The Serpent Kingdoms text AND the lizardfolk druid in the party spurred on this idea...
I want the Harbinger in Spire of Long Shadows to be in possession of the phylactery of a semi-aware sarrukh demi-lich. I want the sarrukh to be the true creators of what are now called the Kyuss worms. The spellweaver came to Faerun thousands of years ago, claimed the phylactery, and continued where the sarrukh left off tens of thousands of years ago. It is through the Harbinger that the Age of Worms is about to begin, but the ancient sarrukh planted that seed. The Harbinger has no power over the sarrukh, and the sarrukh could care less about Faerun and its forgotten phylactery there. The gem is merely an encyclopedia of sarrukh lore, including the "Kyuss worm."
Anyway, if and when the PCs defeat and destroy the harbinger, the sarrukh becomes aware of the freeing of its phylactery (which is actually one of several hundred phylacteries hidden in various planes). The 40 thousand year old demi-lich manifests and unleashes a spell that incapacitates the PCs. I want to offer the PCs a gift in return for freeing the sarrukh's phylactery. Yes, sarrukh can only augment scaly kind, but I'm making an acception for what could be the oldest spellcaster in Faerun. While in magical stasis, the PCs are offered this choice: the choice to be the sarrukh's new Harbingers who will destroy what the ancient race started so many thousands of years ago.
I'm thinking of offering the PCs the option of losing one, two, maybe three levels in return for a template that fits their classes in optimal fashion. The augmentation would be horribly taxing, resulting in the appropriate level adjustment, but players would be warned of those consequences.
Here are the PCs and their possible progressions:
Male half-orc ranger 3 (moving toward Stalker of Kharash from Exalted Deeds)
Male lizardfolk druid 2 of Silvanus (moving toward warshaper from Complete Warrior)
Male moon elf scout 3 (scout is from Complete Adventurer)
Male human rogue 3 (moving toward invisible blade from Complete Warrior)
The ranger would benefit from the true lycanthrope werewolf template.
The lizardfolk druid could either go draconic (Draconomicon) or chameleon creature (Underdark).
The moon elf scout could benefit from a shift to avariel (which I might have to fudge).
The human rogue/inv. blade would be a deadly shade or perhaps a tiefling.
Any other ideas? Have I missed any good templates or ideas that might work? I don't own ALL the books, but some ideas might stir me to check them out.
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Neat ideas. My guys finished spire last game. The Harbringer was a tougher fight than some groups might have, because I let him use his limtied wish to make the spire proof against hostile scrying spells like Arcane Eye for a few days, and I gave him some scrying abilities of his own. Screw the spell suggestions listed for him in the text...the first thing I had him do was use Maze on the Paladin 10/Ftr 5, taking the toughest guy out of the figth for 7 rounds. Of course, anti-magic sphere stopped a lot of the lich's attacks. We had a fighter with a returning hammer sit in the sphere and throw his hammer at the lich before the lich finally ran for help...but the PC's divided the Kyuss Knights with a quick wall of force and just mopped the floor with them (though the paladin who just got out of the Maze did get intell drained to 2...SIT BOY! SIT!)