Hi All. Starting up my AoW campaign shortly, and I'm looking for suggestions. In particular, I want to replace the Grick that lairs in Alastor's room in the Whispering Cairn. Anyone have any good suggestions for something lairing under the spheres?

I'm sure the CR is appropriate, but my party is a bit magic light overall, and I hesitate to throw DR 10/magic critters at them at 1st lvl. I could just strip the DR down, but thought you might have cool suggestions otherwise.

Thanks.

Cool CR 3 creatures, you ask? How about a rust monster? Replace the iron spheres with ceramic ones (which also gets around those economically minded PCs trying to sell the whole lot of them for lots of cash). Ankhegs work well with the "burrowed in here" explanation, as would a minor xorn. Lastly, a juvenile arrowhawk would be a good tie-in to the elemental Air theme.

A xorn would be great, and could tie in to the idea of enemy elementals being bound into the tomb. Also, this could explain how a creature could survive in a locked chamber with no food or water. I don't know what the CR for a xorn is, and you might have to create a "lesser xorn".

A xorn would be great, and could tie in to the idea of enemy elementals being bound into the tomb. Also, this could explain how a creature could survive in a locked chamber with no food or water. I don't know what the CR for a xorn is, and you might have to create a "lesser xorn".

Xorn come in three flavors, as per the MM 3.5. Minor xorn are CR 3, average xorn are CR 6, and elder xorn are CR 8. I like to think of them as sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous, but that's just because I'm a bit crazy.

My guys faced the Grick under difficult circumstances. Having disarmed the trap, the scout scouted ahead whilst all but one of the group were down in the lantern chamber. The other guy at hand did not have a magical weapon either. Suffice to say, the scout almost went bye bye fumbling around the "ceramic" balls after getting battered off. The other guy rescued her with a rope pulling her to safety as they ran away from the Grick.
However, when the whole party was there (all five of them), the Grick was swiftly defeated. The only magical weapon they had between them was the one from down below.

In essence, I suppose what I'm saying is do a double check and make sure your party can't handle the grick. It's a colourful encounter that would be a shame to miss. If however, you absolutely positively have to get rid of the Grick... perhaps a lesser xorn may do the trick... or a rust monster if you want your players to hate you. :)

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

I used a CR3 undead creature (a wight or a ghast- can't recall which at the moment)- the remains of one of the other adventurers that died in the Cairn. I'd made other changes to the room, as well (getting rid of the balls altogether, and replacing them with balls of air that knock you off the ledge; spikes on the floor; and water in the pit from a "leak"), so it made a bit more sense to do that in my campaign.

WotC Site has a revamped new set of stats for the Rust Monster that I might try: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20060714a

I have one suggestion that the party I DM used when they encountered the grick, a 1st level spell called "Magic Weapon" (cl, pal, wiz, sor). There is really no need to change the monster. That spell cast on one fighter's weapons along with the magc short sword from below was all it took to beat it in two rounds. It is an overlooked spell that almost everyone never takes at first level.

The grick got a surprise round, and hit one attack damaging the rogue for 4 points. Second round intiative was won by the cleric and rogue with the short sword. Cleric casts magic weapon on fighter's great sword. Rogue hits the grick for 3 points of damage, his minimum. The grick attacks the rogue again and misses. The fighter jumps down, rolls a 22 for his jump and lands asfely, attacks and hits the grick for 8. The grick is dead.

I thought it would have been a tougher fight as well. But a prepared party will have no problem with this encounter. I would say leave it as is.

My party had the shortsword but it never came into play. The sorcerer unleashed Magic Missiles and the Fighter dealt more damage than was reduced. All in all only about 3rds.

In my campaign I converted the steel balls to stone to avoid the PC's getting rich by selling them, and then replaced the Grick with a Grell (MMII; CR3).

However, I didn't spring the creature on the players until they had returned to the cairn for the second time (after having dealt with Alastor's remains), thus giving the impression that the creature had moved into the cairn after they themselves had accessed the chamber.

I have to say that I do rather like the Minor Xorn idea. Should I ever re-run this campaign, I might go that route since it seems to strengthen the bond with Icosiol’s cairn in A Gathering of Winds.

WotC Site has a revamped new set of stats for the Rust Monster that I might try: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20060714a

Thanks, Tim. This was a great idea, particularly with a warforged in the party. The warforged had such an easy time in the submerged showers (doesn't need to breathe, immune to paralysis, DR 2/-) that he deserved a little scare.

My players had no problems with not one, but three Gricks. I've got six players and they were all third level by the time they fought them. The Sorcerer (focusing on blasting type spells) made short work of them, combined with a Ranger with favored enemy and Fighter wielding a bastard sword. No one in the group had magic weapons, and it was still a cake walk. Once you get past their damage reduction 10, their measley 8 points are easy to take off. Plus they aren't great at attacking at all. I'd say you don't have much to worry about here.

I'm sure the CR is appropriate, but my party is a bit magic light overall, and I hesitate to throw DR 10/magic critters at them at 1st lvl. I could just strip the DR down, but thought you might have cool suggestions otherwise.

Thanks.

Keep in mind, of course, that the adventure already has this taken into account. If you recall, there's a +1 Short Sword found earlier in the adventure (I can't recall where offhand, but I think it was down in the place with the beetles).