Brainstorming II

[Cowboy_ninja]

I need encounter ideas.

Details:

The PC's have been hired as escorts for a simple diplomatic mission to the druids/ forest folk of a little neighboring swamp. The the town has started having a few minor problems with the swamp wild life and the swamp is starting to expand into their terriroty.

what the PC's dont know is that the swamp has under gone a radical change becaus of a recent meteor/meteorite storm. These space rocks are causeing the wild-life to age rapidly. The trees and animals are aging at a rapid rate. What use to be small critters are now dire and prehistoric animals. Bugs that no longer sting but impale. Small low hanging trees and that are now huge and ancient (maybe even sentient). What use to be small gas pockets are now acidic gysers.

baiscally what use to be a small swamp, manageble even by druids of the lowest levels is now an ancient swamp with many dangers that the druids cant contain.

So again. encounters ideas for a setting above. they have already had to play a game with a family of bog imps (heors of horror), and avoid a dire snake. the group consists of 3 lvl 3 PC's and a cleric-type NPC.

I would like to try to avoid the steryotype of them always running into the challege that is perfect for their level. I want ecounters of all levels but if the chellenge rating reaches far beyond their level i'd like your in put as to how they are suppose to survive it.

PC's are a illusionist gnome bard, a human dread necro summoner, and a human monk.

i would also like encounters with a small twist; and creativity. I can easily pick out swamp themed monsters from the monster manuals but i personally have had the most fun when encounters consist of a whole bunch of little things.

i have to go now but this should be enough info for now. i'll be back to check on this and provide any more input that is needed later

thanks in adance!!

[Dentarthur]

I would like to try to avoid the steryotype of them always running into the challege that is perfect for their level. I want ecounters of all levels but if the chellenge rating reaches far beyond their level i'd like your in put as to how they are suppose to survive it.

Badguys don't exist in a vacuum, so give the PCs some hint of what is to come. Write up a crack force of evilness that the party will have to struggle to defeat, and have them run into evidence of what it is. A big nasty dinosaur thing is crushing everything? The PCs suddenly run across huge tracks. They see corpses of the kind of monsters they have faced and barely survived before, which have been torn in half and tossed aside like ragdolls. Telltale claw marks on the bodies show that this is some kind of huge (type of monster). The dino has a weakness to fire? The party find a place where all the trees are scorched by flame, there's giant-dino blood everywhere and his claw-prints are dragging away from the scene as if he was wounded and limping. If they are smart, they'll put two and two together and prepare some Scorching Rays.

Alternatively, put together an encounter that they almost can't beat. Give them a solid walloping and have the BBEG cackle in glee. Then some druids come in and start blasting, and the already-wounded BBEG decides not to take his chances, runs off, and gives the party time to recuperate and plan for their next meeting. Hopefully they'll have gained some vital knowledge of his tactics and weaknesses, plus some of his assets will be spent so he'll be weaker for the next fight.

[Seonor]

There is a long thread about a swamp setting here, you can probably find something usefull in it.

[Grynning]

I was going to suggest some environmental hazards, but that thread linked above does a much better job than my meager spur of the moment ideas would. Give it a read, it's nifty stuff.

However the point I was going to make still stands - encounters aren't all about the enemies. Use the swamp itself as a character - swamps are creepy and nasty, make them feel like the place itself is out to get them. If you've read Streams of Silver (the second R.A. Salvatore F.R. book) there's a lengthy passage in there that evokes just this kind of horror. The heroes get so exhausted that they have to resort to using logs as makeshift boats to sleep on while they take turns hacking up the awful water trolls that pop out randomly, and by the end none of them can even walk anymore.

Have enemies toy with them. Crafty swamp dwelling critters wouldn't rush in right away, they'll watch for a while, try and attack the PC's when they're at their weakest. Just make sure the PC's know they're being watched, and that they could get attacked at any moment.

Other things for inspiration: Fire swamp sequence from The Princess Bride, Dagobah scenes in Empire Strikes Back, anything set in the southern bayou (The Rescuers, obscure animated movie from the 80's, comes to mind).

[Cowboy_ninja]

There is a long thread about a swamp setting here, you can probably find something usefull in it.

thanks! that link was a great help!

[shaddy_24]

A good template to add if you have Monster Manuel 3 is Woodling. It takes regular creatures and turns them basically into plants. It's a good way to make the swamp seem a little creepier, when a bunch of elves are suddenly made of wood.