Cool lair effects


Advice


So I have a few dragon fights coming up in the campaign I am running. I also watch Critical Role, if you haven't you should. Anyways the GM in that had a few dragon fights and the lair had an initiative separate of the dragon. Other critters had these too sometimes.

What these are is that the area or home of a specific creature has been effected by having a dragon live there for so long. A black dragon might have pools of acid that bubble out. Blasts of fire for the red and gold dragon.

What I am wanting is some ideas for various dragons along with some stuff that a necromancers lair might have.

Specifically I have a evil adult undead copper dragon on a well of necromancy.

A mature adult black dragon in a very old manor that it has claimed for the last few centuries. The manors lands have turned into a swamp/bog type area.

A, adult white dragon with the broken soul template who is a manor and has not left in a few years. The inside of the home is its hoard.

A mature adult red dragon. I am using the Blood of Dragonscar module.

Late game I have a ancient green dragon who lives in a massive pit in a forest and has orc and kolbold minions

As to the necromancer I have a lot of necromancers as the baddies. The Whispering Tyrant Tar-Baphon is the final fight and they have his minions to fight along the way. So any ideas for fun things spell casters homes might have absorbed from having them there.

Thank you in advance
DAA


Circle of Death Traps

Permanent Undetectable/Invisible Cloudkills (the Necromancer's minions and cultists would know the command word to suppress it)

The murals along the walls are actually mummified <insert any mob> that will burst out of the walls, either by a command word or a pressure-plate on the floor

Deeper in the Lair, the BBEG has access to an "Undeath Ley Line" - maybe the Desecrated Sanctuary is built here for maximum Necromantic energies?

If this necromancer has been raiding villages recently for skellies in his undead army, there would be a room where all the killing goes on, sort of like a room of putrefaction with no bones but lots of decaying/rotting flesh.

The Necromancer might have devoted cultists who do his dirty work, and they would need a kitchen, food storage, sleeping chambers. Make sure these Cultists use Heightened Spell Bestow Curses, Enervates and Contagions a few times before they face your BBEG to beat them up a bit.

If the Necromancer has, or is currently building, an army, there would be a mundane weapons vault with spears, shields, axes and swords of the lowest craftmanship.

The necromancer might be expanding his Lair, and would have skellies with pickaxes and shovels clearing out new paths and making new rooms.

The necromancer might have guests, like Plague Priests, Death Priests, and all flavors of dignitaries from interested parties. If so, there would be a grand receiving room to impress his guests.

If the Necromancer is secluded, he might have a Visions room, with a crystal ball.

The Necromancer, if he isn't already, could be trying to become a Lich (open books in his chambers would be devoted to researching his next steps towards becoming a Lich), and his own chambers would be grand. If he's still living and requires sleep/sustenance, he would have a 4-post california king-size bed, his own eating table, etc. An armoire filled with his different sets of robes, ranging from daily wear to Grand Ceremony robes, probably even a ceremonial knife. All kinds of reagents for various spells, tchotchkes and souvenir trinkets from places he's been, and nostalgic items from his youth (like a violin that hasn't been played in 30 years).


Maybe note where on the map damage is taken and in a necromancer's lair, the lair can create or conjure something when a location receives enough damage. e.g. If 64 hp of damage is taken in a given room or area then it can call up a blood golem. Or if there are minions perhaps it can reanimate them after they fall.

The black dragon's manor might have suggestion or fear effects to use near some hazardous areas.

A white dragon with a broken soul might have falling icicles or poltergeist behaviour in its manor.


What about a room like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where he had to jump across the floor letter by letter to spell Jehova in Latin, except instead of the floor falling out from underneath the party, it would summon a phantom that takes a swing at you and vanishes.

Basically, if you know the code word, you can jump across the room unscathed. Anyone stepping on the wrong floor tile is going to trigger a phantom that gets to make a surprise attack against them. And make it hurt too.


Awesome ideas! Please keep them coming

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