I have a player who wanted to retire his necromancer after gaining the Smoking Eye, to learn the ins and outs of controlling Occipitus.He wants to bring him back later, maybe for the final 2 chapters. Here are my few questions...

Should I actually play out any NPC's coming for the Smoking Eye? Or, just assume that he was the last one to get it?

Are Smoking Eye characters aware of other Smoking Eye characters? Can the "hunt them down" for example?

I obviously will level him to the appropriate power level..but..should I give him more gear..He is a potentially difficult character to run, since he is a de-buff, crowd control, pnd all around pain in the butt kind of character.

Patrick

Oh..they are tackling Vhalantru next week.so,let's there isn't a TPK...

As far as I know, they have no knowledge of other candidates. The maralith mentioned in the books reacts with alarm at the appearance of a character with the Smoking Eye. While it wouldn't be unreasonable for others to contend the PCs claim, it doesn't seem like many pass the tests to become Smoking Eye creatures.

Although I am now wondering how the maralith passed the test when she should have been barred from the first part the same as Kaurophon.

Although I am now wondering how the maralith passed the test when she should have been barred from the first part the same as Kaurophon.

One of the secrets of the test is that you only need to complete the 3rd part - so I can imagine a (very) rare few getting into the skull and finishing the test there...

TriOmegaZero wrote:

Although I am now wondering how the maralith passed the test when she should have been barred from the first part the same as Kaurophon.

One of the secrets of the test is that you only need to complete the 3rd part - so I can imagine a (very) rare few getting into the skull and finishing the test there...

A legend lore or its ilk may reveal this. I am wondering more if the first test has a never ending supply of bebiliths or if killing the mummy lord could make the test harder for wannabes.

To the OP, I would suggest to him that living alone on a layer of the abyss at a level lower than 20 is certain death.

The only question I have of it is, how do they get the lantern 'proving' they passed the tests? Killing the mummy lord works, as I imagine the test restores any component creatures to life, otherwise they would need a steady supply of new creatures. Would also make a very interesting roleplay scenario with the trapped celestial, who has been forced to die at the hands of unscrupulous candidates for years.

The Lantern is for guidance only. It gets the Pc's to the next part of the test.

If you know where the third part of the test is you just need to pass it to gain the smoking eye template.

Elcian

I must be misremembering, I could swear it said the lantern was the proof of completion.

I must be misremembering, I could swear it said the lantern was the proof of completion.

Saureya says in the hardcover:

The first two parts simply point you in the direction of the final part, the part that really matters. The proctors -- those mummies that Adimarchus created -- can't tell who's passed previous parts of the test and who hasn't.

The last mummy doesn't care if you have a lantern (or at least his speech doesn't mention anything about lanterns).

To answer the original question, other NPCs could come for the Smoking Eye as well. Maybe the Test facilities could be destroyed somehow, though.

As far as I know, they have no knowledge of other candidates. The maralith mentioned in the books reacts with alarm at the appearance of a character with the Smoking Eye. While it wouldn't be unreasonable for others to contend the PCs claim, it doesn't seem like many pass the tests to become Smoking Eye creatures.

Although I am now wondering how the maralith passed the test when she should have been barred from the first part the same as Kaurophon.

IIRC in the magazine it's mentioned Marilith never passed the test the smoking eye (appearance only and no powers) was granted by Adimarcus as a kind of property over his generals.

IIRC in the magazine it's mentioned Marilith never passed the test the smoking eye (appearance only and no powers) was granted by Adimarcus as a kind of property over his generals.

That makes more sense to me; if she was imprisoned in Carceri at the same time as Adimarchus, then when would she have had the opportunity to pass the test? And if she did pass the test, why didn't she take control of Occipitus?

Checking the book, the lantern is indeed unnecessary if you know where the final test is. And no mention is made of how Byakula gained the Smoking Eye, so that's entirely a DM call.