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In my other thread I'm looking at ideas to stop the Arcane Sight = Win situation. Here, I'd like your input on beefing up the complex with the couatl in it.
I was thinking of moving the mummies from the Pass in HTBM here since my group skipped that bit and jumped straight to ToD. They have no Cleric so more undead is always a good thing - except how to justify mummies wandering around with Tonatiuh the Couatl nearby.
Any ideas for some nasty, undead heavy encounters, and maybe how to add them to the weapons cache? The party are at the ewok village at the minute... I mean the... you know what I mean :-)
In my other thread I'm looking at ideas to stop the Arcane Sight = Win situation. Here, I'd like your input on beefing up the complex with the couatl in it.
I was thinking of moving the mummies from the Pass in HTBM here since my group skipped that bit and jumped straight to ToD. They have no Cleric so more undead is always a good thing - except how to justify mummies wandering around with Tonatiuh the Couatl nearby.
Any ideas for some nasty, undead heavy encounters, and maybe how to add them to the weapons cache? The party are at the ewok village at the minute... I mean the... you know what I mean :-)
The phanaton village? ^_^ At least phanatons (a) predate Ewoks, and (b) are cooler than Ewoks.
Any kind of desired CR range, mannerisms (Olman I presume), or the like?
If the party has no cleric, you have to worry about killing them all with the mummy rot, unless you want them rushing back to civilization to find a shaman/cleric/potion before they die.
Perhaps make the mummies "deathless" like the elven ancestors from Eberron or like those positive energy undead, the name escapes me, from Forgotten Realms lore.
You can link the winged serpent to the sun and positive energy, which is still dangerous in large quantities.
The kind of mummy I have in mind doesn't carry mummy rot ... ^_^
@ Turin: Found the Book of Templates. I like the True Mummy template but I don't quite see why it's so "particularly nasty" yet. Do the fast healing and immunities work out so nasty in actual gameplay?
@Wycen: They're almost 10th level - they only need to last teh night and teleport back to Farshore. I'm not so bothered about the lack of a cleric, I just want them to occasionally miss turning and there are not that many undead encounters in STAP. This seems like a good excuse.
Given the Ac of certain party members (Twin-Shield fighter and VoP Druid in particular) some nasty incorporeal undead might also be fun. A mobile battle with wicked mummies and incorporeals spring-attacking through the floor could give them a run for their money. Oh! Oh! Do that one Turin!
If you're really bored you could dredge up your maps of Dark Mountain Pass and Temple of the Jaguar and give me a few tips on combining them. I want to make them sweat ;-)
As far as the couatl/undead conundrum :
Tonituh has been in mourning for the loss of the people and followers he had tried so hard to protect for centuries. That's a hell of a lot of time spent moping around. Apathy springs to mind as a descriptive. He may very well be aware of the mummys or whatever else, yet still not be able to rouse himself to do anything about it due to his current state of disillusionment.
@ Turin: Found the Book of Templates. I like the True Mummy template but I don't quite see why it's so "particularly nasty" yet. Do the fast healing and immunities work out so nasty in actual gameplay?
@Wycen: They're almost 10th level - they only need to last teh night and teleport back to Farshore. I'm not so bothered about the lack of a cleric, I just want them to occasionally miss turning and there are not that many undead encounters in STAP. This seems like a good excuse.
Given the Ac of certain party members (Twin-Shield fighter and VoP Druid in particular) some nasty incorporeal undead might also be fun. A mobile battle with wicked mummies and incorporeals spring-attacking through the floor could give them a run for their money. Oh! Oh! Do that one Turin!
If you're really bored you could dredge up your maps of Dark Mountain Pass and Temple of the Jaguar and give me a few tips on combining them. I want to make them sweat ;-)
You need to read the particulars of the true mummy's sacred vessels - until those vessels are figured out and destroyed ... the mummy cannot be destroyed!
You need to read the particulars of the true mummy's sacred vessels - until those vessels are figured out and destroyed ... the mummy cannot be destroyed!
Sounds like a concept similar to a lich's phylactery and how a ghost cannot be laid to rest before certain conditions are fulfilled. Also, I seem to remember something about a mummy's canopic jars being their weak point - maybe it was in the original Lords of Darkness (a 2e supplement detailing undead in the FR).
You need to read the particulars of the true mummy's sacred vessels - until those vessels are figured out and destroyed ... the mummy cannot be destroyed!Sounds like a concept similar to a lich's phylactery and how a ghost cannot be laid to rest before certain conditions are fulfilled. Also, I seem to remember something about a mummy's canopic jars being their weak point - maybe it was in the original Lords of Darkness (a 2e supplement detailing undead in the FR).
That's one of the things about True Mummies I absolutely love - especially when they hide the sacred jars "in plain sight" - say, amidst a veritable pile of other, similar-appearing jars.
Even after the vessels are destroyed, the creature has 13 days before it degenerates. (The trick then is, most of the time the mummy could well have been fragged - or, better still, the characters grab them as loot and run ... leading the mummy with its ability to unnerringly track its vessels right to where ever they flee ... say, Farshore ...)
Here ya go, CR 9 mummies for your group's displeasure. ^_^
CR 9 Book of Templates
Medium Undead (Augmented Monstrous Humanoid (Human))
Speed 30 feet
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Perception +8
Str 30 (+10), Dex 18 (+4), Con --, Int 10, Wis 14 (+2), Cha 16 (+3)
Hit Points: 84 each (6d10 [60] +18 Cha +6 toughness); DR 10/--; fast healing 8
AC: 31 (touch AC +9 natural +4 armor +3 shield); flat-footed AC: 27
Touch AC: 16 (10 +1 dodge +4 Dex +1 deflection); flat-footed touch AC: 11
Defenses: SR 16, Resist Fire 10, Channel/Turn Resistance +3, Fortitude +9, Reflex +7, Will +5, Feint DC 18
Immune to cold, diseases, electricity, mind-affecting abilities (including control and turn undead), paralysis, poisons, polymorphing, and stunning; undead traits.
Base Attack +6/+1
- Melee +16/ +11
- Slam +16 melee (2d6+15), stand still CMB +16
- longsword +18/+13 melee (1d8+13/19-20) or vital strike +18 melee (2d8+13/19-20), stand still CMB +18
- adamantine longsword +19/+14 melee (1d8+13/19-20) or vital strike +19 melee (2d8+13/19-20), stand still CMB +19
- Ranged +10/ +5
- CMB +16 (6 +10 Str)
- CMD 32 (10 +6 bab +10 Str +4 Dex +1 dodge +1 deflection)
Skills: Climb +19, Intimidate +22, Perception +8, and Swim +19
Feats: Light Armor Proficiency, Shields Proficiency, Improved Natural Armor, Shield Focus, Dodge (“Olman Fighter”, swapping Medium Armor Proficiency for Dodge, Heavy Armor Proficiency for Improved Natural Armor and Tower Shields Proficiency for Shield Focus); Intimidating Prowess (hu), Dazzling Display (1st), Weapon Focus - longsword (Ftr 1), Step Up (Ftr 2), Combat Reflexes (3rd), Weapon Specialization - longsword (Ftr 4), Stand Still (5th), Vital Strike (Ftr 6), Endurance (B), Toughness (B)
SQ: Bravery +2, Armor Training +1, Weapon Training (Heavy Blades) +1 attack, CMB and weapon damage, slam attacks are considered magical for purposes of bypassing damage reduction and regeneration, sacred vessel x3 [SR 25, hardness 12, 30 hp each; strong aura of evil and necromancy – all three must be destroyed before the mummy can be permanently destroyed]
SA: Felling Strike 1x/day (ex), Punishing Strike 1x/day (ex), rapid strike (Sp) 2/day (CL 6th), Gaze of Despair (Su) Will DC 16 [10 +3 HD +3 Cha] or cower in fear for (1d6+1) rounds, then remaining shaken for (3d6) rounds.
Gear: adamantine longsword, mithral shirt [+4 armor bonus, max Dex +7, 10 lbs., 0 check penalty], mithral heavy shield [+3 shield bonus, 5 lbs., 0 check penalty], ring of resistance+1, ring of protection +1, hand of the mage and 2 doses of universal solvent = 20 lbs' encumbrance
Oh, Ambassador, with these True Mummies you are really spoiling us!
Can't wait to hack me some party members! Thanks mate! With these and the replacing of the anaconda (they're really fed up with grappling) with a Blood Amniote from Libris Mortis, and redoing the traps in the pit...
I can't wait for tomorrow night.
The traps? Well...
I've left the illusion as it is, but anyone travelling down the pit will be rudely surprised by a lot of scythes, hitting them Blade Barrier style. Anyone falling into the water will be welcomed by a few fiendish giant centipedes, and may just notice the rungs hidden under the ledge, in the dark, under a lot of vines. Those on the ledge will see a lovely big door with a skull they can push in to open it. This collapses the wall in front of them, revealing a Symbol of Sleep and a Black Pudding.
The real entrance is reached via the hanging rungs under the ledge, through an illusory wall (hope the wizard doesn't fall in the water first), and into a small complex containing a LOT of jars enchanted with Magic Aura spells, two nasty mummies, a few deathbug wights, and an insane couatl. The couatl should be a nice dilemna for the exalted VoP character!
Yeah baby!
Oh, Ambassador, with these True Mummies you are really spoiling us!
Can't wait to hack me some party members! Thanks mate! With these and the replacing of the anaconda (they're really fed up with grappling) with a Blood Amniote from Libris Mortis, and redoing the traps in the pit...
I can't wait for tomorrow night.
The traps? Well...
I've left the illusion as it is, but anyone travelling down the pit will be rudely surprised by a lot of scythes, hitting them Blade Barrier style. Anyone falling into the water will be welcomed by a few fiendish giant centipedes, and may just notice the rungs hidden under the ledge, in the dark, under a lot of vines. Those on the ledge will see a lovely big door with a skull they can push in to open it. This collapses the wall in front of them, revealing a Symbol of Sleep and a Black Pudding.
The real entrance is reached via the hanging rungs under the ledge, through an illusory wall (hope the wizard doesn't fall in the water first), and into a small complex containing a LOT of jars enchanted with Magic Aura spells, two nasty mummies, a few deathbug wights, and an insane couatl. The couatl should be a nice dilemna for the exalted VoP character!
Yeah baby!
Perhaps bile gas deathbug wights? ^_^
Sweet!
Funnily enough, they really got into partying with the phanatons and had so much fun that we only had an hour left when they headed to the Temple. The anaconda almost killed the druid (bit for 29 and constricted for 26) and luckily the wiz let him dimension hop outta there. He then used his only Regen. Cocoon - before they even got inside! O joy!
By the illusory pillar they freaked out with the illusion magic (overwhelming strength gets them nervous). The spellthief fired up a Blindsight and spotted that it wasn't solid. The wizard was searching with Detect Undead because of the rakasta skeletons outside and realized there was something undead in the area. Moments later a Blood Amniote coalesced beside the spellthief and pummelled her for 20 points and 4 Con. Boy did she squeal!
The druid blew it away with some sort of Righteous Hammer that cost 2 Str to cast and did 46 points of positive energy damage. (Rolled 6 sixes on 9d6).
SO... they've not even found the shaft and are already out a lot of good spells!
Sweet!
Funnily enough, they really got into partying with the phanatons and had so much fun that we only had an hour left when they headed to the Temple. The anaconda almost killed the druid (bit for 29 and constricted for 26) and luckily the wiz let him dimension hop outta there. He then used his only Regen. Cocoon - before they even got inside! O joy!
By the illusory pillar they freaked out with the illusion magic (overwhelming strength gets them nervous). The spellthief fired up a Blindsight and spotted that it wasn't solid. The wizard was searching with Detect Undead because of the rakasta skeletons outside and realized there was something undead in the area. Moments later a Blood Amniote coalesced beside the spellthief and pummelled her for 20 points and 4 Con. Boy did she squeal!
The druid blew it away with some sort of Righteous Hammer that cost 2 Str to cast and did 46 points of positive energy damage. (Rolled 6 sixes on 9d6).
SO... they've not even found the shaft and are already out a lot of good spells!