Usually Sanctum or 3-13.
One of them is always at 3-13.
my remodel of the Horn is ready for review. I'm working from a tablet though and I'm learninng all kinnds of things that the mobile platform can't do when it comes to file sharing.
The Sheets App does not allow you to insert images or photos.
I tried hosting the photos on facebook thinking I could just link the URL here. Turns out the facebook app doesn't allow you to copy a photo url.
They're just photo files. At this point, I'm thinking my best option would be to just text the pictures someone else who has a functioning desktop.
Someone want to PM me a number to send them to? Once they're posted in the Evil Lair page I'll do a write up explaining what all my crayon-looking chicken-scratch means.
I do have a google plus page. Haven't lookedd at t in about a year. Hope I still remember the password.
Anyone know if there's image compression on google plus like there is on facebook. I noticed that when I uploaded the images to facebook I lost a lot of clarity.
+5531993850730
You can send me using whatspp.
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Commandeered a desktop. I'll post the links here, take suggestions and make changes, then send the originals out to be posted on the evil lair page.
This one's the crappiest picture because it was originally the largest image. The original is much clearer. I apologize for the clarity.
Notes-
The green lines are underground waterways for the boggards to travel through. I've added quite a few additional pools. Underwater tunneling is tricky because picks don't work normally. Lacking explosives it's mostly a matter of brute strength and endurance. Undead labor with chisels and drills taking direction from boggards, and the occasional summoned earth elemental should make short work of it.
In the lower left is a sentry point with a hidden arrow slit to look at the outside with. Two sentries on duty. If something is spotted, one goes to alert others while one stays behind to watch.
There's another sentry watch point at the south end of the boggard village.
Next to the mud men area are our stables. Next to that is the Nightmare's lair.
The two red semi-circles on the left are indiana jones-style arrow traps in the walls. The two ends of the corridor have drop-dors that lock people in (activated by boggards hiding in the pools). The doors slam down, the arrow traps go off, and the boggards attack from the water with nets trying to entangle people and drag them into the water.
The three squares in the center are the Acid Pit floor traps.
The circle in the lower right is the acid pool. We landscape the floor to slant towards it from all directions, like a shallow funnel. We install a resetting Grease trap that makes people slip and slide into the acid pool.
The trap at the top is the chest full of fake diamonds on the other side of the mudmen pit. If they're smart enough to be commanded, they will be instructed not to attack until enemies actually reach the chest.
More incoming.
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Next up-
This is where things get fun. I know it's a bit of a mess to look at so I'll walk you through it
Starting at the entrance stairs-
Spring-floor traps: Basically catapults. A drop-weight below tips the floor upward, fast. Then it's cranked back to level by a chain from the inside. One flings enemies back down the stairs. The other tosses them off the cliff. Both are triggered from inside, not automatically.
Big-ass steel reinforced door that raises and lowers by crank from the inside.
Talking to people outside is done by a sliding steel hatch that opens above the top of the stairs at the outer wall of the room marked A.
Once through the door, you're in a Really Bad Hallway.
Guard blocks line it on either side, arrow slits running the whole way on both sides.
The red Xs note that the ceiling above is actually metal grating, so the guards on the second floor can dump terrible things downward. (those gratings are noted on the second floor)
In the floor are pressure traps that are essentially hiden Bear Traps that bite into the leg and hold you there.
If you're in that hall and managing not to be shot from all directions or having boiling things poured on your head, you're still going to have to contend with the Ballista aiming straight at you.
Once you turn the corner, you have another ballista behind you.
At the end of the hall is a portcullis door. On the other side of that door is more of the same death from all sides, and our fancy Golem.
So lets assume you're someone we want inside, and we walk you through the Very Bad Hallway-
The receiving room is past the Golem death chamber. This is just a fancy room full of regalia and suitably ostentatious things to impress people.
South of the receiving room is the Armory and Seren's forge. East of that is Guard Block B. West is Seren's room, Nahia's room and Nahia's alchemical lab. (I figured Seren would want to be next to the forge, and Nahia would want to be near Seren, and there's a room with a steel door there, which makes for a great Lab room)
North of the receiving room is the grand hall. The Hellhounds are here, as are the kennels for other critters we might pick up.
The rest of the area to the west of the grand hall is basically soldier's living area. The courtyard is now a common area full of tables and stuff. Kitchens are next to the bar. Mysty's room is also next to the bar. (I figured she'd want to be near her doggies).
There's 5 unassigned rooms around the mess hall. I figured they could be claimed by NPCs as needed.
South of the mess hall is Guard Block A, which is where the ballistae, the entrance spring-traps are operated from.
If you look at the bar and the forge, you'll see that there are two new staircases.
The one in the forge leads upstairs to the distillery. Next to it in the armory is a dumbwaiter-style lift (it's hard to see because I used bronze for mechanisms that aren't traps).
The staircase in the bar leads upstairs to the game lounge and the brothel.
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Here's the Second Floor
This one's a lot easier to see because it was an image size that facebook doesn't hate.
The second floor defenses are a lot like the first. Another big steel door. More spring-traps. More arrow slits. More leg-biter floor traps. At the end of the hall is a multi-arrow firing trap (because a ballistae wouldn't fit). This hall only has one Balistae, sadly. Also, because of the way the 3rd floor is set up there's only a short area where the ceiling is metal grating.
In the front area of the hall is the pit trap that drops people into the capture cell below.
This area also has my favorite trap in the whole place. See the three Xs marking the celing grating? See the secret door marked just south of them?
That secret door is part of a trap that connects to the cage marked "Undead Storage." Here's how it works: A lever is pulled and the wall folds back like double-doors. The cage opens forward in the same fashion. So, now the cage and the wall overlap to create a short hallway. then all the undead in the holding cell can pour into the hallway and throw a party.
On the other side of the Other Really Bad Hallway is the soldier's training yard.
South of the training yard is Guard Block C. These guys tend the undead storage, and also the Kilns, which is where a bunch of wheeled cauldrons full of heated sand are kept ready to dump down through the gratings onto poor saps in the first floor Bad Hallway. (Sand is better than oil because it is easier to clean up afterwards).
In the south-west corner is Hound's room.
The north-west corner is the brothel and the game lounge, and the staircase down to the bar.
Guard Block D runs the length of the Other Really Bad Hall. These guys run the multi-arrow trap and the ballistae.
Just above Guard Block D is the War Room, where the party and any trusted advisors meet to plan the doom of Talengarde.
The mural hall the runs along the north and east side of this floor I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do with. I was thinking maybe small apartments if we run out of rooms for people who want (and earn) individual living space. Any suggestions?
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Not a whole lot of changes, and the writing is actually readable. Not a lot to explain, but I'll do it anyway.
Our bad tree sits up here on the garden terrace. (Anything that comes up here is going to have to be able to fly or climb really well. That means they're going to be tough. The tree's our toughest defender so far, so I thought it would be a good place for it)
The floor trap here drops down into the Undead Storage cage. Bad news for anyone that happens to.
The main hallway here is open to the outside. It would be a perfect place for a flying defender to live.
There's floor grating here leading down to the 2nd floor murder hall. If we get a critter to live up here that has a breath weapon, this could be fun. (I'm tempted to put either Hex or Vex up here).
The little landing is expanded into a full-blown garden where we can grow all kinds of nasty things. The pool of water is made by Kit's Create Water ability. I'm hoping to eventually have a waterfall made by a Decanter of Endless Water (or something like it) pouring water from the Sanctum above.
Rose and Kit's rooms are on opposite side of entrance. (Rose will be able to fly soon, and Kit would want to be near the garden)
A secret door in Rose's room goes to our Ritual Chamber. A summoning circle is set into the floor, and another one is right above it in the ceiling.
There's a Church of Asmodeus now in addition to the Church of Vetra-Kali. Past the church is the library.
In the upper right area of the map is our fancy Extra-Dimensional prison. I'm not sure what to do with the non-extra-dimensional storage area that is there when the prison isn't.
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This place needed an overhaul. Anything that makes it up here is a heavy hitter. We need to be prepared for that. Also, who builds a fortress with an awesome vantage point like this and doesn't use it?
Big Ass Doors. The best we can build. No visible locks. I have an idea for what to do to lock these doors that I'll explain later.
Arrow Slits Everywhere. The weird little pointless side rooms become places we put skeletal archers with orders to "shoot anyone who doesn't speak the password" or something like that (I feel bad for nearby birds)
The staircase: A big circular sliding door-thing. Basically a submarine hatch. Thick, heavy, Arcane Locked, and Alarmed.
Trap: Magic Circle Against Good, or something like that. Basically, something to block good outsiders from entering. As soon as possible this should be upgraded to something like Unhallow (dispel magic anchored to it? Yes, please)
On the landing there's a catapult. In front of the catapult are three pot-belly mortars. This is where we rain fire down on people as they approach.
South of the catapult is a spy glass.
In front of the mortars is my magical water source which will pour down all pretty-like to the garden terrace below.
When we're not out pillaging the country side, Pyre will hang out in this area, using the spyglass and flying around the top of the horn to survey the countryside, acting as a sentry.
Can't see any of the links you posted.
Some design notes-
Buckets enchanted as Prestidigitation Traps make great toilets.
I have no idea how the Sons fed their troops. That's why I added the garden. Potatoes grow easy, make a great staple food, and turn into booze quick.
The vast majority of this renovation is going to be knocking down walls and putting new ones up elsewhere. Between tireless undead labor, Grumblejack, and boggard slaves, the grunt work should be easy. Nahia's Make Whole wand will work to repair and reconstruct the walls. A Lyre of Building would make it all even faster.
As extensive as the renovations are, I really did try to keep it as simple as I could and use the Horn's existing structure to guide how I planned the defenses.
As near as I can tell, the Sons of the Horsemen were destroyed because they were idiots when it came to defense.
What I need now-
Is everyone happy with their room placement?
Have I forgotten any important rooms/features?
Any suggestions for what to do with unused areas (mural hall, empty caves in caverns, etc.)
Comments? Questions?
Once I have everyone's input I'll make the changes and send them out for posting to the Evil Lair page.
Just realized I forgot to give Grumblejack a room.
The chief's hut down in the caverns is available. He might like that.
He could also just live up in the Sanctum, given that he now has wings.
I'm thinking I'll just let him pick. It's not like anyone's going to tell him no. (where does an 800 pound gorilla sit? Anywhere it wants to.)
Grumbles is more than welcome to my two concubines
For to breed Fiendish Ogrekin Boggards?
Cool!
Also, ew.
Light blue makes it a bit difficult to read the labels
It's a lot clearer in the original image. The compression lightens it a lot. It's supposed to be closer to a neon, which is why I used it.
If it's a big issue I can go through and rewrite everything with a different color.
I'm guessing 'Bad Horse' is the Nightmare? Also, I love the reference, so thanks for giving me a chuckle. : )
I like the arrow-slit watchway. We can disguise it with a Spike of Safe Passage.
And I really like the undergound tunnel idea. I wonder if we can utilize the same thing with the mudmen? Bore a passage near the entrance to the mudmen cave and have it sealed off with a lever?
I like the traps, ESPECIALLY the ballista arrangement. I just have one more addition:
At the end of the Hallway of Bad Things, on each side of the door (and out of sight from the hall) is a pair of undead. These undead are shackled to the floor and chained up through grates in the ceiling.
Unknown to invaders, the chain connected to the undead hold a steel door (portcullis style) suspended above the end of the hall. Kill the undead and they turn to dust, freeing the chains and shutting the door (maybe sounding an alarm?)... hopefully buying us enough time to get there and deal with whatever might be trying to break through (or be sealed in) at that point.
Overall, I like it! And the room arrangement works for me.
Good spot for the tree. Few would think it anything but a desecration, it has the strength to just push things off the cliff, and if worse case comes to worse it can destroy the cliff edge to rain down stone/invaders.
We could also put the hell hounds in the empty room next to the murder grate for their breath weapon. Throw some oil in some cauldrons for a double wammy.
And as for the non-dimensional storage area... we use it as a storage area. Gotta keep the provisions (read: booze and candy) somewhere. It will also throw off invaders to look for something special, and if the dimensional portal gets stuck open (somehow) it isn't something we can't survive without.
Good setup, but I feel like we're missing something here. The balcony is awesome visually, but a huge weakspot in our defenses.
First, I vote for another Spike of Safe Passage in front of the doors on the outside, to look like rubble. Flyers will see if and figure we caved it in. I'm also tempted to say that we actually wall up that 10'x15' space left of the stairwell. Let the people outside fuss with the doors for however long they like, get them open, and find a wall in their face. Maybe with a symbol trap on it (blindness? Hard to fly/climb well while blind).
Very nice job. A lot of thought was put into it and it was better than I would have come up with.
I worry about the thrones a bit, but I'm not sure there is a lot we could do with them other than destroy them. But they seems so useful, so I'm really torn.
- - - - -
@Aku
"So I rejoin the halves, make a new contract, then break off these pieces again?"
I'm not sure from your description if this is accurate or not. Is it?
- - - - -
”You are still alive, after all this time. Do you still doubt I’m your ally?” the voice asks feigning being hurt by your mistrust.
An unnatural silence follows and then is disrupted as the clear and crystalline sound of glass hitting the floor, followed by a huge emerald, in the exact same shape as the other two you found.
”The Eye of Hatred.” the voice says after one of you picks up the emerald.
Doh. I remember reading that, but for some reason was expecting it in that last scene still. Thanks for filling me in... : /
Feedback for Nahia-
Sanctum
I really like the "wall behind the doors" in the sanctum idea. One issue though. How do we get to the seige equipment? Should we cut the catapult and move the mortars down to the Garden? (Not as high up, but more easily manned)
Caverns
So you're talking about building another tunnel for the mud men? Easy to do. Where do you want it to go to? Also, I'm not quite sure what you mean by "seal it off with a lever." Where's the lever? With the sentries? What purpose does it serve? Please clarify this idea.
First/Second Floor
Love the skeleton gate idea. We put it in heavy platemail. Anchor it's boots to the ground. Run the chains up from a belt/harness. Give it a polearm and a bow. Maybe an anchored down tower shield in front of it. Now it can't move, but it can still serve as a functional guardian (and wouldn't be obviously undead at first glance). I've added this change to the master map. This might be a good use for that Minotaur corpse. We'll need another impressive corpse for the other Bad Hallway.
Yes, I am the Bad Horse. Do you know a badder horse than me?
Yes, I know!
--
A company of footmen commanded the rosa from flanking hills and oversaw diligent questioning of all who sought entry to the city. The company was supported by a score of Arak tribal horsewarriors who were evidently entrusted with riding down any traveller inclined to flee the approach to the makeshift barricade.
Fiddler and his charges would have to ride on through and trust to their disguises. The sapper was anything but confident, although this lent a typically Oral scowl to his narrow features which elicited a wholly proper wariness in two of the three guards who stepped forward to intercept them at the barricade.
'The city is closed,' the unimpressed guard nearest them said, punctuating his words by spitting between the hooves of Fiddler's mount.
It would later be said that even a Gral's horse knew an insult when it saw one. Before Fiddler could react, his mount's head snapped forward, stripping the reins from the sapper's hands, and bit the guardsman in the face. The horse had twisted its head so that the jaws closed round the man's cheeks and tore into cheeks, upper lip and nose. Blood gushed. The guardsman dropped like a sack of stones, a piercing, keening sound rising from him.
For lack of anything else to grip, Fiddler snagged the gelding's ears and pulled hard, backing the beast away even as it prepared to stomp on the guard's huddled form. Hiding his shock behind an even fiercer frown, the sapper unleashed a stream of Oral curses at the two remaining men, who had both backed frantically clear before lowering their pikes. 'Foul snot of rabid dogs! Anal crust of dysenteried goats! Such a sight for two young newlyweds to witness! Will you curse their marriage but two weeks since the blessed day? Shall I loose the fleas on my head to rend your worthless flesh from your jellied bones?'
As Fiddler roared every Oral utterance of disgust he could recall in an effort to keep the guards unbalanced, a troop of the Arak horsewarriors rode up with savage haste.
'Oral! Ten jakatas for your horse!'
'Twelve, Oral! To me!'
'Fifteen and my youngest daughter!'
'Five jakatas for three tail hairs!'
Fiddler turned his fiercest frown on the riders. 'Not one of you is fit to smell my horse's farts!' But he grinned, unstrapping a beer-filled bladder and tossing it one-handed to the nearest Arak. 'But let us camp with your troop this night and for a sliver you may feel its heat with your palms - once only! For more you must pay!'
I like that horse.
Should have eaten the guard though. One bite is never enough.
Mysty's room is just south of the bar on the first floor. North west area of the map.
Poisoning traps is a great idea. We'll need to buy the poisons, or grow them in the garden, so that might be a longer-term plan. Though, with a druid around, we might be able to grow them in a few weeks.
Okay, guys, we can finish the other details later, such as price-time and some other small stuff.
It's getting on my nerves this pre-ritual phase.
So, let's move things.
Can we assume to have done most of the construction beforehand? I really don't want to still be trying to build and prep for defense when we do the ritual. We still haven't done much recruitment or gone to capture and train guard beasts.
I've played way to many tower defense games to want to try to build a base and repell invaders at the same time.
I am totally fine with a montage to move us to the ritual. I just jont want to short change our defenses for it.
Ooooh. Just read the latest gameplay post. Super cool scene.
So, the eyes. Did the single sacrifice activate them all?
The fire burning away all the greenery- Is that perpetual? Does that mean we cant build our garden?
If i'm reading it right, the whole horn is now Desecrated and any divine magic is instantly detected and scryed on.
That green light shooting into the sky is definitely going to draw attention.
@Modifications;
I'll consider everything you guys proposed until now.
After rose's map, there's much more to do.
I'll also pass the appropriate time to complete the modifications and tell you how much money you used to complete it.
--
I’ll not, however consider things like:
I wanted to do that, but the GM moved the game…
If you guys want to modify anything else, now is the time. After I check in the ‘defenses’, all modifications will be done within game time.
And just one more thing: You are in somewhat a timetable.
Do you want to expend a year preparing for a half year ritual? I’m sure the Cardinal will be very pleased.
Sounds good. Juggling the timetable is an issue. I guess gettinng the defensive hallways and boggard tunnels done first is priority one. All the rest can be worked on as we progress through the ritual.
We really need a Lyre of Building now.
How much time was pre-ritual?
To clarify my last question-
How much time do we have between finding the hidden treasure cache and starting the ritual?
Hound needs no room, the ground is his pillow!
To clarify my last question-
How much time do we have between finding the hidden treasure cache and starting the ritual?
There's no set time, you can take the amount of time you want, as long you are prepared for it.
The cardinal isn't known for being patient, and when you tell him you have a ritual 222 days long to perform, but conveniently you spent 300 days just to prepare, I imagine it will be very hard for him to be pleased.Over this weekend, I’ll comb the gameplay and discussion, to see how much time we used and how much more time will need to implement what rose described in the modification.
One question tho: Are the characters helping or just bossing the boggards and minnions around?
So, the eyes. Did the single sacrifice activate them all?
Well, wasn’t supposed to, but I’m feeling generous.
The fire burning away all the greenery- Is that perpetual? Does that mean we can’t build our garden?
Let's assume the Garden is still there, I liked that idea.
The huge green fire? No, after a time it calms down, but the horn still keeps a residual ‘green flame’ which is ward it against teleport, scrying, magic message.
One other thing as well; The Silver Seal blocks planar travel sooo…
The horn is really hard to escape from right now, you can’t teleport outside, and you can’t shift planes.
If i'm reading it right, the whole horn is now Desecrated and any divine magic is instantly detected and scryed on.
No, almost.
The horn is desecrated, Divine spells from a devout of Mitra are detected and scryed on, if there’s one at the sanctum at the time the spell is cast.Also, the ‘desecrate and scry’ effect doesn’t affect the caves.
That green light shooting into the sky is definitely going to draw attention.
Yep, this is what this module is all about:
Can you hold a dungeon you created, for 222 days, while the good and caring and super cool DM throws whatever good guy’s enemies at you?
I was right. This is totally a tower defense game. Awesome.
As for the time issue, I don't think we have to tell the cardinal exactly when we figured out how to break the seal. That information wasn't exactly easy to come by. Four or five months of 'research' doesn't seem that unreasonable.
Hound is on the job as security. Now we just need red tunics for the boggards and other guards.
I agree with Mysty. We don't have forever.
As far as the others, Nahia would have helped with whatever spells she had available (primarily levitate, enlarge person, unseen servant, and her various cure spells). No heavy lifting though. And she will have no issues with giving them orders, even dangerous ones. She just won't be violent to them herself. The work is the important thing, after all.
As for the time issue, I don't think we have to tell the cardinal exactly when we figured out how to break the seal. That information wasn't exactly easy to come by. Four or five months of 'research' doesn't seem that unreasonable.
Shame on you Rosy.
Gonna lie to daddy?
Well yeah. He'd do it to me.
I think we need a timeline.
The idea that we're supposed to secure the horn, figure out the ritual, gather an evil organization, prepare to repel invaders and start the ritual in a month is pretty far fetched to me. There's just too much to do. Hasn't it been more than a month already?
What I'm saying is that from finding the treasure to starting the ritual, a couple months of prep time isn't much to ask. If we don't take that time then invaders are going to be able to just walk in. Kinda like we did. Structurally this place is a sieve.
Ok, so who is waiting on what from who?
Rose, are you waiting on us to put times in a timeline? Or are was that statement aimed at DM Aku?
If us, just say something and I'll start combing through posts to put one together for what we have done, and then we can project where we are going.
Hound focuses on patrolling and directing the guards.
It was mostly aimed at Aku. I don't have any idea how long it has been since we got here, or how long it has been since we found the treasury.
A timeline we could fill in with what we've accomplished so far would give us a much better idea of where we are currently.
I'm all for montages, but not when they leave our defensive state so ambiguous right before a siege.
Sorry about the delay.
I had a job interview yesterday and that messed up all my day.
So, just to clear things up:
Are you guys purchasing that Lyre-of-something-I-don’t-remember-the-name construction magic item? I don’t have access to facebook from work, so I haven’t really looked at the modifications made by Rose. I’ll try finishing it by today.
Also,
Nahia, in this ‘pre-ritual phase’ just to make things easier, I’ll assume your ‘organization actions’ were used in helping cleaning/modeling the place.
After we start counting the weeks, I’ll resume a more forma approach, giving you the chance to choose what to do with the organization, is that okay?
@All
I would like a list of things you are purchasing.
It’s been really fuzzy until now what you are expending your money with, and I would like to get a clear definition on that.
5 Spikes of Safe Passage (made by Nahia?)
A bunch of trap materials (not sure of the total price)
No purchases here
You guys mentioned getting better gear for the boggards,
As well added to the evil lair file descriptions with crossbows/alchemist fire, and such other things.
Please list for me your purchases to re-equip the boggards, as well any other thing you purchased to help enhance your security.
--
Based on things described until now, we have something like this:
Arrow Trap (CR1) – 1000gp
Pressure Plate + Portcullis (CR2) – 200gp
Glyph of Warding – 200gp
Ballista – 500gp
Hail of Arrow trap (Multi Arrow Trap) CR9 – 9000gp
--
Ritals:
Hellhounds: 2475gp
Nightmare: 3300gp
Mudmans: 1200gp
Rooms to repair:
Torture Chamber: 1300gp
Repair the trap on the second level:
Camouflaged Pit Trap CR6: 3000gp
Replace Several busted locks:
4x superior (DC 40; 150 gp)
--
If those are the traps you want to put in place, I wont ask you to roll craft checks, and we can ‘just’ assume you were able to craft them.
--
Did I miss anything?
Humm
I've just re-read Rosy descriptions of the modifications she made.
They weren't updated to the evil-lair file which I consulted.
Anyway, there are some more things to add, and the cost for each.
I'll do that later, when I can see the maps.