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Hello, tonight I'll be running Shatterhorn for my PCs and I was wondering if any other DMs had run into any problems or such. When I ran "Thirteen Cages" I spent like three hours completely reworking it as it was plain horrible as written and I was wondering if anyone had run into anything similar while running Shatterhorn. What did any of you change if anything? How did you handle the Cagewrights? Did you move them all into the same room (they KNOW the PCs are coming) or did you leave them all in their nice serperate little encounters?
If you move all of the Cagewrights into one room, I would recomend making them weaker by taking away levels from them, as they stand, all of the Cagewrights at once would slaughter almost any party of level 18 characters.
Maybe they are systematically hunting the party through Shatterhorn, maybe they are arrogant enough to keep it as it is. Maybe one of the Cagewrights should link up with Mhad and Hate. If you want your party to fight all of the Cagewrights at once, try putting them in rooms close enough together and make your party fight them in waves.
I recommend leaving them as they are and coming up with a story line like since the Fiery Sanctum was raided and the tree of shackled souls destroyed, the Cagewrights might have just finished a major argument on what to do. After the blowout, they all return to their own areas to contemplate, and in Embryl's case take action.
Don't forget that all the Cagewrights are insane, too. Insanity and good planning don't really go hand in hand. :)
Well, here's something you probably didn't think about. Arcane Eye... the spell that creates a tiny eye that the mage can see through and control? There's pratically no doors in Shatterhorn at all, so if a party member decides to use this spell, they can map out almost all of the dungeon without the Cagewrights ever knowing.
The encounter on top of Shatterhorn... the orcs on flying mounts and the dire wolves are going to die very, very quickly. The only thing up there that is remotely near the party's EL is the giant... and if he's not careful, he's a goner as well. Don't forget the fog that lingers around the ruins. That's a 20% miss chance for everyone involved.
Squid
Good points, all.
We started Strike on Shatterhorn last night, and so far, the players are having an easy time at it. The will-o'-wisps caused some havoc, but they were never a viable threat.
The party nearly defeated Nahazir, who managed to teleport with a few remaining hit points. They found the secret door that led to Embril and the spell weaver. On their way up, they all saved against magic jar, so that threat was gone.
But that fight lasted one round. In the surprise round, the spell weaver used Bigby's crushing hand on the first one through, the drow fighter/ranger (and most powerful melee guy), and I had Embril wait until initiative to use destruction against the druid.
The bad guys lost initiative (I rolled a 3 and a 6), and the druid entered and used finger of death on the spell weaver, who failed his save, then the next caster went in and cast disintegrate on Embril, who promptly failed her save.
The players were definately freaked by the spell weaver, but all in all, it turned out to be a disappointing encounter (that could have easily been the other way, of course if the saving throws went against the PCs). I'm definately going to bolster the next encounters in our next game. I'll either put the remaining cagewrights in the Temple of Merrshaulk, or I'll throw in an adamantine golem or something to mix things up.
I started running Shatterhorn last night.
The fight in the ruins didn't last too long. The will o' wisps gave the party a little drummer, but Ghath was dominated by the party archmage 1 round after he appeared. This significantly swayed the encounters under Shatterhorn.
The party searched the keep and found the staircase leading down. Nahazir cast crushing despair when they entered the room and moved back behind a pillar. Ghath squeezed into the room and took an attack from the Mhorg (made his paralysis save). Ghath dealt damage to the Mhorg while the other PCs rushed Nahazir. They were placed in such a way that noone (save the archmage with see invisibilty) saw the Fish (who survived 13 cages) sneak up behind the paladin and deliver a sneak attack.
Ghath was commanded to grapple Fish, who promptly dimension doored to room 7 to regroup and begin concentrating on his death attack against the paladin (who he holds a grudge against for that whole mark of justice thing...long story.)
Meanwhile Nahazir flew back over the pit trap hoping to draw the PCs over it. The party barbarian ran after him but made his save to avoid falling. The party wizard cast fly on the rouge with a wand and then dropped it. The party rouge picked up the wand and cast fly on the ranger. The next round the party rouge caste fly on the wizard again (a pretty good solution to the quandry).
The PCs pursued Nahazir to the other side of the pit trap, where Alurad and fleshripper came charging down the hall. The PC paladin has Alurad in his backstory so he was please to be facing him.
Ghath charged as well and tripped the trap falling in. The PC had the good idea to jump up (ring of improved jump) and try and grab Alurad and fall back in to the pit. He tried to jump out and failed taking the damage all over again. Fleshripper was quickly dispatched and Alurad was felled by the barbarian. Just as he was delivering the telling blow, Fish death attacked the paladin (who made his save) and it wasn't long 'till he died too.
Ghath made his way out of the pit. The party spent 3 rounds healing up, when Mhad and Hate (who had been alerted by the shadow) emerged from their vault.
Mhad sprung attack the ranger with spider climb, bestowing negative levels. Meanwhile Ghath ran to meet the Wraith head on (which surprised the wraith..."Haven't I seen you around here before?") The party barbarian did the same. Mhad retreated (via mist) into the sniping room and dominated the Ranger who hit his allies with several arrows.
The archmage disintegrated the wall and the farastu and the vampire were exposed. Mhad dominated the party barbarian but it was all for naught, because she was hit with a devestating searing light from the cleric. The farastu was soon dispatched.
It had been 5 minutes and three rounds since the party approacehd the ruins of Shatterhorn. They had been underground for 1 minute and three rounds. That's when the party decided to investigate that weird ring in the column room. Their was a fair amount of debate over whether to put the ring on or not, and finally, the Wizard said "we can just take it and put it on later"...heh heh. The medusas were released and everyone rolled their saves; the wizard turned to stone...That's where we left it.
A few questions:
would Ghath still be dominated? After reading the description of Dominate Monster and Flesh to Stone, I decided he would be as long as the statue is intact.
Anyone else have any similar experiences running this? Anything you'd like to share?
My party really enjoyed the "enemies in waves" scenario. I found it a pretty effective way to make it just a wee bit more challenging, though Ghath certainly swayed and helped the party. For the remainder of the dungeon, I am planing on making the following changes:
Theryn Louvel is found in room 10 (which he has set up the same as his room in 13 cages). The party never faced him, and I did so much prep work for this that it would be a waste not to do this. He will be fought by himself (well, and his familiar and summoned monsters) I'll also prolly up his level a bit.
The half-iron-orc-whatevers will attempt to grapple PCs and walk with them down towards room 20. Once the Cagewrights hear the Faithful Snake Gaurdian, Xokek is sent ahead with his Sladdi, who try and further draw the PCs into room 20. The cagewrights have all used 1 of the runes from the Egg (everything except heal and teleport). I'm hoping to make the big battle include Kyan, Xokek, Viirdan, 2 death Slaadi(implosion...oooh!) 2 farastus, and the 2 half iron golems (Assuming they can get the PCs there (prolly be pretty damaged by that time)
Embril and the Spellweaver I will probably run as is. Nooone in the party ever casts protection from evil so I don't think possession will be a problem. The medusa rouges shouldn't provide too much of a challenge either (what with the party rouge and barbarian being way higher level). Not sure what'll happen if the party decides to keep treking throught the dungeon without a wizard (don't think anyone has any stone to flesh...well he had some scrolls...whahahah). In any case, I'm looking forward to next week!
If you move all of the Cagewrights into one room, I would recomend making them weaker by taking away levels from them, as they stand, all of the Cagewrights at once would slaughter almost any party of level 18 characters.
Maybe they are systematically hunting the party through Shatterhorn, maybe they are arrogant enough to keep it as it is. Maybe one of the Cagewrights should link up with Mhad and Hate. If you want your party to fight all of the Cagewrights at once, try putting them in rooms close enough together and make your party fight them in waves.
I recommend leaving them as they are and coming up with a story line like since the Fiery Sanctum was raided and the tree of shackled souls destroyed, the Cagewrights might have just finished a major argument on what to do. After the blowout, they all return to their own areas to contemplate, and in Embryl's case take action.
I agee with Alacar. With the ToSS destroyed the Cagewrights reason for cooperation is gone. One possible scenario is they should begin to splinter, each trying to salvage as much power, gold, etc. as possible. They are as likely to work with the PC's (some might even do so to survive or backstab the PC) to hunt down other Cagewrights as each other. Think of it as the fall of the 3d reich.
My party had too much of a cakewalk with 13 cages...they recruited NPCs like Shensen and the Stormblades to help out and looking at the encounters, I thought there was no way they'd survive. Thus, I've made Shatterhorn the Cagewrights last stand. (THough some of them may escape to Carceri)
Also, Fish was dominated by the party wizard during 13 cages and thus gave alot of helpful information to the party. Then when they destroyed the tree of shackled souls they grabbed him teleported out and while still dominated, cast mark of justice on him and set him free. Fish then limped back to Shatterhorn where he was severely chastised. This gave him a good grudge againt the party while still providing them with the information that they needed to flesh out the story...I do like the fallen 3rd reich analogy...could make for some interesting RP oppurtunities...like expatriate german scientists, the knowledge of the cagewrights (1 or 2) is necessary for the greater good...it'd certainly be an interesting moral quandry for good aligned party members....hmmmmmm...
