Encounter Ideas: The Circus

[Glawackus]

So I'm making some progress on making an adventure for a party of 4-5 third level characters (my real-life D&D group), and I thought of having it set in and around a circus that's come to Korranberg (it's an Eberron campaign).

The basic plot is that the PCs have brought back an important artifact from Xen'drik to the Library of Korranberg, only to have it stolen by what appears to be a group of clowns. The PCs trace it back to circus, and one of the junior librarians has them go get it before anyone notices that it's been stolen. (The higher-ups think that the junior librarian is trying to figure out what makes it tick, and that he needs several days to do it--I'm not worried about time.)

What I'm looking for is encounter ideas for the group, combat and otherwise. Ideas that I have so far:

--The BBEG of the adventure, the leader of the clowns who wants the artifact for his own purposes. (I'm not quite sure what his race/species/what have you will be yet...my first thought was a mummy... Jas-Tor, the First Clown, maybe? I like a joke as much as the next guy.

As for the artifact itself, it's part of a lead-in for a campaign I might do. )

--The ringmasters of the circus, under the thrall of (Jas-Tor?), the Fabulous Garnak Brothers. (Half-orc warrior/halfling barbarian)

--Various exotic animals that the BBEG and the clowns have let go to run amok around the circus in hopes that they'll kill the PCs. Dire anything, maybe some exotic extraplanar creatures.

--The circus wagons themselves, which have a rudimentary intelligence (Large/Huge animated objects)

--Some Korranberg Watch officers, also under Jas-Tor's thrall, that are out to kill the PCs as well (more lead-in).

--The circus strongman (who may end up replacing one of the Garnak Brothers)...just a big, huge guy, maybe throwing around dumbbells and other heavy things.

Does anyone have any ideas for any more combat encounters? I've been trying to think of performers at the circus that could pose a threat in a fight other than the typical strongman. I may end up using some of the stranger humanoid-types in a "freak show" type of setting, but other than that, I keep drawing a blank.

Another thing: does anyone have ideas for non-combat encounters? Using skills, unique class abilities, that sort of thing. I can't imagine there will be many traps around (no doors on circus tents), but I'd like to have some things in there to make the players say "Wow, I was really important to the group back there..."

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Xefas]

How about Otyughs spawning in the Elephant cages (or similar animal)?

[Foolosophy]

check out the grey jester from Heroes Of Horror!

[Doomsy]

Goliath might work well for the strongman. Or a half-giant. Depending on how you want to run things, a few illusionists or acrobats might really help pad things out too. As for animals - A few dire tigers/lions and their controller would probably be in character for the set-up too.
Or various species of monkeys in cute costumes with a lot of rage built up. Ditto for bears.

[Herf]

What classes are the PCs playing? This will help us use specific skills and abilities when designing encounters.
-The acrobatic / athletic elves are jumping from tight ropes, spring attacking the pcs and then being pulled back upwards by bungee cords. This forces the PCs to summon aerial creatures, use ranged attacks or, gord forfend, climbing the ladders to the tight ropes and taking on the acrobats while balancing. No nets of course.
-The clowns should have small size animated wooden cars. One should use a small lance, too. You like a good joke? The clowns should be funny, yet deadly. Flower on the breast that sprays acid. Detachable red nose that when squeaked and thrown will explode as per bead of force. Baggy trousers with extradimensional space to make your PC's eyebrows raise in surprise when a clown pulls a midget from his pants and rolls him towards them.
-Let them visit the fortune teller, for a small fee she can tell them there is danger and peril to come. While they're all staring into her crystal ball, how many will notice the innocuous mist rising from the floor? She's attempting to put them to sleep! Alternatively, with a high enough diplomacy check or with enough gold, she might actually help them.
-Fire breathers, treat their breath weapon as a burning hands spell.
-While walking through the hall of mirrors in search of the elusive Jas-Tor, the PCs are attacked by halfling contortionists (rouges), treat the any reflections as per the mirror image spell, but every image is a mirror. Make shards of glass a viable threat, there should be tons of it flying around, and gord help anyone who casts an AoE spell...

Sorry I can't really help with non-combat encounters, that aint my strong point.

[Belkarseviltwin]

The Hall of Mirrors encounter is always a good thing- especially if the monster has a gaze attack!

Booby traps could well be plentiful- after all, those circus animals are valuable, to say nothing of the artifact! Tripwires could easily be rigged to open the cage of something nasty, or even to bring the Big Top down on the PCs.

Possibly some easier way in (avoiding a difficult encounter) that requires the players to play a (rigged) carnival game to take advantage of it. Of course, the rogue knows how it was rigged- but how can he win it?

The circus band includes a Bard playing Inspire Courage for the enemy during the last set-piece battle- but they stay on stage and take no active part. Do the PCs notice and silence them- bonus XP for doing it in a stylish way, like throwing an enemy through the bass drum!

Perhaps one of the creatures in the cages is intelligent- but the circus people don't know and are keeping it captive. It's powerful enough to help the PCs considerably, but the hunter who captured it and the circus trainers who mistreat it are the only humanoids it has ever met- so can they get it to trust them? Of course, something powerful enough to help them can also do a good deal of damage to them if they let it out before they convince it that they're friendly...

[Icewalker]

Definitely need a dude on an elephant, probably a wizard would be cool. The elephant running around trampling people, with the wizard blasting away at them. Some arabian guy.

Actually, I know a guy who DMs for his job who ran a similar adventure at one point. I wasn't on it, but my brother was, and it sounded pretty awesome. You need some thief-acrobats from Complete Adventurer on trapeze or the like to be flipping and spinning around everywhere so the PCs can't keep up.

[kpenguin]

House Phiarlain is the way to go here, if only for this:

Spoiler

Show

[Belkarseviltwin]

The only problem with an elephant is that an elephant on its own is CR7- the party are level 3. Likewise the dire tigers upthread- for God's sake those things are CR8 with 120hp, and will drop most 3rd-level PCs in one charge- 2d6 + 8d4 + 28 damage!
A single normal lion (CR3) or tiger (CR4) or brown bear (CR4) should be sufficient for the "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" portion of the adventure. Use a pair if this is a powerful party or you want an unusually difficult challenge.
Other animals that might challenge the party- a pair of Apes, a rhinoceros (perhaps with a low-level rider), a pack of large dogs, some snakes of varying sizes (possibly with handler). Of course, a fantasy circus doesn't have to stick to animals. Owlbears would probably make an appearance, as could a Wyvern with its sting removed- bringing it down to a CR5. If the party engage it inside the tent where its flight is less of an advantage, this could be a nice fight- it can stay in the top of the tent and hits like a truck, but the PCs can eventually get to it.

[Lady Tialait]

For the Elephant..rmemeber that a Circus animals are tamed, and as such the Elephant might be chained down or trained never to leave an area.

loads of Dexerious fighters there. lots of strange things too...don't forget the clowns!...very good at acting and can fake alot of thing....or you can give them Axes and make them phyco clowns..everyone loves psyco clowns...( level 1 Barbarians clowns...who fly into fits of sadistic laughter when they rage )

[Glawackus]

The circus band includes a Bard playing Inspire Courage for the enemy during the last set-piece battle- but they stay on stage and take no active part. Do the PCs notice and silence them- bonus XP for doing it in a stylish way, like throwing an enemy through the bass drum!

Perhaps one of the creatures in the cages is intelligent- but the circus people don't know and are keeping it captive. It's powerful enough to help the PCs considerably, but the hunter who captured it and the circus trainers who mistreat it are the only humanoids it has ever met- so can they get it to trust them? Of course, something powerful enough to help them can also do a good deal of damage to them if they let it out before they convince it that they're friendly...

Oooh. I like these two.

Anyone else have any other ideas? I could really use some ideas for spicing things up outside of fights...

[AslanCross]

You could have some "sideshow freaks". The Tauric template would be good, especially as it only gives +1 to CR. The amazing Goblin Behir!

A good twist to these encounters would be getting the freaks to join you, forcing them to rebel against their cruel master.

Oh, and make the bard a bearded female dwarf.

[Glawackus]

I'm definitely trying to think of ideas for the freakshow, and I just whipped up some numbers in DM Genie for Acid Flowers (acid splash), Joy Buzzers (shocking grasp), and Pants of Holding (a bag of holding t1 that isn't worth as much--tradeoff between being able to carry your stuff and, uh, wearing clown pants). Still trying to think of more circus-themed items.

KPenguin, what about House Phiarlan? I don't see anything in the spoiler box.

[wadledo]

My first thought when reading this was Dark Cloud 2!

And how about some locals in the stands?
If things ever get to hot for the PC's you can have a couple clerics/Paladins come marching in saying the clowns are summoning demons and all that yot(also gives you more freedom figuring CR).
Oh candy floss monsters, carmel coated zombies, flying peanuts, and prizes!
Maybe you could make a fun house using a bunch of the stuff from White Plume Mountain? (the spining tunnel, raft ride, and lots of trap doors)

[Prometheus]

Crowds. Right before the big action between the PCs and the circus folk occurs, clowns conveniently end a show or point out an attraction causing hundreds of people to pour out and fill the gap in between them. Or operhaps there is a bard or performer of comparable persuasiveness that when confronted, easily convinces the crowds that the PCs are evil assassins and the circus is benevolent.

Have a clown use a disguise check to make himself appear larger than he really is or is actually upside-down while appearing right side up causing the PCs to miss their attacks based on their assumptions. Bonus: the mental image of a smiling clown face being torn clean off while it continues to fight.

The clowns should use interesting means of transportation too. Maybe one of them is on stilts and can attack with the pointy bottoms while being hard to hit with melee. Maybe one is standing on a ball which is heavy and can be devastating if it builds up momentum. Perhaps one with spring shoes that makes some odd jumping attacks.

Finally check out Shadowfoot's Jester Class.

[Lady Tialait]

Have the clown run the party through a bunch of circus acts

Balance Checks = Tight Rope
Tumble = Flaming leap of death
Handle Animal = Lion Tamer

and he promises the Artifact in exchange if they can make the Audience love them


ofcorse...he is lieing but that is hardly the point