DM Needs Your Help! I'm stumped with an encounter.


Advice


Hey, gang!

So, my group is running a fun game. We're trading off DMing. My friend is the DM of the "good" party(elves, dwarves, etc.), and I'm the DM of the greenskin party(orcs, goblins, etc.) that will eventually meet up in a combined effort to stop the greater evil.

So let's nutshell my story: My group was tasked with finding the historical burial grounds of a long dead tribe of orcs who were said to've made a pact with a demon to empower their thirst for domination. These guys were the Spartans of the ancient orc tribes, crushing anyone they encountered on the field of battle. As their horde expanded ever further, they encroached on a land of Elven/Human allied territory. The humans and elves would have none of it, and quickly brought the sword and hammer down upon the green tsunami. Though the orcs had superior number and strength, the alliance was more tactical, and already had forts and strongholds established on the lands upon which the orcs encroached. The chiefton, seeing that his tribe might fall, then sought the aid of a great red dragon. The dragon killed the humans and elves with the orcs aid, but betrayed the orcs, demanding ever more loot than the orcs had to offer. Unable to quench the lust for loot the dragon had, the chiefton went to face the dragon in a fight to the death and was slain. The dragon then eradicated the last of those orcs.

That was 400 years ago. Now, enter our players. Investigation and exploration led our group of adventurers to an island where the tribe originated from. Thereupon lies a great citadel with watch towers and guards, etc....

Here's where I need your help. The players can't just stroll up to this place and enter. Our party is 9th level -- we have a half-orc barbarian, a hobgoblin alchemist, bugbear rogue and a blue(book of psionics goblin race) psion/mage. See, the chiefton that the dragon killed 400 years ago was brought back to life by the tribe's witch doctor, and returned to the island. Since that time, he's been festering in the taint of that demon pact, and has been spawning mutations of his people. The "Orcs" here are no longer orcs, but tanarukk. And there are even "centorcs" and "orcitaurs." So they have a literal army against them should they scale the walls of the fortress.

What I'm asking for is ideas on how the chiefton is currently in appearance/status. Is he hooked up to some sort of demon-cyst, pulsing machine that spawns these creatures in pits of hellfire? Does he have vats where these creatures are spawn, similar to the Uruk-Hai in Sarumon's tower in Lord of the Rings? Is he free-willed still and extremely powerful half-demon? This group of "orcs" is a might-makes-right society. So certainly the half-orc barbarian party member could challenge him to solo combat, and the chiefton would humorously accept, but I feel the chiefton would destroy that character. I don't feel this encounter is a shoot first, ask questions later sort. That will certainly get the party killed, but I'm stumped as to how to proceed.

I know this was a long post, and I really appreciate it if you took the time to read this, and will appreciate it even more if you throw some ideas my way. I've hit a wall with this encounter. Thank you in advance.


Make him a Half-Fiend. It fits with the story, and is a significant boost to a normal orc.

For the way he creates the new monstrosities, make them have a "Possession Rite" wherein they are bound to the demon's will, granting them the Fiendish template.

The island setup should be based on what level you want them to be after this.

Obviously not all of the orcs on the island would be turned, since you would only want to bother with the ritual on the meanest and strongest. So, have the coast area have normal (twisted) orcs, with fiendish animals as pets/mounts. Each small grouping led by one of the fiendish ones.

Take a look at the old 3.5 Acolyte of the Skin class for ideas of how you get the powers.

Also, scatter some lesser demons and Sinspawn mixed in with the orcs on the island.

A party of 4 with no healing (with the group listed) should have some fun with that kind of setup.


For a cool way of doing spawning- have him take a living creature (orc, animal, etc.) and rip their heart out. Then have him insert SOMETHING in its place.

The exact details of what happens can vary, and maybe have them vary by what he is trying to create. If he just wants a fiendish bear to ride, then have it take over the bear.

If he want an undead/demonic orc soldier, then have them chest burst out of the victim.

Since we are heavily involved with undeath and otherworldly powers, how about we go with a parasite theme. Make the SOMETHING into a maggot/worm type thing. With the possessed, have their bodies riddled with worms that weave in and out of the body, and tether the limbs.

Having the ...'orcs'.. themselves take on insect like characteristics. Claws and mandibles. For out orc leader...while a 'queen ant' vibe could be appropriate, you could just have it as a charred corpse moved by the worm things, and have its torso emptied out with the spawning maggots resting inside.

Of course, I may be thinking of all this from the 'burn it with fire', human side of the issue. All these details make the things out to be far more antagonistic to the party than they might otherwise appear (since you have a 'monster' party). You could go with something more 'noble', to get at least some sympathy (even if they do have to burn it with fire).

If we are going the sympathizing route, then a tree theme might be good. Having the lead orc bound into a twisted and gnarled tree would do. The tree is of course are spawning method...but it gives a better impression since the guy is tied down in a prison of flesh. It would also explain 'why hasn't he made a move in the last 400 years'. You may still like the 'parasite piloting a corpse' thing for the lesser enemies, with roots replacing worms in this case.


hmm. you can also go for the Shock factor.
use TGMaxMaxer half fiend idea about the boss,then go with the following:
have the story go that all that remind behind on the original island were the FEMALE orcs. now they too got tainted and are somewhat half fiends. and the thing about findish beings is they can mate with almost anything. so deparived of male orcs(the chief can't mate at his state) and bound on bringing the tribe back to glory. they took the altranative way...
this not only let you go with half breeds all around the place. but once enough are killed, the party will meet up with the "mosnters" angry mothers.
Beowulf with multipal others ;)


It seems weird, but follow me on this one. I really like the Fiend Template here. I also like the idea of seeing the female orcs. However if you wanted to tell this whole story in a "cutscene" you could have the group rescue a female orc who was fleeing so she wouldn't be turned and have them slay her pursuers. She could offer the party an underground passage through a cave and let them sneak into the Dragon's inner lair.

From there you could have them see the Chieftain. Twisted and festering, he could be acting on his own and free-willed. But maybe the PCs find a secret shrine beneath the fortress to a not-so-bad God. Your Barbarian could meet the spirit of the chieftain, and he could explain the whole story about how he's not the one in his old skin.

If you want to drive home how messed up this is, the group could have to fight a lesser-commander of the fiend chieftain, and some of his men. By this point you have them do several things.

A) They see the chieftain and understand how freakishly hellfire he is and that he's not actually a true war chief. He's a sack of skin being worn by some vile entity.

B) With a few encounters with the lesser guards the group gets a taste of what the fiend template can do to people. Or Orcs. So you ease them into the pounding they might take.

C) If you use the small non-combat encounters you can establish the past in great detail and have perfect opportunities to hand out story important items/artifacts/weapons to exceptional role players.

D) You have an easy excuse for tactical retreat without the party getting their rear ends pilfered by an army of fiendish hell-guards simply by them being in a visible lower chamber that is blocked off from easy following.

Hope it helps, but there is a lot of really great idea already in this thread.


ExiledMimic ,side note, if i read right, this is the original orc starting place. the dragon got them when they went into the elves\human places. he wouldn't be here (espacily since hte revived chief is here)


The Orc chieftan looks like he did on his last day, except his form has visibly shriveled, as if he was a slowly rotting piece of fruit. His form is caked is pathces of fungus, vines and weeds, where the local vegetation has started to take root in him. He cannot move, he can barely whisper, he is trapped in his body, his once great and powerful warrior body, now decrepit and immobile.

From his chest blood pours in a constant stream, gushing from his mortal wound, inflicted by the dragon's claw. The flow of blood never ceases, it never stops, it just keeps flowing, thick and rich his lifeblood pumps in a constant stream, down his immobile form, down the steps from his resting place, and unto the floor beneath travelling along stone carvings. Here is mixes with pools, - with putrid, green cesspits, spawningpools, touched by the malign influences of his demonic dealings. It lends 400 years of strength and the touch of the abyss to the foul sludgepools.

The orcs fornicate in it, proudly demonstrating their manhood to their cheiftan. Pregnancy is accelerated, growth as well. Mutations are common, some of the babies are born as ravenous, horned and clawed monstrosities, litterally tearing their way out of their mothers. As long as the chieftan's blood flows, the tribe will know practically endless supplies of soldiers, one batch more mutated and ferocious than the next, all bowing to their great father, the one who gave them life, the one who continues to give them strength. The Bloodfather.

Hope it helps.

-Nearyn


zza ni wrote:
ExiledMimic ,side note, if i read right, this is the original orc starting place. the dragon got them when they went into the elves\human places. he wouldn't be here (espacily since hte revived chief is here)

Entirely possible I misread some of it. Core points I suggest stand and, to be fair, can be torn apart and used in small chunks if they like any. However the only point I like was the Fiend template, and that wasn't even my idea, LoL!


Actually, to expand on the ritual of the "possession". In the abyss, the lowest troops spawn from "Larvae" that grow into bigger demons.

Have the potential recruits required to swallow one whole, and those that are worthy will be infused with the demon energy, while those who are not will be killed as it burrows out of them.

This also lets you mix in some undead if you like, or mix and match fiendish and undead traits so that they are truly unique monsters and more likely to be special to your players.

If the Shaman has passed his teachings to his successors (or done something like lichdom), you could even add some of the 3.5 "Spell Stitched" or undead abilities out of Libre Mortis.

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