow.

Mike_Lemmer
2007-10-21, 12:25 PM
The problem with lava is it's all-or-nothing; either the PCs aren't damaged at all or they're dead within seconds.

Return to White Plume used heated mud, instead of lava, that caused 5d6 fire damage per round. Still nasty, but not instantly fatal.

You could also use semi-congealed lava. The top is sort of hard (and cool), but if they stand still, they start sinking in & taking damage. A combat where they have to take a move action every round or take damage would be interesting.

Also remember there some types of volcanic rocks that float.