Some Quick Help!!

[The J Pizzel]

My players have found and destroyed a lost civilization in the mountains. They were very hostile mountain orcs. They worshipped very large scorpions and was led by a Spirit Shaman chick. In the back of the valley there is a small "ziggurat" style temple that I never bothered to stat out because I wansn't supposed to be DMing again for some time...OOPS, i'm DMing in about 2 hours and have nothing for them to fight or find in this temple. I don't want alot of magical stuff, they've already found that in the leaders huts. I'm thinking alot of broze and copper pots and stuff. But what to make them fight???? Here's the layout -

All level 8's - Human Warmage, Human Cleric of St. Cuthbert, Human Knight, Elf Ranger/Scout. Their damage output is enormous but there "arcane support" is horrible.

I was thinking to put a Huge Monstrous Scorpion in there (except they've been fighting tons of these) and add some cool templates to it. Maybe fiendish and something else.

Please help!!!! This does't need to be an "all night encounter" but I wanna make it worth their while. Multiple spread out enemies is also a plus.

thanks....the j pizzel

[Jasdoif]

Have you considered scorpionfolk? It would make a lot of sense of the scorpion worshipers if there was one in the temple.

[Variable Arcana]

Perhaps too late to help you...

For some reason ziggurats remind me of pyramids -- and mummies are always a classic standby for such things. If you want to put any good treasure in there, mummies can even be tied in as being awakened to restore the sacred treasures to the temple.

Golems are also a good standby as temple-defenders. (Perhaps the giant-sized scorpion statue in the main temple hall animates when the sacred relics are removed from its altar?)

Last thought -- the removal of the treasure/relics might trigger a contingent summons -- just one CR-appropriate devil or demon as appropriate. (I'm thinking one bone devil -- for the scorpion-like sting.)

In each case, the big question to be answered is -- why weren't these forces available when the leadership of the temple was being slaughtered by the PCs?

[The J Pizzel]

Whew!!! <brushes sweat off of brow> I'm of the hook. The Warmage cancelled and the Knight said he'd rather study for a test tomorrow anyway. To answer your question, the temple is about a mile from the where the battle was. I don't think there was enough noise to provoke the "supreme creature" from his temple. Thanks for the advice, keep them coming please. I'll still need some ideas for when I do DM again.

jp

[The J Pizzel]

wow, I just got a chance to look at the "Scorpionfolk"...damn I wish I'd seen that earlier. Oh well, looks like the temples gonna be full of those. Thanks. Keep advice coming though!!

[silentknight]

Yeah, scorpionfolk are a good idea. Make them look like orc-scorpions to fit with the worshipers. You could also arm creatures with chitinous armor and poisoned weapons to fit the theme.

Oh, have you seen The Mummy 2? The Scorpion King is a giant scorpionfolk!