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Hi all,
We pushed on in the Test of the Smoking Eye last night, and I got thrown some curve balls I could really use help with.
1) The Test of Resolve was really interesting. The party bard was carrying the lantern, and he made the mistake of wandering off the path or stopping -- right in a clump of PCs. So we ended up with two PCs fighting the basilisk single handed. The first 'whuuuh?' I got thrown was the bard decided to drop the lantern at one point -- did anyone in your group do that? I decided that because he dropped the lantern, at the end of his turn the lantern and everyone within 30 ft was teleported back to the beginning.
2) After a while, the PCs got the hang of the lantern, and followed the path -- unfortunately, the basilisk's gaze save of 31 (!?!) left them with petrified companions left behind -- including Kaurphon! They figured they could come back later and pick up their friends -- but then they hit the teleportation circle and got thrown to the far side of the skull. They don't seem to have any way to find their lost friends, considering their native guide is one of the lost souls. Any ideas how I could help them on this? It seems rather mean.
3) Do you think if they leave Kaurphon behind as a statue, and go complete the third test, the Test of Sacrifice will be a big anticlimax? How would you guys handle this?
Thanks!
1) The Test of Resolve was really interesting. The party bard was carrying the lantern, and he made the mistake of wandering off the path or stopping -- right in a clump of PCs. So we ended up with two PCs fighting the basilisk single handed. The first 'whuuuh?' I got thrown was the bard decided to drop the lantern at one point -- did anyone in your group do that? I decided that because he dropped the lantern, at the end of his turn the lantern and everyone within 30 ft was teleported back to the beginning.
That seems reasonable.
2) After a while, the PCs got the hang of the lantern, and followed the path -- unfortunately, the basilisk's gaze save of 31 (!?!) left them with petrified companions left behind -- including Kaurphon! They figured they could come back later and pick up their friends -- but then they hit the teleportation circle and got thrown to the far side of the skull. They don't seem to have any way to find their lost friends, considering their native guide is one of the lost souls. Any ideas how I could help them on this? It seems rather mean.
I would likely have them interact with either existing or new NPCs that they can try and convince to somehow guide them pack to the cyst area. Any native should be able to find it.
3) Do you think if they leave Kaurphon behind as a statue, and go complete the third test, the Test of Sacrifice will be a big anticlimax? How would you guys handle this?
I don't think so... they will have the big fight with the undead/lich guy/thing just before that and then will be faced with a moral dilema... that in my mind is the more interesting part. They have beat all their enemies and are now told they can only win by betraying a partner... what do they do? (we know that one sacrificing themselves is a good idea, but do they?)
Additionally, I would have Kaurophon get un-petrified at some later point after they have left him behind. If they also leave behind friends they could be undone at the same time and turned against their 'friends' for abandoning them in the first place. Kaurophon then finds more dupes to get him in and succeeds at getting the template.
Once he has the template (and potentially former PCs as minions) he comes after all other contenders who have the eye... which is the PC who got it.
You could make this into it's own side quest in which they are hunted (something like the chasing the snake adventure) or just a single encounter in which he and his lackeys call the PCs out (and spew off the megalomaniacal dissertation so the PCs know what happened in their absence).
Sean Mahoney
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So, we finished the Smoking Eye test, and not having Kaurphon at the end worked just fine! The lich wasn't a bad encounter, and one of the playaers (the humble bard, of all people!) jumped into the flames, sacrificing himself.
In a fit of inspiration, I've decided that the angel (whassername ... it's one am) gave her place in Celestia to take the deceased bard's place, and when they encounter her later, she will be a mortal who was raised by Jenya (or something like that). It'll make her involvement in the endgame, and her distaste for celestial policies more poignant.
Isn't the person who sacrifices themselves in the plasma instantly reborn with the sign of the Smoking Eye? So no need for a replacement...
I think the point was to replace the normal way of getting the template (unless I misunderstood). So instead of it being a built in "loop-hole" it was a conscious sacrifice by Nidrama.
Not the way I would play it, but it is a good explanation non-the-less.
Sean Mahoney
Would your neutral party be motivated by the fact that there's no way for them to return home unless they help Kaurophon? As things stand, he's basically holding all the cards. It's a little thing I like to call "railroading."
As for your extremely lawful good party, altruism is the first word that defines good. I'd think a little self-sacrifice for your friends would be perfectly justified. And just let them sit there until they come up with their own idea. If one of them loses their cookies and pushes an ally in, then that right there is sufficient to taint their goodness.
And I personally think it would be very interesting for a good character to be tainted with the touch of evil in the form of a fiery, smoking eye.
But that's just my opinion. And the best part of being the DM is, if you can't come up with ideas, just ask your players "What do you do?"