SangoProduction
2020-05-14, 04:33 AM
I'm coming up with a new 2-3 session adventure for my players, who said they wanted something along the lines of a dungeoncrawl with undead / demons / mutants. Not sure why mutants were thrown in there, but sure thing. I guess the red heads really didn't have any souls.
So, my idea was that they'd have to uncover an opening to a forgotten, underground crypt, beneath a well-to-do town that's been forced to evacuate due to the ghosts beginning to act up. I haven't decided what caused them to suddenly act up, but am tossing around the idea of a cult the party encountered before disturbing their rest. Or perhaps it's some sort of hell gate that needs to be closed...but how?
The reason I chose ghosts for the main antagonists here would be due to their uncanny ability to just get away (and even in the case of one shots, they aren't permanently gone), making combat be only a partial solution. They then need to figure out how to appease the spirits to let them move on, or to force them in to a corporeal form and slay them for good.
Thing is...I'm not sure where to find good inspiration for these things.
My idea was that a group of adventurers were interred in the crypt as an honor to their duties in life. The fighter (probably human - maybe dwarf) had some armor missing from his tomb, and angrily searches for a replacement. A clue could be that each time he'd show up, he'd manifested ghostly armor, missing the chestplate and greaves. He ought to be the most straightforward to get fixed up.
There'd almost certainly also be a mage. One that see himself as much smarter than everyone, so probably an elf. It must have been a violent death in that case, if he's dying in anywhere near the same time period as the human. I have no idea what would put this character to rest. But maybe showing him that his knowledge of the world is out of date would let him know he's dead and should leave? How would the players even be clued in to that?
The druid would probably not want to be there in the first place, and is being manipulated by...whatever's causing the uprising of their ghosts. She'd probably move on as soon as that issue is dealt with. She'd act reluctantly, and always goes on initiative 0. And might subtly help, such as having AoE also hit allies, and helps point out key points / objects.
And for the rogue / archer, I haven't the faintest clue. He'd probably enjoy his easy sneak attacks. A bit too much. I'd reckon he was actually the survivor of whatever altercation killed the rest of the party, and had in his will to be buried with them. Still not helping me to figure out how to make him pass on. Well, I guess he'd have some survivor's guilt, or something, and would be restless until everyone else moved on. Although that's basically the same condition that the druid has.
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And of course, it's hardly a dungeon crawl if that's all there is to it. So the lesser peoples interred into the crypt would also be wandering around as corporeal undead. I am having a hard time justifying what a cult would want to do with a crypt that both leaves them there for my players to encounter, and creates so much disturbance that it drives the town away...and like only taking part of a dead dude's armor. So I'm thinking a minor demonic incursion would be the simplest to explain, if not the most straightforward to solve. Does anyone have recommendations for how to close up a dimensional rift.
Regardless, there would probably be a deal of imps causing generalized havoc, and trying to open it further for larger demons to get in, along with a spattering of CR 6-ish demons. Maybe just have a troll-like demon or two roaming the halls of the bottom level, unable to fit through the stairway upwards.
So, my idea was that they'd have to uncover an opening to a forgotten, underground crypt, beneath a well-to-do town that's been forced to evacuate due to the ghosts beginning to act up. I haven't decided what caused them to suddenly act up, but am tossing around the idea of a cult the party encountered before disturbing their rest. Or perhaps it's some sort of hell gate that needs to be closed...but how?
The reason I chose ghosts for the main antagonists here would be due to their uncanny ability to just get away (and even in the case of one shots, they aren't permanently gone), making combat be only a partial solution. They then need to figure out how to appease the spirits to let them move on, or to force them in to a corporeal form and slay them for good.
Thing is...I'm not sure where to find good inspiration for these things.
My idea was that a group of adventurers were interred in the crypt as an honor to their duties in life. The fighter (probably human - maybe dwarf) had some armor missing from his tomb, and angrily searches for a replacement. A clue could be that each time he'd show up, he'd manifested ghostly armor, missing the chestplate and greaves. He ought to be the most straightforward to get fixed up.
There'd almost certainly also be a mage. One that see himself as much smarter than everyone, so probably an elf. It must have been a violent death in that case, if he's dying in anywhere near the same time period as the human. I have no idea what would put this character to rest. But maybe showing him that his knowledge of the world is out of date would let him know he's dead and should leave? How would the players even be clued in to that?
The druid would probably not want to be there in the first place, and is being manipulated by...whatever's causing the uprising of their ghosts. She'd probably move on as soon as that issue is dealt with. She'd act reluctantly, and always goes on initiative 0. And might subtly help, such as having AoE also hit allies, and helps point out key points / objects.
And for the rogue / archer, I haven't the faintest clue. He'd probably enjoy his easy sneak attacks. A bit too much. I'd reckon he was actually the survivor of whatever altercation killed the rest of the party, and had in his will to be buried with them. Still not helping me to figure out how to make him pass on. Well, I guess he'd have some survivor's guilt, or something, and would be restless until everyone else moved on. Although that's basically the same condition that the druid has.
-
And of course, it's hardly a dungeon crawl if that's all there is to it. So the lesser peoples interred into the crypt would also be wandering around as corporeal undead. I am having a hard time justifying what a cult would want to do with a crypt that both leaves them there for my players to encounter, and creates so much disturbance that it drives the town away...and like only taking part of a dead dude's armor. So I'm thinking a minor demonic incursion would be the simplest to explain, if not the most straightforward to solve. Does anyone have recommendations for how to close up a dimensional rift.
Regardless, there would probably be a deal of imps causing generalized havoc, and trying to open it further for larger demons to get in, along with a spattering of CR 6-ish demons. Maybe just have a troll-like demon or two roaming the halls of the bottom level, unable to fit through the stairway upwards.