RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
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So the stalwart members of the SWORD defeated Demogorgon in a 12 hour marathon session laying the Prince of Demons low with well timed spells and a string of lucky crits (everyone, including me, were rolling Nat 20's like they were water). Even the help of Belcheresk and Demodragon were not enough to stop the determined band!
That said we're pushing on with the Seeds to continue this campaign into the Epic levels! Fisrtly the Sword is dragging Arendagrosts mangy hide to the Wells of Darkness to offer him to Ahazu. The groups Paladin who made the bargain in the first place kept the Tooth of Ahazu requiring the more powerful replacement (I upped the Maw of the Abyss up to 30HD and CR 25). Now Ahazu wants his Tooth back from the Paladin so he can realize his escape from the Wells of Darkness and bid for Divinity without undue scrutiny. When the group travels to the Wells, Ahazu will request an audience (through Elvorak, the only Keeper to survive) and demand his tooth back.
If the PC's refuse I've whipped up a powerful manifestation of the Demon Lord of Abduction and Night using the Shadow of the Void (see Epic SRD) as the base creature, adding a Night crawlers SLA's and the special abilities of Ahazu's Binders... Defeating this manifestation rather than skipping out on the original bargain will set Ahazu on the path to busting out Shattered Night. Enough time to get the Succubi War in full swing!
Has anyone else played past defeating Demogorgon?
--We will, we will... VROCK YOU!
Nawp, but there's plenty of ideas suitable for scaling up to torment your player characters with. Here's a few off the top of my head:
Suppose that the individual shadow pearls can be detonated individually still, despite the loss of the master pearl? D&D equivalents to terrorists could be rampaging around your campaign, obliterating entire cities and setting loose vast plagues of chaos-zombies sweeping out of the cities to devour and infect anything they come across.
The Cult of the Hopping Prophet may have spread its dreadful eggs far and wide, doing a slaadi version of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Camatzoz makes a re-appearance in the 3rd Paizo Adventure Path Second Darkness, so if you have some of their malevolent goodies around, be sure to pillage them accordingly. In this case, perhaps your heroes return amidst the confluence of slaad-mutated dragons and other things perhaps best left unmentioned, obliterated major cities, flesh-devouring hordes of chaos-zombies and more while having to track down the incoming meteor called down by the Drow. Shortly after their return, the celestial confluence of events orchestrated by the BBEG behind the scenes severs the heroes ability to utilize calling magics and even extraplanar transits such as etherealness, astral projection, gate and the various planar bindings. They have to succeed, and they do not have overly long - perhaps four weeks or three ten-days' time as a rough estimation.
Remember, not every encounter has to be a real drain on their resources - but in this scenario, they may not get to refresh their batteries terribly often, as these Epic-Level Heroes have to really tap their resources to quickly gather information, make their way through a few big fights before making their way into the bowels of the earth (dodging swarming groups of bile-fog death-bugs, rampaging advanced shoggoths and numerous other critters) to deal with the menace posed by the drow now that the surface world has gone to pot.
I'd suggest a full refresh period at most once every few days - once a week if you can make it happen. At MOST once per game session, or once every 3 sessions (in the middle of the 2nd and at the beginning of the 4th for example), depending on the flow of things.
Hope these help!
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
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My groups based in the planes so aren't really interested in tracking down the individual shadow pearls. They delegated that to trusted allies (agents of the Harmonium and the information networks of the Free League are all interested parties).
They're really more concerned with bringing the pain to the Demons they had to ally or bargain with to defeat Big D. Malcanthet especially is near the top of their "hit list" as she tormented the Goliath Barbarian frequently with lewd and lascivious suggestions and demands through the Queen's Kiss ability.
Their first stop however is to square up with Ahazu. Next they'll be drawn into the conflict with Shami-Amorae and Malcanthet, while Obox-ob's forces begins to stir in Zionyn. Killing one Prince of Demons is only the begining...
--Vrock, vrock, vrockin on Heaven's door...
My groups based in the planes so aren't really interested in tracking down the individual shadow pearls. They delegated that to trusted allies (agents of the Harmonium and the information networks of the Free League are all interested parties).
They're really more concerned with bringing the pain to the Demons they had to ally or bargain with to defeat Big D. Malcanthet especially is near the top of their "hit list" as she tormented the Goliath Barbarian frequently with lewd and lascivious suggestions and demands through the Queen's Kiss ability.
Their first stop however is to square up with Ahazu. Next they'll be drawn into the conflict with Shami-Amorae and Malcanthet, while Obox-ob's forces begins to stir in Zionyn. Killing one Prince of Demons is only the begining...
--Vrock, vrock, vrockin on Heaven's door...
Hrm. They COULD have Hans Gruber types tracking them down with (ramped up) Shadow Pearls, attempting to off 'em say - in the middle of Sigil.
Demon Lords are not going to sit there and let the characters dictate the flow of events - as soon as they realize what's going on (not difficult with the kind of agents at the disposal of most such beings), they'll start royally harrying the characters.
Should be interesting to see how your campaign unfolds.
Malcanthet's web of 'allies' is spun far and wide - I would expect that she would be able to call on some surprisingly capable assistance once her agent observes the characters stomping on Ahazu...
Perhaps that agent has 25k gp gems ready to roll with Trap the Soul to slurp off any one's vital force that takes a dirt nap?
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
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Hrm. They COULD have Hans Gruber types tracking them down with (ramped up) Shadow Pearls, attempting to off 'em say - in the middle of Sigil.
Well thankfully the Lady of Pain doesn't allow such powerful disruptive items into the Cage!
Three of my PC's decided to take Leadership and a few of them have taksed their more powerful followers to go after the pearls so I'll be running one shot Cohort/Follower adventures here and there as a change of pace!
]Demon Lords are not going to sit there and let the characters dictate the flow of events - as soon as they realize what's going on (not difficult with the kind of agents at the disposal of most such beings), they'll start royally harrying the characters.
Should be interesting to see how your campaign unfolds.
Malcanthet's web of 'allies' is spun far and wide - I would expect that she would be able to call on some surprisingly capable assistance once her agent observes the characters stomping on Ahazu...
Perhaps that agent has 25k gp gems ready to roll with Trap the Soul to slurp off any one's vital force that takes a dirt nap?
Actually a small bit of history is in need... this core of this group are rebuilds of our old Planescape fiendhunting group of the late 90's! Anyhoo, they played through the PS adventure Umbra from Dungeon #55 where a young alu-fiend (Umbra) needed their help in escaping her overbearing Harmonium father and his devil allies while keeping out of the hands of her succubus mother who promised her to some Balor as a plaything. Well the heroes and their aasimar paladin leader help her get away and they end up as an item.
Fast forward to 3e and said Alu-fiend was substituted for Lavinia in Into the Maw and the Succubus thrall of Malcanthet (Umbra's mom) was substituted for Vanthus. Sir Lucien, the pally once again braves the forces of evil to rescue her and now that Big D's dead they're about to tie the knot in their new digs on Bytopia (a small town called Redemption filled with the Pally's followers)!
Enter Malcanthet... the Brides Grandmother! Oh it'll be rich, the Queen of Succubi on Bytopia for a wedding! In the context of the brewing Succubis War between Mal and Shami-Amourae it'll be Mal's positioning to keep the PC's from outright moving against her (of which they have good reason). But of course then you'd be murdering the brides family! LOL
--Look at the Vrock on her finger!
For those of you who had parties complete the STAP...were they level 20 before the big show down?
For those of you who had parties complete the STAP...were they level 20 before the big show down?
If memory serves, yes.