Encounters in the catacombs...

[TheCountAlucard]

So, I'm having the next session of my evil campaign on Friday. The PCs are trying to beat an NPC druid to a powerful artifact located in a faraway city.

The city is built in the caldera of a massive, long-extinct volcano. The artifact is specifically at the bottom of the catacombs beneath the city. Said catacombs go down for almost half a mile.

Now, I'm trying to think of some possible encounters for the PCs, aside from a different adventuring party that's going to try and help the druid get there first (I've already got that in motion).

One of the artifact's properties is that all necromancy spells and effects are extremely inhibited. So, I'm not going to be using any undead this time.

Any suggestions? The PCs are around level eight.

[Lycan 01]

Sorry, I don't know enough about DnD to be too much help. But I can at least offer suggestions...

Anti-necromancy artifact, you say? Well, first of all, traps. :smalltongue: And then maybe some ghosts... I know, no necromancy, but these are natural ghosts. They're paladins, crusaders, holy warriors, etc. who tried to find the artifact and failed. So great was their heartbreak that they stayed behind in the mortal world, forever lamenting their failure to the greater good.

Maybe some kobolds who were mining and accidentally crossed tunnels with the catacombs? I know, kobolds vs. a lvl. 8 party? But have you ever read Tucker's Kobolds? :smallbiggrin: Pull something like that on 'em, and see how many cry...


And too be cliche, perhaps a dragon should be guarding the artifact? :smalltongue:


Maybe have the constant threat of cave-ins looming overhead - literally. And perhaps a few pockets of poisonous gas seeping up from the earth, which could blow up at the slightest spark?


Oh! Oh! Graboids! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graboids) XD

[Thane of Fife]

Giant Spiders! Giant spiders make everything better!

Some sort of subterranean people (drow, goblins, kobolds, etc) who have dug into part of the dungeon.

Oozes, Gelationous Cubes, etc.

Various creatures created to guard the dead - golems, gargoyles, etc.

[overduegalaxy]

Sounds like the perfect place for some fire or earth elementals, or maybe some mephits.

[Lycan 01]

Deep Crows? :smallconfused:

[TheCountAlucard]

Anti-necromancy artifact, you say? Well, first of all, traps. :smalltongue: And then maybe some ghosts... I know, no necromancy, but these are natural ghosts.

Eh, I'd still rather not, though.


And to be cliche, perhaps a dragon should be guarding the artifact?

Well, they've already fought a dragon before; just three levels ago, in fact. I was hoping to make dragons a bit rarer in my campaign setting.


Maybe have the constant threat of cave-ins looming overhead - literally. And perhaps a few pockets of poisonous gas seeping up from the earth, which could blow up at the slightest spark?

Maybe not on the poisonous gases, but I like the idea of risk of cave-ins; at least, on the lowest levels, anyway...


Giant Spiders! Giant spiders make everything better!

True dat. :smallcool:


Some sort of subterranean people (drow, goblins, kobolds, etc) who have dug into part of the dungeon.

I'd like to avoid this'un, because it's still happening inside a volcano, even if it is extinct...


Oozes, Gelationous Cubes, etc.

Various creatures created to guard the dead - golems, gargoyles, etc.

Not a big fan of oozes, but constructs might be a good idea...


Sounds like the perfect place for some fire or earth elementals, or maybe some mephits.

Y'know, that might be a good idea. I've never really used mephits or elementals to any serious degree as of yet.

[BRC]

Deep Crows? :smallconfused:

Those things are tough unless youve taken the Friendly Exterminator PRC (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/5/21/)

[TheCountAlucard]

Having trouble viewing the SRD, so I'll have to dig up my ol' books...

[overduegalaxy]

Having trouble viewing the SRD, so I'll have to dig up my ol' books...

www.d20srd.org does seem to be down, but I know there are other ones scattered across the web.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Kobolds. Yes, volcano, but they're better miners than dwarfs. The lava only will help them.

[Calinero]

I agree with the ideas of fire elementals or gelatinous cubes....*shudders* I hate gelatinous cubes. One of them nearly got a TPK on my party by total accident/bad luck. Although, they've led to a good running joke...early on in my D&D days, I asked if monsters could be turned into PC's. My friend said that most monsters could be played as characters, and I asked if that included gelatinous cubes. The answer was no. I immediately replied that I wanted to be a gelatinous cube cleric of Rubik. "Rubik?" "Of course. Rubik. God of Cubes."

Anyways, anything fire themed would be fun. Maybe a bit of shadow themed stuff too, since you're in creepy caves. Are there any good shadow creatures out there? I can't seem to recall.

[chevalier]

Giant spiders--yes; or Giant Anythings. I particularly like snakes and centipedes.

Would a Purple Worm be too challenging for this group?

My Fabulous Four of D&D Specific Beasties:

Gelatinous Cube-----
Gibbering Mouther |---> all in the
Umber Hulk |---> same room? :)
Rust Monster--------


Umber Hulk sounds like a MUST for this adventure.

[Thane of Fife]

Umber Hulks and Giant Centipedes - I approve.

How about some living molds? A giant brown mold could thrive in a volcano.

[Ionizer]

A pair of 9HD (which increases their size to Large) Thoqqua (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/thoqqua.htm) is about a CR 7-8 encounter. Fits with their flavor, too, since they're basically Fire/Earth Elemental worms. Perfect habitat: Volcano.

[Callista]

Catacombs sound like the perfect place for a reclusive scientist or wizard. He could be evil, eccentric, or insane... he could even become an ally. But he probably won't be happy to be disturbed.

[its_all_ogre]

take a gelatinous cube and make it bigger...i have placed a 40HD one in my campaign, it is a 40' cube and lives in a 40 foot wide corridor that doubles as the cities ancient sewer system.
here is feeds on rats that summoning traps bring into being for it, protecting the 'higher magi' secret hideouts.

obviously players are not intended to fight it (it has 1056 hps and the tunnel is protected against scrying, via a psionic power, and a form of dimensional anchor preventing all magic related to psycho-portation)

oh and did i mention the rat swarms 1 appearing every minute(act as guards and food for cubey)

anyway yes throw an advanced G cube at them, or at least near them. if you make it big enough you can make it so there are tunnels too small for it to fit into, but it can still attack with it's pseudo-pods, making it an avoidable, but not ignorable, threat!

[Dr Bwaa]

take a gelatinous cube and make it bigger...i have placed a 40HD one in my campaign, it is a 40' cube and lives in a 40 foot wide corridor that doubles as the cities ancient sewer system.
here is feeds on rats that summoning traps bring into being for it, protecting the 'higher magi' secret hideouts.

obviously players are not intended to fight it (it has 1056 hps and the tunnel is protected against scrying, via a psionic power, and a form of dimensional anchor preventing all magic related to psycho-portation)

oh and did i mention the rat swarms 1 appearing every minute(act as guards and food for cubey)

anyway yes throw an advanced G cube at them, or at least near them. if you make it big enough you can make it so there are tunnels too small for it to fit into, but it can still attack with it's pseudo-pods, making it an avoidable, but not ignorable, threat!

I don't know why I have never used an advanced Jellycube before. Thank you for opening my eyes.

Also, to the OP, Xorns are hugely underused (imo). Show some Xorn love! Also, sort of along the line of the deep crows, catacombs are great places for ancient things have have been undisturbed for eons to be unfortunately rediscovered.

[Calinero]

I actually went to wikipedia on the G Cubes. It said something about legends of cubes deep underground, thousands of feet in diameter. Gonna have cube nightmares now. The ten foot ones are bad enough.

[TheCountAlucard]

Giant spiders--yes; or Giant Anythings. I particularly like snakes and centipedes.

Would a Purple Worm be too challenging for this group?

My Fabulous Four of D&D Specific Beasties:

Gelatinous Cube
Gibbering Mouther
Umber Hulk
Rust Monster


Umber Hulk sounds like a MUST for this adventure.

They had an interesting encounter in the past with a Swarmshifting Wight who turned into a swarm of centipedes. If they see anything with too many legs, they'll probably go crazy. :smalltongue:

As for the Umber Hulk, that doesn't sound too bad. I don't think I'll hit 'em with a Rust Monster, though... they'd kill me... :smalleek:

[Starbuck_II]

So, I'm having the next session of my evil campaign on Friday. The PCs are trying to beat an NPC druid to a powerful artifact located in a faraway city.

The city is built in the caldera of a massive, long-extinct volcano. The artifact is specifically at the bottom of the catacombs beneath the city. Said catacombs go down for almost half a mile.

Now, I'm trying to think of some possible encounters for the PCs, aside from a different adventuring party that's going to try and help the druid get there first (I've already got that in motion).

One of the artifact's properties is that all necromancy spells and effects are extremely inhibited. So, I'm not going to be using any undead this time.

Any suggestions? The PCs are around level eight.

How about 1/2 of complex:
1/2 Fiend That Damn Crab? Make him being worshipped by some creatures like Troglydtes.

Roleplaying or combat, both work...though dsince everyone hates Trogs they stink... probably combat.

[TheCountAlucard]

How about 1/2 of complex:
1/2 Fiend That Damn Crab?

I don't want to TPK the party. :smalltongue:

[Thane of Fife]

Just remembered - Bulette!

Bulettes are almost the perfect monster - the only thing they lack is some sort of save-or-die effect.

[horseboy]

Well, hell hounds would fit in pretty well, that and the Room of Death! A Lurker Above ceiling, Trapper floor, Stun Jelly walls, and a Mimic of the artifact.

[Leewei]

Thoqquas. Also, more and bigger Thoqquas. Throw in a few Thoqquas with the Half-fiend or Half-dragon templates. :)

Add some pitfalls that immerse the poor victim in lava (DMG entry on this is something like 10d6 Fire damage per round of full immersion. Yikes!)